David Mamet: “In the bad film the fellow says, “hello Jack, I’m coming over to your home this evening because I need to get the money you borrowed from me.” In the good film, he says, “Where the hell were you yesterday?”
Cathy Brown
@cathybrown746.bsky.social
Manager at Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy. Mother of twins. Reader. Footloose fanatic. Contributor at Dig With It and No More Workhorse Blogs about having too many books at www.746books.com
Have read one and lots here I haven't heard of!
The Booker Prizes@thebookerprizes.com · last wk.‘We are confident that our longlist of books has something for everyone’ We are delighted to reveal the Booker Prize 2026 longlist. Huge congratulations to the authors who make up this year's Booker Dozen. ➡️ Discover the full list: thebookerprizes.com/bp2026
A scene from Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, photo by Fergus Bourke, Irish documentary photographer (1934-2004).
LIBRA, Don DeLillo ONE BY ONE IN THE DARKNESS, Deirdre Madden THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG, Norman Mailer TRAIN DREAMS, Denis Johnson VISITATION, Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Susan Bernofsky HELLFIRE, Nick Tosches
JacquiWine@jacquiwine.bsky.social · 2w agoWhat are the books you yammer on about to anyone who'll listen? CASSANDRA AT THE WEDDING, Dorothy Baker MRS PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT, Elizabeth Taylor THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, Edith Wharton THE BEGINNING OF SPRING, Penelope Fitzgerald IN A LONELY PLACE, Dorothy B. Hughes BALKAN TRILOGY, Manning 💙📚
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon —an Irish spin on classical tragedy In ancient Sicily two jobless young potters embark on an audacious scheme to stage a production of Greek tragedies in a quarry. The pair have oodles of passion and enthusiasm but little common sense. They don't have two…
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon —an Irish spin on classical tragedy
In ancient Sicily two jobless young potters embark on an audacious scheme to stage a production of Greek tragedies in a quarry. The pair have oodles of passion and enthusiasm but little common sense. They don't have two drachmas to rub together. And they completely lack experience of the theatrical world. What could possibly go wrong? Rather a lot as it turns out because they completely misjudge how the authorities and citizens of Syracuse will react to their scheme.
bookertalk.com
Galway United used to raffle a hamper of meat at half time and it was more entertaining than this.
An actual impact on my life? Anything by Seamus Heaney then...
Irish Literary Times@irishlittimes.bsky.social · 3w ago
I'm truly grateful to Lauren Laverne, who says "seeing others in the public eye cope with comparable situations has helped me, so I thought I'd be upfront about it". #Myeloma isn't all that rare, but high-profile people seldom publicise a diagnosis & raise awareness. 🙏🙏 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Lauren Laverne diagnosed with blood disorder smouldering myeloma
The broadcaster reveals she has smouldering myeloma, which can develop into a type of blood cancer.
bbc.co.uk
Rupert Thomson is such a fantastic author. Not sure why he doesn't get the attention he deserves.
Such a great day at HomePlace in the company of Maggie O'Farrell!
I've always been a little suspicious of calling any artist 'the greatest' as though there were some league table. But as the years passed, and the work continued it's restless advance, and the way of seeing never faltered, it became clear to me that David Hockney really was ours. RIP.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is the 2026 winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction. Congratulations Virginia! @michaeljbooks.bsky.social
Kevin Rowland came to HomePlace yesterday and was as cool as you would imagine.
On my blog, my review of A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, the last book in my @galleybeggars.bsky.social Critical Reading course. annabookbel.net/a-visit-from...
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
This was the last book in my six session Galley Beggar Critical Reading class led by chief Galley Beggar Sam Jordison. The others were: The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine Kindred by Oc…
annabookbel.net
New on the blog today, my review of F by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Carol Brown Janeaway #20BOS26
New on the blog today, I've written about some of my favourite COMING-OF-AGE NOVELS from the shelves. Featuring books by Rumer Godden, Jean Rhys, L. P. Hartley and more! #BookSky 💙📚 jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2026/06/11/c...
Coming-of-age novels – some favourites from my shelves
This is a post I’ve been meaning to put together for a while, a celebration of some of my favourite novels in which the dark realities of the adult world begin to impinge on the innocence of childh…
jacquiwine.wordpress.com
Our story of the week is False Teeth by Jan Carson.
False Teeth - The Forge Literary Magazine
False Teeth, a short fiction by Jan Carson
forgelitmag.com
Nice new books from No Alibis this week including the much anticipated Dooneen by @rid9way.bsky.social
Too early for an official figure but it looks like BACKROOMS will debut to $81 million this weekend in the United States, and $118 million worldwide. The film's budget? $10 million. Kane Parsons, ladies and gentlemen.
Today on the blog, ending a month-long project with a recommendation from @stuckinabook.bsky.social's #BookADayInMay Novella a Day in May 2026 – No.31 madamebibilophilerecommends.co.uk/2026/05/31/n...
Novella a Day in May 2026 – No.31
I made it! I’m genuinely amazed! May has been a really busy, slightly chaotic month and I can’t believe I managed to sustain my daily novella reading and posting. I’ve enjoyed it so much, and a mas…
madamebibilophilerecommends.co.uk
For the evening crowd - Hunger and Thirst by Claire Fuller: Madness, manipulation and suspense alifeinbooks.co.uk/2026/05/hung... #BookSky
Hunger and Thirst by Claire Fuller: Madness, manipulation and suspense - A Life in Books
Book reviews, snippets of book news, and alerts about books outside the glare of the publicity spotlight.
alifeinbooks.co.uk