Chris Lovegrove 💙📚
@calmgrove.bsky.social
🇪🇺 📚 🎹 🏛️
Woke European, book review blogger, piano accompanist, culture vulture.
https://CalmgroveBooks.wordpress.com
Woke European, book review blogger, piano accompanist, culture vulture.
https://CalmgroveBooks.wordpress.com
#NaHaiWriMo
Charms of goldfinches
commandeer the bird-feeder
squeezing siskins out. #DailyHaiku wp.me/p4H9zI-AY
Charms of goldfinches
commandeer the bird-feeder
squeezing siskins out. #DailyHaiku wp.me/p4H9zI-AY
Charming: #NaHaiWriMo
Detail from Hieronymus Bosch’s ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’. Charms of goldfinches commandeer the bird-feeder squeezing siskins out 4/5 haiku / senryu for National Haiku Writi…
wp.me
February 4, 2026 at 10:20 AM
#NaHaiWriMo
Charms of goldfinches
commandeer the bird-feeder
squeezing siskins out. #DailyHaiku wp.me/p4H9zI-AY
Charms of goldfinches
commandeer the bird-feeder
squeezing siskins out. #DailyHaiku wp.me/p4H9zI-AY
'From Fantasyland to Discworld': #MarchMagics2026 represents the annual celebration of the life and work of #DianaWynneJones and #TerryPratchett through the month of March. wp.me/pezD85-10u
From Fantasyland to Discworld: #MarchMagics2026
#MarchMagics2026. CalmgroveBooks.WordPress.com “They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it’s not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.” — Sir Terry Pratchett. This is an …
wp.me
February 4, 2026 at 9:58 AM
'From Fantasyland to Discworld': #MarchMagics2026 represents the annual celebration of the life and work of #DianaWynneJones and #TerryPratchett through the month of March. wp.me/pezD85-10u
Reposted by Chris Lovegrove 💙📚
It's been a wet Shiny Tuesday, cheer yourself up with @bookishbeck.bsky.social reviewing Rachel Joyce's latest, now in paperback. shinynewbooks.co.uk/the-homemade...
The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce
Review by Rebecca Foster
If, like me, you’ve been following Rachel Joyce’s career ever since her 2012 debut, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, I have good news to impart: The Homemade
shinynewbooks.co.uk
February 3, 2026 at 6:09 PM
It's been a wet Shiny Tuesday, cheer yourself up with @bookishbeck.bsky.social reviewing Rachel Joyce's latest, now in paperback. shinynewbooks.co.uk/the-homemade...
Non-native speaker
stumbling trying to pronounce
“Worcester cathedral”
Stumbling: #NaHaiWriMo #DailyHaiku
wp.me/p4H9zI-AH
stumbling trying to pronounce
“Worcester cathedral”
Stumbling: #NaHaiWriMo #DailyHaiku
wp.me/p4H9zI-AH
Stumbling: #NaHaiWriMo
© C A Lovegrove. Non-native speaker stumbling trying to pronounce “Worcester cathedral” 3/28 haiku / senryu for National Haiku Writing Month Image: Worcester cathedral nave, tower and t…
wp.me
February 3, 2026 at 8:42 AM
Non-native speaker
stumbling trying to pronounce
“Worcester cathedral”
Stumbling: #NaHaiWriMo #DailyHaiku
wp.me/p4H9zI-AH
stumbling trying to pronounce
“Worcester cathedral”
Stumbling: #NaHaiWriMo #DailyHaiku
wp.me/p4H9zI-AH
@klpm.bsky.social Hi Kristen, just to let you know that on Wednesday I'll be announcing #MarchMagics2026 on CalmgroveBooks.wordpress.com with the tagline From Fantasyland to Discworld (with, of course, an acknowledgement of your initially hosting the event)!
February 2, 2026 at 2:30 PM
@klpm.bsky.social Hi Kristen, just to let you know that on Wednesday I'll be announcing #MarchMagics2026 on CalmgroveBooks.wordpress.com with the tagline From Fantasyland to Discworld (with, of course, an acknowledgement of your initially hosting the event)!
My review of award-winning children's novel 'Hox' by Annemarie Allan (Floris Books). #ReadIndies
wp.me/sezD85-hox
wp.me/sezD85-hox
It’s in the genes: #ReadIndies
19th-century engraving of a Eurasian lynx. Hox by Annemarie Allan. Kelpies / Floris Books, 2008 (2007). Hox genes really do exist and they do control growth within the body. As for the rest, when I…
wp.me
February 1, 2026 at 6:45 PM
My review of award-winning children's novel 'Hox' by Annemarie Allan (Floris Books). #ReadIndies
wp.me/sezD85-hox
wp.me/sezD85-hox
Reposted by Chris Lovegrove 💙📚
A review of 'The Year of the Hare' by Arto Paasilinna ('Jäniksen vuosi', 1975)
translated by Herbert Lomas. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-hare
translated by Herbert Lomas. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-hare
Trickster: #NordicFINDS
‘Young Hare’ (‘Feldhase’ 1502) watercolour by Albrecht Dürer. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna. Jäniksen vuosi (1975) translated by Herbert Lomas. Peter Owen, 2006 (2…
wp.me
January 27, 2026 at 8:40 AM
A review of 'The Year of the Hare' by Arto Paasilinna ('Jäniksen vuosi', 1975)
translated by Herbert Lomas. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-hare
translated by Herbert Lomas. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-hare
Reposted by Chris Lovegrove 💙📚
'Pecuniary pastor': an octave poem ridiculing televangelists who promote prosperity theology. wp.me/p4H9zI-Av
Pecuniary pastor
Hallelujah! screamed the pastor while he totted up the cash. As spittle flew and Amen! sounded, Praise the Lord! and Yea! resounded, phrases pat and manners brash assured his worthy congregation th…
wp.me
January 31, 2026 at 1:44 PM
'Pecuniary pastor': an octave poem ridiculing televangelists who promote prosperity theology. wp.me/p4H9zI-Av
'Pecuniary pastor': an octave poem ridiculing televangelists who promote prosperity theology. wp.me/p4H9zI-Av
Pecuniary pastor
Hallelujah! screamed the pastor while he totted up the cash. As spittle flew and Amen! sounded, Praise the Lord! and Yea! resounded, phrases pat and manners brash assured his worthy congregation th…
wp.me
January 31, 2026 at 1:44 PM
'Pecuniary pastor': an octave poem ridiculing televangelists who promote prosperity theology. wp.me/p4H9zI-Av
"Same sex sexual behaviour in primates may be a survival strategy and part of the evolutionary fabric." www.livescience.com/animals/land...
'Part of the evolutionary fabric of our societies': Same-sex sexual behavior in primates may be a survival strategy, study finds
A new study comparing 59 species of primates linked same-sex sexual behavior to scarce resources and more predators in socially complex species. The findings show diverse sexual behaviors are common —...
www.livescience.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:19 PM
"Same sex sexual behaviour in primates may be a survival strategy and part of the evolutionary fabric." www.livescience.com/animals/land...
A review of 'The Year of the Hare' by Arto Paasilinna ('Jäniksen vuosi', 1975)
translated by Herbert Lomas. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-hare
translated by Herbert Lomas. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-hare
Trickster: #NordicFINDS
‘Young Hare’ (‘Feldhase’ 1502) watercolour by Albrecht Dürer. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna. Jäniksen vuosi (1975) translated by Herbert Lomas. Peter Owen, 2006 (2…
wp.me
January 27, 2026 at 8:40 AM
A review of 'The Year of the Hare' by Arto Paasilinna ('Jäniksen vuosi', 1975)
translated by Herbert Lomas. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-hare
translated by Herbert Lomas. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-hare
#SuellaBraverman told Reform supporters: "Britain is indeed broken. She is suffering. She is not well. Immigration is out of control. Our public services are on their knees. People don't feel safe." What?! Who broke Britain? Labour after less than two years or Tories over 14? #ToryRats.
January 26, 2026 at 1:20 PM
#SuellaBraverman told Reform supporters: "Britain is indeed broken. She is suffering. She is not well. Immigration is out of control. Our public services are on their knees. People don't feel safe." What?! Who broke Britain? Labour after less than two years or Tories over 14? #ToryRats.
'The Housekeeper and the Professor' by #YōkoOgawa.
('Hakase no ai shita süshiki' / ‘The Professor’s Beloved Equation’ 2003
translated by Stephen Snyder) reviewed for #JapaneseLitMonth19 #Booksky
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/j...
('Hakase no ai shita süshiki' / ‘The Professor’s Beloved Equation’ 2003
translated by Stephen Snyder) reviewed for #JapaneseLitMonth19 #Booksky
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/j...
I prefer pi: #JapaneseLitChallenge19
© C A Lovegrove. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa. Hakase no ai shita suushiki (2003), ‘The Professor’s Beloved Equation’ translated by Stephen Snyder (20…
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com
January 24, 2026 at 8:48 AM
'The Housekeeper and the Professor' by #YōkoOgawa.
('Hakase no ai shita süshiki' / ‘The Professor’s Beloved Equation’ 2003
translated by Stephen Snyder) reviewed for #JapaneseLitMonth19 #Booksky
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/j...
('Hakase no ai shita süshiki' / ‘The Professor’s Beloved Equation’ 2003
translated by Stephen Snyder) reviewed for #JapaneseLitMonth19 #Booksky
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/j...
My review of 'The Pale Horse' by #AgathaChristie to mark the 50th anniversary of Christie's death in January 1976. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-pale
Weird Sisters
‘Death on a Battlefield’ (detail from ‘Les cinq Morts’ series, 1646-7) by Stefano della Bella. The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2017 (1961). ̶…
wp.me
January 21, 2026 at 9:28 AM
My review of 'The Pale Horse' by #AgathaChristie to mark the 50th anniversary of Christie's death in January 1976. #Booksky wp.me/sezD85-pale
The faculty of imagination: Some discussion on @philippullmanreal.bsky.social's The Book of Dust, with particular reference to 'The Rose Field'. #Bookthreads wp.me/sezD85-lop
The faculty of imagination: #TheBookOfDust
Map of Lyra’s Oxford, with a globe showing the Eurasian landmass. © C A Lovegrove. “No; we have other ways of travelling.” “The way you have,” Lyra said, “…
wp.me
January 18, 2026 at 9:46 AM
The faculty of imagination: Some discussion on @philippullmanreal.bsky.social's The Book of Dust, with particular reference to 'The Rose Field'. #Bookthreads wp.me/sezD85-lop
A review of 'The Blazing World' by Margaret Cavendish (1666).
#VintageSciFiMonth #SpeccyFicChal #Booksky
wp.me/sezD85-blaz
#VintageSciFiMonth #SpeccyFicChal #Booksky
wp.me/sezD85-blaz
Interpret as you please: #VintageSciFiMonth
From Athanasius Kircher’s Mundus Subterraneanus (1665). The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish. Penguin Archive, 2025 (1666). What, said the Empress, can any mortal be a creator? Yes, answer…
wp.me
January 15, 2026 at 8:42 AM
A review of 'The Blazing World' by Margaret Cavendish (1666).
#VintageSciFiMonth #SpeccyFicChal #Booksky
wp.me/sezD85-blaz
#VintageSciFiMonth #SpeccyFicChal #Booksky
wp.me/sezD85-blaz
Reposted by Chris Lovegrove 💙📚
bookjotter.com/2026/01/12/tove-telegraph-tovetrove/ #ToveTrove #ToveJansson #Books #Reading @calmgrove.bsky.social
Tove Telegraph #ToveTrove
In another, hopefully useful, addition to my Tove Trove project, I bring you the latest insights, publication announcements and critical perspectives from the ever‑inspiring world of Tove Jansson&#…
bookjotter.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:29 AM
A post to mark the 50th anniversary today of the death of #AgathaChristie, focusing on her fictional self Ariadne Oliver. #Booksky
wp.me/sezD85-rip
wp.me/sezD85-rip
The Ariadne Oliver enigma
‘Woman in a Blue Cloche Hat’ (1930) by Edouard Vuillard. On this day fifty years ago the celebrated crime writer Ariadne Oliver departed this life. Her books have long been out of print…
wp.me
January 12, 2026 at 4:28 PM
A post to mark the 50th anniversary today of the death of #AgathaChristie, focusing on her fictional self Ariadne Oliver. #Booksky
wp.me/sezD85-rip
wp.me/sezD85-rip
My review of 'Fair Play' by Tove Jansson ('Rent spel' 1989, translated by Thomas Teal) for #NordicFINDS.
#Booksky
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/09/n...
#Booksky
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/09/n...
“Rather happy tales”: #NordicFINDS
A young Tove Jansson in her studio. Fair Play by Tove Jansson. Rent spel (1989) translated by Thomas Teal, introduction by Ali Smith. Sort Of Books, 2007. “[A] novel of friendship, of rather …
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:16 AM
My review of 'Fair Play' by Tove Jansson ('Rent spel' 1989, translated by Thomas Teal) for #NordicFINDS.
#Booksky
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/09/n...
#Booksky
calmgrovebooks.wordpress.com/2026/01/09/n...
If you know, you know. All together now ...
January 8, 2026 at 5:27 PM
If you know, you know. All together now ...
Reposted by Chris Lovegrove 💙📚
On the Ramblings today - my thoughts on a wonderful book about books by Lucy Mangan! kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2026/01/08/a...
“A book is shared humanity…” #bookish #lucymangan
When you’re left with a massive book hangover, like I was after finishing the Proust, it can be very hard to move on to new reading, and I admit I struggled a bit. I usually go for GA crime i…
kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:15 AM
On the Ramblings today - my thoughts on a wonderful book about books by Lucy Mangan! kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2026/01/08/a...
Reposted by Chris Lovegrove 💙📚
🔴 NEW - Farage accepted £10k in gifts from the Abu Dhabi government.
The UAE is a petrostate and Farage is a climate science denier leading a pro-oil party...
The UAE is a petrostate and Farage is a climate science denier leading a pro-oil party...
Nigel Farage Accepted £10,000 Gifts from Petrostate
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage received freebies worth £10,000 from the Abu Dhabi government, new records show. Farage’s latest register of interests shows that he accepted flights and accommodation to...
www.desmog.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:16 AM
🔴 NEW - Farage accepted £10k in gifts from the Abu Dhabi government.
The UAE is a petrostate and Farage is a climate science denier leading a pro-oil party...
The UAE is a petrostate and Farage is a climate science denier leading a pro-oil party...
My review of #emilystjohnmandel's début novel 'Last Night in Montreal' (2009). #Booksky wp.me/pezD85-YN
“Yet a stranger in the world”
© C A Lovegrove. Last Night in Montreal by Emily St John Mandel. Picador, 2015 (2009). ‘Stop looking for me. I’m not missing; I do not want to be found. I wish to remain vanishing. I do…
wp.me
January 6, 2026 at 8:33 AM
My review of #emilystjohnmandel's début novel 'Last Night in Montreal' (2009). #Booksky wp.me/pezD85-YN