Category Archives: Commentary

What’s New for the 19th of March: Rough Guides, Brian Vaughan’s The Escapist, Douglas Adams considered, Pamela Dean’s favourite ballad, Woodie Guthrie, Turkish Coffee, A big review of books about music, Red Molly Live

A girl could feel special on any such like Said James to Red Molly, my hat’s off to you It’s a Vincent Black Lightning 1952 And I’ve seen you at the corners and cafés It seems, red hair and black leather, … Continue reading

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What’s New for the 19th of February: Pipes, pipes and more pipes; hot cocoa;r Baker’s favorite folk take; guides to Celtic music and sf; graphic adaptations of classic YA novels; a live-action Alice in Wonderland; new music from Spain and a box set from the ’90s

Pretty soon we had four pipers, maybe not good but loud. … A tyro practicing can set your teeth on edge — it sounds and looks as if he had a cat under his arm, its tail in his mouth, … Continue reading

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What’s New for the 5th of February: Time travel stories, Fairport and related music, a desert island disc, graphic classics, an Alice in Wonderland adaptation, and lots of chocolate

Ravens bring things to people. We’re like that. It’s our nature. We don’t like it.― Peter S. Beagle’s A Fine and Private Place Breakfast was waiting for me as I came down the stairs. Canadian bacon sizzlimg in its pan, cheddar … Continue reading

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What’s New for the 22nd of January: Lots of mysteries; ambient music, jazz, Norwegian Americana, and lots of English folk rock; live yoiking; and comfort food

Happiness, in the land of Deals, is measured on a sliding scale. What makes you happy? A long white silent car with smoked-glass windows, with a chauffeur and a stocked bar and two beautiful objects of desire in the back … Continue reading

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What’s New for the 8th of January: Books about music – Sandy Denny, Fairport, Tommy James, Jethro Tull, Beatles and more; Festival Express; music about booze; Nordic music reviews old and new; and more

She hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but she was a bit like a cat herself, forever wandering in the woods, chasing after squirrels and rabbits as fast as her skinny legs could take her when the fancy struck, climbing trees … Continue reading

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What’s New for 25th of December: DeLint, Irish folklore, firecrackers and sf; the Grinch, eggnog, and The Polar Express; holiday themed music, and Jennifer Stevenson’s ‘Solstice’

We keep our cats as happy as we can. — Anna Nimmhaus I woke well before dawn as I wanted to watch the Northern Lights, which have been particularly outstanding lately. Though none of the humans save Tamsin, our Hedgewitch, … Continue reading

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What’s New for the 11th of December: DeLint and Yolen, some space opera and a lot of Peanuts; holiday music from Norway, Jethro Tull, and elsewhere; new music from Unthank:Smith, Melissa Carper, ambient country, new prog jazz, heavy Nordic folk rock; and a wee nibbling mousie

The roasting, the feasting and the hours of horseplay helped to create a special warmth on this cold, hard day. Then the fire was stoked and fed to make a warm place where there could be dancing until darkfall. Martin … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | Comments Off on What’s New for the 11th of December: DeLint and Yolen, some space opera and a lot of Peanuts; holiday music from Norway, Jethro Tull, and elsewhere; new music from Unthank:Smith, Melissa Carper, ambient country, new prog jazz, heavy Nordic folk rock; and a wee nibbling mousie

What’s New for the 27th of November: sf, mysteries, and an sf mystery; Finnish light jazz and tango, plus music of a leftover nature; autumnal gardening, Oysters with June Tabor; and rhubarb wine?

Sometimes, she reflected, she dressed for courage, sometimes for success, and sometimes for the consolation of knowing that whatever else went wrong, at least she liked her clothes. — Eddi in Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks We’ve got our first snow here … Continue reading

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What’s New for the 13th of November: SF from G. Willow Wilson, R F Kuang, Emery Robin, Everina Maxwell, Larry Niven, and some detective fiction; Persepolis; Vonnegut-inspired jazz, English and Welsh folk music, Balkan music; truly bad candy; some Tolkieniana, and more

Every book tells a different story to the person who reads it. How they perceive that book will depend on who they are. A good book reflects the reader, as much as it illuminates the author’s text. — Charles de Lint’s The … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | Comments Off on What’s New for the 13th of November: SF from G. Willow Wilson, R F Kuang, Emery Robin, Everina Maxwell, Larry Niven, and some detective fiction; Persepolis; Vonnegut-inspired jazz, English and Welsh folk music, Balkan music; truly bad candy; some Tolkieniana, and more

What’s New for the 30th of October: Spooks galore! Stephen King, Ellen Datlow, William Gibson; Halloween on screen; bad Dracula; Singing Bones, Metallica on cellos, scary chocolates and more

Tom Skelton shivered. Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows’ Eve. Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet or gold or orange … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | Comments Off on What’s New for the 30th of October: Spooks galore! Stephen King, Ellen Datlow, William Gibson; Halloween on screen; bad Dracula; Singing Bones, Metallica on cellos, scary chocolates and more