Caroline Hooton
@carolinehooton.bsky.social
Writes a little, reads a lot.
Pinned
This is a thread of the books I've read and enjoyed in 2025. Reviews of every book I've reviewed in 2025 can be found on my blog, I Read, Therefore I Blog here: ireadthereforeiblog.com
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
Auditors and new officials have been turning over stones at the body in charge of Teesworks. Turns out the Tees Valley Combined Authority has been lending hundreds of millions of £ to connected orgs, without loan agreements, and those orgs are now struggling to repay
as.ft.com/r/ac457745-4...
as.ft.com/r/ac457745-4...
Auditors raise red flags at public body run by Ben Houchen
[FREE TO READ] EY said errors included ‘material misstatements’ in latest setback for Conservative metro mayor Lord Houchen
as.ft.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Auditors and new officials have been turning over stones at the body in charge of Teesworks. Turns out the Tees Valley Combined Authority has been lending hundreds of millions of £ to connected orgs, without loan agreements, and those orgs are now struggling to repay
as.ft.com/r/ac457745-4...
as.ft.com/r/ac457745-4...
Another long day but progress was made on the Day Job. I had hoped to be able to nip out to pick up my last Christmas present of 2025 but did not have time so will need to do it tomorrow. And then I need to wrap everything, but that is my favourite part of the season.
December 17, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Another long day but progress was made on the Day Job. I had hoped to be able to nip out to pick up my last Christmas present of 2025 but did not have time so will need to do it tomorrow. And then I need to wrap everything, but that is my favourite part of the season.
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
'...tells pop's never-ending story brilliantly.' DAVID QUANTICK
'Like a treasure chest of pop riches.' SAMIRA AHMED
'It reminded me of how much I loved the 1980s.' GIDEON COE
'A delightful, curious compendium.' JUDE ROGERS
My book, #IntoTheGroove, OUT NOW. uk.bookshop.org/p/books/into...
'Like a treasure chest of pop riches.' SAMIRA AHMED
'It reminded me of how much I loved the 1980s.' GIDEON COE
'A delightful, curious compendium.' JUDE ROGERS
My book, #IntoTheGroove, OUT NOW. uk.bookshop.org/p/books/into...
Into the Groove: The 1980s: The Ultimate Decade in Music History - The perfect stocking filler for the pop aficionado in your life
The 1980s: The Ultimate Decade in Music History - The perfect stocking filler for the pop aficionado in your life
uk.bookshop.org
December 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM
'...tells pop's never-ending story brilliantly.' DAVID QUANTICK
'Like a treasure chest of pop riches.' SAMIRA AHMED
'It reminded me of how much I loved the 1980s.' GIDEON COE
'A delightful, curious compendium.' JUDE ROGERS
My book, #IntoTheGroove, OUT NOW. uk.bookshop.org/p/books/into...
'Like a treasure chest of pop riches.' SAMIRA AHMED
'It reminded me of how much I loved the 1980s.' GIDEON COE
'A delightful, curious compendium.' JUDE ROGERS
My book, #IntoTheGroove, OUT NOW. uk.bookshop.org/p/books/into...
I am choosing to believe that this is because all of the marine biologists love Mister Wriggles and want him with them rather than because none of them want him.
A Christmas cartoon from my new book of science cartoons PHYSICS FOR CATS. In good bookshops and online now: www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2
December 17, 2025 at 2:43 PM
I am choosing to believe that this is because all of the marine biologists love Mister Wriggles and want him with them rather than because none of them want him.
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
incredible stuff over at r/ididnthaveeggs
It’s a eggnog recipe
It’s a eggnog recipe
December 16, 2025 at 10:53 PM
incredible stuff over at r/ididnthaveeggs
It’s a eggnog recipe
It’s a eggnog recipe
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
And so with a wimper, the EU scraps the ban on internal-combustion engines from 2035. The new rules are an incomprehensible fudge that only lobbyists will understand.
Saying "the climate matters, here is something tangible we are doing about it" was a big deal. Whatever this is, it's a little sad.
Saying "the climate matters, here is something tangible we are doing about it" was a big deal. Whatever this is, it's a little sad.
December 16, 2025 at 3:59 PM
And so with a wimper, the EU scraps the ban on internal-combustion engines from 2035. The new rules are an incomprehensible fudge that only lobbyists will understand.
Saying "the climate matters, here is something tangible we are doing about it" was a big deal. Whatever this is, it's a little sad.
Saying "the climate matters, here is something tangible we are doing about it" was a big deal. Whatever this is, it's a little sad.
Work day was long but I did manage to get out to pick up some new batteries for my doorbell. It is supposed to go DING DONG DING DONG but instead was making an exhausted HNUH! sound - a bit like the noise Jack Lemmon makes in The Odd Couple when he’s cleaning his sinuses.
December 16, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Work day was long but I did manage to get out to pick up some new batteries for my doorbell. It is supposed to go DING DONG DING DONG but instead was making an exhausted HNUH! sound - a bit like the noise Jack Lemmon makes in The Odd Couple when he’s cleaning his sinuses.
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
If handing someone their arse, was a video clip
December 12, 2025 at 8:12 AM
If handing someone their arse, was a video clip
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
A lot of this is because Google is absolutely NOT a source of traffic for publishers now. It hoovers all their content up and recycles it out as AI summaries. Then people don't click through.
It's another dimension of Big Web eating itself.
It's another dimension of Big Web eating itself.
Ten news websites saw their monthly visits decline by 40% or more in November compared to a year earlier, with visits to the Forbes website down by the most year on year: 57% to 51.7 million pressgazette.co.uk/media-audien...
Top 50 news websites in the US in November: Ten newsbrands down by over 40% in a year
Press Gazette lists the top 50 biggest websites for news in the US. Monthly updated top 50 listing based on data from Similarweb.
pressgazette.co.uk
December 16, 2025 at 12:57 PM
A lot of this is because Google is absolutely NOT a source of traffic for publishers now. It hoovers all their content up and recycles it out as AI summaries. Then people don't click through.
It's another dimension of Big Web eating itself.
It's another dimension of Big Web eating itself.
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
On BBC Sounds now, from 1 hr and 3 mins in (after Sampa the Great): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... #IntoTheGroove
December 15, 2025 at 6:20 PM
On BBC Sounds now, from 1 hr and 3 mins in (after Sampa the Great): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... #IntoTheGroove
This is great - an evolution of gingerbread architecture that’s a bit like watching Civilisation unfurl in sweet, gingery form.
In an effort at something good on the internet today: A thread on Mr KJC, gingerbread architect of the early 21st century.
Mr KJC got his beginnings like so many gingerbread architects: with a kit house for the kids. Kind of fun but the premade pieces are dry and nasty, only technically edible.
Mr KJC got his beginnings like so many gingerbread architects: with a kit house for the kids. Kind of fun but the premade pieces are dry and nasty, only technically edible.
December 15, 2025 at 5:25 PM
This is great - an evolution of gingerbread architecture that’s a bit like watching Civilisation unfurl in sweet, gingery form.
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
Overheard in the supermarket. Two teenagers.
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
December 15, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Overheard in the supermarket. Two teenagers.
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
I am the Gizmo puppet. The Gizmo puppet is me.
December 15, 2025 at 12:56 AM
I am the Gizmo puppet. The Gizmo puppet is me.
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
you don't even need to write a whole review on Amazon if you're pressed for time. A good star rating in search results is a huge factor in determining which books people will click through to the product page for. Take a few minutes on the bus to boost your favourite books if you can
"I can't afford to support my favorite author right now, I—"
Reviews.
Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.)
Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!
Reviews.
Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.)
Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!
December 14, 2025 at 7:32 PM
you don't even need to write a whole review on Amazon if you're pressed for time. A good star rating in search results is a huge factor in determining which books people will click through to the product page for. Take a few minutes on the bus to boost your favourite books if you can
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
This was too good not to have alt text.
So here you go.
Credit to O.P. here as well.
So here you go.
Credit to O.P. here as well.
December 14, 2025 at 3:32 PM
This was too good not to have alt text.
So here you go.
Credit to O.P. here as well.
So here you go.
Credit to O.P. here as well.
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
They used to "laugh and call him names." Now they're all dead
December 14, 2025 at 1:55 PM
They used to "laugh and call him names." Now they're all dead
Good session at the gym. Then I picked up my penultimate Christmas gift for the year. I am now contemplating cleaning my kitchen, which looks like a bio hazard. May have a coffee while I mull it over.
December 14, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Good session at the gym. Then I picked up my penultimate Christmas gift for the year. I am now contemplating cleaning my kitchen, which looks like a bio hazard. May have a coffee while I mull it over.
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
Learned today that “Galápagos” comes from a Spanish word for tortoise, meaning that “Galápagos Tortoise” is,
in fact,
a tortology
in fact,
a tortology
December 13, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Learned today that “Galápagos” comes from a Spanish word for tortoise, meaning that “Galápagos Tortoise” is,
in fact,
a tortology
in fact,
a tortology
I was not aware of this. Seems ridiculous to discourage ISA investing by making it impossible to cash out without incurring a tax burden. Just another way of discouraging saving.
Yes is the answer but we don’t know how yet bit.ly/3L1yiDB this will turn out to be a logistical nightmare, complexifying what was a fairly simple system
Will I be taxed on cash in my stocks and shares Isa?
Tom Selby from the investment platform AJ Bell offers his advice
bit.ly
December 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
I was not aware of this. Seems ridiculous to discourage ISA investing by making it impossible to cash out without incurring a tax burden. Just another way of discouraging saving.
A new supermarket has opened a short distance from me. I had put in objections to the planning permission application for it as there were use restrictions prohibiting a supermarket being there plus I knew it would cause traffic jams on a nearby road but the council waved it through.
December 14, 2025 at 1:04 PM
A new supermarket has opened a short distance from me. I had put in objections to the planning permission application for it as there were use restrictions prohibiting a supermarket being there plus I knew it would cause traffic jams on a nearby road but the council waved it through.
Busy day. I had to spend a few hours on the Day Job. On the plus side Christmas shopping is almost finished for 2025, although I had to buy some more gift wrap supplies. Did the week’s grocery shopping. Used both my Blue Monday Greggs voucher and my Body Shop birthday voucher for some me treats.
December 13, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Busy day. I had to spend a few hours on the Day Job. On the plus side Christmas shopping is almost finished for 2025, although I had to buy some more gift wrap supplies. Did the week’s grocery shopping. Used both my Blue Monday Greggs voucher and my Body Shop birthday voucher for some me treats.
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
Brutal but effective public health messaging from New York Public Health.
The CDC is compromised. They’re no longer a reliable source of information.
They push anti-vaxx & anti-science grift.
Get your vaccines. Wear a respirator. Clean the air
Get public health advice from experts, not RFK Jr
The CDC is compromised. They’re no longer a reliable source of information.
They push anti-vaxx & anti-science grift.
Get your vaccines. Wear a respirator. Clean the air
Get public health advice from experts, not RFK Jr
December 13, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Brutal but effective public health messaging from New York Public Health.
The CDC is compromised. They’re no longer a reliable source of information.
They push anti-vaxx & anti-science grift.
Get your vaccines. Wear a respirator. Clean the air
Get public health advice from experts, not RFK Jr
The CDC is compromised. They’re no longer a reliable source of information.
They push anti-vaxx & anti-science grift.
Get your vaccines. Wear a respirator. Clean the air
Get public health advice from experts, not RFK Jr
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
Robin Ince reveals to last night’s audience at a recording of Infinite Monkey Cage that the BBC has forced him to resign over his support of trans people
December 13, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Robin Ince reveals to last night’s audience at a recording of Infinite Monkey Cage that the BBC has forced him to resign over his support of trans people
Reposted by Caroline Hooton
