ASK Musings

No matter where you go, there you are.

Monthly Archive: February 2018

Wednesday

28

February 2018

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COMMENTS

28 02 2018 Libreria

Written by , Posted in Bookshops

I know I’m going to be having lunch near Shoreditch today, so I do a check on bookshops in the neighborhood. Not far from Brick Land Bookshop is Libreria, a small, independent bookshop. Their thinking is “At Libreria we curate our books to maximise serendipity.”

I love that idea. I usually wander around bookshops looking for a book that jumps out at me. I have a list of books to buy, sure, but most of what I read ended up in my hands because it caught my eye when I was roaming the aisles and exploring the shelves.

It’s snowing today, and I can’t feel my feet, but the shop is warm. It also has a mirror wall that has me fooled into thinking the shop is twice as large as it is. There are little nooks to read in, and the shopkeeper is sitting near the front door, playing music that makes me want to leave quickly. I’m sure electronic music is something that lots of people enjoy; I do not, and so probably exit much quicker than I otherwise would have.

Even with that desire to escape the noise, I am able to find a couple of books to buy. I don’t make a beeline for the non-fiction section like I usually would, mostly because the shop isn’t really set up that way. Instead of “literature” and “philosophy” they have sections like “wanderlust” and “bad feminist.”

I recommend spending a little time on their website to learn more about this unique shop; I’ll be returning, although probably not on day that’s as cold as today.

Monday

26

February 2018

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COMMENTS

Time Out Brussels

Written by , Posted in Reviews

Two Stars

Best for: People who like Time Out guides, I’m guessing.

In a nutshell: Mostly your standard travel guide, but with really tiny print.

Worth quoting: Not so much a quote, but apparently the women didn’t get the vote in Belgium didn’t get it until 1949?

Why I chose it: We’re going to Brussels this weekend, and this looked to be one of the better options for guidebooks at the shop I went to.

Review:
I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a Time Out guide, and now I know why. I’m not a fan. This one isn’t bad, it’s just not good. The 2-star rating probably suggests its worse than it is, but for me, 3-star reviews are for books I’d still recommend generally, and I can’t recommend this one.

I generally don’t have an issue with small fonts, but this book seems to be pushing it, especially in the large blocks of text that start each new neighborhood / section. I get the need for an overview, but I didn’t like how these ones were done. They were hard to get through, and I don’t generally feel like I retained any good information from them.

The sections on different attractions / shops / restaurants are useful, and I especially appreciate the mentions of places that don’t accept cards. There seem to be a LOT of cash-only establishments. My partner really doesn’t like using cash, and sort of side-eyes me when I insist of getting some from the ATM so we have some, but at least now when we get there I have proof that to do the things we want to do, we’ll need some Euros.

I appreciate there is a history section, but I tend to like that up front, not shoved in the back. I also liked that it included some detailed information on the main architecture and art movements in the area. The maps aren’t great and are oriented in the book oddly, which makes them hard to read and hard to use.

I’m usually not this critical of travel books, but this one just really didn’t work for me, and I’m assuming it’s an issue with the layout and style choices of the Time Out brand, not this one author.

Sunday

25

February 2018

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COMMENTS

The Little Book of the London Underground by David Long

Written by , Posted in Reviews

Three Stars

Best for: People who enjoy trivia, transportation, and / or London

In a nutshell: Author Professor David Long provides a sweeping overview of the London Underground, including fun facts, trivia, and more in-depth stories about the people behind it.

Worth quoting:
“Holden was a Quaker … he too declined a knighthood, maintaining that because successful architecture was the result of good teamwork it would be inappropriate for him to profit from the work of others.”

Why I chose it:
I went to the Museum of London last week, as part of my attempt to get to all the free museums before I get a job. I made the mistake (given the size of my to-be-read pile) of going into the gift shop, and ended up leaving with FOUR London-specific books, including two about the Tube. This is the first of those.

Review:
This is not a chronological narrative of the London Underground, so if that’s what you’re looking for, keep looking. Instead, it’s a fun collection of facts, figures, and stories that might make me somewhat obnoxious when I’m traveling on the Tube and find cause to share a fact with my traveling companion.

Prof. Long does offer some things you’d expect, like a time line of the the Tube, a description of each Underground line, and some interesting stories about the people who helped get the different lines from imagination to reality. But he also includes topics like the different maps that have been used (and ways the maps have been revised in clever ways, including one where each line is a genre of music, and each station is a person or band in that genre, with intersections of lines including people who cross genres), how the Tube was used during war, different trains and Tube technologies, as well as how the Tube has featured in pop culture.

There was one area that I found a bit ignorant: in the discussion of the use of escalators vs. lifts (elevators), Prof. Long uses the phrase “…relatively few stations have resisted the temptation to switch from [escalators] to [elevators].” But there’s no mention of how inaccessible this makes the Tube. He’s interested in the technology aspect, but it strikes me as a missed opportunity to treat it solely as a tech issue and ignore the very real impact it has when there is no step-free access.

Otherwise, it’s an entertaining book that has given me some ideas of things to look out for, such as the art at my nearest Tube station, or disused stations I can spot in the tunnels. And hopefully it’ll help bump up my pub quiz scores.

Sunday

25

February 2018

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COMMENTS

What I’m Reading – 25 February 2018

Written by , Posted in What I'm Reading

I’m back at it! I’m living in London now, and trying to not spend loads of time online, so future weeks may have shorter posts. But for now…

Gun Violence

“The school walkouts weren’t limited to Florida: across the country, students began leaving their classrooms in protest. In Washington, D.C. and Maryland, thousands of students gathered to march toward the U.S. Capitol and the White House. “I understand marching isn’t automatically going to change legislation…but it’s not just about change,” Montgomery Blair High School student Jedediah Grady told Mother Jones reporter Kara Voght. “Next year I’ll be able to vote.”” Students across the U.S. protest inaction on gun control with walkouts (by Rebekah Entralgo for Think Progress)

“His ongoing comments have riled politicians, educators, parents, and students who contend that arming teachers is not the answer to the nation’s gun problem, nor should it be the responsibility of a teacher to learn how to carry and use a weapon while also instructing dozens of children in districts already sapped of resources.” After Florida School Shooting, Several Survivors And Victims’ Parents Pan Trump’s Idea To Arm Teachers (by Brianna Sacks for Buzzfeed News)

“The Spring Independent School District, also in the Houston area, and the Waukesha County School District in Wisconsin issued similar warnings. (The Waukesha superintendent later made another statement saying students could participate if they were excused from class by their parents.) Now colleges are standing up for the teenage activists, saying it won’t affect their admissions decisions if they get suspended for protesting.” Colleges Are Promising High Schoolers That Getting Suspended For Protesting Guns Won’t Hurt Their Admissions Chances (by Julie Reinstein for Buzzfeed News)

“The news of Peterson freezing up when he was needed most is indeed tragic, but it also draws into question the theory presented by Donald Trump that the answer to preventing school shootings is to arm “certain highly adept people” with firearms. After all, it doesn’t matter how prepared someone is to use and handle a gun, there’s no way to foresee how they will truly respond when thrown in a situation involving an active shooter.” Armed School Officer at Parkland High School Shooting Resigns After Never Confronting Gunman (by Jose Martinez for Complex)

Time’s Up

“Demonstrators wearing customised ‘Time’s Up Theresa’ sweatshirts linked arms and lined up along the stars’ walkway at the Royal Albert Hall ahead of the star-studded bash. Police were eventually drafted in to move the group on as the A-Listers made their arrival.” BAFTA Awards 2018 hit by protest as Time’s Up campaigners storm the red carpet and form blockade (by Lucy Needham for The Mirror)

Climate and Environment

“With enforcement of environmental crimes declining dramatically at the federal level, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Thursday the creation of a Bureau of Environmental Justice that will work to protect people who live in polluted communities through oversight, investigation, and enforcement of the law. The environmental justice bureau’s initial staffing will be composed of a supervising deputy attorney general and three deputy attorneys general.” California’s attorney general puts polluters on notice with new environmental justice unit (by Mark Hand for Think Progress)

Health

“Less than two out of every three member countries had measles vaccination coverage above 90 percent, and even fewer made it above the recommended 95 percent threshold. Because symptoms don’t appear for a week or so after infection, patients have plenty of time to spread the highly-contagious virus around before doctors know to quarantine them. So to keep a population safe from measles, you need nearly everyone to be vaccinated. Even with most of Europe above the 90 percent mark for more than a decade now, there are still large outbreaks every year.” Thanks, anti-vaxxers: Measles is on the rise in Europe (by Sara Chodosh for Popular Science)

Winter Olympics

“But although I watch and marvel, I’ll never really warm up to the Winter Olympics. It’s about economics. With a few exceptions—such as cross-country skiing, which you can pull off with secondhand equipment and without costly lift fees—these sports are not for lower- or middle-income kids to try. Unlike Summer Olympic sports like soccer, running, or wrestling, which can be pursued cheaply or at no cost by almost anyone, winter sports are the domain of the privileged—and they’re not for me.” Why I’ll Never Warm Up to the Winter Olympics (by Karen Cargo for Rewire)

Human Trafficking

“The good news came on 11 October last year: An official letter congratulated Kredens on having gained victim status under the Modern Slavery Act. That entitled him to another couple of weeks in the safe house while he got himself back on his feet. But, just as he was beginning to contemplate his new life as a free man, the bad news hit. The Home Office had denied Kredens the right to remain in Britain. As a former slave, he could not show that he had been gainfully employed during his time in the country – rendering him an “illegal immigrant” in the government’s eyes and shutting him off from any access to state welfare, including housing. Without a roof over his head, he would once again be at the mercy of the trafficking gangs targeting rough sleepers. Because of the very nature of the exploitation the government had just officially recognised, he was being denied help and cast back into danger.” Exposed: Hundreds Of Homeless Slaves Recruited on British Streets (by Jane Bradley for Buzzfeed News)

Reprehensible Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Action

“But advocates also worry that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses unknown criteria to define “gang affiliation,” “gang membership,” or “gang associate” during arrests. Federal agents then use gang enforcement as a “pretext to arrest immigrants,” an allegation that an ICE agent appeared to substantiate to CBS News in mid-November, thereby making it harder for immigrants to prove their innocence.” Republican bill seeks to revoke citizenship of immigrants who don’t ‘exhibit good moral character’ (by Esther Yu Hsi Lee for Think Progress)

Wednesday

21

February 2018

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COMMENTS

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Written by , Posted in Reviews

Five Stars

Best for: Everyone interested in combating white supremacy.

In a nutshell: Author Ijeoma Oluo offers practical advice for ways to engage in conversations — and actions — to combat systemic racism.

Worth quoting: SO MUCH. But some of my favorites include:
“White Supremacy is this nation’s oldest pyramid scheme. Even those how have lost everything to the scheme are still hanging in there, waiting for their turn to cash out.”
“I think about every black and brown person, every queer person, every disabled person, who could be in the room with me, but isn’t, and I’m not proud. I’m heartbroken. We should not have a society where the value of marginalized people is determined by how well they can scale often impossible obstacles that others will never know.”
“It may not seem fair that you would take some of the blame for what has happened in the past, but what is truly unfair is the fact that people of color have to endure this every day.”

Why I chose it: Ms. Oluo is a writer based in the Seattle area, so I have been familiar with her work for while. You may be, too: she received a measure of national attention for this fantastic profile of the white woman who claims she is black. She has an amazing talent for writing that I have trouble describing without venturing into hyperbole. She gets to the point, cuts to the quick, and uses language in ways I am envious of. I was sad when I learned the release of this book in London came a month after the US release, but I finally got my hands on it on Sunday.

Review:
Go buy this book. Or get it from your library. If you are a white person, this book will help you understand how to be better at dismantling White Supremacy in all the ways that it works itself into our society. But this book isn’t just — or even primarily — for white people; it’s also a deeply personal exploration of how Ms. Oluo has experienced life as a black woman, and she speaks directly to other people of color throughout.

This could feel like a 101 exploration of how to be less racist (and sexist, and ableist). And in the best ways it does, and in the best ways it doesn’t. The topics are described in a way that I think anyone new to the work of dismantling White Supremacy will find easy to understand. Ms. Oluo never comes across as condescending or patronizing.At the same time, if you are a white person who has chosen to read about and learn about racism and ways to fight white supremacy, you will also learn so much here.

Think about that: Ms. Oluo has written a book that can speak to people new to this work and people who have been paying attention for awhile. That’s pretty bad ass.

I think what makes this book so relevant and necessary is how practical it is. I’ve reviewed books on social justice topics in the past (some focused on racism, some on sexism) that describe all of the problems that Ms. Oluo discusses, but don’t take that next step of offering practical, usable, realistic suggestions for what to do next.

Ms. Oluo does, and she does it so well. She starts by laying the groundwork in her first two chapters, which deftly put to rest the ideas that, say, class is really what we should focus on (“Is it really about race?) or that ‘reverse racism’ is a thing (“What is racism?”). She makes it clear that while white people and people of color may both be poor, the root cause is different, and so focusing just on class isn’t going to address the issues of race. And she makes it clear that she’s interested in looking at racism as the concept that includes the power behind it.

Once she sets up those definitions and bats away the straw men that so many people like to throw into discussions of race, she gets to the heart of many different questions or issues that come up in discussions of race. She speaks to the fear white people often have that we will fuck up when it comes to race (and we will fuck up). She provides one of the best discussions of privilege I’ve ever read. She talks about the need for intersectionality, and about affirmative action. She looks at what the school-to-prison pipeline is, why cultural appropriation is concerning, and breaks down why microaggressions are so insidious.

And in each of these chapters, she provides suggestions for how to address these things. She often even provides sample scripts to help guide the discussions.

The penultimate chapter is one that I think all white people should read, sit with, and read again. It’s called “I just got called racist, what do I do now?” Being white in the US means you are racist. It’s impossible not to be, but it doesn’t mean that you are aware of it or mean to be. But the reality is you (and I) are going to say or do something racist at some point, and if they feel safe to do so, someone will point it out to you (me). And in those moments we have the chance to learn. Being told we’ve done something racist is a kindness; it allows us to do better and be better.

*Note: If you purchase this in the London area, please take a moment to flip all the way through. Specifically, make sure that page 90 is followed by page 91 and not page 59. There was an issue with my copy that saw pages 91-120 missing, and pages 59-90 printed a second time. I returned the book and got a new one without the issue. Later in the day I found myself in another bookstore in London, and picked up a copy, and saw the same issue. I told both shops, so presumably they’ll alert the publisher and get fixed copies, but this book is SO GOOD that I don’t want you to buy it and then find that you’re missing 1/6th of it.

Monday

19

February 2018

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COMMENTS

Silence: In The Age of Noise by Erling Kagge

Written by , Posted in Reviews

Four Stars

Best for: Those looking for a quick but insightful read about all the noise in our lives.

In a nutshell: Explorer and writer Erling Kagge offers his poetic thoughts on the importance of silence in our lives.

Worth quoting:
“There are so many noises that we barely hear them all.”
“Silence in itself is rich. It is exclusive and luxurious.”
“Noise in the form of anticipating a screen or keyboard is addictive, and that is why we need silence.”
“[Silence] is about getting inside what you are doing. Experiencing rather than over-thinking. Allowing each moment to be big enough. Not living through other people and other things.”

Why I chose it: As evidenced by my last review, I’m trying to find more intentionality and authenticity in my life. This book seemed like a good addition to my list of books to help me in that goal.

Review:
What a lovely book. It starts with a quick introduction, then jumps into 33 short chapters that are meditations on the ideas of noise and of silence. Mr. Kagge — who has been to the North and South poles as well as the top of Mt. Everest — knows a thing or two about silence. He went 50 days without speaking when making his way across Antarctica.

But this book isn’t about figuring out a way to get to a snow-covered, empty continent. It’s more about looking at why silence matters, and what it means to find an escape from the din of our lives. As a writer, I especially appreciated the chapters that spoke to the idea that some experiences don’t translate well into words; we just need to be in them. The example he uses is examining the moss on a rock; I would say that I’ve experienced when traveling and I find myself in parts of the world that have architecture from many hundreds of years ago. Being in the moment, instead of talking or even writing about it, helps me connect to it more than if I tried to find the words.

I read a book many years ago called “Einstein’s Dreams,” and this reminds me a bit of that. I doubt they are actually similar, but the feeling I got from it is comparable. I felt calm, and invested in the writing. I felt peaceful but also motivated.

This book has been translated into 33 languages, and I can see why. I think the message translates well.

Monday

19

February 2018

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COMMENTS

How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price

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Four Stars

Best for: Anyone who realizes that their phone has become less of a tool and more of an additional appendage.

In a nutshell: Catherine Price provides evidence for the dangers of too much phone use, and offers an EFFECTIVE (in my experience) 30-day program to be more intentional in our use of it.

Worth quoting:
“Smartphones have infiltrated our lives so quickly and so thoroughly that we have never stopped to think about what we actually want our relationships with them to look like.”
“What reward are you hoping to receive, or what discomfort are you trying to avoid?”

Why I chose it: I don’t have a job right now, and I find myself with more free time. I don’t want to spend it staring at my phone. Additionally, having moved from friends yet again I’m trying to balance how to stay engaged with them across continents and time zones while still engaging with the life I’m living here, now.

Review:
This book has the potential to be a game changer for me and, hopefully, for you, if you find the topic interesting. Part of it focuses on social media (and this is obviously an issue close to readers and staff at Pajiba http://www.pajiba.com/think_pieces/facebook-is-a-filthy-cesspit-of-fake-news-and-narcissistic-validation-im-so-glad-i-deleted-my-account.php), but in general it focuses on why we use our phones and what our use may be doing to us.

That first quote up there really gets to the heart of why this book is so effective: while at some point during the break-up you do go 24 hours without your phone (I did it Saturday morning – Sunday morning, and I’m still here), it isn’t REALLY about giving up your phone forever. It’s about being more intentional with your time; specifically how you can get your phone working for you.

Price spends the first half of the book convincing the reader of all the ways our phones fuck with our heads. From interrupting relationships (how many of us whip out our phones when meeting up with friends), to abbreviating our attention spans, to just generally wasting our time, phones aren’t doing us a whole lot of favors. But this book isn’t pushing the reader to throw our our phones; it’s about, again, paying attention to when we use our phones and way.

For me, my phone is part tool: it helps me get around my new city, it helps me figure out what the fuck it means when the weather tells me it’s going to 9 today (oh how I miss Farenheit); it lets me keep track of our budget. It’s also a way to stay in touch: Whatsapp has become a great way to stay connected to family back in the US; Slack keeps one group of friends sharing photos and links; texts let me know when the furniture is being delivered.

It’s also been (until now), a way to play around with social media. I have three Twitter accounts: a professional one with my legal name, a personal one with a user name, and one for my website. I follow a lot of news organizations on the professional one; my personal one is where I follow more opinion writers. It’s how I’ve felt connected to the world. I also had Facebook on there, and Instagram. And email.

Now? I still have Instagram and some news apps, but all the twitter apps I had are gone, as is Facebook. I still log in from my phone, but I have to actually LOG IN. I can’t just flip in open. As part of the 30-day process, Price suggests downloading a time usage tracker; I used OFFTIME, and it’s been shocking and illuminating. It has all sorts of tricks, like setting up a schedule for when your phone is in lock down and when it isn’t, and it also tracks the amount of time you’re spending on your phone.

Part of the process also involves turning off all (or nearly all) notifications. So I still have news apps, but none of the notifications are turned on. I have email, but I have to actually open the app to see if I have new messages. I still get notifications for texts / Whatsapp / slack, but I don’t feel as beholden to it.

There are other great steps, like making the bedroom a phone-free zone (she recommends buying an actual alarm clock; I have a watch that I can use that way, so that was an easy fix for me), and making dinner a phone-free zone as well. I’ve decided to make all meals phone-free as much as possible, and I’ve started turning my phone off at 9PM on weeknights.

Price recognizes that our phones are connections to the world in many ways, and she doesn’t judge the reasons people use them. She just wants us all to make sure we are using them the ways we want. If scrolling through Twitter for 20 minutes after the washing up is done in the evening is a good way for you to relax, then go for it! But set a time limit before the entire evening goes away. Replace that time with things you want to do – maybe instead of spending an hour on Facebook, you can spend an hour learning to draw, or playing a game with your partner.

I’m still a little worried, and still sorting out exactly what relationship I want with my phone. For the past 14 months since the 2016 election I’ve felt that I need to be on social media to know what’s going on so I can be a good activist. But I’ve taken that too far, and it’s not helping anyone or anything. I’m not going to delete my accounts, but I am going to take advantage of things like lists so that I can be more intentional about what I’m reading, and set aside specific times to read them.

I love my phone. It has so many features and ways that improve my life. My partner makes his livelihood off of mobile games (and has since moved to a company that has a philosophy about gaming that better matches intentional usage as opposed to time- and money-sucking addictive behavior), so I’m certainly not about to suggest that games are bad. I don’t think any component is really bad on it’s own; it’s about how we make use of it. It’s about living a more intentional life, and this book is just one tool to help get there.

Sunday

18

February 2018

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COMMENTS

101 Weekends in Europe by Robin Barton

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Four Stars

Best for: People living in the UK looking for ideas of places to visit in Europe

In a nutshell: Snapshots of locals across Europe, including a few cities that might not be top of mind.

Worth quoting: N/A

Why I chose it: Looking for ideas for quick breaks away from London.

Review:
When I popped over to Amazon to grab the link for this review, I saw it had a very low rating (two 1-star and two 2-star reviews). I can see being disappointed, but those folks seemed to be expecting a detailed travel guide, and I can’t imagine expecting loads of details in a book that talks about 101 different cities in 30+ different countries.

It met my expectations perfectly and I’d recommend it for anyone living in the UK and looking for some ideas of where to start with planning weekends away. There are some of the usual suspects (Paris, Berlin), but also some cities that might not be first on the list, such as Talinn in Estonia. The author shares which airlines fly there from which London-area airports, so it works well for someone like me who is based in London.

Additionally, while the author doesn’t explicitly say if you need a car, the descriptions give a good enough idea of whether the main highlights are in a walkable city center or if the whole point is driving to neighboring towns.

My only complaint is that this seems to have been updated in 2015 (or at least reissued), but some of the text talks about things scheduled to be constructed / completed in 2008 / 2009. Surely they could have looked that up?

Friday

16

February 2018

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COMMENTS

16 02 2018 Waterstones

Written by , Posted in Bookshops

I’ve been avoiding Waterstones, mostly because I feel like its basically the Barnes and Noble of the UK, and while I love any and all bookshops, this project is mostly about the independent ones. That said, today I find myself with a bit of time to spend prior to attending a lecture at my old university, and within close walking distance of a Waterstones – the one in Covent Garden, to be specific.

The shop is as lovely as I’ve come to expect from bookshops here; other than Foyles and possibly Clapham Books, most shops have a very old feel to them, in a good way. They have gorgeous bookcases and even when the shops are large they feel quite cozy.

This particular shop has three entrances and two levels (ground and basement), and I explore most of it. Of course I seek out the non-fiction book sections, and find that the philosophy section is named something like “critical thinking” or “smart writing.” Something lofty but also a bit clever. I’m tempted but know that I have many, many non-fiction books at home on my to be read pile.

Instead, I find today’s purchase on a display table. I’ve seen it in multiple places, and finally decide to pick it up. I mean, Reese Witherspoon has purchased the rights to turn it into a film, so why not. It looks like it’ll be a fun read when I’ve decided to take a break from some of the more career- and life-focused non-fiction books that are in my queue.

I love books, and it seems silly to avoid the chains if they might have some good options. That said, I do find the customer service here to be a bit lacking. I’m still on the hunt for Ijeoma Oluo’s book, but when I bring my purchase up to pay for it, the man working the cash register is so surly that I don’t want the interaction to last any longer than absolutely necessary. Perhaps that’s the difference – perhaps the smaller shops are more likely to have friendly book lovers working them.

Or perhaps this guy is just having a bad day.

Wednesday

14

February 2018

0

COMMENTS

52 Great British Weekends by Annabelle Thorpe

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Three Stars

Best for: People new to the UK, ideally with access to a car

In a nutshell: Guidebook with ideas for 52 weekend getaways in England, Scotland, and Wales, organized by best time of year to go.

Worth quoting: N/A

Why I chose it: London is awesome, but there’s a lot more to see around here.

Review: Generally speaking I like this book. It suggests quite a few places that I’ve never heard of or would not have thought to go to. Each section is only about three pages long, and includes a few ideas of where to stay, where to eat, and what to do, as well as the directions to get there via car. Each suggested getaway has something special about it, such as an afternoon at the races, and include two or three other places you can witness that special thing.

There is a lot of variety here; there are suggestions for pub crawls, sailing, shopping, holiday festivals, biking, and hiking. The author also notes if there are any special points of history, or any activities that kids will especially enjoy.

We’ve not yet made use of the book, but I really wish it had included an extra line in each section about whether it’s easily accessible via rail. I finished the book earlier today, but just spent the last two hours seeing whether the locations can be reached if I don’t have a car. Many can (yay rail travel!) but some definitely require a car.