You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
231 reviews for:
Between the Stops: The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus
Sandi Toksvig
4.32 AVERAGE
231 reviews for:
Between the Stops: The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus
Sandi Toksvig
4.32 AVERAGE
“Mostly it was women looking out for each other, and all around was that tell-tale sound of a female gathering – laughter. So many smiles and so much laughter.”
probably my favourite memoir i have ever read. i love sandi toksvig very much anyway but i liked the format and all of the women’s history she shared (also never know she co-founded the women’s equality party?!). i definitely did shed a tear or two when she was talking about being a lesbian and coming out. she will forever be one of my biggest inspirations<3. will miss listening to her voice while pottering about.
probably my favourite memoir i have ever read. i love sandi toksvig very much anyway but i liked the format and all of the women’s history she shared (also never know she co-founded the women’s equality party?!). i definitely did shed a tear or two when she was talking about being a lesbian and coming out. she will forever be one of my biggest inspirations<3. will miss listening to her voice while pottering about.
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
I love the insight in Toksvig her life, but at some points it was pretty slow. Some points were also kind of out of nowhere, the bridge from one topic to another wasn't always flowing very well.
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Really interesting and unusual take for a memoir. Interspersing anecdotes from life with those of historical figures or events inspired by the bus route. I enjoyed it, finding out lots of things I didn't know.
I always prefer memoirs delivered by the author, and Sandi Toksvig does really well at narration. It's easy to listen to and clear. A good listen!
I always prefer memoirs delivered by the author, and Sandi Toksvig does really well at narration. It's easy to listen to and clear. A good listen!
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
I love Sandi Toksvig. Facts, history and humor all in one book. This has been an inspiration to me in my own writing.
A journey through Sandi's history as we journey through London by bus.
Throughout her journey on the Number 12 bus, travelling street-by-street, media personality Sandi Toksvig interweaves her own history and thoughts with the history of London and those connected with the route of the Number 12. From her childhood split between Denmark and America, her experiences in boarding school, and the discrimination faced in university, through to her time on stage, radio and screen, the people she's worked with along the way, and her romantic life. Sandi shares snippets and anecdotes of moments of her life, all while sharing insights into London history and the identities who lived and worked along the Number 12 route.
While I've been familiar with Sandi and her work, I've really only followed her through her guest appearances on Time Team (she was brought in as a guest host during two of their Time Team Live episodes) and as guest-turned-host on QI. So I didn't really know too much about her life outside of what she has shared in passing on those two shows. I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable read and getting a deeper insight into a media personality who I really enjoy watching.
As someone who is an avid viewer of QI, Sandi has written this book in a very tangential way, just like an episode of QI - there's a set topic or theme, but the guests have a way of asking questions and telling stories that are very loosely connected with the topic at hand, and Sandi has to try and bring them back to whatever the original question was about. Sandi too has a way of veering off with interesting anecdotes and historical musings before circling back to the story she started on. For anyone not familiar with QI or Sandi, it might not be the easiest read because of this structuring, but it really works for Sandi's storytelling style.
I ended up listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by Sandi herself. This really helped to become immersed in the book, and not only in Sandi's own history but in the side stories she wove into the book. And even when I dipped into the ebook on a couple of occasions, I could still hear Sandi in my head as I read. It's definitely worth checking out the audiobook if you're struggling to get into Sandi's writing style or just want to feel like you have Sandi telling you her own story.
Whether you're a long-time fan of Sandi Toksvig or only know her in passing through her hosting roles, or even if you have a bit of an interest in history tidbits or you want to read more queer voices, then Sandi's memoir is definitely one to add to your TBR!