Posts Tagged Book
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April 7, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Tricky and Rickie: Two Great Recent Music Memoirs
I’ve read so many music biographies, memoirs and autobiographies. I used to call it an “occupational hazard” – I mean it was nearly a first love, I remember reading books about John Lennon and Mick Jagger and Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan when I was 12 and 13 years old. I was into all sorts […]Archive
April 1, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Noelle McCarthy: Grand
Grand: Becoming My Mother’s Daughter Noelle McCarthy Penguin It’s quite possible that Grand by Noelle McCarthy is the best memoir of 2022. One of the best books. It is brand new. Out this week. There has been much hype. All of it justified. There will be more hype. And so there should.Archive
March 20, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Steve Braunias: Cover Story
Cover Story: 100 Beautiful, Strange and Frankly Incredible New Zealand LP Covers Steve Braunias Oratia Books Designed to show replica-sized prints of the album covers, and therefore itself the size of a 12” record (or boxset of them) and ready to be shelved alongside your record collection, Cover Story is, like many of the very […]Archive
March 17, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Bob Odenkirk: Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama Bob Odenkirk Penguin Random House I love Bob Odenkirk. Have done since before I knew his name. He just kept popping up on things. That same face in everything. A mild smirk. A guy who had some sadness, some trauma etched onto him and laced all through his comedy. A guy […]Archive
March 11, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Not Much Of A Bookstore Job
One year, when I gave up on university before it gave up on me, I made a last ditch effort to climb the hill and instead of going to class I studied the wall at Student Job Search, saw a piece of paper with a listing for a bookstore job. I’d always wanted one of […]Archive
March 5, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas: Blood On Black Wax – Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl
Blood On Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas 1984 Publishing If you’re a fan of horror films at all that probably means you’re a fan of horror movie soundtracks. They are such a crucial element – the mood-maker, the world-builder, they are in fact a character in the film in […]Archive
February 22, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Finding Delmore: Only In Dreams
Delmore Schwartz was an American poet, short story writer and scholar. His most famous story is In Dreams Begin Responsibilities. It was first published in 1937 and became the title for Schwartz’ first book. That was published a year later, he was 25. The story has been widely anthologised and is a classic piece of […]Archive
January 2, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Joan Didion
Just ahead of Christmas it was very sad to hear of the passing of Joan Didion. She lived a long and extraordinary life and wrote so beautifully, so dutifully also. She was a chronicler of times, putting art into journalism, putting her life down on the page alongside all she captured. She’s been one of […]Archive
December 20, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Mel Brooks: All About Me!
All About Mel! My Remarkable Life in Show Business Mel Brooks Penguin Random House I love a good Hollywood memoir – packed with stories, famous names and some cracking good yarns. I’ve always loved a good Hollywood memoir, but maybe now they’re even more of a treat. The chance to just ignore the social media […]Archive
December 13, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Books That Blew My Mind # 9: “Holidays on Ice” by David Sedaris
Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris I’m not really one for Christmas books. But there’s one favourite, one must, every year I read (and now re-read) David Sedaris’ story, The Santaland Diaries. It’s special to me for a couple of reasons – first of all it was my introduction to the world of Sedaris. I […]Archive
November 21, 2021 by Simon Sweetman