Book Review on Sarah Winman’s Still Life
Book Review on Sarah Winman’s Still Life Sarah Winman’s Still Life is a deeply moving novel that left me unexpectedly emotional—even tearing up at the hairdresser’s as I sat reading while waiting for my daughter to have her blow-dry! But while the story brings immense beauty, it’s not a light read; it’s one to savor. […]
How Reading Fiction Encourages Problem-Solving Skills in Kids
How Reading Fiction Encourages Problem-Solving Skills in Kids – The Mechanics of Problem-Solving Through Fiction – Deftly woven fiction does more than just spin a yarn – it saddles characters with choices that sear the soul, and predicaments that drive them (and us) to the edge. As kids watch these unlikely situations unfold, they’re essentially […]
Book Review of Bob Mortimer’s The Satsuma Complex
Book Review of Bob Mortimer’s The Satsuma Complex I love watching Bob Mortimer on TV. He’s down-to-earth, real, and in these troubling times, one of the few who can still make me smile and laugh when there’s not much to feel positive about. That’s exactly what I was hoping for from The Satsuma Complex, winner of […]
Connecting ‘The Other’ Through Music and Memory
Connecting ‘The Other’ Through Music and Memory This weekend, my choir took part in a service at the local Methodist chapel. I’m used to singing in the lovely village church, one with stained glass windows, candlelit altars, and all the rich, resounding acoustics of a place that feels grand and steeped in history. We love […]
Book Review of Sandi Toksvig’s Friends of Dorothy
Book Review of Sandi Toksvig’s Friends of Dorothy I am a huge fan of Sandi Toksvig, as you’ll discover from my book review of her memoir, Between the Stops. Therefore, it was a relief that Friends of Dorothy met and probably exceeded my expectations, proving to be just as good, if not better, than I […]
Book Review of Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary
Book Review of Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary was a good choice for our book club, blending past and present in a way that kept us hooked while also providing plenty to debate. Set in both eighteenth-century and modern-day London, the story follows Caroline Parcewell, a woman reeling from her […]