Penguin Acquisitions

Akram Khan at the Lowry

I've been carrying this leaflet around in my pocket for the last two weeks, and finally made it over to the show at the Lowry. One of the best exhibitions I've seen in Manchester. All tucked away in the middle of the Lowry theatre behind the matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs.

Toadstool

Central Library

It has taken me way too long to get down to the new Central Library in Manchester. It's brilliant, and complete with mini mediatheque similar to the one in the BFI in London. Now also seems a good time to give a hat tip to the brilliant designer/s at Manchester Council. When I worked at BBC Sport I used to walk past a billboard on the way to work every day that advertises council events and activities. The ads were without exception brilliantly designed and beautiful. I wish I had taken photos and kept them, but for now can enjoy the new city library campaign, above.

John Cage

I haven't read a good life changer in ages, and then this came along. I had to get through it at break neck speed because it was on a two day loan from the library. Although as it happened it was almost impossible to put it down. I need to read it again.

woolly letters

Pinning

I have rediscovered these Ukrainian recipe cards that I bought from a second hand bookshop a few years ago. There are 33 in total, I have put a selection up on Pinterest here

Reading

I've got into the habit of carrying a book around in my pocket. Here is the latest. I've not read any Beckett in a very long time.

Reading

Controversial times. I've made a rather big (27.4 x 18.8 x 6.2 cm) move away from Oxford English. There's no question in my mind about Roget's, which is a brilliant thesaurus. Collins I hope will prove it's worth, I've been completely seduced by the shiny newness of it.

Postscript:
My dictionary has arrived from Amazon, and is a truly beautiful, beautiful thing. The pages are off-white, thin as bible paper, it sounds just as though big book of words should sound when the pages are turned. In addition, each section shows the complete alphabet and title in a font beginning with the same letter. RIP Oxford.

AA Making Session

I've been out and about with the Art Academy, exploring the badlands of Salford.

Graphics in the Country

Recording plants and ancient trees in Selbourne

  

The same spot in the 1850's, and today

Dhammapada

 This isn't Japanese, but does seem to fit with the current reading-from-abroad theme. It's a collection of Buddhist verse and reminds me a lot of reading the Divine Comedy. This version is from 1975, the translation is interesting in itself.

Japan

I've been thinking a lot about Japan. And even more so since watching the newest Studio Ghibli film, which is brilliant. It inspired a revisit to Murakami, somehow I've managed to miss Norwegian Wood.

Ragtime

I've become a big fan of these Penguin Modern Classics. The books are all really nicely designed and have a good feel to them. Good stories too, this is a sort of fact intermingled with fiction, set in America in the early 1900's.

Formby Beach

First trip to the coast this year

Reading

winter skies

Mobberley, and Moss Side