"Well, there’s so much to read, and I’m so far behind." Wallace Stegner
In October there were yellow trees. Then the clocks went back the hour and the long November winds came in and blew, and stripped the trees bare. Early in 2022 I read Small Things Like These for the first time. Sadly I was in a bleak blogging phase at the time and all I could … Continue reading Small Things Like These | Claire Keegan
Mymensingh District, East Pakistan, 1967 An hour and forty-five minutes before Nazneen's life began - began as it would proceed for quite soe time, that is to say uncertainly - her mother, Rupban, felt an iron fist squeeze her belly. Curiously, I tried to read Brick Lane a couple of times back when it first … Continue reading Brick Lane | Monica Ali #AudioBook
I would like to say a few things about my first husband, William. Laura Linney played Lucy Barton in a one woman show, first in London, then on Broadway. A comment during rehearsal one day about William (Lucy's first husband), made Elizabeth Strout realise that William had his own story. I'd love to know what … Continue reading Oh William! | Elizabeth Strout
But we might never find them? Fermi's Paradox is at the heart of this story. The story goes that in 1950, Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi, made a passing comment asking 'where are all the aliens?' given the youngish nature of our planetary system and the relative ease of space travel. Fermi was not the first … Continue reading Bewilderment | Richard Powers #USAfiction
February will be the beginning of my Wolf Hall Trilogy Readalong. If you'd like to join in, here are some of the why, when and how details. The Hilary Mantel Wolf Hall Readalong: Feb – May 2021 I first read Wolf Hall in 2011 and Bring Up the Bodies in 2012.It is now nine years since I read them. Before … Continue reading Wolf Hall Trilogy Readalong
I do love to theme my holiday reads where possible. A recent week long Far North Queensland break in beautiful, sunny Port Douglas on the edge of the Daintree Rainforest, gave me a chance to finally read this year's Pulitzer Prize winning book by Richard Power's The Overstory. (I also packed a book of essays … Continue reading The Overstory | Richard Powers
The hardest part about writing a review more than a week after finishing the book is trying to make sense of my notes and markings and trying not to get my current reads mixed up with the old book. So to help me get everything straight in my head, I'll start with the housekeeping.The Sea, … Continue reading The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch
Reading Washington Black by Esi Edugyan was like eating a big bag of sweets. Some were good, some not so good. And after gorging myself on the first half, I found the second half a bit too much take.The first half of Washington Black was unputdownable. I loved the engaging voice of the child narrator. His … Continue reading Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
For the very first time, I've actually read my latest #IMreadalong book during the month selected by Liz @Adventures in Reading. The September read was The Nice and the Good first published in 1968 (a very good year, I might add) which makes it 50 years old. It was an odd mix of murder mystery, … Continue reading The Nice and the Good | Iris Murdoch
Patrick DeWitt is a Canadian author who now lives in Oregon, USA. The Sisters Brothers won the 75th Canadian Governor General's Literary Awards and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize and the 2012 Walter Scott Prize.The Man Booker shortlist synopsis states that,this dazzlingly original novel is a darkly funny, offbeat western about … Continue reading The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
I am truly delighted that George Saunders has won an award for his fabulous book, Lincoln in the Bardo. I loved it from start to finish and it deserves to be inundated with accolades and prizes.But I also loved Kamila Shamsie's Home Fire just as much, but for very different reasons (review still to come). … Continue reading Just Saying…
I love a good epigraph.A well-chosen, thoughtful epigraph can establish the tone for the book journey you're about to embark on. However many authors spend a lot of time and effort on finding the perfect epigraph only for it to be skimmed over by most readers.For the reader who does consider the epigraph, its true … Continue reading Epigraph Philosophy – Smith Vs Shamsie
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid has divided many readers and reviewers. (For an interesting cross section of responses try My Booking Great Read, Michael @Knowledge Lost, Rachel @Pace Amore, Libri, and Kate @Books are my Favourite and Best). I was therefore prepared for the pared back, deceptively simple writing style that has kept many reviewers at an emotional distance. … Continue reading Exit West | Mohsin Hamid
This year's Booker has been awarded to satire - again! I was dreading The Sellout winning the Booker because I really don't want to tackle another satire. No matter how worthy it may be.Satire is used to highlight the foolishness or vices within a society of group. It can be categorised further into irony, sarcasm, exaggeration, ridicule … Continue reading Brona’s Salon: Satire
I am proud to say that I managed to read half of this year's Booker shortlist before the winner was announced. Do Not Say We Have Nothing was an epic multi-generational family saga, His Bloody Project was a psychological historical fiction crime story, but Hot Milk was...? Two days later, I'm still not sure what it … Continue reading Hot Milk | Deborah Levy
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