by Lee Cross There’s this commonly held idea, mostly amongst non-readers (by far the most commonly occurring group I find), that reading makes you smart, or perhaps smarter. Honestly, I’ve never believed this to be true – seriously. Of course, reading books can make smarter, but it all depends on which books you prefer to … Continue reading Leopold Broom Investigates: Short Musing on Whether Reading Makes You Smarter

by Lee Cross I have this guilty pleasure… well I have a few, biscuits before bed time is probably the worst of them; or maybe deliberately starting lunatic rumours, not for malicious reasons, just for the pleasure of seeing if I can get them to bounce back in third-party conversation, stuff like, “did you hear … Continue reading 6 Recurring Themes in Spy Thrillers

by Lee Cross [There’s going to be spoilers – apologies] It made the news this year, which is a mark of the greatness of J.K. Rowling’s achievement, but Harry Potter has now be around for 20 years! …and honestly I’m amazed because they feel as current now in the popular psyche as they did when … Continue reading Reflections on Harry Potter Turning 20

Here are 18 quotes from poetry and books about heartache. [Gathered by Regina Kenney] “Doctoring her seemed to her as absurd as putting together the pieces of a broken vase. Her heart was broken. Why would they try to cure her with pills and powders?”  ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina “The most painful thing is losing yourself … Continue reading 18 Beautiful Literature Quotes About Heartache

by Lee Cross The second most common thing occasional/casual readers say to me is, “yeah, I like to read before bedtime, it helps me to doze off really quickly – know what I mean”? No. I do not. [the most common thing is, “I wish I read more,” which I’ve blogged about before. Personally I … Continue reading Leopold Broom Investigates: Books Before Bedtime

by Regina Kenney They tell us not to judge a book on its cover - but you can certainly judge this publishing company on their god-awful choices for book covers on famous literature. I don't know if these are computer generated or chosen by an intern who doesn't know how to use wikipedia, but your … Continue reading Totally Real, Horrible Book Covers

by Regina Kenney Book Club names, much like Improv Troupes, tend to be riddled with puns, inside jokes, obscure references and perhaps a splash of that 'internal groan when you hear it' and eyeball roll. But, hey, you need to a name for that something you do once a month when you sit in a … Continue reading 31 Book Club Name Suggestions

by Lee Cross Looking for a few books to read in the sunny summer months? Perhaps with a quite glass of you favourite tipple? Well, you can’t wrong with…   1 – The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson “That guy is a Psychopath”, have you ever said that? Has anyone ever said it about you? … Continue reading 8 Books for the 8 Weeks of Summer

Thirsty? So were these great authors when they wrote about ale. Wet your mind with these 10 great literature quotes about beer.  [Collected by Regina Kenney] “Beer's intellectual. What a shame so many idiots drink it.” ― Ray Bradbury, The October Country “Oh, this beer here is cold, cold and hop-bitter, no point coming up … Continue reading 9 Great Literature Quotes About Beer

by Lee Cross When did Neil Gaiman become mainstream? … Actually, I take that back, I’ve read a lot of his books and there’s nothing mainstreamy about them. I suppose what I mean is, known by the wider public. For myself, I’ve been aware of his writing for perhaps 20 years, but I still consider … Continue reading 5 Neil Gaiman Books You Must Read