Drharrietd

LATEST ARTICLES ( 303 )

• Reading on the Beach

  

  Harold Meade Mott-Smith painted this lovely reminder of the sunny days to come. I found it on the Facebook page of Virago Modern Classics Readers, and they foun... Read more

  Posted on 08 March 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Interesting Facts About Books (reblog)

  

  Yesterday, 5 March, was World Book Day, and I missed it! But this morning I happened on this, which appeared on the wonderful site Interesting Literature, and... Read more

  Posted on 06 March 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Second Life by SJ Watson

  

  I sometimes think I'm the only person in the world who didn't read SJ Watson's ridiculously successful debut novel, Before I Go to Sleep. Read more

  Posted on 04 March 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Antidote to Venom by Freeman Wills Crofts

  

  I was just telling you about Capital Crimes, which I'm going to be reviewing in Shiny 5. Here's another of the wonderful British Library Crime Classics. Read more

  Posted on 25 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Capital Crimes (British Library Crime Classics)

  

  I'm reviewing Martin Edwards' collection of classic short stories for Shiny 5, so you'll have to wait till April for the full review. Read more

  Posted on 23 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Merivel: A Man of His Time by Rose Tremain

  

  Not long ago I was telling you about Rose Tremain's 1988 novel Restoration, which I read with great delight and admiration. I'd been sad to finish it, as you... Read more

  Posted on 18 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Love Letters, Love Poems

  

  This is The Love Letter (1863) by Auguste Toulmouche. Well, it is Valentine's Day, not that I've ever paid all that much attention to it, or not since I was at... Read more

  Posted on 14 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Unsolicited Gems

  

  One of the great pleasures of editing Shiny New Books is the fun of looking out for books we or our contributors would like to read and review. Read more

  Posted on 12 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Sunday Suggestions

  

  Good morning (or afternoon, or evening...). Feel like a bit of browsing? Here are links to a couple of my reviews in the most recent issue of Shiny New Books. Read more

  Posted on 08 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey

  

  Well, here's a book that took me completely by surprise. I thought I'd read all Josephine Tey's celebrated crime novels, but I saw a review of this one... Read more

  Posted on 06 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Lightning Tree by Emily Woof

  

  I've been keeping an eye on Emily Woof for some years. Not in a creepy way, I hasten to say, but because she's been kind of known to me, though presumably not... Read more

  Posted on 03 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Girl Reading

  

  Here we have a lovely painting by Charles Edward (originally Carlo) Perugini (1839-1918). He was married to Dickens' youngest daughter Catherine, known... Read more

  Posted on 31 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Shiny 4 Goes Live!

  

  Yes, today's the day when Issue 4 of Shiny New Books is up and running. There are more than 80 new reviews, articles and interviews to explore. Read more

  Posted on 29 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Woman Reading

  

  I was away from home all weekend and only got back yesterday -- I didn't take my laptop and totally failed to post anything on the blog using my iPad. Read more

  Posted on 29 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• On Reading Crime

  

  Do criminals read crime novels, I wonder? Perhaps it would be too much like a busman's holiday. I'm sure a great many readers of the genre are like me, rather... Read more

  Posted on 21 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Love Letter

  

  The Love Letter is the name of this painting by Auguste Toulmouche (1829-1890). It's certainly very beautifully painted and I'm sure we all love her outfit,... Read more

  Posted on 17 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Gentlemen and Players by Frances Vernon

  

  Have you ever heard of Frances Vernon? I certainly hadn't, until I came across her novels, recently rediscovered and published by Faber Finds. Read more

  Posted on 14 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Girl Reading

  

  I had quite another painting lined up for you this morning, but yesterday I spotted this on one of my favourite art blogs, Old Painting, and had to share it... Read more

  Posted on 10 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Costa Prize

  

  You saw it here first! Here or on Shiny New Books, that is. I reviewed two of the five category winners of the Costa Prize -- Ali Smith's How to Be Both (novel... Read more

  Posted on 06 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The House of Arden and Harding's Luck by Edith Nesbit

  

  As I've said before, I have loved the novels of Edith Nesbit since I was a very young child. I've re-read most of them over the years, but The House of... Read more

  Posted on 06 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE