Madeline Grant Follow 14 February 2019 • 9:02am Valentine’s Day isn’t all chocolate and roses. Dating is fraught with potential disaster - from awkward silences, bad table manners, even the danger of a no-show. The whole exhausting process can leave many of us wishing we’d stayed at home. Luckily, the unhappier side of love has been reflected in art and literature since man first put quill to parchment. In honour of the least romantic aspects of this often deeply unromantic day, here’s my pick of the most appalling dates in fiction. Tony Last and Milly in ‘A Handful of Dust’ by Evelyn Waugh (1934) Tony Last, the hapless protagonist of Evelyn Waugh’s A Handful of Dust, gallantly agrees to protect his unfaithful wife Brenda’s reputation by... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for … [Read more...] about Think you’re having a bad Valentine’s Day? Read this…
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Read this, Marie Kondo: 30 books guaranteed to spark joy
What makes a book spark joy? The empress of tidying, Marie Kondo, sparked controversy earlier this year when her thoughts on book collections, first laid out in her 2014 bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, appeared again in her new Netflix show, Tidying with Marie Kondo. Kondo has said that, for her, 30 books is the ideal amount to have in her personal library but that this might vary for other people. With the dark days of winter still dragging on, and the uncertainties of Brexit over the horizon, sparking joy is something we can all do with. A quick poll made it clear that what sparks joy for one person (Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes) is too sad for someone else, who would... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week Register for free … [Read more...] about Read this, Marie Kondo: 30 books guaranteed to spark joy
Don’t plan to fly for Thanksgiving? Read this anyway
Rick Seaney FareCompare.com Published 9:00 p.m. UTC Aug 21, 2018 You may still be slathering calamine lotion on your sunburn but believe it or not, summer’s almost over. Which means, time to think about Thanksgiving! Even if you don’t have plans to travel this Turkey Day (Nov. 22), grandma may have other ideas so read this and save some money on holiday travel. Best day to fly Thanksgiving Day is the cheapest day to fly during this period, same as always. Sure, no one wants to fly on the holiday itself but that’s why prices are less crazy. Tip: Fly out as early as you can on Thanksgiving Day and you won’t miss a minute of the feast or the football game. And always, always compare airfare prices on several airline and booking sites. Worst days to fly • Departure: Wednesday (Nov. 21) is usually the worst day to begin a Thanksgiving trip but this year, flying on Tuesday (Nov. 20) is equally bad. • Return: Sunday (Nov. 25) is the worst day to head … [Read more...] about Don’t plan to fly for Thanksgiving? Read this anyway
Kirklees scheme aims to get children reading this summer
Get ready for the Kirklees Summer Reading Challenge - this year based on the much-loved children’s comic The Beano, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary. With the theme Mischief Makers, the aim is to get children aged between four and 11 to read at least six books during their summer holiday break from school. Those who join the scheme can collect a Beanotown map, stickers and prizes along the way. If they complete the challenge there’s a certificate and medal. To take part, children have to visit a library a minimum of three times during the holiday. The scheme has its own dedicated website, www.mischief-makers.org.uk , which offers youngsters the chance to keep track of their progress online and also has games and competitions. Cllr Graham Turner, cabinet member with responsibilities for libraries, says: “Libraries provide a great free way for children to access a wide variety of books and develop a love of reading. They also provide some fantastic fun events … [Read more...] about Kirklees scheme aims to get children reading this summer
If you haven’t got anything nice to say… you need to read this
Bryony Gordon Follow 30 June 2018 • 6:00am Is it just me, or does anyone else find people who start sentences with the words “Is it just me…?” the most maddening on the planet? You know the kind of person. You’re all sitting there at the dinner table, enjoying lovely food and drinks and even better company, discussing the book or television programme or film of the moment, when someone – usually a person with a rather high opinion of themselves – pipes up and says: “Is it just me, or is this book/television programme/film that everyone seems to love actually really quite bad? Is it just me – me being intellectually and culturally superior to everyone else at this dinner party where people are, frankly, lucky to be breathing the same... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 … [Read more...] about If you haven’t got anything nice to say… you need to read this