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Bibliomaniac by Robin Ince (Atlantic \u00a310.99, 320pp)<\/p>\n
by Robin Ince (Atlantic \u00a310.99, 320pp)<\/p>\n
Robin Ince, the comedian, writer and co-presenter, alongside Professor Brian Cox of BBC Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage, says his life is summed up by the Japanese word, Tsundoku, which means, roughly, allowing your home to become overrun by unread books and still buying more.<\/p>\n
In mid-2021, with a new book coming out and his tour with Cox cancelled amid Covid uncertainty, Ince decided to visit 100 independent bookshops across the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From Edinburgh to Margate, he set out on a journey of budget hotels, tea, cake and affection from the proprietors and customers of the bookshops he visited, accumulating yet more books along the way. This is a lovely celebration of the consoling and inspiring power of books.<\/p>\n
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The Mikly Way Smells of Rum and Raspberries by Dr Jillian Scudder\u00a0(Icon Books \u00a312.99, 252pp)<\/p>\n
<\/span>by Dr Jillian <\/span><\/span>Scudder\u00a0<\/span><\/span>(Icon Books \u00a312.99, 252pp)<\/p>\n ‘What kind of universe comes with explosive moon volcanoes, planets as black as tar, and galaxies shaped like jellyfish?’ asks the astrophysicist Dr Scudder. The answer is our own.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr Scudder offers a series of fascinating snapshots of the strangest facts about the infinities of space. Take the catchy title: near the constellation Sagittarius at the centre of our galaxy is a gas cloud known as B2, which turns out to contain a compound that on Earth gives raspberries and rum their flavour.<\/p>\n Other astonishing facts are that the universe is mostly beige (or ‘cosmic latte’), while supermassive black holes hum a very low note, 57 octaves below middle C. As a guide to the marvellous cosmos that we inhabit, this book couldn’t be better.<\/p>\n The Last Word by Taylor Adams (Hodder & Stoughton \u00a39.99, 352pp)<\/p>\n by Taylor Adams (Hodder & Stoughton \u00a39.99, 352pp)<\/p>\n After a tragedy, former teacher Emma Carpenter retreats to a remote beach house with only her golden retriever for company. Her only human contact is with her nextdoor neighbour, an alcoholic writer named Deacon Cowl, with whom she communicates via a series of teasing messages written on whiteboards.<\/p>\n It is Deacon who recommends that Emma download a schlocky horror story called Murder Mountain.<\/p>\n But when she posts a one-star online review, the author, H. G. Kane, contacts her, demanding she delete it. When Emma refuses, the angry author becomes a violent stalker, who is now writing a new story about the fate he plans to inflict on Emma.<\/p>\n With a breathtaking twist on every page, Adams’s novel will make you think twice about ever posting a critical review online.<\/p>\nTHE LAST WORD<\/h2>\n
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