“Rogue” sociology?: Floating City by Sudhir Venkatesh
What a difference a title makes, or even a subtitle. The version I read, the US edition which I received as a review copy,…
Paul Robeson: A Watched Man by Jordan Goodman
If you’ve ever wondered just how far government agencies will go to keep us safe from ideas that they find dangerous, this…
2013 reading highlights
I’m always a bit suspicious of those “Best books of 2013” articles. I read lots of them anyway, and carefully note down…
Interactive apps for books: Q&A with author Vince Kamp
Personally, I like reading traditional, app-free books. I like to immerse myself in a story, taking a break from all the pictures…
The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan
OK, how good is this opening paragraph? My father still lives back in the road past the weir in the cottage I…
The limits of automatic recommendation systems
I was reading an article in NewScientist the other day about a system devised by academics at Royal Holloway, University of London, which “could…
A guide to independent publishing: interview with Arachne Press founder Cherry Potts
A couple of years ago, frustrated with her publisher, writer Cherry Potts decided to set up her own publishing company, Arachne Press.…
We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
This is a book of two halves. The first half is set in an unnamed African country that bears more than a…
I’m back!
It’s been a great couple of weeks. Total silence really did me some good. I realised how much noise I have in…