Book review blog site, with some entertainment material from time-to-time.
Tuesday, 17 February 2026
That's Food and Drink: The Beefy Boys Fire Up Summer 2026 With New Book '...
That's Food and Drink: The Beefy Boys Fire Up Summer 2026 With New Book '...: The Beefy Boys have announced they are to release their second cookbook this summer. The Beefy Boys' Great British BBQ will be released ...
Legacy Youth Zone, Croydon Appoints DJ Semtex as Music Ambassador
As Music Ambassador, DJ Semtex will support Legacy Youth Zone’s growing creative and music programmes, helping to inspire young people through mentorship, industry insight, and advocacy.
His involvement marks a significant milestone for the Youth Zone, which has become a vibrant hub for emerging artists, producers, lyricists, and songwriters.
DJ Semtex brings decades of experience at the forefront of British music culture, having played a pivotal role in championing UK talent on both national and international stages. His passion for youth development and authentic creative expression aligns strongly with Legacy Youth Zone’s mission to provide young people with access to opportunities, resources, and safe spaces to explore their potential.
Legacy Youth Zone has been supported by funding from Sony Music UK’s award-winning Social Justice Fund, an extension of Sony Music Group’s $100m global initiative whose mission is to tackle injustice and racism by empowering organisations that drive social change. DJ Semtex is also a founding member of the UK Social Justice Fund.
Speaking on his new role, DJ Semtex told That's Books and More: "The Legacy Youth Zone is an amazing home to Croydon's emerging artist community. It is truly inspiring to see the next generation of lyricists, songwriters, and producers working together to create genre-defining music.
"It's important we give these young creatives the necessary support, guidance, and direction that they deserve. All of these artists have the potential to be the next Dave, Raye, or Olivia Dean, British artists who have an immense global impact."
Legacy Youth Zone offers state-of-the-art creative facilities, including music studios and performance spaces, designed to empower young people aged 8-19 or up to 25 with additional needs to develop their skills and confidence. The appointment of DJ Semtex further strengthens the Youth Zone’s ambition to bridge the gap between grassroots talent and the creative industries.
Myke Catterall, CEO of Legacy Youth Zone, added: “We are obviously incredibly excited to have someone with such a unique insight into the music industry.
"Since we first began working with DJ Semtex in November, he has been a passionate champion of our young people, offering mentorship, radio support, and always making himself approachable and available. We’re really looking forward to what this partnership will bring over the coming years.”
This partnership signals an exciting new chapter for Legacy Youth Zone as it continues to champion creativity, inclusion, and opportunity for young people.
London-based film company MSC has formally labelled its films as “No AI Used” at this year's EFM
A London-based film company MSC has formally label its films as “No AI Used” at this years EFM, launching a new initiative that challenges the film industry to draw a clear line between human authorship and machine-generated content.
At this year’s European Film Market in Berlin, The Mise En Scene Company (MSC) unveiled the label across its entire market slate marking the first time any sales company, distributor, or studio has publicly certified that AI was not used at any stage of development or production.
The initiative is being launched in one of the most visible locations at the market: two large billboards in Potsdamer Platz advertising MSC’s lead titles, Forelock (starring David Krumholtz) and Billy Knight (starring Al Pacino & Charlie Heaton). Both prominently display the “No AI Used” label.
According to MSC, the goal is not to oppose technology, but to protect human authorship as a cultural and economic category at a moment when AI-generated content is flooding creative industries.
“We’re entering a tectonic shift,” the company’s CEO Paul Yates told That's Books and More.
“Human artistry is about to become more valuable and more vulnerable than ever. If we don’t define it, label it, and protect it, it will simply disappear into the noise.”
The company says the initiative was inspired by UK filmmaker and digital rights advocate Baroness Beeban Kidron, as well as the Human Artistry ‘Stealing Isn’t Innovation’ campaign, both of which have criticised government approaches to copyright and AI training.
MSC is now calling on all film companies, festivals, and governments to work toward a centralised, internationally recognised certification system for human-made cultural works, similar to organic food or fair-trade labelling, so audiences can know when what they are watching was made without generative AI.
“The dominant AI narrative is about speed and cost, half the time, half the price,” the CEO said. “That logic turns art into churn. Film has to define itself as the opposite of that, or it loses its soul and its economic power.”
However, the company makes it clear that it is not anti-AI.
“We support AI as a tool,” the CEO added. “But we believe it’s essential to clearly distinguish AI-generated material from human expression.
"Without clear labelling and standards, we risk being overwhelmed by a flood of synthetic culture. A24 was right to add it into the credits but we believe we need to take this idea further.”
Dr Alessandro Spano, Legal Expert in Ciber Law, AI and Innovation, King’s College London & CityUHK commented on the move stating: “The relationship between human intelligence and artifical intelligence in the creative industries reminds me of the Schrödinger's cat story. It really is a paradox. Is the cat dead or alive? It is both. It is a measurement problem.
Is human intelligence in the creative sector dead or alive? It is both. It is another paradox. It is another measurement problem. With the 'No AI Used' initiative, Paul Yates’ The Mise en Scène Company is pioneering this debate.”
MSC has begun discussions with other international partners about expanding the label beyond film into publishing, music, and visual art.
Monday, 16 February 2026
Want to Know How? Ask Karen!
Internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher, healer and performer Karen Ruimy announces the release of her new book, Ask Karen the Series, a powerful companion for anyone navigating the mysteries of romantic love, soulmates, twin flames, and spiritual partnership.
Drawing on years of deep spiritual work and thousands of heartfelt questions from her weekly Instagram Lives, spiritual guide Karen Ruimy reframes romantic love not as a distraction or indulgence, but as one of the most sacred and transformational experiences available to us in this lifetime.
“Romantic love can elevate us, crack us open, and mirror our deepest wounds,” says Karen. “It is here to awaken us. Love is a sacred mirror, revealing not only our current energetic vibration but the deeper desires of our own soul path.”
Love as a Sacred Mirror
Ask Karen - the Series invites readers to see romantic love as a soul call - a profound yearning not simply for “the other,” but for a return to wholeness within themselves.
Within the book Karen explores how love exposes our ego patterns, fears, and standards, illuminates where we still seek external validation or rescue and encourages us to reclaim our power through self-love and inner healing.
While many of us pour our longing into the search for a partner, Karen offers a radical reframe: true fulfilment does not come from being chosen, but from choosing yourself - again and again.
“Love is sacred, union is a mirror, and being seen in your wholeness by another is one of the most beautiful, brave human experiences we will ever know,” Karen writes. “But it must begin within.”
Redesigning the Matrix of Love
The book gently guides readers to “rewire the matrix” of their romantic life through deep, reflective inquiry. Karen invites readers to ask:
- Who am I when I’m not trying to be loved?
- What is my soul guiding me towards?
- What does my inner child still long to hear?
- Where do I ache for my own tenderness?
- What am I still waiting for someone else to fix or fill?
These questions, she explains, are not quick fixes, but lifelong gateways into authentic self-connection. When we commit to our own healing and say yes to self-love, life begins to meet us with partners, mirrors, and soul companions who honour who we truly are.
A Soul Space, Not Just a Book
Born from countless real-life questions - “How do I find love? How do I trust it? How do I heal when it ends? How do I know if someone is “the one”?” Ask Karen: The Series is both a response and a refuge.
Karen describes the book as “a conversation with you - a safe space, a soul space.”
She speaks not as a distant guru, but as a teacher and friend who has walked the path of love, loss, and transformation herself.Within its pages, readers will explore heartbreak and soulmates, twin flames and divine timing, energetic communication, karmic ties, what it means to be in a true spiritual partnership and the deeper purpose of romantic love.
At its core, the book carries one central message: Love is not a distraction from your spiritual path - love is the spiritual path.
To receive your copy of Ask Karen you can purchase now for £8.99.
Sunday, 15 February 2026
Finding Good Independent Bookshops: Why They Matter and How to Discover Them
The sense that every title has been chosen with care, not just shipped in bulk.
For That’s Books and More, let’s explore why independent bookshops deserve our support – and how to find the very best ones.
Why Independent Bookshops Still Matter
In an age of algorithms and one-click ordering, independent bookshops offer something refreshingly human.
1. Curated, Not Calculated
Unlike large online retailers, indie bookshops are built around taste, knowledge and passion. Staff recommendations aren’t based on browsing history – they’re based on genuine enthusiasm and years of reading.
2. Community Hubs
Many independents host author events, reading groups, children’s story sessions and local launches. From talks at Daunt Books to community evenings at Mr B’s Emporium, these spaces foster real connections between readers and writers.
3. Championing New and Local Voices
Independent bookshops are far more likely to spotlight small presses, debut authors and regional writers. If you want to discover something beyond the bestseller charts, this is where to look.
How to Find a Great Independent Bookshop
Use National Directories
In the UK, The Booksellers Association runs the Bookshop.org platform, which helps readers support independent shops with online purchases. Meanwhile, Independent Bookshop Week celebrates and promotes indie bookshops nationwide each year.
Explore Your Local High Street
Some of the best bookshops aren’t flashy – they’re tucked between a bakery and a charity shop. Look for:
Staff recommendation shelves
Well-organised but personality-filled displays
Local interest sections
Noticeboards packed with community events
Follow Bookshops on Social Media
Many independents are brilliant at sharing reading lists, event announcements and staff picks online. It’s an easy way to see whether their style suits yours before visiting.
Travel for the Experience
If you’re visiting another town or city, seek out its best indie bookshop. Shops such as The Grove Bookshop in Devon or Barter Books in Northumberland are destinations in their own right.
What Makes an Independent Bookshop “Good”?
A truly good independent bookshop often has:
Knowledgeable, approachable staff
Carefully chosen stock rather than overwhelming quantity
Comfortable browsing space
Events and reader engagement
A sense of identity
Some specialise in crime fiction. Others focus on travel, art, children’s literature or second-hand treasures. The key is authenticity.
The Joy of the Unexpected Find
Online shopping is efficient. Independent bookshops are serendipitous.
You might walk in looking for one title and leave with three you never knew you needed. That unexpected discovery – a novel you’ve never heard of, a forgotten classic, a local history gem – is part of the experience.
And when a bookseller presses a title into your hands and says, “Trust me,” you often end up discovering your next favourite author.
Why Supporting Independent Bookshops Matters
Buying from an independent shop keeps money circulating locally. It supports high streets. It helps preserve cultural spaces in our towns and cities.
In a world that often feels increasingly digital and distant, independent bookshops remind us that reading is still a shared, human experience.
So next time you’re looking for your next read, skip the algorithm. Step inside an independent bookshop instead.
You might just find more than a book.
Friday, 13 February 2026
More Steam Trains at Chester Station
This time it is the preserved steam hauled train The Irish Mail.
Again I recorded the video whilst waiting for a connecting Transport For Wales Train from Chester to the West Midlands, having just alighted from a Merseyrail metro train on platform 7, which is the only platform at Chester with an electric line, being a third rail powered line.
Thursday, 12 February 2026
A Steam Train in Chester
During my commutes to and from Liverpool to the West Midlands I use a slightly convoluted, but shorter, train journey which involves travelling via Chester and then using the Metro to Liverpool which is Liverpool's very own underground railway service which goes under the River Mersey and direct in the heart of Liverpool's iconic city centre.
There's often a fairly lengthy wait at Chester for a connecting service to the West Midlands. However, there's often a good deal of steam trains passing through Chester station and I have made videos of those steam trains.
I was watching a steam train video on YouTube the other day when I thought: "Wait a minute! I have a number of steam train videos that I recorded at Chester station. And as I also have a YouTube channel, why not upload those videos to my channel?"
And this is what I have started to do from today onward. I hope you enjoy this short example of British steam train nostalgia.
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