London - Comfortably Numb

Book review: There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

One drop of water to bind them all One single drop of water. It falls from the sky onto Ashurbanipal, the Assyrian king. From then on, it alters its structure but not its DNA, and enters the system of the other main characters: King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums, that self-taught genius who grows…

Daunt Books: a treasure trove in Marylebone

Treasure trove This is such a pretty bookshop, it almost diverts attention from the substantial collection of books it holds. Almost. The first Daunt bookstore, situated on a quiet road in Marylebone, a London suburb, was formerly an Edwardian antiquarian bookshop. That ambience has been retained, and translates to a gorgeous oak gallery, old-fashioned skylights…

Book review: In Our Mad and Furious City by Guy Gunaratne

Meanwhile, migrants elsewhere….. In Our Mad and Furious City by Guy Gunaratne, Hachette India. 2018 release. So, in a dreary London Council estate, there lives a set of young people, Selvon, Yusuf and Ardan, `those with elsewhere in their blood,` whose people have come over from places like the West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland. They…

Travel: To Oxford, Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon

A drive out to Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath. A driving trip is a great way to see places. You’re in control of the vehicle and pace. You decide what to see, when to see it, when and where to stop. And, when driving in England, almost everything is stacked in your favour: great motorways, clear…