Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan Everyone has a Tully Dawson: the friend who defines your life. In the summer of 1986, James and Tully ignite a friendship based on music, films and rebel spirit. With school over, they rush towards a magical weekend of youthful excess in Manchester, played out against the greatest soundtrack ever recorded.Continue reading “Power of Friendship”
Author Archives: shortjen
Special Books
Reading is something you do alone – its the perfect activity in fact. Books transport you to other worlds, countries, places. They introduce you to people you would never normally meet. Its the perfect escape. Despite the solitary nature of reading I’ve gained some of the most important friendships of my life through books. OneContinue reading “Special Books”
Reading In Spain
April in Spain by John Banville Pathologist Quirke and his wife are on holiday in Spain. Everything seems ordinary until Quirke sees a familar face and when he investigates further he realises a terrifying truth. The person he’s seen is supposed to be dead and has links to the downfall of an Irish political dynasty.Continue reading “Reading In Spain”
Return of the MOJO!
Isn’t it strange how difficult it is to really see or appreciate a situation when you’re right in the middle of it? You’re unable to truly appreciate how bad or significant it was until it is over and you are able to look aback from a new vantage point. I’ve continued to read right throughContinue reading “Return of the MOJO!”
The Power of Reading
It’s been a while since my last post. 2020 was a terrible and stressful year for many people. A time when our lives changed completely. It had an impact on everyone. We had to change the way we worked, lived and socialised. We had to spend most of our time at home, change how weContinue reading “The Power of Reading”
Back in Time
I love history, finding out how people lived in the past, the discoveries they made, how similar and different their lives are to ours. I read history magazines, read books, listen to podcasts and watch documentaries. I also enjoy historical fiction. Its a really good way to get inside the lives of ordinary people fromContinue reading “Back in Time”
Book Swaps & Recommendations
One of the best things about reading is discovering that a friend is a fellow reader and swapping recommendations. People always have different tastes to you and I love reading a book a friend has enjoyed. Maybe One Day by Debbie Johnson A friend from work recommended this book to me. Its not something IContinue reading “Book Swaps & Recommendations”
Lockdown Reading
England is back in full lockdown, with everyone being ordered to stay at home. Once again I find myself being grateful for books and reading – and my community of book loving friends. For Christmas I was given this poster:- Top 100 books. The idea is that you scratch off the square once you’ve readContinue reading “Lockdown Reading”
Compare & Contrast
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood This is the sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale”, which was written in the 1980’ss. The Testaments is set 15 years from the end of the first book and follows the story of three different women. They all have an involvement in the downfall of Gilead, despite each of the themContinue reading “Compare & Contrast”
All Kinds of Ghosts
A Head Full of Ghosts – by Paul Tremblay This was great to listen to as an audio book and in some ways it was very similar to “The Wayward Girls” by Amanda Mason. Its about a young girl who appears to be possessed – she’s around 14 years old. The narrator is her youngerContinue reading “All Kinds of Ghosts”
Pixie Chronicles 