Today is the United Nations International Day of Happiness. So go on, smile. If the UN says we’ve to be happy, then we’re damn well going to be happy. Here are 10 films that are guaranteed to bring a smile to my face and make me feel happy…
August: Osage County
18 March 2015 by Leave a Comment
There’s a very specific kind of acting that I can’t stand. It’s over the top, it’s shouty, it’s showy, it’s very much aimed at getting awards. I refer to it as ACTING with all capital letters, when you speak about it you slip into a loud, plummy accent. ACTING darling, ACTING…
The Abrupt Physics of Dying
16 March 2015 by Leave a Comment
It’s often said “Don’t judge a book by its cover” but let’s be honest, we all do it don’t we? If a cover doesn’t draw our attention then it’s unlikely that we will pick up the book, scan the blurb and read the front page. For some people a pastel cover with shiny text screams “chick lit” and they’ll avoid at all costs…
The Boy In The Book
14 March 2015 by Leave a Comment
I am a child of the 80s. We made our own fun back then – none of this X-box, Snapchat or Facebook malarkey. We had our own imaginations to keep us going. If that makes me sound like an old gimmer then fair enough, I probably am. Unsurprisingly = most of my fun came from reading and for a time in the mid-80s I was fascinated by the “Choose your own adventure” stories…
Maleficent
13 March 2015 by Leave a Comment
A rape analogy, a depiction of insanity brought by the relentless pursuit of power and the message that familial love is more powerful than teen romance. Not exactly what I was expecting from a Disney retelling of one of its own beloved stories but that’s exactly what I got from Maleficent, the live-action version of Sleeping Beauty…
Season to Taste
12 March 2015 by Leave a Comment
Every now and then I receive a book that makes me throw my review schedule out of the window and read it straight away rather than in strict order. The concept will just grab me and I’ll need to know more. Natalie Young’s Season to Taste: or How to Eat Your Husband was one such book…
Wylie: The Brave Street Dog Who Never Gave Up
10 March 2015 by Leave a Comment
The past few days has seen the annual Crufts Dog Show take place in Birmingham, I must admit that I have mixed feelings about the show. On one hand there’s many beautiful, well-loved and talented dogs being celebrated and that’s lovely to watch but on the other hand so many of the breed specifications cause problems…
A break… and a return
1 February 2015 by Leave a Comment
I’ve had a bit of a blogging break for a few months, sometimes the need to read ALL the books and see ALL the films is a bit much and the fun is taken out of what should be a really important and enjoyable part of my life. I’m thoroughly grateful to all of the authors and publishers who have provided me with books for review…
Keep Quiet
20 November 2014 by Leave a Comment
How do parents protect their children when an innocent mistake could ruin their whole life? Even when that mistake has horrific consequences which are deserving of punishment? That’s the question at the heart of Lisa Scottoline’s new book Keep Quiet..
Sunshine on Leith
19 November 2014 by Leave a Comment
I think it’s somewhere in Scots’ law that if you are a Scot, especially if you no longer live in the home country, you must love The Proclaimers. You don’t have to know many of their songs or even think that they are great singers, but you must be eager at any opportunity to burst into 500 miles or Letter from America…