Sarah Reason

A Stroke of Luck

The dogs are obsessed with rabbits and mice in the garden, and our resident frog, Ferdinand, is singing his head off in our little pond. I love how living in the countryside brings the passing seasons closer, and I was acutely aware of missing my favourite time of year, the autumn, last year, because I spent just about all of it in hospital.

Hot and Bothered

This novel I picked up second-hand (regulars might notice a theme here), and I decided to read it now, for reasons obvious to those of you in Europe. The setting is a previous heatwave, that of 1976.

Let It Be

Like many others, I am sure, I watched Paul McCartney’s set at this year’s Glastonbury Festival with a mixture of awe and nostalgia. He’s eighty years old! I was already in bed when he went out on stage… In all honesty, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love The Beatles. They rose toContinue reading “Let It Be”

Estuarial Accent

The Essex Serpent – Sarah Perry – Serpent’s Tail – ISBN: 978- 1781255452 I freely admit that the primary reason I purchased and read this book was because my favourite actor was cast and can be seen in the Apple TV adaptation (I have only watched Ep.1 and I am already furious at the manyContinue reading “Estuarial Accent”

Camp Canine

The Lick of Love – How Dogs Changed My Life by Julian Clary I have been a fan of this particular Renowned Homosexual (as Julian likes to style himself) ever since he first appeared on TV in the early 1980s. The fact that his sarcastic, risqué humour was accompanied by his canine companion, a beautifulContinue reading “Camp Canine “

Magical Thinking

I’m not one to judge a book by its cover, but I have been known on occasion to be intrigued by a title. In this case, it wasn’t in fact me, but my daughter, who, a year ago, spotted and sent me The Manningtree Witches by AK Blakemore as a Mother’s Day gift. Before weContinue reading “Magical Thinking”

Food for the soul

Stanley Tucci is one of those actors who is in a great many films I have enjoyed, and while he is rarely the ‘star’, his performances are always memorable. I have always rather liked him; he exudes a warmth and charm that is hard to resist, especially if, like me, you are attracted by intelligenceContinue reading “Food for the soul”

My name is Sarah, and I am a book addict

“Give me books, fruit, French wine and fine weather…” John Keats I am writing this surrounded by books. My books, my partner Geoff’s books, our parents’ books… This has always been the condition of my life. I grew up in a home stuffed with all kinds of books, every room filled with them. I readContinue reading “My name is Sarah, and I am a book addict”

Try to Remember

I’ve been thinking a lot about memory lately. About how it works, how it changes, what it means in the shape of our lives and how we see ourselves. I’ve always spent a lot of time in my own distant past. I say ‘always’, but it probably only dates from when my mother died, soContinue reading “Try to Remember”

A Journey in my Head

But by the end of last week, everything had more or less fallen into place. All the hotels, crossings and appointments are booked, everything that can be done in advance has been. Excellent. Then I realised that I didn’t feel better. Well, not substantially.