I was at the NP Gallery (hadn't been in years!) to meet a friend for coffee and saw the Marilyn exhibition has now opened. I need to book a ticket and go back to see it.
Hope you enjoy I Want You to Be Happy. Finished it in the blink of an eye after some reluctance to buy it, but it's a realistic exploration of millennial ennui in a way that also leaves a door open to hope.
And I must watch Hamilton. I may be the only person in London who still hasn't 🤣
Funny you mention I Want You to Be Happy because I read an article in The Atlantic the other day about millennial fiction (which I cannot link to here for some reason), that says that the book is boring because of a flattening of experience for the characters. I think, in some ways, we can all relate to that the world we are living in now!
Also, a journalist that I follow said that watching Hamilton now feels weird with all the messages of hope infused through it, but I still need hope!
I think I read another review along those lines and that's why I was reluctant to give this novel a chance. But then I found I couldn't stop reading it. It's true that not much happens but I found it was very well observed and captured that intangible "is this all that it is?" feeling that some of us have experienced in moments of uncertainty. Having said that, it's a very millennial narrative so it may not resonate equally well across demographics.
Oh yes, seeing Hamilton now must feel a bit dystopian. Hadn't thought about that.
Thank you for the kind mention, Sarah! Much as I enjoy hot weather, I don't think London handles it very well. No A/C on the underground is tough. Here in Tokyo when it's too hot as you're walking around the city, 5 minutes in a convenience store with the a/c on full blast works well to help you cool down.
I have heard that the temperatures have been reaching into the 40s in some places in Japan this summer. And similarly, when things get too hot in HK, I sometimes made a pit stop in a 7/11 to cool off. They normally have a bit more in my price range too than some of the shopping malls.
Separately, I read this morning about the earthquake on Kyushu island. My thoughts go out to the families and rescue services.
Ah, Count Binface was shared in a private teachers chat group recently due to the (another) change in our classrooms. No more bins!
But onwards and upwards! Books! I love my Kindle for the very reasons you explained. I can't rely on the secondhand market of English books here, as it's WAYYY to small. Books are also heavy buggers to lug around in suitcases! I've got to make sure I'm within my luggage allowance, yo.
And Marilyn! 🤩 Yes, a rather astute observation. They were stars back then, weren't they?
You don’t have bins in your classrooms? But where do you tell students to throw out their chewing gum? 😄
Speaking of luggage allowances for books or just books, a couple of friends went to Hay-on-Wye, a town/village in Wales a few years ago where there around 20 bookstores for a population of 2000 people. They took a separate suitcase to bring books back!
20 bookstores for 2000 people sounds perfect! chefs kiss
As far as the bins go, we were told that bins in classrooms would disappear and that there would now be a bin on each floor. 🙃 And yes, I can no longer hold the damn thing to their faces to spit their gum out. 😆
I was at the NP Gallery (hadn't been in years!) to meet a friend for coffee and saw the Marilyn exhibition has now opened. I need to book a ticket and go back to see it.
Hope you enjoy I Want You to Be Happy. Finished it in the blink of an eye after some reluctance to buy it, but it's a realistic exploration of millennial ennui in a way that also leaves a door open to hope.
And I must watch Hamilton. I may be the only person in London who still hasn't 🤣
Funny you mention I Want You to Be Happy because I read an article in The Atlantic the other day about millennial fiction (which I cannot link to here for some reason), that says that the book is boring because of a flattening of experience for the characters. I think, in some ways, we can all relate to that the world we are living in now!
Also, a journalist that I follow said that watching Hamilton now feels weird with all the messages of hope infused through it, but I still need hope!
I think I read another review along those lines and that's why I was reluctant to give this novel a chance. But then I found I couldn't stop reading it. It's true that not much happens but I found it was very well observed and captured that intangible "is this all that it is?" feeling that some of us have experienced in moments of uncertainty. Having said that, it's a very millennial narrative so it may not resonate equally well across demographics.
Oh yes, seeing Hamilton now must feel a bit dystopian. Hadn't thought about that.
Thank you for the kind mention, Sarah! Much as I enjoy hot weather, I don't think London handles it very well. No A/C on the underground is tough. Here in Tokyo when it's too hot as you're walking around the city, 5 minutes in a convenience store with the a/c on full blast works well to help you cool down.
I have heard that the temperatures have been reaching into the 40s in some places in Japan this summer. And similarly, when things get too hot in HK, I sometimes made a pit stop in a 7/11 to cool off. They normally have a bit more in my price range too than some of the shopping malls.
Separately, I read this morning about the earthquake on Kyushu island. My thoughts go out to the families and rescue services.
Thank you for this post, as a result I’ve booked a day to visit the Marilyn Monroe exhibition with a couple of friends. Can’t wait! 🥰
It was fabulous - I was probably there for about an hour too!
The things we never say… sounds interesting!
Ah, Count Binface was shared in a private teachers chat group recently due to the (another) change in our classrooms. No more bins!
But onwards and upwards! Books! I love my Kindle for the very reasons you explained. I can't rely on the secondhand market of English books here, as it's WAYYY to small. Books are also heavy buggers to lug around in suitcases! I've got to make sure I'm within my luggage allowance, yo.
And Marilyn! 🤩 Yes, a rather astute observation. They were stars back then, weren't they?
You don’t have bins in your classrooms? But where do you tell students to throw out their chewing gum? 😄
Speaking of luggage allowances for books or just books, a couple of friends went to Hay-on-Wye, a town/village in Wales a few years ago where there around 20 bookstores for a population of 2000 people. They took a separate suitcase to bring books back!
20 bookstores for 2000 people sounds perfect! chefs kiss
As far as the bins go, we were told that bins in classrooms would disappear and that there would now be a bin on each floor. 🙃 And yes, I can no longer hold the damn thing to their faces to spit their gum out. 😆
I know, so many bookstores! I haven't been, but it's on my travel list for when I next visit Wales.
A bin on each floor... wowzers. Sounds like a great decision by management 🫣
OH, it’s been one after the other… 🙄