Tuesday 9 July 2013

Sunshine in London. Fuggedaboutit.


Sunshine in London.
Fuggedaboutit.

Even saying it aloud "Sunshine In London" sounds wrong, like a disaster movie in which some rogue asteroid is about to wipe us all out. I read somewhere recently that up to 40% of Londoners might be Vitamin D deficient. That's right 40%!!! The lack of sunshine on this small island is a serious issue and for people of colour whose natural melanin protection makes it even harder for the sun to penetrate it.... well it's no joke. Therefore, the fact that it has been sunny in London for 3 STRAIGHT DAYS feels like a miracle. And what with Andy Murray becoming the first British male to win the Wimbledon singles title in 77 years*, it's been a great excuse to head to the park with a good book and bask in the great weather and good temper.



I decided to emulate those Kindle ads and take my Kindle to the sunny park full of a host of new books that I one clicked. (Funnily enough those Kindle ads never show people soaked with rain or squeezed into someone's armpit on a crowded tube train while trying to read).

My latest purchases are:


  • Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld. I finished this really quickly. I love Sittenfeld's writing and was totally engrossed by this book for the first three quarters and then the ending really lost me, as in went from a 4, maybe 4.5 to maybe a 3. I'm a bit heartbroken by the disappointing ending, which I found totally unrewarding and unconvincing. 
  • The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
  • North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 
  • Lost and Found by Tom Winter

I still have to finish:

  • Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. I'm enjoying dipping in and out of this. 

Trying a sample of:

  • Getting Things Done by David Allen
  • Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach
What are you guys reading? 

Havana.
xox

*Though the media coverage in the UK might have chosen to forget about them, there have been other British winners at Wimbledon in the last 77 years. Dreadfully overlooked is Virginia Wade who won the women's singles title in 1977. In addition Laura Robson was a Wimbledon Juniors champion. And Jamie Murray and Jelena Jankovich won the mixed doubles in 2007. There are probably others but apparently the lazy media can't even be bothered to search wiki...  Also fairly hideous has been the lazy and mean spirited comments about the awesome, inspiring athlete Marion Bartoli.