2025/199: How to Fake It In Society — K J Charles

2025/199: How to Fake It In Society — K J Charles

To marry a woman close to fifty years his senior, on her deathbed, for no better reason than money on his side and malice on hers -- it was contemptible. He'd be a laughing stock.
He'd be a rich contemptible laughing stock.
'All right,' he said. [loc. 131]

ARC provided out of the blue, waaaay before publication, with ideal timing as year-end werk-stress hit and several book-disappointments triggered a reading slump. This was a complete and utter delight, and cheered me immensely. John Julius Angerstein! Marie Antoinette! Diamonds! Painter's colours! Actors! Punctuation marks! Dashing rogues! Non-binary character! And a flawed and difficult romance that came right in the end...

Full review nearer publication date, which is 30th April 2026.

2025/200: Unaccustomed Spirits — Elizabeth Pewsey

2025/200: Unaccustomed Spirits — Elizabeth Pewsey

‘That’s no guitar, ignorant and misguided girl,’ said Sylvester. ‘That’s a lute. Strange tuning; it must be one of these authentic renderings.’
‘I can’t hear anything,’ said Adele.
‘Of course, the house is haunted,’ said Lily in matter-of-fact tones ...[loc. 578]

Comfort reread, which also fulfils my "reread beginning with 'U'" challenge. This is a very Christmassy romantic comedy, set in haunted Haphazard House, in Pewsey's imaginary northern county of Eyotshire. ( Read more... )

Monthly culture, November 2025

01NOV25: Frankenstein (del Toro, 2025) -- Greenwich PictureHouse
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05NOV25: Puccini and Bernstein, Parliament Choir -- Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Street
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06NOV25: The Boys in the Band (Mantello, 2020) -- Netflix
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07NOV25: Bugonia (Lanthimos, 2025) -- Greenwich PictureHouse
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13NOV25: Frankenstein (del Toro, 2025) -- Netflix
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20NOV25: Clueless (Heckerling, 1995) -- Netflix
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21NOV25: Time (Luxmuralis, 2025) -- Old Royal Naval College
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28NOV25: Pillion (Lighton, 2025) -- Greenwich PictureHouse
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Great article by Adam Mars-Jones about going to Cannes to see 'his' film
29NOV25: Wake Up Dead Man (Johnson, 2025) -- Greenwich PictureHouse
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Monthly culture, December 2025

04DEC25: The Holdovers (Payne, 2023) -- Netflix
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12DEC25: Arcadi Volodos in recital -- Barbican Hall
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18DEC25: Wake Up Dead Man (Johnson, 2025) -- Netflix
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19DEC25: The Princess Bride (Reiner, 1987) -- Greenwich PictureHouse
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29DEC25: Twelfth Night (Shakespeare) -- Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican
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