charles barrow's writing

As reported in my last post, I am enduring a self-imposed book buying ban, while I take the opportunity to actually read some of the books I actually already own. It's been 38 days now since I last bought a book. It's been tough. I have been into a bookshop (looking for a calendar) and I've been into several charity shops (same) and I came out of all of them having not bought a book. Quite the victory for a book addict. But before you hand me a medal you should know that I have found a way to bend the rules of this challenge, my own rules. I did create a couple of caveats to this 'not buying books at the moment' challenge. It was that or get arrested for shoplifting a book from Waterstones in a moment of madness. I am in possession of a couple of book tokens at the moment, gifted to me a while back, and I reasoned that it wouldn't be breaking any rules if I acquired books using these vouchers. After all, someone else had parted with the money to buy them, and so...

I watch a lot of Youtube videos, or more accurately, BookTube videos - BT being the corner of YT where people discuss books (naturally); what they own, what they've read, what they intend to read. It's full of reviews, recommendations, warnings (sometimes), encouragement, and interesting, fun people that I enjoy spending time with. It also has a broad timetable of monthly events that viewers can choose to join. I've spoken previously about the short story theme in September, and the Victorian literature in October or, so called, Victober, both of which I chose to take part in this year. The upcoming event for December is Remember December, during which viewers/readers are encouraged to re-read a book they once read and can't recall anything about. I have a long list of those. I'm not sure I'll take part in this event, other than incidentally, firstly because I want to get festive and read some Christmas stories in December, as I also like to get festive by watch...

Colley Cibber, actor, playwright, poet. I'd never heard of him before I saw his head in a glass case in the National Portrait Gallery, in London. I've also never seen so lifelike a bust, but then I don't think I've ever seen one that's been painted in this way. The process has produced a work of genius, but I find the effect to be incredibly unsettling. Very appropriate for the halloween season. Photos are the author’s own

Cover That Sold Me The Book #42 So we've all been guilty of judging a book by its cover, both metaphorically and literally, haven't we? I try not to do the first, but hey I'm human. However I am definitely guilty of the second. I can pore over that table of books in Waterstones, the one with the new releases, laid flat on their backs, artfully designed covers glowing under bright lights, and lift dozens of them up for a closer inspection if the cover art appeals. I always spend less time browsing the A-Z shelves where I'm faced with rows and rows of spines, though I will head there if I'm after a specific title. It's the cover that will always attract me. Does that make me shallow, that I love all the pretty, shiny things? Anyway, the marketing works on me, so I guess I'm both shallow and susceptible.  Of course, pretty and shiny doesn't always guarantee a thumping good read. As with the metaphor, the contents don't always bear any relation to the pa...

I like to stroll around my little patch of garden in the early morning, to see what has changed overnight. There is usually some development that brings a frisson of excitement, and a smile to my lips. This morning I notice that the Hollyhocks have fat flower buds forming, and the Hebe and the Lavender both have a flush of colour on their stems but are a couple of days away from the full pinks and mauves of summer flowering. Similarly, I like to take stock of the birds and wildlife I see as I head out of the garden on my morning walk, around the local streets and down to the seafront. A darting quick sparrow today, and a brace of squirrels - or perhaps they're only referred to as a brace when they've been bagged by a gamekeeper. A strutting magpie comes close to the bench where I sit in the shade for a while, out of the heat that is already building towards the midday furnace that's been forecast. One upside of the heat and sunshine is that it brings out the lizards to bask...

I was very saddened to hear of the death of singer/songwriter Linda Lewis two days ago, on 3rd May. Two months ago, in February, I wrote a post which included details of the time I met her, and how much I enjoyed her music, and especially her album Hacienda View. You can read that post  here

So anyway, it was a really wet start to the day, and that is all the excuse I needed to stay inside and finish the book I was reading, Find Me by Andre Aciman. I don't do that as often as I'd like, sit and read all morning, but I'm glad that I did, and I decided to feel no guilt about it. The only downside is that I now have to choose another book to read, and I've decided on a re-read, so it's either going to be Howards End by E.M. Forster, or The History of Mr Polly by H.G. Wells. I've read both of these twice each before and I love them equally. I've been trying to decide between them all day, and I can't, so I think the best way to solve this crisis is to read the first line of each and let my gut decide on that evidence alone. I've only just noticed that both writers use two initials instead of a first name. Do I even know their first names? After I finished reading, I picked up a drawing (of fishes) that I had started a month, or more, ago and ...