Don't Ignore Him

'Just Ignore Him' by Alan Davies 

When celebrity biographies get released, it's usually to great fanfares and fireworks as each flashy hardback vies for our attention in the pre-Christmas glut.  My latest read - 'Just Ignore Him' by Alan Davies - got my attention because it seemed to do the opposite of that.  Just look at the cover; a simple image of a young Davies in white t-shirt looking straight into the camera.  Somehow cautiously bold, it's a long way from the usual stage-managed images we've come to expect on such books.  The only flash of colour is the red of his football shorts, leaving the book dominated by a brown-black that sits in stark contrast to the bright yellows, blues and whites of other biographies that I've read.  So what's going on?

Legs Eleven

'Eleven' by Patricia Highsmith

2021 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of my favourite authors, Patricia Highsmith.  Best known for 'Strangers on a Train' and the five Tom Ripley books, her work has often been introduced to new generations through film adaptations.  I discovered her via the 1999 Antony Minghella film 'The Talented Mister Ripley', and was hooked from that moment on - an atypical instance of a film doing justice to a novel.  While too many of her works are currently out of print, I did manage to get hold of an ebook version of her short story collection 'Eleven'.  But was is worth the effort?

Opinion Peace

'How Not to Be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind' by James O'Brien.

We live in complicated times.  Thanks to traditional and social media, we're not only more aware of socio-political issues than ever before, but also expected to have something to say about them all.  On top of everyday discussions with friends and family, it's become the norm for TV and radio presenters to ask us to text, tweet or email our opinions on the topic of the day.  But can we always tell which opinions come from facts and experience, and which are inspired by feelings and trauma?  And are we doing ourselves - and the wider debate - a disservice by not working out which is which?  These questions lie at the heart of James O'Brien's latest book, 'How Not to Be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind'.