Latest news with #Book
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Retired police officer K Jayanth Murali earns a spot in the India Book of Records 2026
Retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer K Jayanth Murali has earned a place in the India Book of Records 2026 for the maximum number of marathons completed by an individual. 'At the age of 60, he etched his name into history by completing 159 marathons (21 full marathons and 138 halfmarathons) between January 2022 and March 2025,' states the chronicler of records. 'Running is not about speed or finish lines. It's about awakening the strength within. Every marathon taught me that the finish line is just the beginning of what's possible,' says the former Director General of Police, who was in theTamil Nadu Police force for over three decades, from 1991 to 2022. The India Book of Records states that each marathon was a testament to Jayanth Murali's discipline. 'His accomplishment is not just about numbers; it's a powerful message to the world that age is no barrier to setting new goals and achieving greatness,' they say. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai The former IPS officer's passion for running is also said to have a deeper cause. 'In 2018 and 2019, he wasrecognised in both the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records for marathons he ran to promote organ donation in collaboration with the Mohan Foundation,' they add. Furthermore, Murali has authored eight books. His works include Enkindling theEndorphins of Endurance (English) and Marathon (Tamil), which explore the spirit of running. 'His latest books are Quantum Creation and Chasing the Lost Gods, which chronicle his tenure as chief of the Idol Wing and his work in preserving India's cultural heritage,' they state.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Book Club: Let's Talk About ‘The Catch,' by Yrsa Daley-Ward
In this month's installment of the Book Review Book Club, we're discussing 'The Catch,' the debut novel by the poet and memoirist Yrsa Daley-Ward. The book is a psychological thriller that follows semi-estranged twin sisters, Clara and Dempsey, who were babies when their mother was presumed to have drowned in the Thames. The novel begins decades later, when Clara sees something strange: A woman who looks just like their mother is stealing a watch. Clara believes this is her mother, and wants to welcome her back into her life. Dempsey is less certain, in part because the woman doesn't seem to have aged a day. She believes the woman is a con artist because it's simply not possible for her to be their mother … right? What's real? What's not? And what does that mean for the lives of these struggling sisters? Daley-Ward unpacks it all in her deliciously slippery novel. On this episode, the Book Club host MJ Franklin talks about 'The Catch' with his colleagues Jennifer Harlan and Sadie Stein. Other books mentioned in this week's episode: 'The Other Black Girl,' by Zakiya Dalila Harris 'The Haunting of Hill House,' by Shirley Jackson 'Wish Her Safe at Home,' by Stephen Benatar 'Erasure,' by Percival Everett (you can listen to our book club conversation about it here) 'Playworld,' by Adam Ross (you can listen to our book club conversation about it here) 'The House on the Strand,' by Daphne du Maurier 'Grief Is the Thing With Feathers,' by Max Porter 'The Furrows,' by Namwali Serpell 'Dead in Long Beach, California,' by Venita Blackburn 'The Vanishing Half,' by Brit Bennett 'Death Takes Me,' by Cristina Rivera Garza 'Audition,' by Katie Kitamura We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review's podcast in general. You can send them to books@
Sydney Morning Herald
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Bookish review: Mark Gatiss is brilliant in this series - just don't call it cosy crime
Many a fictional detective has an extracurricular talent that feeds into their work; Sherlock Holmes and his violin; Inspector Morse and his crossword skills; Columbo's fluency in several languages. In Mark Gatiss' new crime series Bookish, the co-creator and co-writer of Sherlock stars as Gabriel Book, for whom the detective work is the extracurricular talent. Mark Gatiss as the eccentric Gabriel Bookl in Bookish. Credit: © Toon Aerts Book is an eccentric antiquarian bookshop owner who is also adept at solving mysteries. He draws on his encyclopaedic literary knowledge to help figure out motives, methods and the psychology behind all manner of crimes. Book regularly helps out the local police, led by the affable Inspector Bliss (Elliot Levey), and if anybody queries his involvement, he tells them he 'has a letter from Churchill'. (A bit like Doctor Who's psychic paper, the mere mention of it seems to satisfy anybody who asks). Bookish is set in London in 1946, a less common setting for period drama; Gatiss, a long-time detective fan (as well as Sherlock he has adapted several of Agatha Christie's Poirot stories for British TV, and starred in the series Marple), has said it's a favourite time period of his, given the state of the world: women suddenly empowered (although expected to return to their kitchens), lots of weapons brought back by soldiers, a radical government, and a sense of hope. But no shortage of criminal activity. Gatiss with his 'wife' Trottie (Polly Walker). Credit: Max We first meet Book when a young man, Jack (Connor Finch), freshly released from prison, shows up for a job he's been given at the bookshop. Jack moves in with Book and his wife Trottie (Bridgerton's Polly Walker), who runs a specialty wallpaper shop next door to the bookshop. Gabriel and Trottie seem very much in love – but they have a secret: theirs is a 'lavender marriage', the term given to a marriage where one or both parties are gay, when such a thing is illegal. The pair have long been best friends, having met as children, and Trottie is aware of Book's 'proclivities', which must be kept secret. Especially from the police he spends so much time with. Jack is initially daunted by both Book and his books (all of which are 'catalogued' in a manner as oddball as the man himself), and understandably baffled that the local coppers defer to Book on criminal matters. But he soon comes around – and learns that he hasn't been taken in by the couple by coincidence.
Sydney Morning Herald
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Mark Gatiss is brilliant in this series – just don't call it cosy crime
Bookish ★★★★ Many a fictional detective has an extracurricular talent that feeds into their work; Sherlock Holmes and his violin; Inspector Morse and his crossword skills; Columbo's fluency in several languages. In Mark Gatiss' new crime series Bookish, the co-creator and co-writer of Sherlock stars as Gabriel Book, for whom the detective work is the extracurricular talent. Book is an eccentric antiquarian bookshop owner who is also adept at solving mysteries. He draws on his encyclopaedic literary knowledge to help figure out motives, methods and the psychology behind all manner of crimes. Book regularly helps out the local police, led by the affable Inspector Bliss (Elliot Levey), and if anybody queries his involvement, he tells them he 'has a letter from Churchill'. (A bit like Doctor Who's psychic paper, the mere mention of it seems to satisfy anybody who asks). Bookish is set in London in 1946, a less common setting for period drama; Gatiss, a long-time detective fan (as well as Sherlock he has adapted several of Agatha Christie's Poirot stories for British TV, and starred in the series Marple), has said it's a favourite time period of his, given the state of the world: women suddenly empowered (although expected to return to their kitchens), lots of weapons brought back by soldiers, a radical government, and a sense of hope. But no shortage of criminal activity. We first meet Book when a young man, Jack (Connor Finch), freshly released from prison, shows up for a job he's been given at the bookshop. Jack moves in with Book and his wife Trottie (Bridgerton 's Polly Walker), who runs a specialty wallpaper shop next door to the bookshop. Gabriel and Trottie seem very much in love – but they have a secret: theirs is a 'lavender marriage', the term given to a marriage where one or both parties are gay, when such a thing is illegal. The pair have long been best friends, having met as children, and Trottie is aware of Book's 'proclivities', which must be kept secret. Especially from the police he spends so much time with. Jack is initially daunted by both Book and his books (all of which are 'catalogued' in a manner as oddball as the man himself), and understandably baffled that the local coppers defer to Book on criminal matters. But he soon comes around – and learns that he hasn't been taken in by the couple by coincidence.
7NEWS
19-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- 7NEWS
Can this $1 house design help solve the Australian housing crisis?
When you think of the great Australian dream, it's likely you picture a freestanding house. But as governments look to boost the amount of homes available, new visions of what that dream could look like are diversifying. This week, the NSW government launched the NSW Pattern Book of low and mid-rise designs, alongside an accelerated planning pathway, designed to speed up the delivery of new homes significantly. And for a limited time these designs are available for a mere $1. "This Pattern Book is about giving people more choice, faster approvals, and affordable, high-qualityhomes-whether you're a young person trying to get in, a family needing more space, or a downsized looking to stay close to the community you know," NSW Premier Chris Minns said at the launch. The scheme seems to me to have all the building blocks, pardon the pun, to get Australians on board with a dwelling style that is higher density, but still fits into our suburban dream. All up there are three styles of residential buildings that are available in the eight designs approved by the government architect. They are townhouses, terraces and manorhouses. What's old is new again While townhouses and terraces are easily recognised styles, the manor house is an interesting concept. Conrad Johnston, the director of architecture firm Studio Johnston, which created one of the selected manor house designs, said that they took inspiration from a style of unit blocks that already exist. "Our design reimagines the classic 'four- or six-pack' apartment buildings of the Interwar period with modern living standards and sustainability," Mr Johnston said. Manor Homes are just two storeys and contain four apartments. It seeks to be the answer to the "missing middle" - the shortfall of low and mid-rise housing options that sit between the typical detached house and high-rise apartments, according to Mr Johnson. While this is a particularly acute issue in major capital cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, it is also very much a concern for major centres and regional cities such as Newcastle and Wollongong in NSW and Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria. "Many people want to live in well-connected suburbs, close to jobs and services, but the traditional suburban model just isn't sustainable at our current densities," Mr Johnston says. "Manor Homes 01 is about adding gentle density and creating homes that people genuinely want to live in." Why I know this works Full disclosure here, I live in one of those six-pack style inter-war apartment blocks that Mr Johnston refers to, and the advantages of this scale of building are not lost on me. My street is a mix of freestanding homes, along with these smaller apartment blocks, and they do not jar or overwhelm, but sit harmoniously together. Similar to the suburban property that so many of us are familiar with, there is a dedicated front and back yard. Loading content... Yes these garden areas are shared but that leads to beautiful shared moments. For example children from different apartments meeting together to play in their backyard. That garden is also a great common area for people to host family and friends in the barbecue and dining area, giving them access to a large suburban-sized yard. The smaller number of apartments in a human-sized block creates a strong sense of community with residents, while also allowing privacy. Admittedly, these original apartments lack somewhat in capturing light and airflow, for example. However, a few key renovation fixes that. A modern approach The manor houses available n the pattern book, including Manor Homes 01 have been designed to prioritise sustainability and provide good access to sunlight and clean air. Passive solar design, cross-ventilation, daylight access, sun-shading and the potential for rooftop solar panels are all at the forefront. Efficient planning and simple construction systems help to contain costs, ensuring the design remains an achievable solution for diverse sites and developers. "Our goal was to create a pattern that's elegant, liveable, and replicable," Johnston explains. They are also designed to fit in with various streetscapes with flexibility in material choices,colour palettes, and dwelling mixes. Making it happen While the concept of these new home designs is good, making sure they are taken up and therefore increase housing supply, delivery is important. For the first six months, the NSW government is significantly subsidising access to these designs with each pattern being made available to everyone for $1 per pattern. After that time they will still be available at a very reasonable $1000 a design. The price for each design is a significant discount on the professional fees that potential builders or homeowners would usually pay for a custom architecturally designed home. That could be estimated to cost over $20,000. Every purchase of a design, also comes with a complimentary Landscape Pattern to help new home-owners design their own garden that maximises biodiversity and suits the climate they're living in. Most importantly a new ten-day approval pathway has been developed by the NSW Government alongside the Pattern Book to fast-track these high-quality homes, cutting major costs and delays that normally plague home-builders. It is designs like these that might help us rethink the great Australian dream.
