My Review (5 stars out of 5) Set in London during the 1970s, this autobiographical tale is based on the author’s experiences following landing her first job after leaving art college. Based in a grotty printing firm in Kilburn, the heroine finds her new employers to be lacking in social graces and good manners, as…
Category: Autobiography
‘Blowing the Bloody Doors Off’ by Michael Caine
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Written in his 85th year veteran British actor Michael Caine looks back on his life with a view to highlighting what he’s learned. Although primarily aimed at those with a yen for performance, his advice is useful for anyone wanting to better themselves. With stories and anecdotes from…
‘This Much is True’ by Miriam Margolyes
My Review (5 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) Known for memorable characters including Lady Whiteadder and Professor Sprout, roles in Little Dorrit and Oliver Twist, and a host of voice-overs for TV adverts, Miriam Margolyes is a national treasure. From her childhood in Oxford and posing naked for artist Augustus John to working with Martin…
‘High Risk’ by Ben Timberlake
My Review (5 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) Ben Timberlake delves into his various careers and non-careers as an archaeologist, Special Forces soldier, combat medic and drug addict, emerging in one piece, though perhaps not quite the same man as he once was. From a truly scary near-death experience in a very dodgy bar in…
‘When You are Engulfed in Flames’ by David Sedaris
***** This is the sixth book in the author’s collection of personal stories and is the second of his that I’ve bought. Having heard a lot of his work on BBC radio, I got the audio version of this one, read by the author himself and which also includes a selection of live recordings from…
‘The Lost Sentinel’ by Suzanne Rogerson
**** NB This post first appeared on the Blog Tour for ‘’The Lost Sentinel’ via Rachel’s Random Resources. My Review (Audiobook) Forced to hide her magical powers from the ruling Assembly of Kalaya, Tei and her father are warned that they must flee to stay safe. Embarking on a journey to seek out other exiles,…
‘Anything for a Quiet Life’ by Jack Hawkins
***** Jack Hawkins has always been one of my favourite actors, so it was a real treat to read this self-penned account of his early life, his theatre work, movies and his battle with cancer. Though initially only interested in theatre, Hawkins eventually made it onto the big screen and from 1953, his film work…
‘Apropos of Nothing’ by Woody Allen
***** (Audiobook) Director, comedian, writer, and actor Woody Allen relates how a love of movies during his childhood in Brooklyn eventually took him down the path to making movies of his own. From his early work as a writer and stand-up comic, Allen talks about his career, his friends and his relationships. There didn’t seem…
‘So Anyway…’ by John Cleese
***** (Audiobook) From his earliest memories of school, to the Monty Python O2 show in 2014, John Cleese reveals the intricacies of his life and career, and how studying for a degree in law led him into such iconic shows as the Cambridge Footlights, TW3, At Last it’s the 1948 Show and of course, Fawlty…
‘Evil Relations’ by David Smith, with Carol Ann Lee
***** At the trial of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady in 1966, David Smith acted as chief prosecution witness. But his evidence did him no favours. Due in part to the insistence by Hindley and Brady that Smith took part in the murders, he was reviled and vilified by the press for years afterwards—even after…
