T Brown

I enjoyed reading Brooklyn years ago, and was looking forward to reading Long Island. Unfortunately, however, I’m two chapters in and can’t see myself finishing it, especially after reading some of the reviews below. There are far too many good books to read something this bad. The writing is incredibly simplistic - not at all descriptive and the dialogue! Cringe! I don’t remember Brooklyn being like this, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten through it. Back to the library…..

I liked listening to Dr Ginny Mansberg on Sarah Wilson’s podcast, so borrowed her audiobook about menopause, The M Word. It was good. So, when I saw this book at the library I was excited to read it. It was full of interesting facts and stats but nothing we don’t already know. However, some of the information, particularly about supplements, annoyed me. Dr Mansberg is a GP, and from my knowledge of GPs, their knowledge about vitamins and minerals is pretty light on - and there was no difference here. To still think that everyone can get enough of their V&M from food grown in our extremely depleted soils is kidding themselves - and us. We’re all not lacking V&M because we’re eating McDonald’s every night. Fruit and veg just are not as nutrient dense as they once were. We don’t get enough magnesium from our water supply like past generations did because it’s not groundwater. Some of the experts she interviewed were didn’t seem to be living particularly healthy lives and it was weird they even were mentioned in the book. Also, if she mentioned she loved wine and hated exercise once, she mentioned it half a dozen times. It didn’t paint a great picture of her while I’m reading her book entitled Save Your Brain. Read it if you must but borrow it and save your money. Although, it’s probably better to go for a walk.

I’m not a SK fan - I’ve never read any of his books and saw the movies It and Pet Cemetery back in the 90s, so that’s as much as I’ve had to do with his writing. But, after hearing the comedian/writer Richard Osman mention in an interview how much he enjoyed and gleaned from SK’s memoir and how it helped his own writing, I had to read it - hoping it would also help me with mine. I loved all of RO’s books so, that was enough of a recommendation for me. I’ve laughed reading On Writing, and have gained insight into what I should have been doing in my writing all along. The book’s almost 30 years old now (written in ‘97, published in 2000) but is as relevant and true now as it ever was.