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Continue reading →: Dog DaysRoja had that bout of gastroenteritis a couple of weeks ago. He received treatment for it in Oliveira do Hospital where he had a blood test and an ultrasound to see if there were any underlying problems, but there results were inconclusive. About two weeks ago he was itching, licking…
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Continue reading →: 13 French Street by Gil Brewer
American Pulp Fiction – Published 1951 50s noir stands apart from other periods because of the compelling plots, and those plots alone, uncomplicated by tangents, deviations and sub-plots. They are often short and direct, to be read in a couple of sittings. This is a good example. Brewer’s style in…
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Continue reading →: The International Booker Longlist..
One correct.. that’s better than usual.. (On The Calculation of Volume).. The full list is here. I’ve read three of them though, and they’re perfectly good, though I didn’t think of the standard to make the cut.. Eurotrash by Christian Kracht translated from the German (Switzerland) by Daniel Bowles. This…
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Continue reading →: House of Fury by Evelio Rosero
translated from the Spanish (Colombia) by Victor Meadowcroft – published 2025 This is a wild ride indeed, though with a necessary steady build up. Set over the course of a single cataclysmic evening in Bogota it begins with Nacho Caicedo, a supreme court magistrate, hosting an anniversary party along with…
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Continue reading →: Predictions for the International Booker Longlist
It’s the announcement of the International Booker Longlist on Tuesday (25th), a literary highlight of the year (for me at least). I usually post about it a few days before, and make a few predictions, which are usually wrong… It’s really difficult to predict I think, and that’s part of…
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Continue reading →: Days in the Ibias ValleyThe Ibias valley is a wine producing area and it’s the time of the year to prune the vines. These are small, usually family run, vineyards unlike the Douro valley where it’s big business. The area around San Antolín is also known for its rich history. A walking trail, the…
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Continue reading →: Down The Rabbit Hole
Or Fiesta en la Madriguera – Mexico 2024 – Comedy Drama Based on a novel by Juan Pablo Villalobos, of whose writing I am a big fan, this is the story of the life of a ten year old boy whose father is one of Mexico’s drug lords. The child…
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Continue reading →: Dealing With The Dead by Alain Mackanbou
translated from the French (DR Congo) by Helen Stevenson – Published 2025 This was my fourth Mabanckou novel, and though I’ve enjoyed them all, this is best. Liwa Ekimakingaï is dead at just 24, and trapped with the ghosts of other dead in the Frère Lachaise cemetery wandering aimlessly listening…
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Continue reading →: Parada de SilThese days, due to its position, life in the village of Parada de Sil is based around tourism. As well as several restaurants, a couple of bars and hotels, there is a permanent population of only 260. Thirty years ago it was double that. It’s a case, as in many…
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Continue reading →: The High Life for the WeekendFor the weekend I moved to the northern reaches of the Serra do Barroso mountains, close to the Spanish border, above the town of Ervededo to a small community called Castelãos. Above the hamlet is a Sanctuary and recreational area that I had found on the map, at about 800…
To live more widely
supera superiora sequi
SafeReturnDoubtful is my alias.
Where is Andy?
I was so much older then…
Quote of the Week
Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, who was sitting in a tree, ‘What road do I take?’ The cat asked, ‘Where do you want to go?’ ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered. ‘Then,’ said the cat, ‘it really doesn’t matter, does it?’
Lewis Carroll
Safe Return Doubtful 