Reading - February 2019

Very British Problems by Rob Temple (2013)

The book of the Twitter account @SoVeryBritish, a classic example of a single joke (three, max) taken to unnecessary extremes in the pursuit of stocking fillers, cash and social media stardom. Mostly disposable but occasionally amusing. Quite nice to dip into over breakfast.

The Guitar Magazine (March 2019 / Issue 366)

The Guitar Magazine continues its apparent wish to be more like Guitarist with three profiles of blues guitarists, and a lesson in blues shuffles, "like Stevie Ray!". Yawn. Also included, "for free" (you're too kind) is a 32-page Taylor advert, er sorry, supplement. There's plenty of other interesting content, but the signs, two issues into their new look, are a little worrying.

The Rock Snob's Dictionary by David Kamp & Steven Daly (2005)

Like an extra long version of one of the Bluffer's Guides (which I bought in the 80s but are astonishingly still going, now published by Haynes), this offers useful information in the form of amusing satire. If it's occasionally inaccurate on the British side of things, then we can forgive it.

How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran (2011)

Picked this up for a re-read on a whim, and pleased I did. It's a lot funnier and franker than I remember. There's enough material here for a couple of stand-up routines, easily.

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett (1986)

Rincewind isn't one of my favourite Discworld characters, but nevertheless I enjoyed this story, which is the second in the Discworld series. Also, it occurred to me that the lack of chapters in Pratchett books always seems unusual and yet completely logical. It's like a very long short story.

Hatchet Job by Mark Kermode (2013)

I re-read this because by the time I realised I had done so before, I was enjoying it enough to want to carry on. A bit rambling - some of his asides occupy several pages - but still interesting. Given its premise (does the world still need professional film critics?), I wouldn't have said that this was a book likely to sell much - not as much as, say, a collection of Kermode's best reviews (which he doesn't appear to have done, oddly) - but then, I have read it twice now, so what do I know?