Philosophy (minus the head-scratching)

A friend who works for publishing house Gallic was kind enough to send me a selection of books a couple of weeks ago. And since starting the first one I have not been disappointed. Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord is a joyous little page turner. A novella, it documents the title-mentioned protagonist's journey to discover what results in personal contentment. He goes via strip clubs and prostitutes to get there accompanied by a selection of rather unhappy companions and after each event he deduces how happiness and unhappiness were derived from the situation. Now, I know this sounds like it would be the most tedious piece of pseudo-philosophy but it is actually incredibly charming and quite enlightening. I love Hector - he's not trying to be clever, just content. Like all of Gallic's books, this is a translation from its original French and I have to say c'est tres super.

Clarisonic: The saviour of a summer-ravaged face

I've been getting into electrical beauty this summer, basically because spending so much time in fields without showers and an increasingly relaxed attitude to drinking during the day is taking its toll. Mainly on my face. This does not please me. Enter the Clarisonic. This machine is a wonder, it is a chargeable device with a brush-like head that you massage your face with for approximately two minutes in the morning and/or evening. All you need to do is distribute a small amount of the Clarisonic cleanser on the head with a little bit of warm water and off you go. Smoother, post-facial-like skin in minutes.

A secret worth sharing...

On a stroll through Brixton this week, my friend Francesca and I found this amazing cafe - directly across the road from Brixton Bookmongers (excellent second-hand book shop with a very friendly dog).

Burning Bread sells wholesome food and a variety of organic ciders in relaxed and pretty setting. And best of all - it is really, really affordable.

We both had Spanish tortilla which came with a huge salad and two pieces of toast and two glasses of still cider. The bill came to about £12. As festivals appear to be bankrupting me this summer, this delights me to no end. I wouldn't normally write about food, etc, but Burning Bread is a secret worth sharing...

Tarting up while you travel

When I was a little girl all of our holiday destinations were reached by car or bus. The first holiday I ever went on was in 1991 when I was eight. We went to a caravan in Maybole, Ayr (see above – beautiful beach) in my mum’s navy blue Mini and entertained ourselves on the journey by wailing along to our favourite cassettes. At that point, we were really into soundtracks.

Take Me To The River from The Commitments (“You stole my money, and my cigarettes!”) was a particular favourite as was It Must Have Been Love by Roxette from the Pretty Woman tape. These days, holiday travel for me is extra time to do all the things I didn’t do  prior to setting off. As my family/boyfriend/friends will testify, for me journey time is along about the nails. Because some people get funny about varnish on their seats, if you are also in the habit of tarting-up while travelling, you need OPI’s Drip Dry Drops. After painting your nails, use the pipette to squeeze a couple of drops on each nail and in less than five minutes, hey presto, they are dry. Summer magic.

A bookish man

This is Harvey Nichols's latest window exhibition at its London store. The concept behind the display is making everyday items less like background material and more visible to the accustomed eye. Interesting...

Two minute book reviews from London is Funny

The cackle-inducing Dan Antopolski and Andrew Lawrence previewed new stand-up shows ahead of their Edinburgh Festival airing next month at a marvellous London Is Funny event in Brixton last night. Compered by Johnny Freeman, pictured with the two comedians, it was a night of new material that included a rap about a laser and why people with pale skin shouldn't go to Australia...

Dan Antopolski (pictured, right) will be at the Pleasance Ace Dome from August 6-30 with his show Turn of the Century. He is reading Another Country by James Baldwin. He said: "It's a fantastic book about jazz musicians, I absolutely love it."
Johnny is reading An Apology for Idlers by Robert Louis Stevenson. He said: "It's just a little book but the irony is my own laziness is stopping me from finishing it."

Andrew Lawrence (pictured, right) will be at the Pleasance Courtyard with his show The Too Ugly For Television Tour from August 4-29. He is reading a book on modern history. He said: "It's fine, maybe it's alright."