Question for ILB (when it returns): how much of a book do you need to read before you can say you have read it?
(inspired by flippant qn in Orange list comments)[…]

The Orange Prize for fiction compiled a vote of the living library of top 50 essential contemporary reads.
To be in, you needed to be well thought of by bookish sorts (the survey was undertaken during the Hay festival) and not dead.[…]

Most of the work in Tom Friedman’s current show at the South London Gallery is entertaining enough without being breathtaking, or even especially exciting. Much of it consists of plays on perspective: several boxes of Cheerios spliced to form t[…]

I don’t read books by comedians (anymore). Oh I used to, there was a terrible phase in my late teens when there seemed to be a connection between live stand-up and novels written by said stand ups. Only later did I realise that said connection […]

Vice Photo Issue.
With all of the good things that I have said about McGinley, he is sure a shitty editor–one of the good things about Vice used to be the imagery and this time he has almost failed to deliver. Of the 75 examples of what are su[…]

Vodou Nation is essentially an allegorical rock opera about Haiti’s troubled past, from the slave rebellion and the founding of the first independent black state, to the continuing struggle against leaders corrupted by money, alcohol and sex. H[…]

Timewyrm: Genesys – John Peel (7/10)
  (TARDIS crew: 7th, Ace; VILLIAN: The Timewyrm n’e Ishtar n’e Qataka)
Timewyrm: Exodus – Terrance Dicks (7/10)
  (TARDIS crew: 7th, Ace; VILLIAN: The Timewyrm, Hitler)
Virgin Books dec[…]

Michael Moore did not ask Ray Bradbury if he could use Fahrenheit 451 as the basis for punning title of his anti-Bush film. Quite possibly if Bradbury were to take him to court it would come in as extra publicity for notoriously shy Mike. Nevertheles[…]

The Clerkenwell Literary Festival is under way, full programme here.
Some of the evening shows start too early, (unless you happen to work in Clerkenwell of course).
I guess the most popular event (judging by ticket price if nothing else) will be Iai[…]

The nations favourite fairy tale. The results may be skewed by the source of the survey, UCI cinema’s. Though note of the top five, two have not been made into Disney films. But why does Cinderella romp in at the top spot?
Cinderella, told pro[…]