pickI loved this book. It made me feel nostalgic and homesick for the place I actually live and work in, which is no mean feat!
Maconie is unashamedly prejudiced about his love for the North, but his humour and "warts and all" approach saves him from being bigoted or boorish.
I spent the middle third of my life as an economic migrant to The South, which has many attractions, but home is where the pies and gravy are ??? and coming home is a ⬇️
"The rivalry between Liverpool & Manchester is...a vendetta, a blood feud that's Sicilian in intensity, contemptuous at best, raw visceral hatred at worst, each always out for vengeance & reparation...The malice & ill-will borne by fans of Liverpool & Manchester United's football teams outweighs by far that felt by either team for their traditional rivals across the city."
Followed by examples of appalling impoliteness. I don't get football ?♂️
"Scousers are different. They are the Basques of Lancashire, a race apart with a language and culture that seems to bear no relation to any of the people around them."
"Jeremy Clarkson: How come if you're tragically obsessed with vile, globe-destroying, penis substitutes you get the nickname petrolhead but if you like trains you're an anorak? It says something about our world that if you are an enthusiast for anything, if you dare lose your ironic modern detachment and world-weariness, you become 'sad' or 'a loser'."
[Glances sheepishly at own extensive bookmark 'enthusiasm'??]
"Perhaps I have a chip on my shoulder, but at least it's a proper chip, properly fried and served with gravy and mushy peas." ?
I've been meaning to read this for ages, saw it on the supermarket charity book table last night and picked it up. I feel that I need a change in tempo from recent and current reads, so here we go! 🥧🧭
pickPart travelogue, part history, Northland is a book about the regions around the northern US border - from Maine all the way to Washington state. Porter Fox takes us along on a series of voyages - by canoe, by Great Lakes freighter, and by car across the north of the United States.
so-soI always love Allen Say‘s books for the beautiful illustrations. This is no different. But the story itself is a bit weird for me... an American girl dreams of living in Japan so she learns the language and gets a teaching job there after college. But then it‘s not what she expected so she keeps moving until Japan fits her ideal and then she learns tea ceremony (not explained) and gets married and lives HEA. #bbrc #atoz:e
Dead Ink are doing a Kickstarter for an anthology of Northern writing. British publishing is tediously London-centric so this will be a great showcase for under represented voices. You can chip in here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deadinkbooks/test-signal-a-northern-antholo...
@MrBook maybe you should consider Minnesota 😉
#tatertots
I was surprised by how bookish Stuart is, and his references to his literary favourites was endearing. He also has me hankering for a quiet pub corner where I can nurse a pint for an hour over a book, though in reality I usually find pubs too noisy and distracting an environment, so, again, a testament to his ability to evoke a mood.
A delightful surprise of a 5⭐ read. 1y