This time period, covering the Xmas/summer holidays, was a great reading period for me. I read (and largely enjoyed) sixteen new novels and one work of non-fiction. After my discussion of them, I’ll conclude with my ‘best of 2025’ list. I also found time to watch (and enjoy) many streamed series that I will comment on at the end of … Read More
This update mainly focuses on the eleven novels I have read over the past six months. Some of this reading took place while I was ‘on the road’ in Europe for three months. I will also comment (albeit more briefly) on films I have watched, theatre I have attended and streamed series I have viewed over the past few months. … Read More
This update is all about the summer reading that I’ve been undertaking; twelve novels in all. I then conclude with my ‘best of 2024’ list. I’ll discuss these books in alphabetical order, by author: BOOKS Martyr by Kaveh Akbar. This first novel by the well-known Iranian-American poet Kaveh Akbar is not a light read but it mostly engaged me … Read More
This update is all about the fiction I’ve been reading over the past two months. Why just reading? Because this is the time of the year when nominations for major literary awards (such as the Booker Prize and the American National Book Award) emerge, and as a serious reader, I feel obliged to read as many nominated novels as possible … Read More
I’ve done a lot of reading of fiction over the past few months – eleven novels in all, including several very substantial ones – but have undertaken less movie and theatre-going in that time period. I was lucky enough, while in London during March, to attend nine plays, but nothing since I have returned to New Zealand. I have, however, … Read More
These three months have been a mixture of lock-down and ‘traffic light freedom’. Consequently, I have not only had a chance to hunker down into reading but also to move back to the cinema. This has been exciting. But it has mainly been reading that has preoccupied me. BOOKS I have read some wonderful fiction and non-fiction in the past … Read More
Because of time limitations, my involvement in the Arts has been largely restricted to reading fiction over the past three months, with a focus being around the Booker Prize (see below). Hence, I only discuss books in this update, rather than the occasional movie, play or Netflix series that I may have watched. BOOKS My reading over these three months … Read More
With life being back to near-normal over the past three months, I have been back to near-normal in terms of reading quality fiction, watching some great theatre and viewing some wonderful movies and series. It has been an exhilarating term for me arts-wise. BOOKS I’ve had a chance to read 9 novels over the past three months, several of which … Read More
With regards to the arts, these three months have been an exquisite mixture of reading quality fiction (11 texts in all), viewing some great movies on the big screen, and watching some excellent series on the small screen. Viewing and watching is always great at this time of the year as the world moves toward ‘Oscar season’. There has to … Read More
Because of the extended lock-down we have been in – and continue to be in if you’re in Auckland – this Arts update is exclusively about the books that I have been reading during the lockdown. Eighteen books in all!! Yes, I could also write about the streamed shows I’ve looked at, but it’s my reading that has pre-occupied me. … Read More