Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives by Lucy Mangan review – never lost for words

During lockdown, the writer and journalist Lucy Mangan decided to build a shed in her garden that would work both as her office and as a shrine to her book collection, the belated realisation of a long-held dream. Mangan suffers from tsundoku, a Japanese term that may well have been coined simply to torment Marie Kondo: buying books at a rate that outstrips the speed at which you can read them, and keeping them all. Mangan has 10,000. Filling the very many shelves, as she recounts in this memoir, took her ages. She enjoyed every rapturous moment.
'I am never happier than when I am in a bookshop,' she writes, and so of course she creates one for herself. Only reluctantly does she leave its four walls. When not reviewing television shows for the Guardian – even bibliophiles need day jobs – she's in her customised womb, reading. 'If we stop reading, we stop putting ourselves in other people's shoes,' she writes. 'We cut ourselves off from avenues of growth, exploration and adventure.'
Despite a pronounced introversion, Mangan does crave adventure, even if it's of the armchair variety. She is voracious in her tastes, and consumes everything from Victorian classics to airport thrillers to the genre that used to be called chick-lit. Each in their own way has taught her how to live. An example: when adolescence arrives, she bones up on Jilly Cooper to ready herself for the love stuff.
'I did get a boyfriend,' she writes. 'He was nice. When he broke up with me, I was upset but pleased to have the insight.' Frankly, she's relieved to be rid of him. 'You have all the time back for reading that used to be spent lying on his bed trying to avoid his penis.'
After university, Mangan thinks she might want to become a librarian because, well, because books. But she wants to write, too, and ends up doing just that at the Guardian, where she is prone to cower in corners. When one day a colleague catches her nose-deep in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, he is visibly appalled. 'Book snobbery,' she primly notes, 'is among the most dismal of all the snobberies.'
Bookish is the sequel to 2018's Bookworm, and treads pretty much the same path. If that first volume recounted how literature had helped her navigate the mysteries of childhood, then its sequel tackles the myriad complexities of adulthood. She reads to bring herself closer to her book-loving father, and when she is distressed by world events. She makes for a wonderfully incisive critic and can pick apart a George Orwell with the same perspicacity with which she can, say, a Jack Reacher, or the lesser-known Brontë sister, Anne, whose 1848 novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall she adores. But her memoir can also be read as a comic novel, drenched as it is in Sue Townsend snark. Like Townsend, she skewers everyday events for their comedic potential. When, Jane Austenishly, she eventually does bag herself a husband, a 'lovely' historian, she resents the time it takes up. 'A big fuss,' she says of the enveloping wedding plans. 'I wouldn't do anything like it again.'
You might think that her husband – bookish himself – would have known what he was getting into here, but no. Shortly after their wedding, he foolishly suggests they merge their libraries. His new bride is horrified. Does he really know so little about her? Mangan explains that it wouldn't be a merging of their collections, 'it would be a breaking up of mine, an unnecessary intrusion, an act of violence'. And now to the punchline: 'I agreed to have a baby instead.'
There's a BBC Four sitcom here, surely: David Mitchell and Victoria Coren Mitchell, all elbow patches and cracked paperbacks, and love among the margins.
Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives by Lucy Mangan is published by Square Peg (£18.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply

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The Herald Scotland

8 hours ago

• The Herald Scotland

When time finally ran out for the Glasgow Apollo, forty years ago

The venue's peak came during the Seventies and for those of us who were there then, it, and the countless gigs we saw there, remain among the defining images of that decade. Alongside, perhaps, the Old Grey Whistle Test, John Peel's cult radio shows, and enthusiastic reading of the music weeklies – Sounds, NME, Melody Maker for news of the latest vinyl and tour dates. Not to mention, of course, the music of the time, whether it was punk and new wave, the Eagles, the Rolling Stones (below), prog, glam, reggae, heavy metal or soul. The Apollo memories are quite imperishable. The Rolling Stones were one of the biggest acts at the Apollo Many of the bands that played the venue are, like the Apollo itself, no more, having broken up for one reason or another: 'musical differences', frustration over a lack of success, a desire to follow individual dreams. But a gratifying number of groups are still thriving today: Neil Young, the Stones, the Cure, Status Quo, Rod Stewart, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Robert Plant, the Rezillos, Robin Trower, AC/DC, Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, Eric Clapton, Hawkwind, Jethro Tull, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison. Santana, too. Led by Carlos Santana, who turns 78 next month, they entertained the OVO Hydro just a few nights ago, nearly half a century after their last appearance in Renfield Street. And then there's Paul Weller, of course; it was his old band, The Style Council, who brought the curtain down on the Apollo on Sunday, June 16, 1985. Time has been busy catching up with other Apollo acts. Black Sabbath, who played Green's Playhouse, the Apollo's forerunner, as long ago as 1970, are bowing out with a huge farewell gig at Birmingham's Villa Park on July 5. That same night, a few miles away elsewhere in the city, Jeff Lynne's ELO will play the first of five last-ever concerts – two in Birmingham, two in Manchester, and one in London's Hyde Park. Elkie Brooks, who experienced the Apollo on a handful of occasions in the latter years of its existence, is on a Long Farewell Tour. In August, The Who will embark on their North America Farewell Tour. To look through the comprehensive gig listings curated by the people behind the excellent Glasgow Apollo website is to be reminded the astonishing wealth of gigs that took place there, across so many genres. Read more: The names of some of the acts – Renaissance, Rare Bird, drummer Ginger Baker's group Baker-Gurvitz Army, the all-female US rockers Fanny, Gentle Giant, Kokomo, Glencoe, Golden ('Radar Love') Earring, the Groundhogs, Traffic, Japan's Sadistic Mika Group – are familiar to fans of a certain vintage today. Less familiar, possibly, are Tea, who supported Baker Gurvitz Army in 1975; Dave and the Mistakes, who opened for Elvis Costello and the Attractions in 1981; and Sandii & the Sunsetz, another Japanese group, who were the support act for (of course) Japan in 1982. It's interesting to look back at the music weeklies and see what they made of certain concerts. Here's a small but vibrant selection: * 'Heat, dust, smoke, lasers and Genesis combined to turn the Glasgow Apollo into a replica of Dante's Inferno when the band descended on the city on Friday night' – Melody Maker, July 1976. * 'Rory G[allagher] made it however, and played an undeniably proficient over two-hour set to the most rapturous reception I've seen in ages. The audience was crazy, drunken, happy, and collectively about as intelligent as the average tree-stump: in short, all the jolly working-class virtues that made me leave Glasgow in the first place' – Sounds, April 1978. * 'Fred Turner [of Bachman Turner Overdrive] is a real sweathog of a bass player. Whether he's hungrily engulfing chip sandwiches in a Glasgow hotel under the lights of a documentary film crew, or bouncing all over the Apollo stage until the lighting towers begin to develop major instabilities, you gotta admit the dude is, like, heavy, man. He ought to do a seesaw act with Leslie West' – NME, May 1975. Lynyrd Skynyrd were a hugely popular attraction at the venue (Image: Unknown) * 'As a unit [Lynyrd Skynyrd, above] peaked with 'Tuesday's Gone', which took on a church atmosphere – in Glasgow the audience even started the Terrace Sway.... In Glasgow, the entire audience sang 'Free Bird' in its entirety. That's freaky (good-freaky), 3,000 people singing homage to a guitarist [Duane Allman] they've never seen' – Sounds, February 1976. * 'Backstage at the Apollo the theatre photographer is taking a group shot of the Rolling Stones receiving their trophies earned by selling out the three shows there. 'More ANIMATION pleeeze,' Jagger shouts good naturedly to the nervous photographer. 'When the Faces played here they could only afford one trophy', Woody [Ron Wood] informs the gathering, 'so we gave it to Tetsu [Yamauchi] to make him feel wanted'. Tonight each band member gets their own special souvenir. Just another memory. Keith gives his to Marlon [his son]' – Sounds, April 1976. * 'For Scotland, the Pretender changed tactics. Wearing a tartan wool scarf, he concentrated on rock 'n' roll. It was such good rock that it made me think maybe the Eagles aren't the best American rock 'n' roll band. Maybe the best American rock 'n' roll band is Jackson Browne ... Browne's initial self-centred introspection gently fades away. The Glasgow Apollo was cold, and Jackson Browne wanted to warm the place up with some powerfully generated rock. I almost thought he'd do 'Whole Lotta Shakin'' – Sounds, December 1976. The Apollo was noted, then, for many things: for its unassailable place on the Scottish gig circuit, for the rampant fervour with which many groups were greeted, for the less-than-salubrious nature of its backstage facilities. It all added up to a brilliant, authentic venue. The Apollo was living on borrowed time 40 years ago, however. The outcry that had greeted an earlier closure date, in 1978, when the venue's operators were granted a licence to turn it into a bingo hall, was decidedly more muted in the run-up to the Style Council farewell in 1985. As to why, David Belcher, the Herald's music writer, had this to say: 'The answer on everyone's lips is the Scottish Exhibition Centre, which has been bruited as having the ability to stage five to 10 10,000-seater per year along with up to 40 annual 2,000-seater shows'. Belcher also noted that the Apollo was damp and crumbling and that its fabric had deteriorated alarmingly over the last five years – not surprisingly, perhaps, given that the place had opened, as Green's Playhouse, back in 1927. The Apollo's time was up, then. But who could possibly have guessed in 1985 that its absence would be mourned, four decades later?

Metro

11 hours ago

• Metro

'TV fans compare our show to Netflix's steamiest hit – ours stands out'

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If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'Outstanding suspense thriller' with Hollywood legend finally launches on free UK streamer MORE: 16,000,000,000 Google, Apple and Facebook passwords leaked in 'one of largest data breaches ever' MORE: 10 zombie films to watch after 28 Years Later including 100%-scored 'masterpiece'

Daily Mirror

a day ago

• Daily Mirror

Noel Edmonds tearfully recalls being in a 'dark place' before suicide attempt

Former Deal or No Deal host Noel Edmonds has returned to screens with new show Kiwi Adventure, which delves into his life in New Zealand with wife Liz Noel Edmonds has opened up about the 'dark times' he's faced in his past as he makes a return to television. The former host of Deal or No Deal is back with Kiwi Adventure, a series that follows his life in New Zealand alongside his wife Liz, where they operate a hospitality business in the rural town of Ngatimoti. Noel, 76, and Liz, who tied the knot in 2009, decided to relocate in 2015 and made the move in 2019. Noel had previously spoken about the 'incredible spiritual pull' he experienced when visiting the country, which inspired him to settle there. ‌ The couple now own an expansive 800-acre estate named River Haven, complete with a vineyard, restaurant, wellness centre, and a pub cheekily named The Bugger Inn. ‌ In the first episode of his new show, Noel, last seen on our screens during his stint on I'm A Celebrity in 2018, became emotional as he reflected on his challenging past and suicidal thoughts. At one point, he visited a sculpture called Guardian, described by narrator Rob Brydon as 'a permanent reminder of a difficult period in his life'. "In 2005, at the height of his fame, Noel's production company unexpectedly went bankrupt, hugely affecting his mental health," Rob explained to viewers. Returning to Noel, the former House Party presenter gestured towards a plinth: "There's a description of my story here, for guests to understand why I had Guardian created. My Unique group of companies was deliberately collapsed by some corrupt bankers. "And I'm safe in saying that because my bank manager went to prison, along with four others, for 50. What they were doing was pushing businesses over the edge and then taking assets—that's basically what it was about. When the companies went into administration in 2006, I thought I was a crap businessman. I thought it was my fault. 70 people lost their jobs." Noel then revealed: "And I said to Liz, who was a fantastic support, 'When,' not if, When I win my battle to get my losses back, I'm gonna get the great Weta Studios, Lord of the Rings, Avatar, the real creative powerhouses here in New Zealand, I'm gonna ask them to build me a statue." ‌ Later, Guardian was created, with Liz designing the shield the statue holds to symbolise his legal 'fight'. Next to the statue of a man crouching with his head bowed is an inscription, which Noel says inspired him to construct it in the first place. "It was that inscription that held me together and motivated me during some very dark times," he confessed, with the plaque reading: "'The devil saw me with my head down and thought he'd won until I said Amen. The relevance of that is the knight is not kneeling in defeat; he's praying," revealed Noel. He then became emotional as he detailed just how severely the legal battle impacted his mental health:"He's praying before he gets up and defeats the dark force, the enemy. I'll tell you, when you go to that dark space... I used to, like many people, kind of look down my nose and think, why would anybody want to take their own life? Why would they want to do that? I'll tell you, if If you've ever found yourself in that bleak place, you'll never pass judgement, because it's a realm devoid of reason," Noel expressed. ‌ He concluded by saying the Guardian statue stands as a beacon for those who feel 'weak,' 'disenfranchised,' 'marginalised,' and 'let down' by society. "He has not given up. You can feel it." With tears in his eyes, he grasped the sword and said: "Thanks, mate. Thank you." This isn't the first time Noel has openly discussed his suicidal thoughts. Back in June 2017, he revealed that he had attempted to end his life in 2005 after a fraudulent scheme by a group of HBOS financiers ruined his businesses. At that point, he wanted to 'end the overwhelming mental pain that had consumed [his] whole being'. ‌ "Until these criminals took me to the brink of emotional annihilation, I had always felt those who opt out by taking their own lives were selfish and cowardly... But having been cast into that bottomless dark space devoid of logic and reason, I have a much deeper understanding of life without hope...," he confessed. Noel also made it clear then that he 'sought no sympathy' and 'felt no shame' in making this admission. In the end, Noel received an apology from Lloyds Banking Group, which settled a compensation deal with him following the fraud case. While the specifics of the settlement were kept under wraps, the Daily Mail reported that he received around £5million. *If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@ or visit their site to find your local branch