The Silly-Savvy Salopian

Savvy Book – The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

Are you so in tune with the emotions of the people around you that, far from being savvy, you suffer from extreme anxiety? It’s bad enough to come over in all-consuming waves of worry over how someone else might feel about what someone else said, or even worse about what you said – you know,Continue reading “Savvy Book – The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake”

Savvy Book – Switched

Amanda Hockings ‘Switched’ (available at Waterstones) is a must-read if, like myself, you are a bitter and twisted old person, still with a chip on your shoulder about the sibling who, many eons ago, insisted that you were an unwanted changeling! The novel centres around the character of Wendy, the troublesome daughter of a supposed mother whoContinue reading “Savvy Book – Switched”

Savvy Book – The List of My Desires

A beautiful book, authored by Gregoire Delacourt, and designed to make me view the mass of buttons scattered all over my Sprog’s bedroom carpet, in a different, ever-so-slightly-more-positive light! Jocelyne, the main character in ‘The List of My Desires’, makes a meagre living running her own haberdashery shop and blogging about the odds and ends thatContinue reading “Savvy Book – The List of My Desires”

Savvy Book – Season to Taste

A grisly (or gristly) tale, even for those with a taste for the hot stuff. This morning, I purchased a bumper 100g pack of Nacto’s ‘Crushed Chillies’ from Sainsburys. But, not even a bucket-load of the latter would be enough to persuade me to take a chance on Young’s ambitious plans for the dietContinue reading “Savvy Book – Season to Taste”

English & Proud?

Those batty English Democrats are surely pretty dim To be living on an island when none of them can swim! I can see them standing straight and proud, all making such a din – when global warming takes its toll and the waves come rolling in! Copyright owned by Jay Cool, July 2019,Continue reading “English & Proud?”

Outstanding

I stand out – a head above the rest, tall and gangly, alien accent, orange crown, and more-than-a-little odd. I stand above, and I stand out – florescent, illuminating, and alert. I’m an amber sunset, full of the promise of a better tomorrow. I alarm you. A flashing-red siren cuts through your conscience.Continue reading “Outstanding”

Savvy Book – The Age of Miracles

Karen Thompson Walker’s ‘The Age of Miracles’ is a disturbing tale, which brings to my mind Alfred Hitchcock‘s ‘The Birds’. Birds clunk against windows in nightmarish scenarios; only, in Karen Thompson Walker’s story, the birds are dying – not multiplying! I decide it’s likely not a good idea to share my thoughts on the book withContinue reading “Savvy Book – The Age of Miracles”

Ruminating

It’s a rum old deal, to have to empty out, because, as thoughts do intrude and escalate, I keep on writing – and I start to deflate! But, the wind is so loud, when the last does escape that, at that very point – I terminate. Copyright owned by Jay Cool, June 2019Continue reading “Ruminating”

45: Getting There!

So what’s happened in the interim? Where have posts 38 to 44 got to? Well, that’s an easy question to answer – posts 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 are still in my ‘unpublished’ folder! At least, their titles or placeholders, are! In short, then with my head stuffed up with the mumbo-jumboContinue reading “45: Getting There!”

Savvy Book – The Undertaking

Consumed this World War Two themed novel, Audrey Magee’s ‘The Undertaking’, in one sitting! Beautifully written, although the author is a little over-fond of the verb ‘said’. Still, at least it doesn’t read like a piece of student coursework, with the over-contrived use of every single synonym for ‘said’ in existence. On finishing the novel (whichContinue reading “Savvy Book – The Undertaking”