Who would have thought that a book about language and the etymology of the English language would make you laugh out loud? Welcome to the most stunning book I’ve read in 2019 (indeed, in quite a long time). “The Etymologican” is brilliant, entertaining, hugely informative and totally captivating. Reading it …
How is it possible to finish reading such a marvellous book like “Maine” and then be able to come up with nothing but clichés when trying to describe it? Sweeping, dramatic, epic, saga – oh dear, oh dear, such hackneyed terms, and yet they all fit the bill. For “Maine” …
If ever a book needed to be a biography rather than an auto-biography, it is Simon Mann’s “Cry Havoc.” What could have become, in the hands of a writer, a rather exciting derring-do, gung-ho type of book about white mercenaries trying to stage a coup in Africa is, instead, a …
Having gone on several heritage walks in Delhi led by the historian Swapna Liddle, I was particularly interested in her book, which is a welcome and very worthwhile addition to any Delhi lover’s library. As the title implies, Ms Liddle takes you, the reader, on 14 historic walks through the …
Reading an Alexander McCall Smith novel, from any of his many series, is both a delicious pleasure as well as a masterclass in elegant prose. His stories unfold slowly, at a natural pace, with ample time for his characters (and readers) to allow their thoughts to wander, to think about …
I was the perfect choice to review this book, though I say so myself. I seriously need to lose weight. I cannot cook to save my life. Really & truly. I usually avoid cookery books like the plague. Have never knowingly sat down & read a cookery book. Before this …
The first review of a shiny new year, and it has to begin with a confession. “The Stranger’s Child” was the first book by Alan Hollinghurst that I have read, which must therefore make me rather a literary lightweight, I imagine. But what a first meeting with someone who will …
This week, New Delhi officially turned 100 years old. On 12 December 1911, at the Delhi Durbar, in front of maharajahs, rajahs, princes, and thousands of British and Indian citizens, King George V made an announcement that would have major repercussions for India. The capital city was going to be …
This fat, distinctly jolly-looking book is just crying out to be placed under the Christmas tree, waiting to bring fun and new skills to children of all ages. Although the target audience is, I suspect, school children and teenagers, there are so many useful skills to be learned from this …
