Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Rating: 🌟🌟 Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction. Publisher: Canongate Books Review in one word: Fluff A lot of people raved and hyped about this book and a friend recommended this to me, because he spent a long night in the cafe reading it. This is an indulgent, compulsive and enjoyable read, sort of likeContinue reading “Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig”

Ancient word of the day: Athene Noctua or Athena’s Owl

The Greek goddess Athena had as her sacred animal familiar the owl, also known as the Athene Noctua in Latin. The Romans, fond as they were of stealing from the Greek pantheon, renamed Athena to Minerva. Athena and her owl are considered to be symbols of wisdom, in both cultures. Athene Noctua Athena’s owl orContinue reading “Ancient word of the day: Athene Noctua or Athena’s Owl”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #84

I hope this edition of 10 things takes you into a sparkling lunar landscape of soaring birds and long-lost but loving fireflies, that’s what anybody would want or need in life…enjoy edition #84. ‘Tawai’ Dreamy, jazzy intelligent Drum N’Bass by Džiunglių Dvasios Here is some cruisy, uplifting drum and bass by one of my favouriteContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #84”

Book Review: Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens Dawidowitz

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Genre: Non-Fiction, Psychology, Consumerism, Marketing, Digital Media, Digital Technology, Big Data. Rating: 🌟🌟 Everybody Lies: What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens Dawidowitz sets out to reveal the hidden selves that we reveal freely to the Gods of Search Engines, but rarely to other peopleContinue reading “Book Review: Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens Dawidowitz”

Book Review: Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

This is the second and much awaited fictional novel by the Japanese author of Convenience Store Woman. A book I have also reviewed and absolutely adored in the past. Earthlings traverses familiar themes, just as in Convenience Store Woman there is a female social outcast as the main character in the book. Although that’s whereContinue reading “Book Review: Earthlings by Sayaka Murata”

The Anatomy of Fantastical Creatures

Do you know what the juicy interior of a Kraken looks like? Have you ever seen the inside of a unicorn’s magical horn? What about the biochemical transformation of a man into a a werewolf? Here are some marvellous anatomical figures from French Chimerologist Camille Renversade who in 2014 combined zoology charts, anatomy boards andContinue reading “The Anatomy of Fantastical Creatures”

Book Review: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

A snail-paced story of everyday magic in Victorian England with footnotes aplenty. *Contains no spoilers Rating: 🌟🌟 Bloomsbury Publishing 2017 Reading this book was like wading through knee deep mud. I got to page 300 out of 1000 or so and I had to stop. This is a bestselling fantasy novel and a global sensationContinue reading “Book Review: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #44

Roll-up, roll-up to the bizarre three-ringed circus of 10 Interesting Things, where acrobats breathe fire and things go bump in the night. I hope you enjoy this carnival of weekly delights…. Fairytale images from Yakutia, Siberia by Alexeï Vassiliev I love the ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ vibes of these places and the combination ofContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #44”

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #40

Yo-ho-ho and a mug of (forest-destroying) NesQuick. Come one, come all to another kooky edition of 10 interesting contraptions that can barely be defined as real. These things were collected on the rear hub-cap of my car as I drove from one side of the country to the other – I hope you like them!Continue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #40”

Beautiful maps & beautiful Welsh tales: The Mabinogion

The Mabinogion is a magical and mythical Celtic classic from the  thirteenth century or earlier. It’s thoroughly Welsh and is considered a masterpiece of medieval literature. Although written down during the middle ages, experts think these stories may date from the dawn of Celtic civilisation in Britain. The Mabinogion has given rise to all ofContinue reading “Beautiful maps & beautiful Welsh tales: The Mabinogion”