Tag Archives: romance

Comforting Thought: Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere – they’re in each other all along

The moment I heard my first love storyI started looking for you, not knowinghow blind that was.Lovers don’t finally meet somewhereThey’re in each other all along.-Rumi

Book Review – South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami

Big in scope, the story weaves through the life of Hajime, from being a young teenager to being a successful middle-class man, owner of several high-end bars in Tokyo. Hajime recalls with relish, (and we relive) his obsessive romantic fantasies. I will leave it there in terms of the plot to avoid any spoilers.

Travel: Exploring Sydney’s exquisite vintage architecture at QVB

The Queen Victoria Building (QVB), is an enchanting architectural wonder in Sydney’s central business district. The style of the building is a Romanesque Revival architectural masterpiece and was originally designed by George McRae. Constructed between 1893 and 1898, this heritage-listed building originally served as a marketplace but has undergone various uses and renovations over theContinue reading “Travel: Exploring Sydney’s exquisite vintage architecture at QVB”

Book Review: Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach

Tulip Fever is one of the most captivating historical fiction reads I have had the pleasure of enjoying in recent years. Tulip Fever takes place in Amsterdam in the 1630’s during a time of immense wealth that is brought into the country by merchants and tulip sellers. If you enjoyed that other iconic historical novelContinue reading “Book Review: Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach”

The art of Kulning: Night-scented stock are called in for the long summer evening

Kulning is an ancient, sweet and sorrowful form of Scandinavian music used to herd cows and goats back down from their high mountain pastures in parts of Norway and in certain provinces of Sweden, Jämtland and Härjedalen. In practical use since medieval times, the mysterious tones were also thought to be a deterrent to potential predators like wolvesContinue reading “The art of Kulning: Night-scented stock are called in for the long summer evening”

Book Review: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

This is the first fantasy novel of acclaimed Japanese writer Kazuo Ishiguro. Previously, I have read The Remains of the Day, an incredible book that was turned into a successful film of the same name. Although creating a fantasy novel is a huge departure from his usual setting. In many ways, this book contains theContinue reading “Book Review: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro”

Kissing in the dark: The non-corney Valentine’s playlist

I just love these songs though, they have something sexy and slightly dark and thrilling to them, a perfect antidote to the sugary-sweet pop that masquerades as modern music and the more cliched romantic songs you would expect for Valentine’s Day. There’s a bit of house, disco, chill-out, jazz, rock, funk…all of it is pretty amazing in my opinion, let me know what you think. Are there any songs you can remember that remind you of certain romantic encounters? let me know…

Book Review: Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace by Kate Summerscale

The author of the award-winning historical mystery novel The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Kate Summerscale is back with another novel,this time based on a real life infamous divorce court case of 1858. The first registered divorce in English history. Back in the era when divorce was well and truly a dirty word. The chief exhibitContinue reading “Book Review: Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace by Kate Summerscale”

So long, Marianne: Leonard Cohen and his muse Marianne Ihlen

In November 2016, the singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, renowned for his melancholic and romantic ballads, died a few months after the woman who inspired many of his famous songs – his Norwegian lover and muse, Marianne Ihlen. On the summery idyll of Hydra, Greece in 1960, there was a bohemian community of artists and musicians livingContinue reading “So long, Marianne: Leonard Cohen and his muse Marianne Ihlen”