September 2009 Archives

By day I am a hard-nosed journalist, trotting the streets of Liverpool to sniff out the news the people in this city demand to read.

By night I am a 6ft chicken  - frightened of horror films, the dark, roller coasters, sky diving, spiders and generally all things not wrapped in cotton wool.

In short, over cautious about fairly mundane things.

For that I am happy to blame my childhood. Or more, specifically, my childhood reading...

Do you remember I had to abandon The Book of Lost Things to finish Tuesdays With Morrie in time for the latest meeting of our book club?

Well I managed it with at least an hour to spare - meaning I wasn't forever cast into Coventry and was able to at least nibble at the brie (ha!) and chuck in my thoughts on the book as we went along.

Still, I wasn't a huge fan of this one..

Do you remember the storm created when Tesco launched its pole dancing kit for young girls?

What about the news a trendy young designer had started producing thongs for 10-year-olds?

What, if anything, does this have to do with child sex trafficking in Asia?

Here Liverpool Daily Post and ECHO intern Charlie Byrne reviews feminist professor M G Durham's take on the matter...

Many of you will have seen Dawn Porter presenting various programmes on Channel 4 - everything from Dawn Porter: Mail Order Bride to Dawn Porter: Geisha Girl.

You may not know Dawn studied at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) before going on to start work for the Beeb.

Here Liverpool Daily Post and ECHO intern Michele Wilson reviews her book 'Diaries of an Internet Lover'...

It's always nice to receive a present - particularly one you're not expecting.

But when the boyfriend bought me a copy of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall recently I have to say I gave a small, inward groan.

Yes, I've heard it's fabulous. Yes, I am extremely fond of the Tudor dynasty - what with my A-Level in history and my box set of the HBO series.

But... have you seen the size of it?

I sighed when I closed the final page of this book.

I was addicted, absorbed and exhausted. Shocked but horribly enlightened.

The first line in this book is "Dear Osama" and the last is "WITH INCREDIBLE NOISE AND FURY"

So what of the inbetween?

I've been a journalist exactly five years now and if this profession has altered me at all - it's made me less able to cry, particularly when it comes to books and films.

So it always comes as a surprise - and I'll admit an unwelcome one - when I get that lump in the throat.

I read The Five People You Meet In Heaven this weekend - I'd heard such good things about it I couldn't resist grabbing it half price in a popular supermarket...