Suzanne Kavanagh

Fold by Tom Campbell

2011-12-18T10:29:00.000Z

Very little happens in Fold.

Apart from a few games of poker amongst a group of male friends.

But Fold - so tightly written it squeaks - is a compelling observation of modern manners and rivalries amongst men.

Nick is an odious narcissist with only one interest: himself. All the more surprising considering his lack of success in life. Frustrated by his futile existence, he decides to dedicate his time to bringing down fellow poker player Doug to his level.

Vijay is an accountant, whose comfortable life is augmented with the number-driven excitement of poker. Alan is a computer programmer with a fatal lack of confidence. But don't write him off: anyone can transform their life. Simon is philosopher and academic with a penchant for fine wine. His lack of academic success is mitigated by prowess at the card table.

And then there is Doug. The arrogant, pompous - and wildly successful - Doug. Bane of Nick's life and he-who-regularly-cleans-everyone-out-at-cards.

The story deftly switches from one first-person narrative to another, like a 'word-cam' strapped to each man's head. Using flashbacks and internal monologues, Campbell builds each character, teasing out their foibles, neuroses, hopes and dreams, game by game.

The lack of action is what makes this book a triumph. Because life is like that, isn't it? Often, nothing much happens at all. But we hope, we dream, we scheme, and we play.

Fold, check, call or raise.

Here's the trailer for the book by publisher Bloomsbury.

Footnote:I can't help wondering how much of this reflects the life and times of Tom Campbell. It's tempting to project elements of each character on to the author. Doubly so when you've met him. Tom recently provided consultancy work for my employer, Skillset. He'll have to tell me next time he's in the office.

How Not to do Accommodation at the Frankfurt Book Fair

2011-10-12T19:27:00.000+01:00

ABA Hotel Frankfurt. Where to start?

Well, first of all, with my prudence. Trying to book a hotel two weeks before the Frankfurt Book Fair in a central location for two nights for under 200 euros per night is difficult. I was chuffed to bits to see that ABA had availability.

That was the first clue.

Location is all, isn’t it? Five minutes walk to the main station. Fifteen minutes to the Messe exhibition halls. It doesn’t get more central than that.

That was the second clue.

The road - Tannusstrassr - is a long main road heading away from the station. There were plenty of bright lights, all red and pink, twinkling in the distance as we walked down the street. A street populated with men. Large groups of - mainly drunken - men.

That was the third clue.

The baffled look on the face of the man at reception should have sealed the deal. You could almost hear him thinking “oh dear, another one of those publishers who booked online.” The room itself was spacious and not that bad at first glance. Until you start to settle in. Highlights included:

Holes in all the bed linen
Grease stain on the mattress
Carpet peeling up at the corner
Curtain rail hanging off the wall on one side
Screaming children - day and night
Noise from reception travelling up the stone stairwell
No hot water. For two days. I sneaked in a shower just before I checked out
Giant pneumatic drills on building site next door from 8 am

The room downstairs sounded like they were having fun, with friends round to watch a war film on TV. At least theirs worked. Mine switched on. And off again. That’s about it.

I would have popped out to get a drink, but I didn't dare leave the room. I decided to have some water. Only to discover there was no glass or any other kind of receptacle to drink from.

But you know what? It was so bad, it was funny. Think Bangkok hostel scene from The Beach and you’re almost there. But without Robert Carlisle. Which was a bit of a shame really. He would have added to the ambience.

Race for Life 5km Crystal Palace - photographic evidence

2011-06-06T23:51:00.009+01:00

Here's some photographic evidence of the run. It was quite a day. Gives a whole new meaning to the words 'Pink Ladies'.

Race for Life 5km Crystal Palace

2011-06-06T22:52:00.004+01:00

Sunday saw me stagger around Crystal Palace. I huffed and I puffed. And I did 27 minutes and 35 seconds all the way round the 5km route.

Here's some evidence. Be warned. It involves a lot of sweating and beetroot cheeks. Oh, and Shania Twain.

And of course, some running...

The end is in sight. Check out the Paula Radcliffe style (head rolling, not speed).

This all raised around £800 for Cancer Research. Makes it all worthwhile.

How to wheeze your way around West Dulwich: a six point plan

2011-05-22T22:40:00.007+01:00

1. Inspiration

Get inspired by colleagues at work who've run marathons. Charlie completed the London marathon and Sarah ran the hilly Brighton course. I got carried away while watching the London runners on TV. Next thing I know I've signed up for the Race for Life 5 km on Sunday 5th June in Crystal Palace. I'm very excited at the prospect of getting to run in the National Sports Stadium (bit of an armchair athletics geek if truth be told).

2. Gym kit

Those Primarni jogging trousers are getting a real workout. My house keys have cuts holes in both pockets. I'm running out of t-shirts. Probably need to get a better pair of trainers before the race day.

3. Runkeeper

You can always find out what you need to know on Twitter (they should tell that to famous footballers). Me? I asked the Twitterverse which app to use for training. Runkeeper was pretty much the universal recommendation. But beware. It's only as good as the GPS signal. I live in an area with trees. And clouds. And the wrong kind of air. Or something. Seems to be a problem at times. Still, it's handy to work out local routes.

4. Water

I drink a lot of water anyway. Never more so than when I'm staggering around the streets of SE21 gasping for air. I'm now the proud owner of a runners water bottle complete with handy hole in the middle with grip so it doesn't slip out of my sweaty hand. Water drunk during training to date: 11.2 litres (approximately 700ml per training run).

5. Train

The Race for Life website has a range of training plans. I chose the marginally more ambitious Joggers 5 km plan (rather than beginners/walkers). So far, I've run 54 km in the first 4 weeks of training. I've got another 26.3 km to go before the race. It may be a bit more than that, depending on the GPS. There'll be a few stretches, warm-ups and warm-downs in between.

6. Dedication

There are plenty of people I know who are directly or indirectly affected by cancer. I'm kind of running for them all. But I want to dedicate this race to three people. My father-in-law has recently started treatment for prostate cancer. My best friend's mum has just been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. Her dad has been simultaneously diagnosed with prostate cancer. Their names will be on the back of my t-shirt on the 5th June.

If you'd like to donate, please go to http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/sashers

Thank you x

Talk About Local 2011 #TAL11 conference: how to get started with a hyperlocal blog

2011-04-03T20:54:00.015+01:00

I have set up a blog for the road I live on. Why? Because we have a residents' association, I didn't know what they were doing and I thought it would be useful to have a local notice board of sorts. I was also inspired by the hyperlocal journalists and bloggers I've met while working at Skillset. And so http://www.southcroxted.co.uk/ was born.

But what about the content? What are my neighbours really interested in? Rather than make assumptions, I created a survey to find out. With 200 properties on the road, I was chuffed with 71 responses, the majority of whom were positive about the idea (you can see the full results here). Plenty of people were interested in being kept informed and provided an email address. It got me thinking: could I turn any of them into contributors?

The Talk About Local (TAL) conference in Cardiff last weekend was an ideal opportunity to pick the brains of the best and brightest hyperlocal journalists and bloggers. TAL is run as an 'unconference' format. There's no agenda. All the delegates turn up and volunteer ideas for sessions they want to lead. There was some interest in how to get started and promote your site so I got stuck in.

As we introduced ourselves, the following themes emerged:

How do you turn readers into writers?

What ideas are there to launch a site and where do you start?

What ways are there to grow subscribers?

There were some brilliant practical tips on what to do and how to get started. I've the top ten below for anyone new to the hyperlocal game.

Keep it simple: have a simple name and repeat it all the time

Email: set up a subscription feedburner, think about junk mail and be aware of spam-tastic words (sale, viagra etc); sign up for all emails so you can distribute this out to your local community (mailchimp for particularly recommended for newsletters)

Once upon a time: find and write about good stories

Social media: set up Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc - use all media channels

Conversations: talk to people, pop in and talk to the shop keepers - they can tell you about sales and events, attend events, be seen face to face: from online to offline.

Linking: develop links to/from other sites, think about what stuff comes through the letterbox - can you do deals or link up with them? Link up with local bloggers - interact with them, share ideas/stories, link and acknowledge them

Comments: get your friends to comment to kick things off

Paperwork: produce leaflets, business cards and take them everywhere you go - shops, restaurants, bars

Quality not quantity: keep it in perspective and understand that you can’t do everything straight away, focus on quality. Remember, people aren’t checking hour in hour out so you can stagger and stage things

Shopping: many sites have experienced big spikes in interest when including Tesco opening times at Xmas, Bank Holidays etc (general consensus was this is sad, but true)

We discuss a number of issues in more depth.

Contributors: the hardest thing of all Getting contributors is one of the hardest things to do. You need an editorial disclaimer and have to keep an eye on the quality. Equally, you have to make it meaningful to people so don’t ask them to cover something that doesn’t interest them. Push people in the right direction and don’t overburden them. Check for propaganda and make it clear that they are contributors (you can do this by italicising their text).

Forums: who, what, why, how There were sobering and wise words from Simon at the Ventnor blog on the Isle of Wight. It took them a year to establish their forum and now it runs itself. It was tough at times. You need to remember that it’s a conversation. A robust discussion is a good thing, but it can be difficult to ride out online rows, but you have to take the rough with the smooth. Oliver from The Silhillian blog recommended not moderating comments. If you do pre-moderate, you are approving that comment and will be liable to claims of libel or defamation. You need to be aware of the law.

Other tips included think about what locals will google about e.g. local school becomes academy and there are concerns about admissions. You need to remember that you don’t create a community. They are already there. You happen to stumble upon them and provide an outlet for them.

From online to offline: make your site personal Joseph at BlogPreston recommends using events as well. Be at heart of the event (set up a tweet-up) so people get to know you as a real person. You can use these face to face meetings to consolidate the relationship with the reader and/or contributor.

Thanks go to everyone who attended the session. If I’ve missed anyone make sure you comment!

@jonathanlloyd @josephstash @nw3news @rlwjones @saddleworthnews @SteveVbrewer @the_silhillian @ventnorblog @WHampstead

The Island by Victoria Hislop

2011-03-26T12:56:00.004Z

I first heard about The Island while on honeymoon. We were staying at The Blue Palace near Elounda in Crete. It's a stunning location, with rooms scattered around a beautiful blue bay overlooking the island of Spinalonga.

Spinalonga has a complex and fascinating history for such a small island. It was occupied by various people: from Arabs to Venetians, Ottomans to the Leper colony, the last group who lived on the island from 1903 to 1957. People suffering from leprosy were sent from all over Greece. It was an isolated life where supplies were sent across from the mainland village of Plaka by boat.

For several evenings, we would sit and contemplate the shadows of derelict ruins from the comfort of our favourite fish taverna in Plaka. It was hard to imagine what life was like in the leper colony, even when we took the tour around the island.

Victoria Hislop was also inspired by the story of Spinalonga. In The Island she tells the tale of a family. Alexis is about to go on holiday with her fiance. But she has nagging doubts: about her relationship and about how little she knows about her mother's Greek family. It is only when she asks Alexis to take a sealed letter to an old friend in Plaka that the story of her Cretan relatives unfolds.

The Island was published to great acclaim, remaining at the top of the book charts for weeks after it secured a place on Richard and Judy's Summer Reads. She certainly paints a vivid picture of the isolation of the island and the stigma attached to leprosy. However, I found the pace pedestrian at times. When the plot covers a longer time span you lose what is powerful about the book: Hislop is best when she homes in on the claustrophobia of life on Spinalonga or in Plaka.

An enjoyable - but not perfect - summer read.

The Flâneur by Edmund White

2011-03-20T18:11:00.004Z

'A flaneur is a stroller, a loiterer, someone who ambles without apparent purpose but is secretly attuned to the history of the streets he walks - and is in covert search of adventure, aesthetic or erotic.'

So says Edmund White on the back cover of The Flâneur. Drawing on his experience of living in Paris in the 80s, he takes you on a random journey around the city. From St Germain, home to some of the world's finest intellectual minds, to Parc Monceau, close to the Arc de Triomphe, where eminent banking dynasties lived in kitsch opulence.

There are tales of Sartre, Baudelaire, Josephine Baker, Strindberg, Napoleon: painters, philosophers, writers and aesthetes. As White seemingly stumbles upon place after place, you learn about the hidden history and all of the cultural, intellectual and political significance.

This is a fascinating - if at times rambling - guidebook to Paris and an extraordinary way of life.

The Kindest Thing by Cath Staincliffe

2011-03-05T14:55:00.005Z

What would you do if your husband asked you to help him kill himself? Cath Staincliffe provides a heart-rending account of one woman's journey through this terrible dilemma.

The book is tightly written. There is clever use of flashback: taking the reader through the highs and lows of Deborah Shelley and Neil Draper's life together. We reflect with Deborah, while she awaits trial in Styal Prison, on Neil's diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease, his fast demise, and how the illness cruelly takes away the passion, power and essence of the man she loves unequivocally.

We learn about their children, Adam and Sophie, their characters and their past. And how they both deal very differently with the pain of losing their father. All the details of their lives ring true. There is no hype. And for anyone who has done jury service, the court scenes will no doubt bring back memories.

There is a searing intensity to the writing. You feel her pain as a mother as she watches - helpless - as her children's lives are torn apart. There is a moving honesty and lack of artifice in her narration as she recounts the build up to the day Neil died.

I wasn't initially convinced of the need for the sex scenes. But on balance, they show - in a realistic way - that this was a passionate relationship with a closeness many would envy. Which makes the loss felt even keener.

The Kindest Thing is a gripping portrayal - told without prejudice - of a family coping with assisted suicide. I highly recommend it.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2011-02-26T11:06:00.004Z

Liesel Meminger is fostered by a family in a small town on the edge of Munich. Her life is peppered with vivid memories of her real family before the war, her struggle to survive Allied bombing raids, and the constant threat of the scrutiny of the Nazi party.

Her mama - Rosa Hubermann - hides her heart beneath a mountain of insults and curses. Her papa - Hans - is a quiet man, who watches and waits, keeping Liesel close and calm. Rudy Steiner, her friend and neighbour, thinks he is the athlete Jessie Owens. So fast, he can outrun even death.

But there are secrets. Liesel has several secrets. From Max in the cellar to her collection of stolen books.

And what about death? Death is our narrator. He sees the horrors of war first hand. He gathers up the souls of Dachau, the Russian front and each bombing raid. Each crop of souls he harvests leaves an impression: a range of colours, but occasionally, every now and again, a human heart touches him. Is The Book Thief one such soul?

Profound, beautiful, moving. Zusak's masterpiece is at once charming, gripping and utterly devastating.

Want to know what the evil of modern times looks like?

2011-02-06T11:06:00.007Z

Sebastian Faulks gives you a damn good idea. But don't let me mislead you. Let me try to explain why.

A Week in December recounts the story of seven people in seven days. A tube drive; a young radicalised Muslim man; a super rich hedge fund manager; a Polish footballer; a book reviewer; a rich, marijuana smoking teenager; and an underperforming lawyer.

Their intertwined stories unfold over the week. How does a footballer meet a stoner teenager? Why would a financier dine alongside a literary book reviewer? What happens when your beliefs and your life are on the line? And how far do you think one banker is prepared to go in search of profit?

As the strands of the story unwind, then intertwine, the sense of impending doom increases. But at the end, the biggest villain of all is not who you think.

A Week in December is a telling indictment of our times and a parable of what may be. This gripping story will get under your skin.

'Nerd Do Well' by Simon Pegg

2011-01-14T17:19:00.005Z

You can never judge a book by its cover, so the saying goes. However, there are exceptions. And this book is one of them.

It was the picture on the front that originally attracted me. I don't usually buy celebrity biographies. I'd not read one since Russell Brand's My Booky Wook (please don't judge me, it was a Christmas gift). I'm not bothered either way about the genre.

But there's something about that ginger man in black NHS specs grasping a green cocktail that caught my eye.

For the record, I think the jacket is genius. It's geeky, cool, edgy, bright, attractive and humorous. In fact, everything you kind of think Simon Pegg is. Well, maybe not all of them, but you know what I mean.

Pegg's writing bounces along. He switches between a roughly chronological account of seminal moments in his life, where his love of geekery, performance, comedy and film cemented the foundations for his future career, and a fictional account of his super hero alter-ego who grapples (in every sense of the word) with the evil Lord Black and the beautiful thief, Scarlet Panther.

He deliberately avoids detailing his current family life and uses pseudonyms for old flames that he wants to protect. He focuses more on anecdotal recollection of amusing and symbolic moments. All told with his usual humorous skill.

So the first book I read in 2011 gets a massive, geeky, bespectacled, sniggering thumbs up.

A book a week in 2010: the results

2011-01-10T12:43:00.005Z

The phone lines are closed. The results have been counted and verified. It's time for a round-up of the Book a Week in 2010 project.

Top ten

Information is Beautiful - David McCandless
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett
The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson
Grown Up Digital - Don Tapscott
One Day - David Nicholls
The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly - Jean-Dominique Bauby
My Fathers' Daughter - Hannah Pool

Genres

Art (1)
Biography (6)
Childrens (1)
Fiction (28)
Non-fiction (11)
Poetry (5)
Travel (1)

Favourites

For the pure joy of reading it, Information is Beautiful gets the top spot. It simultaneously challenged, educated and entertained me. And I love books that make me laugh out loud.

One Day: for making me burst into tears - without warning - on the bus (anyone who's read this will know the exact moment I'm talking about). David Nicholls makes you care for the characters like no other. And it took me back to my Brixton party days in the 90s.

For pure, relentless pace, The Girl Who Played with Fire is head and shoulders above the others in the trilogy. I quite literally couldn't put it down. Which proved quite difficult at work. And in the shower.

Lessons

Print or e?

I like using the Kindle for non-fiction (Gladwell, Reed) or pulp non-fiction (Larsson). Essentially it's the book snob in me. If I want people to know how literary and well-read I am, I want the physical book to add to my bookshelf for visitors to see. If it seems remotely work related or serious, I'm happy to read it electronically. I also enjoy getting my Kindle out on the tube, to prove how geeky/cool/progressive I am. Please don't think less of me because of it.

It's people, stupid.

A big shout out goes to Twitter and Facebook friends, without whom I wouldn't have read such a diverse and entertaining group of titles. I've still got a big list of recommends. It sparks discussion, debate and suggestions. I love this. While reading is in itself an isolated activity, this exercise has proved that it feeds and develops relationships and communities of interest. No real surprise there, but lovely to experience it first hand on what was a personal New Year's resolution. Thank you guys!

Faster, pussycat, faster!

There's no room for indolent reading whilst reclining on a chaise longue. You have to think about how and when you are going to read. You need to keep the pace up, a chapter here and there during the day can make all the difference. There are only so many hours in the day, so something's gotta give. Out go morning papers, lunchtime magazines and evening TV. I let this slip a bit, but managed to pull it back at the end of the year because I had a lot of holiday to take, so could read all day, every day.

It's been a blast, and reminded me how much I love books and reading. I'm hoping to keep it up through 2011, but will set myself a different and new resolution. Watch this space...

A book a week in 2010: Information is Beautiful by David McCandless

2011-01-07T19:33:00.010Z

Media140, TED, dConstruct... David McCandless is on the roll call of the all great and good geek camps, unconferences and speaker events knocking around the media world at the moment.

My first exposure to him came from various Information is Beautiful infographics that have gone viral on Twitter over the last two years. I also saw him at a Media140 event in Kings Cross last October.

Have you switched off yet? Are you muttering "bloody media types, what's this infographics bollocks all about?" Bear with me.

David McCandless is one of the most - if not the most - influential creative data journalist of our time. He's published internationally in Wired, The Guardian and suchlike. His blog - Information is Beautiful - contains thoughts and illustrations showcasing his talent. Information is Beautiful is his latest book, based on the blog.

He takes data - boring lists, tables, spreadsheets, facts, figures and statistics - and turns them into intuitive, fun, exciting, interactive graphics and images that make sense of the information, even for a novice or those with Dyscalculia.

Not only is it a stunning piece of publishing - beautiful hardback edition; spot laminate cover; tasteful, contemporary colour palette; matt uncoated paper; gorgeous typography (sorry, book sniffer alert) - it's also a delight to read.

Considering myself a cool media type, I thought I'd at least try to be restrained with this review. The problem is, I can't. From the minute I picked it up, it had me laughing out loud at the gentle piss-taking in the captions. I railed at the injustices in the world that the graphics showed, then marvelled at how he'd come up with such brilliant ways to illustrate data.

I've frogmarched at least three people to a bookshop to buy it. Even my dad, a former IT Director who was around when the internet was first invented, who worked on computers as big as Wembley stadium, was impressed.

And it's not just a nice book to look at. It's got legs as a work of reference. We're going to get another copy in the office for inspiration on how we present our research. If you're struggling to put a presentation together, it's stuffed full of ideas.

McCandless's mind must be a car crash of data and creativity. But he somehow makes sense of the chaos and shows what can be done to make an illuminating and powerful point. It's an exhilarating read.

(Image source: Information is Beautiful by kind permission of David McCandless)

Now go and buy it!

A book a week in 2010: The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

2011-01-07T19:05:00.004Z

Alan Bennett is known originally for plays including Beyond the Fringe, The History Boys and The Madness of King George. He has also built a long and successful career as a television and film script-writer, and has become something of a national treasure.

The Uncommon Reader, published in 2007, is a novella about what happens when the Queen discovers books. In this charming and heartwarming story, we see the Queen stumbling across a mobile library around the back of Buckingham Palace. There she meets and befriends one of the kitchen hands, who has his own passion for literature.

But not everyone in the household is pleased. The reading starts to take over from official duties. And the Queen becomes less than compliant.

Bennett provides wry commentary and pokes a gentle stick (apologies Camilla) at the monarchy - more specifically, all the lackeys and advisors - revealing a very royal, and very real monarch, who is starved of intellectual stimulation. He is not quite scathing, but certainly critical of 'the firm'.

This apparently simple tale wears it's quality lightly. Parody, cultural references, tightly written dialogue and characterisation jostle with laugh-out-loud moments.

I *loved* this book. Essential reading.

A book a week in 2010: Waiting to Burn by Angela Cleland

2011-01-07T18:40:00.004Z

Waiting to Burn is a collection of poems. One of three winners of the Templar Poetry Prize in 2006, Angela Cleland has written a collection full of beautiful memories and reminiscences.

Drawing on classics - there's a smattering of Zeno, Hermes, Eurydice and Orpheus - and contemporary snapshots, she creates pure moments of longing and reflection. She takes the mundane - clothes dumped on the floor, a light - and turns them into startling insights. 'Cardigans' and 'Electricity' are wonderful.

The title poem, 'Waiting to Burn' (in eight parts) is a tour de force of insight into patience, witches and waiting.

Beautiful, haunting stuff.

Read an interview with Angela on EssentialWriters.com

Templar Poetry website

A book a week in 2010: The Insult by Rupert Thomson

2011-01-05T19:58:00.003Z

Languishing on our bookshelves, I discovered The Insult while clearing out clutter before Christmas. The other half had read it. It looked well thumbed so I guessed it was a good book.*

Rupert Thomson is an English author who has a decidedly European voice. This is partly explained by a well-travelled life, but I did read the book feeling like it was a very smart piece of commissioning of a foreign translation.

The Insult is about a man, Martin Blom, who is shot in the head in a car park, leaving him in hospital, permanently blind. However, he soon discovers he has a miraculous gift: he can see at night or in darkness. But his initial concerns about the doctor and his treatment continue to growth, even after he has been discharged and settled away from his family, making a fresh start in the city. It is only his search for the whereabouts of his on/off girlfriend that lead him to discover the truth about his condition and that of her family.

We never get to know why he was shot. That's not the point of the book. This is a story set in a twilight hinterland. It provides a startling perspective on what it might be like to lose your sight. You are never quite sure what is going on, but it makes for an engaging, macabre and slightly surreal read. Peopled by a range of shifty and bizarre characters who live on the fringe, it's set against a backdrop of the city in the dark and sulphurous country lakes.

The Insult is a bizarre read that I found strangely unsatisfying in the end. But this is not your average thriller.

(*Mark's enjoyment of a novel is always commensurate with the amount of physical interaction he has with it: pages turned down at the corner when he pops off to get a drink; spine broken into ridges across the cover; corners battered as it's carried around on his commute - you get the picture. This is in total contrast to me, borderline OCD, who groans in agony when they see someone folding a page.)

A book a week in 2010: Test Paper by Linda Cash

2011-01-05T11:15:00.006Z

This is a collection of poems with a number of ingredients.

Take some fruit;

and some scars on the body,

and cancer.

Add some longing

and lust;

some death

and remembrance of heartache.

Add a questionnaire at the end

that will test your knowledge

of the poet's intentions.

Delightful. Read aloud.

About Linda Cash

Buy the book

Templar Poetry

A book a week in 2010: Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

2011-01-05T10:12:00.004Z

Published in 1864, Notes from Underground is acclaimed as a precursor to twentieth-century existentialism. (Source: Wikipedia). Fyodor Dostoevsky is better known for Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov, but I bought a lovely Vintage Classics collection and thought I'd have a first stab at Russian literature.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the easy introduction that I was hoping for.

Notes from Underground is a stream of consciousness confession of a Russian civil servant. He is one of the most odious, self-obsessed, narcissistic characters ever written. An utterly vile protagonist.

I've never had much truck with existential literature. This wasn't an exception. The turgid and convoluted text takes you through a series of incidents from the protagonist's past. He recounts utterly despicable and mad behaviour; where his treatment of others - from 'supposed' school friends, to his servant, and a prostitute - is appalling.

Notes from Underground was hard work and no fun.

BUT (and here's the good bit) Dostoevsky's genius shines through. As I slogged through with my end of year deadline in mind, I started to feel that by creating the most vile of protagonists, he was completely describing one facet of the human condition.

He has littered the text with references to contemporary philosophical, political and cultural thinking, which provides an insight - if at times a little dry - into Russian society of the day.

None-the-less, this is a challenging read. I may wait a bit before I tackle Crime and Punishment.

A book a week in 2010: Alice by Jane Weir

2011-01-04T18:47:00.004Z

'Much better read out loud.'

That's what this collection of poetry should have emblazoned on the front cover. I started reading, but kept losing track. But as soon as I started to speak, it all fell into place.

Alice is a collection of poems inspired by the story of Alice Wheeldon, the suffragette and anti-war campaigner who ran a clothes shop in Derbyshire. Jane Weir weaves the clothing among the words: from a scarf to knitting and skeins, trouser suit to coat. It makes it all feel comfortable, like the words fit. (This is a particular focus of her work: she has subsequently gone on to write in more detail around textiles and textile designers.)

Aside from the joy of hearing the sound of my own voice when reading out loud, I felt admiration for the woman that inspired them, and there's a distant yearning and passion you can't quite put your finger, that's very compelling.

This slim volume comes with a CD of Weir reading. I won't bother listening. I doubt she'll be better than me. But I think I'll come back to this again and again: it feels like a classic collection in the making.

A book a week in 2010: BP Portrait Award catalogue

2011-01-04T12:55:00.004Z

Have you ever been to the National Portrait Gallery?

It's opposite St Martin-in-the-Fields church, just off Trafalgar Square, and is one of the nicest places to meet friends, dip in for a bit of art, then soak up a bit of London history and culture that drives droves of tourists to visit the city regardless of the time of year.

If you're a skinflint like me, the permanent collections are free. You can select by room or collection. The Tudor and Elizabethan section is my favourite: it's nice to see the faces of characters I've read about.

You can also pay a fee for one of the temporary exhibitions - currently showing Thomas Lawrence: Regency Power & Brilliance and Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize.

The NPG runs an annual competition: the BP Portrait Award. They show the shortlist at the gallery each year where you can jostle with large crowds to catch a glimpse of the winners. I've always loved this - a hangover from studying art history at university where Modigiliani, Manet and Ingres produced some stunning portraits - so I decided to visit in summer 2010.

The first prize in 2010 went to Daphne Todd entitled 'Last Portrait of my Mother'. It is a painting of two adjoining canvases and is a haunting depiction of her mother on her death bed, looking cadaverous, to say the least.

The second prize went to Michael Gaskell's 'Harry': a strong, almost photographic view of a young man showing pride, youth and an underlying vulnerability.

Third prize went to the astonishingly hyperreal 'Tim II' by David Eichenberg. I hovered by this painting for a long time, trying to figure out if it was a photograph. The incredible detail was mind-blowing, showing technical and observational brilliance, particularly as it is set in a workshop (not your average portrait setting).

While I loved David Eichenberg, I didn't particularly warm to the other winners. The catalogue includes all of the shortlist; some 58 portraits out a total of 2,177 submissions. There is an introductory essay written by the novelist Rose Tremain. Through personal reflection she describes what it means to be a good portrait painter. It's a beguiling and modest view, what you would expect from an author of her genre and calibre.

These are favourites paintings from the exhibition, most of which don't totally lose their power when reproduced in a small exhibition catalogue.

Ciara by Alan Coulson (page 29): hyperreal was a watchword for this exhibition and this is no exception. The depiction of hair and freckles has you craning forward to check if it's a photograph or painted. I particularly love the downwards tilt of the head. The skin tone is beautifully set against the teal background.
Gillian by Miriam Escofet (page 37): reminds me Dutch and Flemish still life and portrait painting with the detail of the fur collar and gilt candlestick. Stunningly detailed.
Quena by Eliot Haigh (page 40): the chiaroscuro of this very modern portrait reminds me of Rembrandt, but with mid-twentieth century atmosphere.
Sandy Watching by Alex Hanna (page 42): anyone who's watched children watching telly will love this. A brilliant depiction of a child concentrating.
Sentinel by Lyndsey Jameson (page 47): Stig of the Dump? Lord of the Flies? In Peckham? You decide.
iBeats by Michal Ožibko (page 60): don't let the reproduction of this fool you. This is an EPIC painting. Hyperreal and photographic, the 2.2 x 1.7 metre canvas is a triumph of technical skill. The subject is totally immersed in her iPod world and has an ethereal, almost pre-Raphaelite quality (apart from the white earphones).
Chris, Art Critic by Fred Schley (page 67): if only because it reminds me of a former colleague (and it's got that same incredible photographic quality of some other finalists).

A book a week in 2010: Sarah by J T Leroy

2011-01-04T12:16:00.005Z

What happens when Cherry Vanilla tries to get a bigger Raccoon Penis Bone necklace - a gift and symbol of importance from Glad, the pimp - by visiting Holy Jack's Jackalope, the patron saint of prostitutes?

Claustrophobic and compelling, Sarah is the story of a child born into a life hanging round truck stops who aspires to be the best, but ends up kidnapped by another pimp.

Using a cast full of hateful characters, Leroy recounts in visceral detail the brutal logic and market commerce rules of their world, where strange allegiances are tested by favouritism and betrayals.

Despite all of the squalor and seediness, Leroy is a master of making the extreme matter of fact, and the vile just part of life.

This is one fucked up tale: yet strangely moving and poignant.

A book a week in 2010: Pillars of Salt by Judy Brown

2011-01-03T13:18:00.006Z

Another collection of poetry from Templar Poetry, Pillars of Salt is sadly, rather disappointing.

I just couldn't get into the poems. There was the odd line that I liked, but overall I couldn't get the feel of Judy Brown's voice. It seemed inconsistent and there wasn't a flow - in subject or tone - that piqued my interest.

Brown covers a diverse range of subjects on memories, regret and family. Some of the language jarred and it lacked a coherence.

Poetry is an immersive, personal genre. Sometimes I like reading on the page, sometimes I prefer to read out loud. Neither worked this time. But I am sure others will disagree vociferously as Brown is a Poetry Society prize winner.

Not my cup of tea.

A book a week in 2010: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

2011-01-03T12:36:00.013Z

The Old Man and the Sea reminded me why I've loved the Book a Week in 2010 project: it can turn into a voyage of discovery. I'd never read any Hemingway before. What a mistake. He's a wonderful writer and I intend to address this omission.

This is a beautiful book: a fable about stoicism, patience, acceptance, joy and endurance. It follows the relationship between a young boy and an old fisherman - pupil and teacher - and the capture of a very big fish.

Hemingway whisks you away to another place, where life is simple, but you feel in touch with universal truths.

The writing is stunning. I can't wait to read more. The repackaged covers that Arrow have produced are also gorgeous, so this will be a print collection I build, rather than on the Kindle.

Let me know if you have a particular Hemingway favourite that I should read next.

A book a week in 2010: The Dare by John Boyne

2011-01-03T12:05:00.005Z

John Boyne is the author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The Dare is a novella published in 2009 for the Quick Reads programme.

Danny Delaney lives at home with his mum and dad. It's the summer holidays and his older brother, who is at university, has decided to travel round Europe, so Danny is on his own. But everything gets turned on its head when his mum is brought home by the police after an accident. Danny can only look on helplessly as his mum withdraws from the family.

The Dare does what Boyne is renowned for: telling challenging and heart-wrenching stories from a child's perspective. He recreates the world of a child during the summer holidays complete with secret hiding places, sun bleached colours, bike rides and other simple pleasures.

But Boyne succeeds best with the powerful depiction of an eight year old's logic and the limited world that it operates in. Highly recommended.

A book a week in 2010: Bestseller by Olivia Goldsmith

2011-01-02T14:18:00.006Z

"Ah," I thought to myself "a bonkbuster about publishing. Just what I need for a bit of light relief." And boy, does Bestseller fit the bill.

Goldsmith takes you on a rollicking, bumpy ride through the world of publishing. With all of its overblown egos, croneys, champagne parties and hidden talents.

Terry O'Neal has spent her whole life writing a magnum opus, but to no avail. Rejection after rejection from literary agents and publishers have pushed her to the limit.

Camilla Clapfish (Clapfish...?!) is an aspiring author who has just finished her first novel living in Italy. When she meets an American tourist on holiday with his mother, little does she know how this will shape and influence her life.

Judith and Daniel are writing a book together. He is an academic, her former creative writing tutor, and now her husband. She is a true talent. They are eeking out a living on Daniel's paltry salary at the university and he's desperate to hit the literary big time. Just how far will he go to get there?

Susann is a successful romantic novelist. She has a lifetime of bestselling novels under her belt, aided and abetted by her partner and literary agent, Alfred Byron. But the latest book is a proving a real struggle to write. And the increasing frustration and impatience of Alf is not helping. At all.

Gerald Ochs Davis is top of the literary tree in New York. As head of Davis & Dash, he controls one of the most powerful publishing houses in the world. His backing of an author can make or break them. But does he still have it? The Fall list - including his own blockbuster - will be make or break.

Set against a backdrop of ruthlessness and immorality, we see the good, the bad and the not-quite-ugly struggle to survive. This is a world where the benchmark of success is your position on the New York Times Book List. And where you are only as good as your last book.

Olivia Goldsmith was quite obviously a flamboyant character. Her acknowledgements page is stuffed full of references to key figures in the publishing world, some of whom make an appearance in the book.

Utter nonsense. Entertaining nonetheless.

A book a week in 2010: Some Histories of the Sheffield Flood 1864 by Rob Hindle

2011-01-02T13:24:00.005Z

The Sheffield Flood in 1864 was a catastrophic event that claimed 270 lives. It is ranked as the 20th deadliest flood of all time by Armageddon Online (hat tip to Wikipedia for link). The cause was a breach in the newly built dam on the River Loxley at Low Bradfield which poured 700 million imperial gallons of water south into the centre of Sheffield. (Source: Wikipedia)

Rob Hindle is a writer and academic based in Sheffield. He's particularly interested in how his writing can help bring history to life. And this collection of poems is about the Flood.

He provides snapshots of the lives of those affected by the tragedy: whether survivors, media observers or the dead. Each poem is poignant and evocative: sometimes because they are truly mundane in tone, describing the day to day as disasters looms, and the character has no idea of what is about to befall them.

But he also portrays all the deformities, tin pans, wrought iron, smog and disease of Victorian life. Nineteenth century existence, warts and all. The first person narratives are interspersed with snippets and announcements from the archives.

This is a powerful and moving collection.

About the publisher - Templar Poetry

A book a week in 2010: The Grey Man by Andy McNab

2011-01-02T12:35:00.007Z

Kevin is Deputy Manager at a bank in town. He spends his life covering for Mr Symington, the Manager, and daydreaming about how he'd foil a bank robbery.

Linda is Kevin's wife. Even though they don't lead an exciting life, she is happy and content. They are very much in love and will do anything for each other.

Jessica Drake is an actress, well past her prime, playing the lead in Lady Windermere's Fan at the local theatre. She likes to keep her valuables in a bank wherever she stays.

This is a tale of banks, robberies and how far a man will go when pushed.

Written in very clear, straightforward prose, this was an easy read. It won't win any prizes. It isn't complex, highbrow writing. But the mundane life of the characters and childlike writing style - surprisingly - make this entertaining.

About Quick Reads

About Andy McNab

A book a week in 2010: Random Thoughts by Chris Corcoran

2010-12-22T22:56:00.004Z

Chris Corcoran is a teacher-turned-comedian and children's television presenter. If you are very young (in which case, why are you reading this blog?) you may have seen him on CBeebies Doodle Do. If you're a bit older, you might have seen him co-presenting The Rhod Gilbert Show. That's quite a CV he's got.

So I'm thinking: "This bloke should be funny. He's written a book about random stories he thinks are funny and entertaining for Quick Reads. Funny AND short. Just what I need at this stage for a book a week in 2010."

Each chapter finds Chris recounting an episode in his life that amused him, that he felt he should share with us. 'At the absolute worst, you'll have bought an ideal fix for a wobbly coffee table. And at best, you might laugh out loud on the train.'

At his best, the 'Radio Ga Ga' chapter evokes memories of the school disco, crap songs, youthful inebriation, and child-like priorities. 'Dragon Cabs' and 'Up in London' poke a gentle stick in the side of the Welsh and those from the Valleys (he grew up in Pontypridd, so it's allowed).

At worst, we have a pointless musing in the chapter on 'Health Food Shops'. And the 'I Love Sian Lloyd' chapter should never have made it into print.

Some gentle humour, but overall a bit hit and miss.

A book a week in 2010: In Praise of Savagery by Warwick Cairns

2010-12-21T22:20:00.007Z

What do you lose when you read a book solely on the Kindle? That's a question I've found myself considering while writing this review.

I started out thinking this was a fictional cross between an adventurer's story and anthropologist's study: parallel tales of the author, Warwick Cairns, who befriends an elderly adventurer, Wilfred Thesiger, who inspires him to retrace his steps across Africa exploring the area around the Awash River in Ethiopia.

Cairns switches between the two journeys: that of himself and some friends, as they travel by bus, car and camel, helped by Thesiger's adopted sons, to visit the old man in his village home; and that of Thesiger, in 1933, travelling on foot through some of the most dangerous territory in Africa, rife with murderous tribal rivalries.

It's a riveting read, with some nicely juxtaposed observations about how modern life is rather rubbish; even when it's tough walking through a desert. The author occasionally lapses into tirades against what he perceives to be the ills of contemporary society. I take particular issue with the dishwasher example. My life would be hell without one. And my hands wouldn't be quite so soft.

Now, returning to my opening question. In Praise of Savagery (currently available as a 49p e-book) is published by The Friday Project, and their publisher, Scott Pack, plugged the final day of it's availability as a free download at the recent FutureBook conference. Being a bit of a tight wad, I downloaded it there and then.

I had no idea what it was about. I hadn't heard of the author. I didn't know whether it was fiction, illustrated or non-fiction. I wasn't sure what the cover looked like. I didn't know the pagination. It was truly an enjoyable voyage of discovery.

So when I came to write this review, I needed to research the book. Turns out it is non-fiction. It has 256 pages. And Warwick Cairns actually did travel with Wilfred Thesiger in Kenya. It's a rather unsettling feeling, getting all my assumptions wrong, but something I guess I'll need to live with as I continue reading on the Kindle.

And here's Scott Pack's explanation of the logic of offering an e-book for free before publishing the hard copy. Do you think it will work?

A book a week in 2010: Get Up To Speed With Online Marketing by Jon Reed

2010-12-20T22:24:00.007Z

*Disclaimer*

I've written a review for the publishers. It appears on the back cover and inside near the front page. I've known Jon for years and was flattered when he sent me bound proofs to see what I thought. Of course I read it. Let's face it. It's the only chance of getting my name on a book.

Get Up To Speed With Online Marketing is a straight-forward guide to using the web and social media to raise the profile of your brand, business or profile. Despite the fact that I know Jon well and might be, well, a bit biased, I have to say - with hand on heart - this really is a cracking guide.

For those of you who know Jon, he has a dry sense of humour and you get a sense of this in the book. He has direct advice for those flummoxed by the thought of web marketing. Each chapter includes: why it may work for your business; what you need to consider; practical steps to get started; tips to stop you making mistakes; graphs, tables and illustrations to help you picture what needs to happen; and case studies to inspire you.

Drawing on several years running Reed Media, Small Business Studio, and Publishing Talk, Jon starts with a reality check: 'traditional marketing doesn't work: get over it!' He provides a quick overview of online marketing strategy. He then runs through the basics of getting online, the different media you can use, and a crash course on the main social media platforms.

It really is a brilliant beginners' guide to using the web to boost your business profile. And it's got my name on the back.

What more could you want?

Download a sample chapter

Buy the book

Follow Jon on Twitter

Hell, follow ME on Twitter!

A book a week in 2010: Dear Granny Smith by Roy Mayall

2010-12-10T22:05:00.003Z

Roy Mayall is a postie writing anonymously about the demise of the British postal system.

This is a slight book. A personal reflection on what it means to be a postman. He decries the corporate takeover and destruction of the Royal Mail. Through anecdotes of life on his round and recollections of former colleagues, Mayall paints a rose-tinted view of your postman.

That's the problem with this book. I'm not sure I agree. In my experience postmen are surly types who don't appear to enjoy their job. Who leave a trail of red plastic bands scattered in the front garden. And on the pavement. And who fold up 'Do Not Bend' items and stuff them through the letterbox.

Maybe it's because we live in London. That must have some occupational hazards. Unruly school children. Maniacal bus drivers. Dogs. People. Houses. Letter boxes.

If only we had a Roy Mayall on our road.

But hold on a minute. Towards the end of the book, it starts making sense. He stops harking back to the memories of yesteryear and starts to pin down exactly what's gone wrong. These final observations are at the heart of the debate of how much the Royal Mail is a national service and whether it can - or cannot - be privatised.

And if you are going to privatise, do you do it properly? Or make a total pig's ear of it? With wave after wave of incompetent management trying to apply different models of modernisation without involving those who deliver the service. You never know, they might even be able to help.

Oh and no prizes for spotting the crafty nom-de-plume.

If you want to read the real day-to-day story behind the book, check out the blog.

A book a week in 2010: The Hairy Plug Monster by Leighroy Marsh & Samuel Perry

2010-12-09T22:44:00.005Z

I've got to admit, this is one of those cheating books. It's mega short and has helped me get back on track with my target of reading 52 books this year.

But this has extra appeal because there's a story behind how I came to get a copy.

I recently visited my friend Michele back in Cheshire. We were chewing the fat, late at night, wine in hand (no straw, since you ask) and she mentioned one of the parents from school who had written a book for his daughter. She told me how lovely it was. Next morning, as I was about to leave, she placed a copy in my hand.

And I can confirm, it is wonderful. There are beautiful illustrations to go with the story. It's all about the Hairy Plug Monster that lives in pipes under the bath. And Maya who gets to know him. A perfect combination of yuckiness, rhymes and a secret world right under your nose.

If you're struggling to find a gift for any child this Christmas, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It's charming.

Have a look at sample pages and illustrations here.

A book a week in 2010: Snow by Maxence Fermine

2010-12-05T21:50:00.007Z

Once again, a top recommendation from Scott Pack, Director of Digital Product Development at HarperCollins, but better known as @meandmbigmouth - book reviewer extraordinaire. Much obliged sir.

If you like books called 'Snow' then the compelling and slightly claustrophobic title written by Orhan Pamuk is well worth a go. If you like Japanese novels , I'd recommend one of my favourite authors, Haruki Marukami. If you want something that's a little bit of both, then this is the title for you.

Snow tells the story of the son of a monk, Yuko Akita. He writes poems exclusively about snow. Each haiku is beautiful, and yet, they lack colour. When a famous court poet, Meiji, hears about the legendary snow poet, he visits, advising Yuko to go in search of the master of colour.

Snow chronicles Akita's journey in haiku-sized chapters. Haunting and mesmerising, it weaves a picture of the quest for purity, art and colour.

Written by Maxence Fermine, originally published in 1999 and translated by Chris Mulhern, Snow is a slight, wonderful float across haikus, Japan and snowy capped mountains.

A book a week in 2010: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson

2010-12-04T22:50:00.006Z

I could tell you what this book is about, but if you've read my earlier reviews of part one, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and the second in the trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire, then you'll pretty much get the general vibe.

If not, here's a brief synopsis: crack investigative journalist finds himself defending crazy lone female punk researcher as she is set up as the culprit for several murders. Relentless scenes of extreme violence ensue with Lisbeth (punk researcher) managing to incur the wrath of dodgy eastern European and Swedish hoodlums galore as she travels around Sweden seeking revenge. Throw in a history lesson on the Swedish secret service and that pretty much sums it up.

The final part of the Millenium trilogy is not, in my humble opinion, as good as part two, The Girl Who Played with Fire. There's that great big chunk of history of the secret service to contend with. Persevere, as it picks up once you get through the early part of the book. Larsson ratchets up the tension to almost unbearable levels later on. Maybe he wanted to numb us senseless with the vagaries of the Swedish Civil Service so we'd appreciate the action more. We'll never know.

There are a few insights I've gained from the series that I'd like to share with you.

1. Coffee

According to Larsson Swedes like coffee. They drink it A LOT. In fact, I'm surprised they can function at all. Cafetiere after cafetiere gets downed at all times of the day and night. Apparently they sleep. Although I find that hard to believe. If I drank that much coffee, I'd be attached to a drip in hospital suffering from severe palpitations.

2. Misogyny

Apparently all women want to sleep with Mikael Blomqvist. He is irresistible. In a starting-to-go-to-seed-middle-aged-man sort of way. He can't help it. And it doesn't really mean anything. Plus, he's always good friends with them afterwards. So that makes it OK.

But Blomqvist is the nice guy on the block. And the rest? Well, I've never read about such a motley crew of men, with such a deep seated hatred and contempt for women. From Nazi-loving rapists to Russian spies. Utterly contemptible and stomach churning stuff. It does't paint a pretty picture of Scandinavian society.

But then I found out the series was meant to be called something along the lines of: 'Men who Hate Women' rather than 'Millenium'. Specifically because it WAS about misogyny. So Stieg, I forgive you. And I get it. Sort of. Shame the publishing house bottled it. (This last paragraph should do wonders for my SEO ratings.)

3. Pippi Longstocking

Something I discovered recently. The children's character written by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren (who's a feisty ginger-haired girl with mis-matching stockings who is as strong as 10 men and won't take any sh*t from a grown-up) was an inspiration for Larsson when he was developing the character of Lisbeth Salander. That's ace.

So there you have it. Enjoy.

A book a week in 2010: The Queen of Subtleties by Suzannah Dunn

2010-12-01T22:09:00.004Z

Following on from my recent dalliance with historical literature, here's the latest review.

Recommended by my friend after I enjoyed Philippa Gregory's Red and White Queens, The Queen of Subtleties is an altogether different proposition.

Suzannah Dunn juxtaposes two lives in the Royal household of Henry VIII: that of his confectioner, Lucy Cornwallis, and of his soon-to-be second wife, Anne Boleyn. The difference here is that Dunn deliberately uses a modern venacular with her characters.

The parallel drawn between unrequited and requited love is clever. But I couldn't help thinking that the link between the two women is tenuous and a little contrived. However, Dunn gets into her stride later in the book. I particularly liked the later life of Anne and her utter lack of self-awareness.

Different to Gregory, flashes of greatness, but a little underwhelming.

Scandinavian Fancy Dress: Discuss

2010-11-29T22:46:00.005Z

God bless Twitter.

I put a late night shout-out for ideas on what to wear to our Scandinavian-themed Christmas party. And what do I get? A barrage of some fabulous, some downright disturbing ideas.

Bizarrely, Lady Gaga managed to make an appearance: with herring or with Danish bacon (yes, *that* dress from the music awards).

Then there was the dark Wallander and Larsson inspired 'bikers, goths, murders, misogyny, cigarettes, coffee, casual sex'.

One that made me smile was A-Ha and herring. Two of my all time favourite things.

Then there was the to-be-expected blonde/viking wench with a good smattering of vodka, beer and drunken flat-pack assembly.

The award for cutest, cleverest by far goes to Scandinavian children's tales: Pippa Longstocking, Moomintroll and Snork Maiden.

So what do you think? Do you have any other suggestions?

A book a week in 2010: The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

2010-11-20T17:33:00.006Z

What happens to a girl who is told, from a young age, that she is the sole chance for her family to be restored to the throne?

Margaret Beaufort is heiress to the House of Lancaster. Married off at the age of twelve to the king's half-brother, Edmund Tudor, she soon bears a son, Henry, thus fulfilling her destiny. But the path to their divine right is strewn with the live bodies of their York cousins.

Firstly, Edward IV - with his beautiful wife Elizabeth Woodville - rule for many successful years, producing two sons. Then, when Edward dies, his brother Richard III takes control. Margaret wheels and deals through the years; forging and breaking alliances with friends and foes; raising a rebellion; wholly focused on her duty to ensure Henry ascends the throne.

The Red Queen is a parallel tale to Gregory's first in 'The Cousins' War' series, The White Queen. Where that was centred around the love between Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville that drove the success of a dynasty, this is the story of a lonely, bitter woman, much maligned by those around her. Subject to religious fervour, she channels all that might break another woman into achieving her God-given goal.

I wasn't as enamoured with The Red Queen. That's not the fault of the writing, historical detail or plot: it's the characters. Margaret is just not as likeable as Edward or Elizabeth. It's hard to care what happens to her.

But perhaps that's the point. This wasn't the finest point in English history. And life was pretty brutal for an independently-minded woman.

A book a week in 2010: Grown Up Digital by Don Tapscott

2010-11-20T16:51:00.006Z

Do you watch TV with a netbook perched on your lap? Do you check your Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and MySpace accounts on your smart phone? Do have over 700 'friends'? Do you multi-task like no other generation before?

You are probably part of 'The Net Generation.' And according to Don Tapscott, you are transforming the world as we know it.

Grown Up Digital is the follow up book the Growing Up Digital (see what he's done there?) It's based on a privately funded $4 million research project "The Net Generation: a Strategic Investigation" where the author and his team interviewed 10,000 people to understand 'a generation's experience with digital technology'.

Using this massive international research programme he subsequently combined qualitative feedback from Facebook and his own children to create a manual for understanding what 'digital natives' - or the 'Net Gen' - really think, feel and do.

Don't be put off by the research methods section at the front; that's just proof that this is proper academically rigorous stuff. Tapscott brings the data to life, making it relevant, personal and engaging.

He introduces you to the 'Net Gen'. He explains how they behave at work, in education, with family and friends. He describes how they challenge political and social norms, through their digitally enabled - and enlightened - networks. He describes a generation who are proactive and friendly activists, who give a damn about the world they live in (even though they are surgically attached to some form of technology).

If you're interested in (or scared of) how society, politics and culture are changing, you have to read this book.

Inspiring.

A book a week in 2010: The Passage by Justin Cronin

2010-11-06T23:02:00.007Z

Have you ever been to a work event and received a goody bag? I did. And it was a bound proof of this book. All 800 odd pages of it. It appears I have a thing for VERY BIG BOOKS.

Perhaps not the best tactic when you're trying to read a book a week. But I can tell you this was a hell of a lot easier than Wolf Hall.

Justin Cronin is an American author and The Passage is his third novel.

It's a sprawling, epic chronicle of the end of the world as we know it, and the rebirth of something far more dark and terrifying.

The Passage follows the seemingly impoverished and anonymous life of Amy, a nine year old girl. But Amy is special. She holds the future of humanity inside her. When her mom abandons her at a convent, only Sister Lacey Antoinette Kudoto realises how special she is. But everything takes a surreal turn when she takes Amy to the zoo where two special agents come looking for her.

Throw in a dozen psychotic death rows prisoners; a secret military installation in Colorado; some genetic engineering to end them all; and you've essentially got the basic ingredients for a crazy, epic, horror murder mystery.

There's a lot to recommend this book. Ridley Scott has already bought the film rights. So it can't be bad, can it? Well, no, it's not bad. It is in fact gripping, disturbing and unsettling. It gave me nightmares. I couldn't stop thinking about it during the day. And yet, it was overlong, would have benefited from tighter editing, and felt as though it had been intended as a television series. There are plenty of sub-plots, characters and situations that were introduced, but never really explored.

The Passage will spook you out. It's worth persevering with it. And you'll wonder if there are plans for more.

A book a week in 2010: The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

2010-10-18T22:00:00.003+01:00

After struggling with Wolf Hall, a friend recommended Philippa Gregory as a lighter, more fluid and engaging read.

I've started with The White Queen. It's the story of Elizabeth Woodville, a beautiful, young widow from the House of Lancaster (symbol of the red rose), who climbs her way to the very top of political and royal power by marrying King Edward IV from the House of York (the white rose).

Aided by a pushy mother, she embeds her family in the power structures of the nation. As queen she gives birth to many children, including two young princes, who will never be safe from the war of the roses.

Sounds a bit like Dallas or Dynasty, doesn't it? That pretty much sums it up.

This is a great read. You are swept up in the passion of that first moment when Elizabeth meets King Richard. And that passion never abates, despite all the dalliances that a Tudor king indulges in.

Gregory wears her erudition lightly. This is at times an intense love story; at times a visceral picture of royal rivalries in English history.

Next stop in the saga is The Red Queen. I'll keep you posted.

A book a week in 2010: The Silent State by Heather Brooke

2010-10-17T17:26:00.004+01:00

At work I spend a fair amount of time talking to journalists and Heather Brooke is often mentioned as pioneering and inspirational in her quest for truth.

You may know her as the one who campaigned tirelessly to expose the scandal around MPs' expenses. It must have been difficult for her to stomach The Daily Telegraph buying the evidence on a disk to expose the abuse of the system.

MPs expenses get a mention in the book, but there's so much more. The Silent State is Brooke's diatribe against the lack of transparency in the British state. She takes us through numerous examples of how our much-celebrated democracy and sense of fair play is, in fact, a myth.

Chapter by chapter, my long-held view was undermined that we have a shining example of openness in politics and society. From the amount of money that's spent on PR and spin for government departments, the civil service and Quangos; to the use and abuse of research and statistics to justify policy.

Brooke rails at the system and blows open the flaws, so often avoided in the press, of our political system. The complete lack of accountability for civil servants - and their ability to destroy lives - makes for a particularly uncomfortable read.

Brooke pricks the reader's conscience by exposing how we are all culpable to a greater or lesser extent. I felt this acutely as she railed against ConstructionSkills, the industry body that receives government subsidy to promote training and skills, as it searched for a PR agency to promote what a good job it does (I work for Skillset, the equivalent body for the creative media industries). It also rang true when confronted with the publishing industry (I've spent 15+ years working in) that takes government (and therefore our data) to package and sell back to, yes, you guessed it, us.

There are too many examples to mention: each would make a pretty decent expose in themselves.

The book isn't perfect. Her tone and style may grate. You may feel that you are being shouted at. Brooke originally comes from the US and trained as a journalist there. Her views are clearly influenced by this and may not be to everyone's taste.

But you can't deny there is some truth in what she is saying: our democracy is not what it seems. We need to wake up and challenge this. It's our democratic right.

A book a week in 2010: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

2010-10-06T20:39:00.005+01:00

My friend Paul recommended this. "It's gripping and quite short. You need to catch up on your reading, don't you?" He was right on all fronts.

Mohsin Hamid is a journalist and writer based in London. He was originally born in Pakistan, but studied and worked in the USA. You sense that his experience of straddling life in two different countries informs this powerful portrayal of clash of cultures.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is about a chance meeting between an unidentified westerner and an anonymous local in a Lahore cafe. What follows is the real-time unravelling of a tense game of cat and mouse.

Gradually, the local befriends the visitor, teasing out - through adroit questioning - certain details, so you realise all is not what you think. As you learn about this man's life; his experience at college in America; his life, love and losses; the tension creeps up on you as it becomes clear that all is not what it seems.

The background of the market contrasts the unfolding scene. During the day it's cacophonous and loud. You will it to be quiet so as not to distract from the conversational skirmish that is unfolding. But as day turns to night, the stalls pack up. A new crowd of shadowy figures creep into the darkening street. You long again for the noise and distraction to dissipate the almost unbearable tension.

I was gripped to the very end. This is a masterpiece. Read it.

A book a week in 2010: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

2010-10-05T21:08:00.006+01:00

This book should come with a health warning:

1. Do not read on public transport
2. Carry tissues with you at all times
3. Avoid any other activity whilst reading

The Lovely Bones is a lovely book. Thoughtful, emotional and a beautiful depiction of life after a horrible death.

Susie Salmon is murdered by George Harvey, the strange neighbour who likes to build dolls houses. Her death rips the family apart.

But they are not alone. Susie continues to watch over them, following her family as they learn to cope with her death and unsolved murder. That's all I can tell you. You need to read the rest yourself.

Alice Sebold is a gifted writer with the ability to paint raw emotions through place, sight and sound. You'll float away with a beautiful description of everyday life. And then she hits you, with a sucker punch of intense horror, power and the dark side of humanity.

Before I finished the book, I overheard a heated debate in the kitchen at work. They were disagreeing on the strength of the ending. Needless to say, I left the room so as not to spoil the ending (which, by the way, made me cry. Again).

This is a wonderful book. Read it and weep.

Buy the book and watch the trailer (I haven't seen the film, so can't recommend it).

A book a week in 2010: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

2010-10-03T13:35:00.004+01:00

Winner of the 2009 Man Booker Prize

'A superb epic work. Richly satisfying' Kate Mosse (that's the author, not the model)

'Remind me again: how did this win the Booker Prize?' Suzanne Kavanagh

Wolf Hall is an epic (650 page) tour de force (self-indulgent) piece of literary (at times incomprehensible) fiction. It charts the life and times - in minute detail - of Thomas Cromwell, confident and advisor to the Cardinals Wolsey and More, and latterly King Henry VIII.

Mantel charts the everyday life, politics and culture of the Tudor period with depth; weaving intricate description of place and people, humanising Cromwell with a multitude of domestic and family interactions.

There is no doubt that this is an incredibly well researched book. It took years to ensure that the fiction tied in with historical facts. This, for me is one of two things to admire. The other is how you come to understand and respect Cromwell as a man. Mantel provides an alternative view of some of the most powerful of people in English history.

Put simply, I really cared what happened to Cromwell in his personal and professional life. I felt pity for Henry as he struggled to judge those courtiers around him driven by self-service, power and greed, whilst dealing with his own fallibilities.

Now here comes the 'but', and it's a big one.

The changing narratives are, at times, simply impossible to keep track of. They often slip into a stream of consciousness of who-knows-who. A good two-thirds of the book is so confusing I had to re-read passages. Eventually, I gave up. I couldn't make head nor tail of who was saying what and when, so thought it best to get on with reading it and see what stuck.

This is a real shame. It detracted from the strengths of the book. And it made me feel stupid. Then annoyed. All this meant it took a bloody long time to read: months in fact. It became a chore, not a pleasure.

I can't help feeling that it could have been edited and sharpened to retain the literary gymnastics without losing the reader along the way. Like several smart people I've spoken to who also struggled with this book, I don't have a problem with challenging writing.

I'm at a loss as to how an award-winning title can leave me feeling this exhausted, cross and frustrated.

A book a week in 2010: Next Generation Journalist by Adam Westbrook

2010-10-02T16:23:00.008+01:00

Adam Westbrook is in his own words "a multimedia storyteller, journalist, author and lecturer."

I watched as he gave an articulate and compelling presentation on a panel at the news:rewired conference in January.

He showed an audio slide show telling the story of John Hirst, a man who killed his landlady. It remains one of the most powerful pieces of storytelling I've seen.

Audio Slideshow: Hirst v. UK from Adam Westbrook on Vimeo.

Adam made it seem as though anything is possible in multimedia. I wanted to know more, so followed him on Twitter, and discovered he self-publishes too. As a book publisher, this piqued my interest further. He produces e-books as well? So this is what a one-man publishing industry looks like.

I've bought two so far - both out of interest for work (I cover publishing and journalism for Skillset). The first - News Gathering for Hyperlocal Websites - is on my 'to blog' pile. The second - Next Generation Journalist - is covered here.

In Westbrook's view, a 'next generation journalist' is one who works alone or in collaboration. They are entrepreneurs. They won't sit about worrying where the next commission will come from. They get out there and make their own destiny.

In this world you build a portfolio career: spreading your risk across a variety of sectors, platforms and interests. You work with for- and not-for-profit organisations. You use the web to profile and market yourself to different clients and communities. You use words, sounds, images and video: whatever helps tell the story best for its audience.

Westbrook believes people are prepared to pay for services or information from someone with in-depth knowledge and curatorial skills. Chapter after chapter provides tips, ideas and inspiration for different ways to do this. This may involve aggregating content. It may include hyperlocal websites. You may choose a journalism niche or become an 'infopreneur' (don't groan, it really makes sense when you read it).

This book is totally refreshing. It's a handbook on how to make money from the skills and passion you have, and I loved it. It should be on the reading list of every journalism course in the country.

Buy Next Generation Journalist
Follow Adam on Twitter
Hear him lecture at Kingston University
See more of his work

A book a week in 2010: 'The Dirt' by Motley Crue

2010-09-30T22:03:00.005+01:00

Oh Lordy.

I was warned about this book. It was a title I selected at the Skillset Book Swap.

"You're not, er, squeamish are you?" my colleague asked with trepidation.

Now I understand why.

If, like me, you aren't into mega-permed, tattooed rockers in black leather, eye-liner and high heels (can you *feel* my derision there?) then you too will only know Motley Crue as the band that Tommy-Lee-who-married-Pamela-Anderson is in. This is their collaborative group biography, and then some. It's a roller coaster ride: covering their dysfunctional childhoods, crazy teenage years, and totally bonkers adult lives.

Hold on to your hats. And your trousers. And pants. Oh, and keep an eye on any booze or pharmaceuticals you've got lying around the place. And for God's sake, don't invite your sister and her friends around.

Hilarious. Entertaining. Offensive. Most definitely NOT for the squeamish.

Roll up, roll up... last chance to play your part in shaping the skills agenda for publishing

2010-09-28T16:13:00.006+01:00

This post is lifted from the Skillset blog. But it's OK, 'cos I wrote it, so it's not plagiarising or anything...

You may have heard that Skillset is running a skills and training needs survey for people working in the creative media industries.

Common knowledge for many of you I know. What you might not realise is that this is the first time Publishing has been included in Skillset’s formal research programme.

As the Publishing Sector Manager (and being a bit of a swot) I’m keen we get a good response. So I’m asking a favour.

If you are employed or work as a freelancer in any publishing sector,* at any level, will you:

complete the online survey yourself (if you haven’t already) and

forward the link on to at least 5 of your publishing friends and colleagues to ask them (nicely) to do the same?

Aside from the warm glow you’ll get from satisfying my schoolgirl swottishness, all the information provided will help us to make sure publishing people can access the right training in the future.

It takes about 15 minutes to complete and runs to the end of Thursday so hurry and do it while you can! The link is here: http://www.skillsetworkforcesurvey.com/

The legal bit: responses are anonymous and non-attributable, so conform to data protection legislation.

The technical bit: some people have had problems using Internet Explorer 6 so help can be found here: http://www.skillset.org/research/activity/workforce/article_7779_1.asp

Thanks a million. I owe you a drink. Or two. Depending on how many people you get to complete the survey.

(*books, business media, databases, directories, journals, magazines, news agencies, newspapers, in print, online, mobile… you get the picture)

A book a week in 2010: My Fathers' Daughter

2010-08-24T20:58:00.006+01:00

My Fathers' Daughter by Hannah Pool is a personal memoir of raw, emotional power.

Originally born in Eritrea, Hannah was placed in an orphanage after her mother died during her birth. She was adopted at six months old by David Pool, a British academic, and she eventually joined him in England where she grew up in Manchester.

It was when she received a letter from her brother in Eritrea, while still at university, that she finally discovered her birth father was alive and that she had a family of brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins. But it was ten years before Hannah finally got a chance to meet a cousin who was living in London. That meeting proved to be the catalyst for arranging a visit to meet her Eritrean family.

Pool writes with searing honesty: about her conflicting sense of anger and guilt, towards both of her fathers; the duality of not fully belonging in either culture; the overwhelming sense of paralysis in the face of an emotional reunion; and with the bewildering sense of wanting to run away from what she has yearned for all her life.

This is powerful and honest. In turns emotional and thought-provoking.

I couldn't put it down.

The Girl Who Played with Fire trailer

2010-08-21T12:56:00.003+01:00

Couldn't resist posting it. Looks good, huh?

Source: Uploaded by simarchetto, YouTube.com

A book a week in 2010: The Girl Who Played With Fire

2010-08-21T10:06:00.004+01:00

'Gym? The Girl Who Played with Fire? Both?'

A pretty innocuous Facebook post. Or so I thought. But no. It sparked a massive debate between friends about Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy. I had no idea there was such divided opinion.

'Dull, no pacing, weird sexual stuff, badly written, badly translated, badly edited... Am I really the only one who thinks this?' said one friend. I just don't agree.

You may recall my earlier review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was ambivalent. I liked the atmosphere, but felt it took a while to build up the story and characters. Now, having read The Girl Who Played with Fire, I get the importance of the trilogy. And I could not put this book down.

The girl is restrained by leather straps on a bed. She's in a room. He visits her daily, trying to get a response. But she will not give him the satisfaction. This drives him mad. So each time he tightens the restraints.

The crusading business journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, has settled into running Millennium magazine with best friend Erika Berger and recently joined board member Harriet Vanger. The magazine has gone from strength to strength since the Wennerstrom affair: a massive expose of a business magnet in the magazine, also published in a best-selling book.

Their reputation attracts a talented journalist, Dag Svensson, and his girlfriend, the academic researcher Mia Johansson, who have an explosive new story they want Millennium to publish. The investigation into sex tafficking reaches into the very heart of the establishment.

Lisbeth Salandar was an investigative researcher who Blomkvist worked with closely on the Wennerstrom affair, but she suddenly broke off contact and disappeared about a year ago. Blomkvist knows that Salandar hates the establishment with a passion. But the brutal murder of three people, with only Salandar's prints linking the crimes, make those around him start to wonder just exactly how deep her hatred runs.

This is a gripping, taut thriller and a huge improvement on the first book, particularly as I was familiar with the characters. It's well written, compelling and cranks up the tension. There's a lot of bizarre sexual stuff in it, but it's central to the story and is balanced by plot, characters and dialogue.

Highly recommend, but you need to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo first.

A book a week in 2010: Ten Steps to Happiness by Daisy Waugh

2010-08-06T19:42:00.003+01:00

In a Victorian terrace, somewhere in South East London, our heroine soldiers on with Wolf Hall, the epic Booker Prize winning historical novel by Hilary Mantel.

And yet she yearns for something a little less challenging; for a book that whisks her mind away to a life of simple pleasures and away from the drudgery of literary fiction, her frantic social life and the high powered job in skills that she is SUPER at.

A life where successful career girl meets handsome boy; falls in love; gets married; and moves to new husband's crumbling old pile in the country, complete with grumpy father-in-law, dodgy old retainer, and an ensemble of characters straight out of OK! magazine.

To a life where she can create the most AMAZING retreat for tired, worn out stars, wannabes and minor royals. Where they, too, can shelter from the real world, taking in the faded grandeur of the terribly old farm and shambolic buildings. And they can laugh in the face of petty bureaucracy, strange locals and general bizarreness of country folk. Nothing that a FABULOUS contacts book and a bit of vim and vigour (plus a few Jo Malone scented candles) can't fix, eh?

She turns her attention back to the tome on her lap. Slowly, she reaches for a book, a colourful book that has appeared miraculously on the table before her. She thought she was being discreet, but little did she know that all her blog readers were watching. Watching, as she PICKED UP A CHICK LIT BOOK AND ACTUALLY READ IT!

Her blog readers sighed and thought to themselves "Jesus, I hope she finishes Wolf Hall soon."

"Me too." Said our heroine.

A book a week in 2010: All My Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman

2010-08-02T18:06:00.004+01:00

'Buy it, borrow it, steal it but just make sure you read it.'

That's what Scott Pack said. And he's so influential, they put it on the front of the book. You may know him as meandmybigmouth: blogger and tweeter extraordinaire.

Please don't tell him, but when I was browsing in Dulwich Books and saw his quote, that's what made me buy it.

So after that HUGE build up, what's it like?

Well, it's a quirky, sweet love story. Charming yet sparsely written. It has a light touch, yet feels like a deeply philosophical observation on human nature.

It tells the story of Tom, a normal person, who is married to The Perfectionist, a superhero. They should be settling down to a happy, married life, but The Perfectionist's ex-boyfriend Hypno arrives at the wedding with other ideas.

This is a cute book (hmm, cute, never used that word in a review before) that somehow manages to feel profound. Definitely worth a read.

Read a sample here and find out about Andrew Kaufman here.

A book a week in 2010: Fup by Jim Dodge

2010-07-09T10:27:00.004+01:00

Jake Santees is 99 years old.

He likes to gamble.

A lot.

Jake brews his own whiskey, Ole' Death Whisper, from a secret recipe passed on by a dying Indian man.

He lives on his farm with grandson Tiny.

Tiny likes to build fences.

Fup is a duck, found by Tiny when a newly-hatched duckling, and saved by a drop of the whiskey.

Together they hunt for the wild pig Lockjaw that terrorises Tiny and his fences.

Not making sense? Don't worry. It will, kind of.

First published in 1983 this has quietly become a modern classic. This beautifully illustrated edition was published by Canongate in 2009.

Jim Dodge lives on an isolated ranch in California, west of Sacramento. His sparse, matter of fact prose is bizarre, surreal and in the spirit of Cormac McCarthy and the expanses of the mid west.

This is 'A Modern Fable' well worth the read. Not one for the kids though.

A book a week in 2010: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2010-07-07T18:56:00.007+01:00

The hype around the Millenium series (named after Millenium magazine the main protagonist is editor of) has been extraordinary. It has it all. Critical acclaim for the bleak and tense prose; strange and compelling characters; a plot with more turns than a turkey twizzler; the tragic, sudden death of the author only months after he'd finished the final part of the trilogy; and the ensuing battle for his estate between his family and partner.

Then there's the film. Already released in 2009 in Swedish to commercial success (grossing $100 million worldwide according to Wikipedia), an English language production is rumoured to be in hand.

The crusading business journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, is commissioned to write the history of the dysfunctional family of Henrik Vanger, head of a sprawling family business dynasty now on the wane.

Well, that's the cover story. In reality he's using his journalistic skills to investigate the murder of Henrik's niece many years ago; a mystery that Vanger has never been able to let go of. Mikael teams up with the strange, prickly and intriguing Lisbeth Salander, a private detective like no other, with her own dark, family secrets. Together they discover that the Vanger family are not all they seem, and there are many who would anything to cover it up.

If you liked the Swedish film Let the Right One In, there's a good chance you'll like this book. It's not perfect, but the slow build of tension and the level of detail in describing each scene produces a particular Scandianvian feel: hyper-realism, grim, depressing, whatever. I haven't seen the film or read the sequels, but on the basis of this, I'll get round to it.

Here's the trailer for the film.

And here's the trailer to Let the Right One In.
I'm spoiling you.
This. Is. Brilliant.
In fact, it's so good, it's taking over the end of an unrelated book review.

A book a week in 2010: One Day by David Nicholls

2010-06-16T21:31:00.007+01:00

Ah, the late 80s and early 90s. Days of vim and vigour. Of youth, fun and staying out past my bedtime. Oh the memories... *sighs*.

So, where was I?

Oh, that's right. One Day by David Nicholls. He of Starter for Ten fame. You know. The University-Challenge-in-the-80s story that was made into a film staring James McAvoy.

One Day charts the lives, loves and adventures of two friends from university: Emma and Dexter. Nicholls takes you back to visit them each year. Over a period of 20 years, we see them live their lives as friends, but always with the sense of 'what if...' between them.

Neither Emma or Dexter are perfect. Nicholls is a master of painting a warts-and-all picture of personality. He's also a master of recreating moments in time. My favourite scenes remind me of when I first moved to London in the early nineties and lived near Brixton.

I loved this book. If you're from this era, I have a feeling you will too. But others might not have quite so much fun. It could all be a little bit 'so what?'

And despite what I've suggested, it's not all rock and roll as there's a shock for you towards the end.

I gather Anne Hathaway has been cast in the movie adaptation, about to start filming. I'm not sure I approve, but let's give her a chance. Hope there aren't any Rene Zellweger Bridget Jones' style accents going on.

A book a week in 2010: Dark Fire by C J Sansom

2010-06-14T22:27:00.006+01:00

My friend @danether originally recommended C J Sansom to me. Not usually a fan of historical or crime fiction, I was a bit sniffy, but he was right to suggest I try.

Matthew Shardlake is a lawyer. One time favourite of Thomas Cromwell, he finds himself embroiled in yet another mystery, surrounding the whereabouts of a mystical substance, Dark Fire, that is rumoured to be a terrible weapon, and one that Henry VIII is determined to own.

He finds his fate inextricably linked to Cromwell as the investigation criss-crosses London in a race against time: there are others that want to possess the dark fire and they will do anything - and kill anyone - to find it.

Sansom artfully recreates the sounds, smells and sights of sixteenth century London, skilfully weaving historical details around strong characterisations of historical and fictional people.

This is one of a series of five Shardlake mysteries. Recommended.

A book a week in 2010: Cityboy by Geraint Anderson

2010-06-10T19:53:00.004+01:00

Cityboy is machismo on a grand scale. It stars epic amounts of alcohol and drug consumption, completely unfettered greed, selling your soul and complete and utter burnout. Articulated by an insider who got out.

Geraint Anderson worked in the City for 12 years. He got out before he burned out. Although, by his own admission, he turned into a monster and subsequently "needed to engage in 12 years' of repentance."

The writing is dodgy. Anderson chronicles everything that is wrong with the City in his own unique colloquial city-speak. This book is based on the column he wrote for the now defunct thelondonpaper.

Verdict: read this and weep. Literary fiction it ain't. Riveting, horrifying, compelling it is. If nothing changes from this account, we are doomed to bail out the excesses of the industry for the foreseeable future.

A book a week in 2010: 'Money Magic' by Alvin Hall

2010-06-02T21:53:00.004+01:00

Do you know, I've never read a Quick Read? That's a bit of a poor show for someone who's worked in the book industry for 17 odd years (and yes, I am older than I look).

So I've tried to rectify this with the latest in the 'book a week in 2010' series.

Money Magic is one of this year's batch of Quick Reads: short books by top authors designed to encourage reading across a wide range of people.

It's written by Alvin Hall, one of television's higher profile money experts. A staple of breakfast TV and early evening magazine show sofas.

It distills the essence of what he does: simple, commonsense advice on how to manage your money. Most people will have been at a point when they have built up debt across credit cards, overdrafts and loans. Alvin gives you a gentle kick up the backside by suggesting you come to terms with your spending habits, acknowledge the points at which you succumb to temptation and get that bit of plastic out, and put in place some realistic plans to help prevent those situations arising.

It's not rocket science, but it gave me pause for thought as to bad habits I get into and how I ignore them on a daily basis. There is a risk it could come across as preaching, but Alvin manages to (just) avoid this as he speaks from personal experience, having gone through - and survived - extreme levels of debt himself.

All in all, a very timely and accessible Quick Read. I really hope this reaches a wide market. There's plenty of people who could do with this book. Priced at £1.99 , there's no excuse; go get your copy now.

You can listen to a podcast of Alvin Hall discussing Money Magic on the Quick Reads website.

A book a week in 2010: Up in the Air - Walter Kirn

2010-05-22T09:38:00.011+01:00

George Clooney.

That got your attention.

Well he liked this book. He played the main character, Ryan Bingham, in the movie adaptation released in 2009.

I haven't seen the film, but thought the book would be worth reading as the movie had excellent reviews. Sadly, it wasn't. If you like middle-aged male existential angst then this is the book for you. It is not, however, for me.

Bingham is on a mission. To achieve the tantalising-close one million airmiles. How has he got to this amazing milestone? By flying around America as a gun-for-hire consultant to 'advise' clients (i.e. those being fired) about the life choices they have ahead of them.

But Bingham has lost himself on the way. He's sold his apartment. Aside from the identical hotel rooms he stays in, he has no real place called home. It takes a chance encounter with a fellow traveller and a visit from his sister to make him pause and wonder what it's all about.

Perhaps I'm being unfair. It's not all bad. There is real insight into the meaning of modern life early on. Reality begins to blur as you get a sense of being permanently in transit. It's just that the second half of the book hurtles into too much introspection for my taste, and becomes irritating. Frankly, it was a struggle just to finish.

I really wanted to like it, but Walter lost me, then never really got me back. Sorry George...

Up in the Air by Walter Kim
Published by John Murray, January 2010

Oh go on, Clooney fans, this one's for you....

A book a week in 2010: Saving Caravaggio by Neil Griffiths

2010-05-04T23:51:00.005+01:00

First up, my thanks to @caroleagent for suggesting this book. So when a major literary agent recommends a book, I take note. It's gotta be worth a punt, hasn't it?

Saving Caravaggio is an Italian mob/art/crime thriller. But don't let that put you off. Daniel Wright trained as an art historian. Except he wasn't really good enough to carry on and become a world leading art expert. More's the pity. Because now he is an art detective. One of the best. But still only a policeman.

He investigates international art frauds and travels across continents, using his academic background to add credibility to any cover story as he tries to secure stolen artworks.

But there is a complication. He has heard that his favourite artist Caravaggio's long-rumoured-to-be-lost masterpiece 'Nativity' isn't lost after all. A mafioso contact he developed in southern Italy, claimed the painting exists and may be available to the highest bidder. The quest for the Nativity becomes Wright's obsession, but in the process he risks losing contact with all that he holds dear. Saving Caravaggio takes us through the Italian countryside - from the urbane and cultured Florence to the closed society of Calabria - on an increasingly desperate quest to find the Nativity.

I loved the pace of this book. Griffiths builds up a wonderful picture of the different sides to Italian life. From the glamorous and chic city lives of the Uffizi's own Caravaggio expert, the beautiful Francesca Natali, and her powerful art collector and patron Storaro, to the cast of menacing and sometimes hapless characters in Calabria.

Now I'm not suggesting this is all there is to Italian society, but there is a suitably claustrophic atmosphere, where you actually BELIEVE that this is it, such is the focus of his prose and characterisation. The tension winds up palpably as the story progresses and the main characters learn more about themselves and each other.

If you prefer your crime thrillers to avoid any naval gazing and restraint, then this probably isn't for you. If you like a bit of culture, psychological introspection and reflection, then you should consider Saving Caravaggio for your next bedtime or beach read.

A book a week in 2010: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

2010-04-13T21:10:00.004+01:00

Malcolm Gladwell is a cultural theorist (and New Yorker journalist). His work is well known: The Tipping Point, Blink, this book - Outliers - and most recently What the Dog Saw. He has an easy way of cutting across complex cultural phenomenons, and kind of making sense of them.

I don't know about you, but I really like to understand who does what and why. It helps me deal with peoples' behaviour. And stops me taking it personally. So Malcolm is someone I have time for.

Outliers is his way of explaining why certain people seem to do better than others. Whether they are ice hockey players in Canada. Or Italian immigrants in the United States. Or really clever people that do well on Who Wants to be a Millionaire despite not having the 'right' background. Or how who you are and where you come from can influence a plane crash.

If you're like me, as with all Gladwell's books, you'll find yourself umming and aahing in recognition and empathy. He's always worth reading to get another take on the world. Bring on The Dog.

[Footnote: I was born in January. According to Gladwell, that should stand me in good stead.]
[Another footnote: I read this on my Kindle. And really enjoyed the experience of looking smart *and* geeky on the tube.]

A book a week in 2010: Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr Spencer Johnson

2010-04-08T20:28:00.006+01:00

I really like cheese. We have a fridge full at the moment. Stilton, brie, cheddar, cream cheese and parmigiana.

Don't you dare touch it though. It's all for me. And I'm staying here until it's gone.

I'm not sure what I'll do after that. Perhaps I should stay put? Wait for someone else to fill my fridge with cheese? There's a risk I may lose a bit of weight. Perhaps make myself a bit ill. I suppose I could always have a wander round to see if there's any more cheese lying around.

If only I'd thought about looking for more when it started to run out. If only I'd got myself down to the local farmer's market to stock up. If only...

This is a parable. It involves people, mice and cheese. It's a tale of four kinds of people.

1. Those that anticipate change.
2. Those who spring into action when they realise there is change.
3. Those that are threatened by change as they fear it will be for the worse.
4. Those who eventually adapt and see how change could be for the better.

I'd like to think I'm a mix of 1 and 2. But in the real world, I'm probably more of a 4. But who says I won't be able to change my perspective?

This would have been revolutionary when it was first published in 1998. It's rumoured to have sold over 24 million copies worldwide and is still stocked in quantity in Foyles St Pancras (as of this afternoon).

The concept of embracing change has never been more pertinent for publishing. What Dr Johnson also recognises is the need to embrace all four perspectives so you can work through change effectively.

A book a week in 2010: The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly

2010-03-28T15:36:00.003+01:00

This book is a cheat. Bought hastily from Stanfords in Covent Garden because it was short. 140 pages short to be exact. I needed to cram in two books in two days because I'd fallen behind with one a week. I blame The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

What I hadn't anticipated is what a poignant, moving and lyrical book this is.

Jean-Dominique Bauby is the successful Editor of French Elle magazine. He lives an exciting and glamorous life in Paris. But on a visit to see his children, he is taken ill with a massive stroke.

When he awakes, he is in the Naval Hospital in Berck-sur-Mer, on the North coast of France near Calais. He discovers he is suffering from 'Locked-In Syndrome', almost total paralysis, with only the use of one eye to communicate with the world. The book - dictated through blinking out the letters to his editor Claude Mendibil - charts his inner battle to comes to terms with all that he has lost and his sensory escape into memory.

The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly is poetic, intensely moving, and the best cheat I've ever made.

The artist Julian Schnabel won Best Director at Cannes Film Festival with his interpretation of the book. I plan to watch it as soon as I can. Here's the trailer in the meantime.

The Daily Mail Song

2010-03-28T12:45:00.002+01:00

This. Is. Wonderful.

Now go and follow the Dan and Dan blog. Immediately.

A book a week in 2010: The Wisdom of the Crowds

2010-03-12T18:36:00.007Z

"Dazzling... the most brilliant book on business, society and everyday life that I've read in years" says Malcolm Gladwell, quoted on the front cover of The Wisdom of the Crowds by James Surowiecki.

That's a bold quote for the publishers to pop on the front cover.

Surowiecki is a business writer for the New Yorker. This is obviously a subject on which he's pondered for years. It's essentially a beefed up version of the adage "two heads are better than one". Except he means lots of heads. Not just two.

He's spent a lot of time thinking about how large groups of seemingly non-specialist groups of people can end up making far better decisions, than a smaller bunch of so-called "experts". You just have to allow the crowd to figure it out, and they usually do, really well.

We are given examples drawn from history, psychology and academic research to back up his point. He looks at group dynamics believing that the larger the group, the more likely the optimum level for people to make their own rational decisions based on their experience and knowledge will be reached. These, Surowiecki argues, are collectively the right ones. His analysis of the balance of decision making in stock markets makes particularly interesting reading in light of recent economic performance (this book was first published in 2004).

This isn't as coherent and straight-forward an argument as you might get in one of Gladwell's books. But Surowiecki has more to prove. So he brings in a more diverse range of studies to back up his argument, often based on rigorous research for added credibility.

It made me rethink how I make my best decisions: at work and at home. Recommended.

Free content for World Book Day from The Friday Project

2010-03-04T08:50:00.004Z

It's World Book Day and the kind folk at The Friday Project have offered up a free sampler from The Equivoque Principle.

It's not an entirely altruistic act. Their Publisher, Scott Pack, hopes to offer up free content to "find a whole new audience for these cracking books."

But I love this idea. So in the spirit of World Book Day I'm happy to share. Enjoy.

World Book Day 2010 - Thursday 4th March

2010-03-03T18:07:00.003Z

World Book Day is the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK and Ireland.

And there are five things you can do to get involved.

1. Treat any children you know to one of the £1 Quick Reads
2. If you need to buy a gift, consider Book Tokens
3. Visit your local store supporting WBD
4. Follow the “Read to a million kids” broadcasts through the day
5. Follow events on the Twitter stream: @WorldBookDay

But there’s a lot more: find out about other events and news on the WBD website

Most important of all: read a book!

This is a repeat of my post on the Skillset blog.

Internet stat-tastic

2010-03-01T08:28:00.003Z

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from Jesse Thomas on Vimeo.

Thanks to Adam Westbrook for alerting me to this. I found it on Adam Tinworth's One Man and His Blog. There's nothing like some internet stats to get your week rolling.

Shopping and reading: what Suzy read next

2010-02-20T14:06:00.012Z

It's seven weeks into my 2010 resolution: to read a book a week, every week, for the whole year.

I started with the Man Booker prize shortlist: The Children's Book by A S Byatt and Adam Fould's The Quickening Maze. Next up, business with Grown Up Digital by Don Tapscott. This was followed by Michael Palin's New Europe. A bit of light relief, with pictures.

In February I've treated myself to Purple Cow by Seth Godin, The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki and Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers.

But all this non fiction is making me a tad dull. Friends back away when I mention the genius of Tapscott. Colleagues yawn when I pontificate on Godin's idea of constant innovation.

Maybe it's time for a bit of fiction.

After some Twitter consultation (twonsultation?) here's the shopping list:

The Blue Fox by Sjon
This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson
Kieron Smith, Boy by James Kelman
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
My Father's Daughter by Hannah Pool
Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunnant
Saving Caravaggio by Neil Griffiths

Thanks go to @caroleagent, @meandmybigmouth and @simonjuden for general inspiration and direct recommendations on Twitter.

What else should go on the shopping list?

A book a week in 2010: Seth Godin's Purple Cow

2010-02-16T22:40:00.003Z

"Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable" shouts the sub-title. It's a simple message. One that Godin hammers home. Sparsely laid out page after page.

It's pretty straight-forward. Now we are in the one to one marketing age, you can longer have mediocre products and services or follow your competitors. You have to be unique.

You have to have a purple cow: the new "P" on the block for traditional marketers. Something different, exciting, unique, distinguished. You no longer broadcast or dictate what people buy for any period of time.

Consumers are discerning, demanding and won't stick around long. You need to keep them intrigued, entertained, amused, happy. You have to match and reflect their values.

But understand that the traditional cash cow model no longer works. Once Purple turns to Cash, you need something new. Constant product innovation is essential. R&D restlessness rules. Building change into your business model will keep you ahead of the herd. Mass marketing no longer pays.

This is a short book with a single idea. Godin's is the master of getting to the point. He's also the master of repetition. But maybe keeping it simple and saying it a lot is what business needs.

What's clear in this book is that Godin doesn't think everyone will get it.

A book a week in 2010: The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds

2010-02-14T17:30:00.009Z

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2009, this is a fictionalised account of the life and work of Dr Matthew Allen, the owner of an asylum on the outskirts of London in 1840.

The tale recounts the progress of Dr Allen's practice. Foulds balances the lives of those that work in the asylum, the treatment of the patients, the well-meaning Allen and his devoted, but long-suffering family.

The patients include a number of high profile writers. The naturalist poet John Clare lives within the grounds. Renowned for making a bid for freedom to explore the gardens and surrounding woods, his very existence is threatened by his total immersion in this world. Alfred Tennyson brings his brother there for treatment and finds his - and his family's - life tied to the fate of Allen in more ways than one.

Foulds manages to weave trance-like depictions of a descent into madness into the minutae of everyday Victorian life. This is a gentle, transporting and evocative depiction of the scientific and creative advances of the Victorian age. It has a dreamlike quality with occasional violent interruptions that show the underlying brutality of the age.

There is no doubt that Foulds wears his erudition lightly. It is a nice book. It is a pleasant read. These are not the words I associate with the Booker prize shortlist. I didn't find it particularly gripping, but if you like your historical fiction with a gentle literary flavour, then this one is for you.

A book a week in 2010: Michael Palin's New Europe

2010-02-03T20:12:00.011Z

New Europe is taken from the TV series of the same name that was first aired in the autumn of 2007 (and has been playing on cable ever since). The book is a collection of photographs taken during filming combined with what appears to be the script from the series.

Palin's voice is unique. You can almost hear him speaking as you read the words, and if you have watched the programmes, this gives a strong sense of deja vu. He travels around the European nations of: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Kaliningrad (Russia), Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Germany.

It all feels vaguely Eurovision-ish: like the VTs they produce in between each song to showcase the national characteristics of each country. The producers have obviously gone to great lengths to choose a "character" to act as Palin's tour guide and provide an alternative view of life. This makes great television, but after a while, in print, it starts to wear a bit thin (olive oil wrestlers of Turkey anyone?)

But that's the prevailing spirit of Palin. The gently absurd sticking its tongue out at you from the fringe of a more considered view of the place. This is generally an enjoyable and informative coffee table read. You can brush up on your geography, have a little snigger at the bizarre habits of the population, then reflect on the scale and diversity of the continent.

New Europe is available to read on the Palin's Travels website.

A book a week in 2010 week 1: A S Byatt's The Children's Book

2010-01-17T23:09:00.004Z

It's taken a while to write this. The book is a corker (630 or so pages) and perhaps not one I should have started with. But hey ho, I managed it.

It's the end of the nineteenth century. Olive and Humphrey Wellwood live with their children in Kent near the Romney Marsh. Theirs is a liberal, loving family life. Each child has their own distinct character. Each parent, their own secret.

Their friends reflect the intellectual mileu of the time: the talented potter, the museum curator, the German puppeteer, and the anarchist. Olive is a successful children's writer, creating magical worlds of fairy tales with pixies, sprites and other fantastic characters. She also writes individual stories for each child: intensely personal tales that map their personality and journey through life.

But all is not what it seems in this cosy world. Against a backdrop of intense debate around politics, class and equality, the lives of the family and their friends gradually unravel.

When I first mentioned my plan to start the book a week in 2010 with The Children's Book, a fellow Twitterer said she found it to be, well, a bit like hard work. However, I buckled down and persevered. Now, after ninety pages a day for seven days, I see her point. It is indeed, at times, hard work.

When Byatt zooms out from the minutiae of family life and considers the political, philosophical, artistic and ideological arguments of the time, it feels like a Monday morning class of Victorian history 101. There's no doubting her erudition or the research that has gone into the book. But it's a bit worthy, and frankly, at times a bit of a chore.

The book is at its most powerful when she evokes the details of the Wellwood's life. When the children play in the treehouse; as the family gather for the annual Midsummer party; their adventures in Paris at the Universal Exhibition; visiting friends in Munich; and in the studio at the Fludd's house, where the pantry is full of difficult secrets.

This is a book of two halves: half pleasure, half education. If I had not been on such a mission to finish, it might have taken several months. I'm glad I did persevere, but if you plan to read it any time soon, brace yourself: you may be in for a long haul.

news:rewired city university 14 january - multimedia session

2010-01-14T11:56:00.016Z

@egrommet gearing up for an interesting debate on multimedia journalism at news@rewired

First off, here's a disclaimer. I'm not a journalist. I may have paraphrased, but I've tried to indicate when I have. I welcome any corrections and clarifications. I will take down anything that is factually incorrect or causes great offence.

These are my recollections of the morning session at news:rewired.

There's a palpable air of excitement in the air at City University prior to the start of news:rewired kick off. Tweeters wander around staring at badges trying to match the Twitter avatar with the flesh and blood of real people. Scary. I manage to catch up with a few contacts: some I met the other night at the Online News Association seminar, others from just getting out and about. We all file into the Oliver Thompson lecture hall. And so it begins.

We hear the introduction from George Brock, head of journalism at our hosts, City University. He welcomes us and plays around with a long and sometimes confusing spaghetti analogy, much to the (be/a)musement of the Twitterati. He is followed by Kevin Marsh, Editor at the BBC College of Journalism. We get numerous snippets of advice on what the challenges and pitfalls of learning multimedia and social media skills with some sound advice to never lose sight of the big picture: it's about journalism and these are tools to tell a story.

Next up is the multimedia stream. Adam Westbrook kicks off with a romp through different kinds of multimedia journalism: video, audio, slideshows, blogging, photographs, graphics/data viz, podcasts, (micro) blogging, print, community. He empahsises the need to use the appropriate form for the story. He's obviously passionate about audio slideshow which he discovered 18 months ago, where audio is mixed with stills, rather than moving images.

I'm paraphrasing here, but these are the key features of audio slideshow according to Adam. They are usually 1-6 mins long. The audio tends to be better quality that with video and you lose the video production palaver. He believes it to be a more practical option for the multimedia storyteller: cheaper, quicker, and with better results. You can tell a good story, more often and without breaking the bank.

Adam uses an example of John Hirst - who killed his landlady in 1979 - which turns out to be an arresting use of stills, documents and a first person narrative. I'll try and get the link to add in here.

What do you need to do this successfully? A good story with a character. The prospect of good photos. Potential for great audio and ability to audio record. A digital SLR camera, editing software and soundsslide.

He cites the New York Times as having a really good site showcasing New Yorkers. They have fortunately published the production cycle:

1 time spent finding good characters
2 characters pre-interviewed on phone
3 audio producer reocrds interview
4 audio producer edits interview down
5 photographers listens to audio
6 photographer returns to subject and takes relevant photos
7 audio and images are put together

Adam finishes with a challenge to everyone to tackle a weekend project and make our own audio slideshows. But remember, you need crisp audio, great pics, but focus on narrative and tell great stories. I see this as a powerful tool to tell personal stories and profile interesting characters.

Steve Phillips from BBC Radio London is up next. He does a show and tell for an Audioboo they produced with Peter Cockcroft the weatherman for the snow alerts round the capital. It enabled them to do updates with a number of the BBC weather team throughout the day. Not sure we need to hear all the advice on lagging pipes though. Hang on a minute, did he just say the weather would stay to the end of the month? OK, that was worth it then.

He also explains the use of Twitter for live travel alerts and cites an example from this morning when there was a report from Twitter of acrid smoke coming out of City Thameslink station. That explains my hellish journey in. They also use twitpics for journey news with views from a packed station and so on. The use of listener pictures builds a feeling of community with the audience.

Justin Kings (@newsleader) provides a countdown of top ten essential skills for a multi-media journalist gathered earlier in the week via Twitter. (Link to his blog post on it here).

10 technical ability
9 understanding how each platform can enrich story telling
8 understanding how consumers access content
7 self starter
6 team player
5 organisational skills
4 able to cope with pressure
3 adaptability
2 interpersonal skills
1 being a great journalist/storyteller

He says you must never forget number 1 and remember to take risks and not blindly follow news agenda of the day.

In the Q&A session there is an interesting question about why there is no mention of data meshing (although there's a session this afternoon).

The debate moves on to how you can include this as part of the story and how you use data to talk about it.

One of the audience cite their work on the ft.com piece on oil company CEOs, their salaraies and the link to the shareholder return: do the two correlate? When you look at the data, no. You can see what they did here.

They used a team with mixed skills to ensure they could effectively deliver a non-linear way of telling the story, which included: a flash designer, coder, reporter and editor. It's about effective and informative data visualisation and someone points out that the unsung hero of this is the New York Times who do it really well.

The challenge is how do you develop these skills in an educational context? It can be tricky to teach. A good blog on data visualisation from the States is by Tracey Boyer at innovativeinteractivity.com

Do any journalism courses have a module on this as it is very useful / powerful?

Have to say that I found this session hugely useful. It's like one great big focus group for what Skillset needs to think about. More to follow (probably tomorrow as we will have a beer at the end of the day). Until then...

news:rewired event

2010-01-13T18:04:00.006Z

I'll be attending this event on Thursday 14th January at City University. There's been a real social media buzz building and I'm looking forward to meeting some fellow Twitterers in real life.

I'm about to attempt to get the live cover posted on to this blog so you can follow how the day progresses and you might spot the odd Tweet from me (@sashers).

Face to face chat on the Journalism standards

2010-01-06T21:58:00.002Z

This is a article from the Skillset blog I posted earlier today. Feel free to forward on or retweet!

We have been conducting an online consultation into an overhaul of journalism occupational standards which closes this Friday. Earlier this week I provided a brief explanation of what occupational standards are on this blog. There’s been a lot of interest and thanks to everyone who’s been in contact.

We have some face to face discussions organised for next week. If you would like to come along and contribute, contact Julie Hadwin. Meeting venues and contact details below.

Contact: Julie Hadwin | julie.hadwin@btinternet.com | T: 020 8579 3792 | M: 07802 795509

CARDIFF: Thursday 7 January 1300-1600
Skillset Cymru, 33-35, West Bute Street, Cardiff, CF10 5LH

LONDON: Friday 8 January 1000-1300
Skillset, Focus Point, 21 Caledonian Road, London N1 9GB

BELFAST: Monday 11 January 1400-1600
Northern Ireland Screen, Alfred House, 21 Alfred Street, Belfast BT2 8ED

LONDON: Tuesday 12 January 1000-1300
Premier Inn, 26-30 York Way, King’s Cross, London N1 9AA

MANCHESTER: Wednesday 13 January 1300-1600
Manchester Conference Centre, Room 3A, Sackville Street, Manchester M1 3BB

GLASGOW: Thursday 14 January 1000-1300
Skillset Scotland, 249 West George Street, Glasgow G2 4QE

LONDON: Friday 15 January 1000-1300
Premier Inn, 26-30 York Way, King’s Cross, London N1 9AA

A book a week for 2010

2010-01-02T18:21:00.030Z

If you follow me on Twitter (@sashers) you'll have seen my recent RT of Julien Smith's blog

He's written a post challenging us to read a book a week this year and provided tips and inspiration on how to go about it.

I love reading books. My "to read" pile is substantial and in danger of collapsing. It needs trimming down so should provide plenty to get me started. It's an eclectic list, but the chosen January titles are:

Week 1: The Children's Book - A S Byatt

Week 2: Grown Up Digital - Don Tapscott

Week 3: New Europe - Michael Palin

Week 4: The Quickening Maze - Adam Foulds

Spare: Purple Cow - Seth Godin (in case I get ahead of schedule)

Scott Pack's blog meandmybigmouth will provide plenty of inspiration for other months, but let me know if there's a book you think I must read. I'll keep you posted on progress and the target list each month.

New Year's Eve preparations

2009-12-31T12:12:00.003Z

I'll be trying to look like Lara Croft, but suspect it'll be more
Kathy Burke. Here's my arsenal of (plastic) weapons. Black shorts,
boots, vest and a long plait to follow.

A Friend is going as Sally Bowles from Cabarat. All the men are doing James Bond through the ages. So that'll be a tux and bow tie then?

No imagination.