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! 🥧🧭
pickBorn and raised in California, Blair Braverman was drawn to the north. She ended up spending time and Norway and eventually learning to be a musher. About half this coming of age memoir is about that learning process and the other half is her settling into a small town in northern Norway and it‘s unique residents. This wasn‘t exactly what I was expecting, but I really liked it.
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.
pickI'm going to start this by saying I liked this book, but it's hard to explain. I wanted to read it because I've been following her on Twitter for her sled dog stories and pictures. Blair was drawn to Norway as a high school exchange student. There she finds a life she loves, but also experiences sexual harassment. The story jumps around in time and is sometimes hard to follow.
It‘s HOT 🥵, so trying some literary escapism... 🧊❄️🌨
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. 3mo