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The Known World

Recommended by Zadie Smith, NY Review of Books, May 2026.

Improvement Movement

They were the opener for Iron and Wine a few weeks ago and just blew me away. Shades of Beatles, shades of jazz and funk in a rock outfit. Their wild shifts in tempo and melody was thrilling and unlike anything else out there at the moment.

Abita Amber Lager in a thin glass straight from the freezer

I'm not a beer person. But when I was served this in a ice cold Japanese beer straight from the freezer, it was just like heaven.

The Luminaries

Brilliant, gorgeously written tale about the Gold Coast of NZ. Also very long - will last you the flight. (PS: there's also a TV show version from the BBC, but I did not fully finish it, and you know what they say about book>TV).

The Known World

Recommended by Zadie Smith, NY Review of Books, May 2026.

Improvement Movement

They were the opener for Iron and Wine a few weeks ago and just blew me away. Shades of Beatles, shades of jazz and funk in a rock outfit. Their wild shifts in tempo and melody was thrilling and unlike anything else out there at the moment.

Abita Amber Lager in a thin glass straight from the freezer

I'm not a beer person. But when I was served this in a ice cold Japanese beer straight from the freezer, it was just like heaven.

The Luminaries

Brilliant, gorgeously written tale about the Gold Coast of NZ. Also very long - will last you the flight. (PS: there's also a TV show version from the BBC, but I did not fully finish it, and you know what they say about book>TV).