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There are so many Nobel prize winners I've never heard of. I only read Olga Tokarczuk and Herta Muller because they are winners. Not especially impressed by either. The modern winners are very obscure - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_laureates_in_Literature

🙄 I've never even heard of him.

Nobel Prize. For his body of work but it's all very much like this.

Lie to me - Bon Jovi

Love your review. This really won a prize? Looks like pretentious twaddle to me, but each to their own!

A Shining (2023) Jon Fosse More of a pamphlet than a book which, in theory, ought to have made my second attempt at reading Fosse an easier experience than that of the monotonous droning and repetition of Melancholy. But no, it's just more of the same where, in a brilliant twist of literary genius, Fosse replaces the full stop (also known as the period) with the word 'yes' or the word 'and' (but mostly yes) until he develops that unique style of his which, in truth, isn't very beautiful or enjoyable to read at all but, quite effectively, distracts you enough to make you believe that you've been reading something meaningful and profound. You haven't. What you've actually been reading is that episode of the Simpsons where people think a drugged up and radioactive Mr Burns is some kind of magical Will-o'-the-Wisp creature floating about the forest. Because that's essentially what happens here. A man driving nowhere in particular gets lost and stuck on a country road then wanders into the woods where he encounters 'a shining' presence (Boo Urns), and then his doddering parents, and then a man in a black suit with a white tie. And it is snowing and it is dark. Yes, it is snowing and it is dark. The book does its best to be as blurry as possible and allow the reader to infuse as many pretentious and heart rending interpretations as they please (to their heart's content) and while I'm all in favour of that sort of thing (fruity indulgent nonsense is a delight after all) the fact remains that while I'm kidding myself that there are significant things being said about the human condition of eternal loneliness and isolation, or the bleak torment of fragile emotional connection, or the horror of ongoing existence itself, or, to be more practical, the outrageous lack of good quality signage on country roads for pedestrians and drivers alike, the book is written in a style where I am yet to find anything of worth. I mean it's completely fine and everything (almost a pleasant little ghost story) but if you're going to hand out Nobel prizes for this sort of thing then you can be damn sure I'm going to have an opinion about it. A strong opinion. I just don't like this crap. 'Yes and the stone was cold and it was dark and yes, it was dark and the stone was large and it was cold and yes it was the word yes again and it was yes, and it was a stone and it was yes, yes she said, yes.' Maybe it's a translation issue. I doubt it. I think this is just what people who have spent decades reading easily digestible mediocrity have concluded is great literature because they don't know any better. I dunno. This is just where we are. Deal with it. Whatever. 5/10

, all of whom are...

better get the Lord to proffer a decent explanation, or it's curtains for any hope of him entering our cat 🐈 cafe ☕️ ever again. For goodness' sake, the whole reason I ordered the burgers was to make the cowardly vicar pay for them..after all, he'd allowed a delivery man to chuck a ton of cat litter onto the lawn in the blooming rain. I was just pouring out thick strong tea , when 'daddy' got hold of his dear daughter on the landline. 'Rosie, dearest daughter of mine..' 'Daddy..really..how many have you got..?' 'We will not go there dearest..now, at last the police have fed me..am being released really soon..I had a burger and I feel quite light...

It's a Sin to Tell a Lie - The Ink Spots

Just finished the second of two bonus short reads in this copy, they are : One For the Road and Jerusalem's Lot. The man is a great story teller! There are deleted scenes at the back of the book but I'm not sure that I want to read them. I'll take the rest of the day to decide.

It's a Sin - Pet Shop Boys

It's only a Paper Moon - Frank Sinatra

and members at BCF

The Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys

arriving with my team today at ...' 'Sorry, wrong number!' and Maggie hung up. That should be the last I hear from her, one problem solved. Now to sort out the half tonne of cat litter blocking our front door, which the steady pouring rain had swollen to twice its size and weight. Wait until I get my hands on that Victor Cross, preferably round his skinny little neck, he'd ...

Fly Me To the Moon ~ Frank Sinatra

of pensioners at hospital

Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra

My first experience with a D.H. Lawrence work was his novel 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'. It was a bit challenging at first, but it ended up being a really fascinating and immersive exploration of deep emotions and human relationships.

Possession (1990) A. S. Byatt A modern day academic (Roland Michell) who specialises in the poetry of Randolph Henry Ash (a fictional 19th century poet) discovers a letter he wrote to an unknown woman and begins to investigate. He comes to learn that the woman was Christabel LaMotte (another reasonably well-known poet of the 19the century) and seeks the help of an academic called Maud Bailey who specialises in LaMotte. Together they uncover a lost love story between these two poets and follow in their footsteps as they become obsessed with solving the mystery. Unsurprisingly, these two modern day academics start to find themselves developing feelings for each other. So I mostly enjoyed this but it wasn't the kind of thing I would normally read. I found the modern day story of Roland and Maud investigating the story of Ash and LaMotte to be very engaging, more so than the romance of the two poets themselves. There were some issues I had, however, the first being the letters between Ash and LaMotte which, frankly, I found a little dull to read. Then we have all the poetry in the book written by Ash or LaMotte (but actually written by Byatt) which was hard to assess. I'm not big into poetry and so I couldn't tell you if this stuff was good or not (certainly not if it was 19th century poet of global repute good). My instincts told me that it probably wasn't, that it was slightly... meh. But I couldn't tell you for sure. Good or not, I didn't really enjoy any of it (despite being aware that there were clues in these poems linking Ash and LaMotte). Then there's another little nitpick I have. All the way through the book, we only learn about Ash and LaMotte's romance via their letters, their poetry, biographies etc. But then suddenly, towards the end of the book, Byatt just drops us into their lives (Ash and LaMotte) as they travel together in Yorkshire as man and wife which felt like a cheat. Why have Roland and Maude investigate all this stuff (the letters, books, poems etc) if you can simply narrate their story whenever you feel like it? It happens again at the very end of the book but that felt earned and necessary, a nice little touch to finish things off. But the earlier example just seemed out of place given everything that went before it. Anyway... Ultimately, I liked the book and would recommend it. I especially liked the idea that love (deep, visceral love) can never escape the quality of being possessive. In a post feminist world (Byatt mentions feminism and feminist interpretations a lot in the book) women are increasingly repulsed by the idea of belonging to someone and yet that, by its very nature, is what true love always demands. So yeah, the book wasn't really my cup of tea overall but it was entertaining, well written, well put together, and easy to read. And it goes without saying if you are a big softie who still believes in that thing called love *spits in disgust* then you will definitely find something to like here. The book is, after all, quite heartbreakingly romantic. 7/10

'Salem's Lot, Stephen King. Absolutely marvellous. And what a pleasure reading a paper book!

a van, awaiting delivery to the Edith Cavell nursing home [ 80 and above, Alzheimers], the Beers and Bonkers karaoke night at the Eagle and Washcloth, the local Scouts, and the local police station. 50 burgers apiece. Mildred waved off the van affably, and, a mile away, my phone rang. 'Mr Repulsive..? The sum total of your burger bill is 800 quid ten p..it's Maggie May here, of Burn it fry it, then deny it..manufacturer of premium quality beef burgers, rolls, sandwiches..' 'I am Steve Smith, environmental health..ringing about a health inspection at your factory ', said I, 'I'm....