'Panic as Man Burns Crumpets' by Roger Lytollis

When was the last time you read a local paper?  This week?  This year?  Never?  You're not the only one.  Our habits have changed a lot in the past 20 years and most of us are now more likely to get our local news from online sources than a physical, printed newspaper.  'Panic as Man Burns Crumpets' is Roger Lytollis' entertaining story of a life in local journalism and an insider's view of how the industry has changed in recent years.

Journo Wheeze!

I've just taken a little detour and read the short but sweet 'Romps, Tots and Boffins' by Robert Hutton.

'Romps, Tots and Boffins' is a collection of journalese - the words and phrases that only ever appear in the Great British press or have particular meanings in the print media.  The pages of this book are full of phrases so familiar to anyone who has read a UK newspaper that their idiosyncrasy has almost become invisible.  But this isn't a serious academic study.  Examples such as fat cat, funnyman, love rat,  fashionistas, U-turn, flagship, barrage of criticism, Champagne lifestyle and more are each accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek definition, many of which are very funny indeed.

This book is a fascinating peek behind the veil of ink and paper into the newsroom itself.  I've had a suspicion for a while that there was almost a code to using these words and phrases, but it was still a surprise to find out that there sort of is!  It is an intriguing must-read for anyone training to be a journalist or with an interest in language or the media. 

But before you rush out to buy a copy, I have to say that unfortunately, I do think 'Romps, Tots and Boffins' is overpriced and risks limiting its audience as a result, which is a real shame.  Bearing in mind that 'Weird Things Customers say in Bookshops' cost me £7.99 and was a lot more varied, I don't think this book is worth its RRP of £9.99.  But then again, it may be much cheaper when it comes out in paperback.

Overall, I think there is a readership which would really enjoy this book, but I think the initial price will put them off.  Hopefully it will be much cheaper in paperback and will find its way into a lot of stockings for Christmas 2014.

Now back to 'The Pagan Lord'!

The Truth is Out There

After 'The White Queen', I needed a bit of a break from the Plantagenets, so did a bit of a lucky dip and picked up 'Will Storr vs The Supernatural' by Will Storr (funny that!).

In 'Will Storr vs The Supernatural', the journalist tackles some big questions; Do ghosts exist?  Can people be possessed?  Is there life after death?  In 21 snappy chapters, Storr interviews demonologists, paranormal investigators, exorcists, psychologists and psychics looking for answers in some of the shadowiest corners of eccentricity.  Will he find some truth or just get lost in the dark?

Like a scary story, this book just made you keep reading.  Each chapter is punchy and takes you somewhere that most people will never go.  After all, even the most hardened sceptic probably doesn't fancy spending the night in the cold, dark and damp of a supposedly haunted house.

'Will Storr vs The Supernatural'
by Will Storr
(Ebury Press, 2006)

Throughout, our guide manages to tread a careful path between open minded and sceptical, letting his curiosity take control.  The subjects' stories are told with compassion and humanity, never losing sight of the likely driving forces behind their often frowned upon beliefs: loss, insecurity and the fear of death.

Despite its subject, this book is anything but heavy and serious.  It's not a scientific or psychological treatise on the supernatural, so don't expect a convincing argument one way or another.  It's one person's conclusions drawn from his own experiences and encounters.  It's also written for entertainment and while it's not necessarily laugh-out-loud funny, it is amusing without mocking the interviewees or their beliefs.

Overall, I found this book fascinating and loved Storr's style of writing and turn of phrase.  Far from frightening me off, I will be looking up other books by the author and hoping for more of the same.

Now, a bit of time travel.  Back to the Red Queen!

Feminism goes Funny

I've just finished reading 'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran.  I bought it after hearing her on BBC Radio Four's 'Chain Reaction' and was so intrigued by what she said that I wanted to know more.

'How to be a Woman' is a funny, rude, mischievousness, cheeky, honest, realistic, thought provoking, passionate romp through what it means to be a modern woman.  Part-autobiography, part feminist rant, it begins with a chilling account of Moran being pursued by a gang of boys as a 13 year old, following her through puberty, then into her first relationships, motherhood and her reflections on what feminism means today.

This book is laugh out loud funny thanks to the author's gloriously irreverent style.  The prose rollicks along shamelessly peeping into every nook and cranny of what it's like to grow up as a white, western female of the species before delving into the specific life experiences of the writer.  Reading it made me remember things I'd long forgotten and made me marvel at how different we all are as teenagers.

Despite its humour, it is a quite serious book because it does something ordinary women don't do; it makes readers face up to the fact that girls do some pretty potty things that boys simply aren't expected to.  Moran talks about many things that have been irritating me for years, but I've always felt like I'm the odd one out for suspecting that there's anything amiss.  It's such a relief to find I'm not the only one who thinks the way we behave sometimes is utterly bonkers and distracts us from the more important achievements in life that might get more women in the boardroom or in Parliament.

This is not a book for everyone, however.  There is an awful lot of swearing used, which some people may dislike, along with references to heavy drinking and drug taking, which may also cause disapproval.

But I really identified with Moran's arguments and wish there were a few more people willing to pipe up and say that, actually, society's expectations of women are a bit out of order.  It's not enough to be clever, talented, generous and rich, women also feel they have to be beautiful, thin, fashionable and popular.  Despite hope spread by modern day icons such as Lady Gaga, the princess ideal still lives in showy weddings and WAGs.

I have two hopes as a result of reading this book.  1) That Moran will revisit it when her daughters are older and see how her experiences compare with theirs and how things have changed since she was their age.  2) That someone will write 'How to be a Man' so we can hear the other side of the story.  There's part of me that suspects that a lot of men think what we do is bonkers too.  Worse still, I think a few of them are also getting sucked into bad habits like worrying about body image too.

Right, back to the shelves!