Better than fiction : true travel tales from great fiction writers - edited by Don George

There are times when it is the perfect time to read short stories, on the bus, coffee break time, how many excuses do we need. In this little treasure there are more than 30 stories to enjoy. Reading the first story by Kurt Anderson called 'Going South' had me totally engrossed. You can imagine the Summer of '72, an old school bus and a group of boys .. all the ingredients for an adventure. From there I went to 'Off the beaten track in Malawi' by Marina Lewycka. I look forward to reading anything written by this author and this travel tale was no exception. Looking for a place to stay off the beaten track, this is beautifully written, be taken in by the views, the sunlight and the warmth surrounding you.

Reviewed by ~ Thyme

The story of English in 100 words by David Crystal

I love words. I love history. Ergo… I love etymology (the history of words). I majored in English for my Bachelor degree, followed up with a Masters in English. For all those years, all those papers, I very rarely read anything that didn’t need translating into ‘good modern, idiomatic [English] prose’. I revelled in Icelandic sagas, coped with ‘Beowulf’, immersed myself in Chaucer, laughed at the Mystery/ Cycle plays...

I’m currently going through a phase of reading about words, and this book has stood out in my gleaning of the shelves.

Words have the power to convey more than their dictionary meaning. Hidden in seemingly innocuous letter combinations are tales of fashion, invasion, trade, class structure, politics, science, and medicine.

From ain’t to yogurt, roe to Twittersphere, Crystal delves into words and what they show about the history of the English language and, to quite a large extent, the greater history of the world. Crystal has done so with no little wit, wisdom and joy. His love of the subject, and of words themselves, is evident. Such overt delight invites the reader to join in the enjoyment.

I’m sure any word-smith would be glad to do so.

~ Reviewed by Aud Selene. 

Maphead by Ken Jennings

Why I picked this book up: It was in the wrong place!

Why I read it out: I like weird, quirky things and people. And, it sounded intriguing.

Why I finished it: Because it WAS weird, quirky and intriguing. The writing style is personable and relaxed. There’s a mix of topics within the larger theme, which spices it up. Everything from the dearth of geography education and knowledge within American colleges, to why people collect old maps, to the rise of geocaching, to why men might be better navigators* than women, and a lot more besides. And, I’m in a non-fiction reading binge at the moment.

*and, on that topic… check out this episode of Mythbusters…

My final verdict: Just what I needed. If you like non-fiction that’s not the norm – give it a go.

~ Reviewed by Aud Selene.

A little book of language by David Crystal

I've become a bit of a David Crystal fangirl recently... He has a love of language, a sense of humour, and a personality that comes through his writing.

A little book of language explores the development of language - from babies through to exploring the languages around you now. So, everything from how babies learn to talk, to how languages die, and develop.

I've studied language, linguistics, sociolinguistics in the past, and this title reminded me of that time - and the joy I found with the subjects.

That said, Crystal's writing style is personable and approachable - you do not need to have an academic background to appreciate this one.

It is a true gem.

~ Reviewed by Aud Selene.

Everything I know about love I learned from romance novels by Sarah Wendell

An odd read from me. Well, sort of...

I do read umpteen-dozen romance novels, however, I am not a fan of romance in my own life.

That said - reading this book, helped me realise that part of my decision to be romance/relationship-free is actually as a result of reading romance novels.

"Romance novels taught me it is never OK to let a man take advantage of you" quote from Caroline, A Reader.

For me, this is true - but I can translate it wider: value yourself and don't stay in a crap relationship.

But - enough about me! Onto the book...

If you've ever wondered about your own personal addiction to romance novels, this book will help explain it.

If you've ever wondered about someone else's addiction to romance novels, this book will help explain it.

Gathered together from interviews with romance novel authors and readers, this is a wonderful exploration of one of the most popular genres in fiction - ever.

And, no, romance novel readers do not - on the whole - live expecting Romancelandia values and occurences to happen in real life. So, we are not expecting a disguised duke to be hanging around as a Texan cowboy.

The author, Sarah Wendell, is one of the Smart Bitches - from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books blog - one of the best places EVER for romance readers.

By turns funny and heart-breaking, this is a wonderful read. It goes to prove that romance novel readers are the first to laugh at themselves - and their preferred genre. But, we're also prone to defensiveness. Seriously, who wouldn't be when your very intellect and ability to differentiate between fantasy and reality is questioned by almost everyone, based on the type of book you read... Oh yes, carry around a romance novel, and people feel free to comment on your reading choice. But, no one says things like 'oh, Kafka. How try-hard intellectual of you'...

Other interesting books about life lessons learned from pop culture, of one sort or another are: Everything I need to know I learned from  a children's book; Everything I needed to know about being a girl I learned from Judy Blume; All I really need to know I learned from watching Star Trek.

Don't forgot to check out Sarah's other great book about romance novels: Beyond heaving bosoms...

~ Reviewed by Aud Selene.