new book haul 

Hi Paul, I'm in Australia and I'd never heard of Margaret Mahy. Turns out she's actually a New Zealander! Australians have a terrible habit of treating New Zealanders as ours when they're good and it suits, so I'm personally keen to acknowledge where they are actually from. The bit of Margaret's book you read out sounded great, and featured two of my favourite birds - magpies and sulphur-crested cockatoos, both of which I usually see when I'm out and about. Both have distinctive voices - magpies havs a very burbling and complicated call, while the cockies squawk like they are telling you off. Magpies are among the most dangerous birds in the world (they swoop during nesting season), but they've never swooped me. I whistle at them when I see them, and I think they take pity on me as the big ugly magpie who can't sing properly

Always a pleasure listening to your ruminations, Paul!

Love the stories of your life you weave into these book talks!

Burning books for ideological reasons?!? I am clutching my pearls and preparing to faint.

I had a similar (although not quite so wonderfully radical) experience with my English O Level I finished in 1987. We were introduced to some incredible things. A Kind of Loving, A Taste of Honey, Tony Harrison, Romeo and Juliet vs West Side Story, Z for Zachariah. Amazing.

Hi Paul! Lovely book haul. I’d just like to say how much I enjoyed reading you’re Brenda and Effie books 🥰📚💜✨. Have subscribed,great video! Happy reading and take care 📖💜✨

I did my A levels ten years ago now - we did read entire books, and I got to choose a couple of things to write coursework on. I did Cloud Atlas and Slaughterhouse 5, because I was an utter geek, then as now.

I completely relate to the disappointment of getting strawberry instead of raspberry. I am a raspberry jam, yogurt, poptart etc person. I don't dislike strawberry but it is always my last choice in berry related foodstuffs. They are not interchangeable! Same goes for when I order a Coke and they ask if Pepsi is okay. No, it is not okay.