This is a keeper: “Always Remember”
Charlie Mackesy’s first book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, published in 2019, is special. It isContinue Reading
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That’s a LOT of books!
One of the admin jobs on a blog like this is updating the indexes. I am a child of librariansContinue Reading
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Typos turned me off Michelangelo’s poems
I am often very loathe to give negative criticism of any published book, since a book takes an awful lotContinue Reading
A spy thriller for connoisseurs of the genre – The Collector by Daniel Silva
Until a fellow bookworm told me about Daniel Silva, I did not even know this author existed. I found outContinue Reading
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Close to the bone, or perhaps prescient? – The Defector, by Chris Hadfield
When it comes to aeronautics, Commander Christ Hadfield knows what he’s talking about. So, when I read his latest novel,Continue Reading
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Failed to finish it – Tom Hanks’ “The Making of…”
This novel has a long title; The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece. It alliterates nicely, and I’m sureContinue Reading
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Time-travel into a nightmarish moment in history – The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie O’Farrell
Maggie O’Farrell wrote the sublime historical novel Hamnet and Judith, about the children of William Shakespeare. She has a wonderfulContinue Reading
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Insurrection and corruption skillfully sorted – Contrarian, by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
I’d been slavering for Contrarian, having really enjoyed the previous two novels in L.E. Modesitt Jr.’s The Grand Illusion trilogy,Continue Reading
A richly detailed, feminism-themed fantasy – Victory City by Salman Rushdie
Victory City is a showcase for Salman Rushdie’s ability to create an entire new world in a novel – inContinue Reading
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Another day, another dead bad guy, another win for Reacher (and why I like it)
No Plan B is the most recently published Jack Reacher novel. Ignore, as you should, that suspect line on theContinue Reading
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Is the whole thing an illusion? – Councilor, by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Councilor is no. 2 in the Grand Illusion series by L.E. Modesitt Jr. I am committed to reading the entireContinue Reading
A Moan about a Supernumerary
The biggest book news so far this year is about Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and the uproar caused byContinue Reading
Once more, say it together: Good night, Night Vale. Good night.
I was charmed by the world of “Night Vale”, that strange desert town run by aliens, hairy monsters and disembodiedContinue Reading
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A peculiar Pandora’s Box – Red Milk, by Sjón
Sjón’s latest book, Red Milk, came out in English on Sept 21, 2022 and I got it as soon asContinue Reading
A short, sharp reach: Jack Reacher – Better Off Dead
First things first: This novel is co-authored by Lee Child and Andrew Child. And in case you look at theirContinue Reading
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David Sedaris is sad – and no wonder – and so am I
David Sedaris has amused and entertained his readers with his road shows and the collections of his essays, Squirrel SeeksContinue Reading
Waiting for these new books
In my previous post I gave myself a stern warning to not have preconceived notions about new books from authorsContinue Reading
I just could not get into it – The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
There is such a thing as an intended audience: when a writer produces a book outline for a publisher, itContinue Reading
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TIL: Interesting things about author Hilary Mantel and “Mantel Pieces”
Dame Hilary Mantel, author of the Wolf Hall trilogy, used to be a book reviewer. I did not know that,Continue Reading
Aspiring to apotheosis – She Who Became the Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan
She Who Became the Sun is a novel which, for the most part, reads like Historical Fiction, and as itContinue Reading
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L.E. Modesitt Jr. redefines the term “isolate” with new novel
I am late to contribute to the raft of praise for L.E. Modesitt’s latest Fantasy book series, The Grand Illusion.Continue Reading
It’s only ten days but it feels like forever – The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles
Amor Towles wrote the excellent novel, A Gentleman in Moscow (2019), which I thoroughly enjoyed. It received a lot ofContinue Reading
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When absolute belief leads to absolute ruin – Firebrands, by Marc Ménard
If you want to really discover literature, you should read about subjects that you don’t know or don’t like. It’sContinue Reading
Josiah Bancroft’s “Books of Babel” Tetralogy Goes Out with an Almighty Bang (3)
This post concludes my review of the Fantasy novel, The Fall of Babel, by Josiah Bancroft, the last in theContinue Reading
Josiah Bancroft’s “Books of Babel” Tetralogy Goes Out with an Almighty Bang (2)
Fans of Josiah Bancroft’s popular series, The Books of Babel, had to wait two long years for The Fall ofContinue Reading
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Josiah Bancroft’s “Books of Babel” Tetralogy Goes Out with an Almighty Bang
Fans of Josiah Bancroft’s popular series, The Books of Babel, had to wait two long years for The Fall ofContinue Reading
It cheers you up and also freaks you out a little – A Carnival of Snackery, by David Sedaris
David Sedaris keeps a diary, for the same reasons, I suspect, as do other high-profile social commentators and journalists, likeContinue Reading
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Getting the hang of the Chinese novel
Updated discussion and reviews After many years of reading and reviewing novels by Chinese authors, that have been translated into English,Continue Reading
A winner of an alien – Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
Andy Weir’s latest Sci-Fi novel is on the subject of the end of the world: the sun is cooling downContinue Reading
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A few words more on The Apollo Murders, by Chris Hadfield
Here are my final thoughts about The Apollo Murders, by Chris Hadfield: would using Cyrillic in the text have beenContinue Reading
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Writing from rare experience – The Apollo Murders, by Chris Hadfield
So, if you had to pick someone to write a Crime Thriller about astronauts and space missions in the lateContinue Reading
Horrible lyrics and pitiful prose
My guilty pleasure is reading bad writing and then making savage but unspoken criticisms of it. It’s easy to lambastContinue Reading
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There shall be no hugging – Is This Anything?, by Jerry Seinfeld
Humour and comedy, these days, are minefields – full of potential explosions of public vitriol and outrage. One minute aContinue Reading
Revealing the real story behind modern pop music – John Seabrook interview
John Seabrook’s non-fiction writing is the manifestation of his public image. The websites I have found that are dedicated toContinue Reading
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It’s got MacGuffins! – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, by Quentin Tarantino
After my wee bit of silliness last week, here is my actual review of Once Upon a Time in HollywoodContinue Reading
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Now for the book: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, by Quentin Tarantino
A review to suit a modern fairytale Once upon a time… Once upon a time, in a big, shiny cityContinue Reading
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Can you feel for Klara? – Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro
The catch in Klara and the Sun, the latest, highly-anticipated novel by acclaimed British author Kazuo Ishiguro, is that theContinue Reading
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Finally – Then what happened? in First Person Singular, by Haruki Murakami
While looking at First Person Singular, by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami, I asked myself three questions in order toContinue Reading
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How to recognize your own particular monster – Broken, by Jenny Lawson
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be Jenny Lawson, the witty author and “Bloggess“, this book will explainContinue Reading
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The most important thing in First Person Singular, by Haruki Murakami
Trying to make sense of the new collection of stories by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, I asked the question: WhatContinue Reading
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What is it about? – First Person Singular, by Haruki Murakami
Acclaimed Fantasy author Neil Gaiman teaches in his Masterclass course on The Art of Storytelling, that a writer and aContinue Reading
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Hell hath no wrath like a disappointed Star Trek Fan
The plot, settings and characters of Star trek Picard – The Last Best Hope, were predetermined, and only needed toContinue Reading
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Family sagas, Socialism and Chile – A Long Petal of the Sea, by Isabel Allende
The latest novel by Isabel Allende is a family saga that depicts the modern history of Chile as well asContinue Reading
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A novel for anxious people by Fredrik Backman
Fredrik Backman’s latest novel, Anxious People, published in Sept. 2020, is well-timed, written for people who feel anxious in theseContinue Reading
The downfall of Cromwell – The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel (Part 4 of 4)
In the previous three posts, I looked deeper into the third and last part of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall Trilogy.Continue Reading
What is “too long”? – The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel (Part 3 of 4)
In this post I continue to analyze the long and deeply nuanced historical novel, The Mirror and the Light. Previously,Continue Reading
Who is the mirror, and who is the light? – The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel (Part 2 of 4)
This is a post in which I continue to analyze the impressively long and deeply nuanced historical novel, The MirrorContinue Reading
A historical figure comes to life – The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel (Part 1 of 4)
Review In the previous post, I showed my appreciation for the third and last part in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf HallContinue Reading
Complete and intense immersion – The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel
Having read every single page in the 883-page long historical novel The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel, IContinue Reading
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If you’re the last – To Be Taught If Fortunate, by Becky Chambers
An elegantly worded, thoughtful and compelling novel about travellers in outer space who face a worse choice than life-or-death. ReviewContinue Reading
At the end of your tether with typos? Read this
I know from personal experience how tiresome and aggravating it is to pick up mistakes in something you’ve made afterContinue Reading
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Should have had “Raven” in the title – Quantum Shadows, by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
L.E. Modesitt Jr. is world-famous and has written a formidable list of Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, so long thatContinue Reading
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Wonderful! – Hamnet and Judith, by Maggie O’Farrell
For the first time in a very long while, I could feel tears coming to my eyes while I wasContinue Reading
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Dust, diamonds and damnation in the Namib Desert – The Forbidden Zone, by Jon Gliddon
Radio interview with Jon Gliddon about The Forbidden Zone Becca · Jon Gliddon Interview Review There’s a reason whyContinue Reading
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Imagining the thoughts of a mass shooter – Parabellum, by Greg Hickey
Sometimes a new book comes out of which the plot or theme feels unimportant or irrelevant. But sometimes global eventsContinue Reading
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Departing from the winning formula? The latest Night Vale novel
The Welcome to Night Vale (WTNV) phenomenon is now so well known that the listeners to the podcast are actuallyContinue Reading
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Many tantalizing twists in these tales – If It Bleeds, by Stephen King
What is Stephen King known for? Horror Fiction. Suspenseful mysteries. I bought If It Bleeds in the hope that IContinue Reading
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Buy it because it’s beautiful – The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, by Charlie Mackesy
This small book, with the tremendously long title printed in gold letters on the cover, is classified as a LiteraryContinue Reading
Ever felt Liberfinisphobia?* Only the best books cause it.
*Made-up word!! Blogger, book lover, writer and member of the Rebusfontein writing collective, “Tannie Frannie”, meaning Auntie Frannie, posted thisContinue Reading
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Thrillers, Sci-Fi, History, Horror and Poetry – Reading list for the next six months
It’s the end of the first half of the year, and so far my reading time has been reduced byContinue Reading
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Listening to Someone Else’s Dreams – The Age of Anxiety, by Pete Townshend
All the Aging Groovies like me out there would know the name Pete Townshend, the Pete Townshend – a.k.a. Peter DennisContinue Reading
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Falling for the Leopard – Lampedusa, by Steven Price
Do you where Lampedusa is? Or what it is? Steven Price’s historical novel, Lampedusa, is not actually about the islandContinue Reading
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A strange and moving book – Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer
If you enjoy poetry as well as Science Fiction, you will appreciate Dead Astronauts. The novel has elements of both.Continue Reading
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Challenging the limits of physicality – Frankissstein – A Love Story, by Jeanette Winterson
Frankissstein (with 3 s’es) is a collection of interwoven love stories that takes place from the mid 1800s to theContinue Reading
Music, love, dogged determination and good fortune – Me, by Elton John
Poor Elton John had to leave the stage during his show in New Zealand this week because he has walkingContinue Reading
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A perfect combination of Sci-Fi art and prose – Above the Timberline, by Gregory Manchess
Reading the screenplay of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by Joel and Ethan Coen led me to the real artistContinue Reading
A perfect little gem – The Strange Bird by Jeff VanderMeer
The Strange Bird is a little gem of a novel. Every carefully chosen word is just right. Each image isContinue Reading
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Looking back at the original Star Trek – The Trouble with Tribbles
Which Sci-Fi devotee is not looking forward to the debut of Star Trek: Picard? (Roll on, January 23, 2020!) IContinue Reading
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What a way to go – French Exit, by Patrick deWitt
After having enjoyed Patrick deWitt’s Undermajordomo Minor (2015) his most recent novel, French Exit, was a must-read. A “French exit” isContinue Reading
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A lot of Dutch sarcasm – “Live and let live”, by Hendrik Groen
“Anonymous”, also known as “Hendrik Groen” (a pseudonym) is famous for his creation of a gang of crotchety old folksContinue Reading
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Death, not golf, in an idyllic town – Blindshot by Denis Coupal
When I read Denis Coupal’s thriller Blindshot, my overall impression of it was of competence – he had done allContinue Reading
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A good bet for a Hugo Award – Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik
There are authors whose restraint, clear vision and graceful expression make their novels a quiet joy to read. I haveContinue Reading
John Delacourt’s “Butterfly” in one-and-a-half minutes – Video-format review
Some novels really lend themselves to being discussed in visual terms – either their subject or setting is dramatic orContinue Reading
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A howl from the guts – White Out by Martine Delvaux
Before you read White Out it is best that you know that this book is written somewhat in the styleContinue Reading
Art Crimes and War Crimes – Butterfly, by John Delacourt
John Delacourt’s novel Butterfly is hard to read, not because of his writing style, but because of the subject matterContinue Reading
The Charm/Curse of Cliffhangers – The Hod King, by Josiah Bancroft
The Hod King, Bancroft’s third book in his Books of Babel tetralogy, is an exercise in exquisite torture through cliffhangers.Continue Reading
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The Hods are revolting – but we love them anyway – The Hod King, by Josiah Bancroft
Writer Nicholas Tucker said about Richard Adams’ 50-hankie-bunny-weepie, Watership Down, “Adams … has bravely and successfully resurrected the big picaresque adventureContinue Reading
Best of 2018 Discussion of writing style Review of modern fiction Review of new book Review of new novel The Grim Reaper
Death Made Beautiful – Beirut Hellfire Society, by Rawi Hage
This is one those novels that will change the way you look at death and burial methods – and Beirut.Continue Reading
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Science Fiction versus HARD Science Fiction – The real science behind the Twelve Tomorrows Anthology
John Scalzi’s Science Fiction (SF) novel Head On was taken a step closer to being real when, in December 2018,Continue Reading
Into the mind of an author – Helena Gunter on what motivates her to write
In a previous post, I commented on Helena Gunter’s recently published anthology of short stories called Tweespoor (meaning “Double Track”).Continue Reading
Mannered throwaway lines and very bad people – Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt
It seems to me that Hollywood film producers keep rehashing the same subjects and plots, which is why I rarelyContinue Reading
“The private, freaky sensuality of childhood” – “Tweespoor”(“Double Track”), by Helena Gunter
Helena Gunter’s skinny two-part work, with its dull brown cover featuring a faded-looking abstract drawing, looks harmless enough. What itContinue Reading
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Gentle Gallic Escapism – My Twenty-Five Years in Provence, by Peter Mayle
Recently my nose led me to a stall in down-town Vancouver where people were selling lavender products made in Provence,Continue Reading
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A codex of an Icelandic writer and his roots – CoDex, by Sjón (Part 4 – The nuclear fallout)
Part 4/4 of The Long Read review of Codex 1962, by Sjón (Back to part 3/4 of the review) TheContinue Reading
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A codex of an Icelandic writer and his roots – CoDex 1962, by Sjón (Part 3 – The clay child)
Back to part 2 of the review of Codex 1962, by Sjón The parts of the Trilogy The three partsContinue Reading
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A codex of an Icelandic writer and his roots – CoDex 1962, by Sjón (Part 2 – Turning people into zebras)
Part 2 of the review of CoDex 1962, by Sjón (Back to part 1) Antagonist/Protagonist Sjón comes close to directlyContinue Reading
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A codex of an Icelandic author and his roots – CoDex 1962 by Sjón (Part 1 – Roll-call of the dead)
CoDex 1962 is Icelandic author Sjón’s first new novel since Moonstone – The Boy Who Never Was, published in translation inContinue Reading
This book needs no review – The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-old Man, by Jonas Jonasson
I have never written an easier review of a novel, than this one. Why? Because it does not need reviewingContinue Reading
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“Bond” is back, courtesy of Anthony Horowitz in “Trigger Mortis” and “Forever and a Day”
“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” – “the more things change, the more they stay the same”, said by French critic Alphonse Karr,Continue Reading
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Homage to the Bard with Bloody-Handed Bastards and Gold Bars – Macbeth, by Jo Nesbo
Jo Nesbo is a masterful writer of crime fiction. In his particular niche, he is superb. That said, it probablyContinue Reading
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Not exactly lightheaded – Head On by John Scalzi
The last novel by John Scalzi I read, before this one, was Agent To the Stars (Tor Books, 2008), andContinue Reading
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Moonstone – The Boy Who Never Was, by Sjón
Sjón: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Reader of Sjón. Her current mission: to explore strange new worlds,Continue Reading
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A precisely-crafted Alternative History – Break in Communication, by Jon Gliddon
What is the connection between Mining Engineering and writing fiction? None. In fact, the minds of Mining Engineers often workContinue Reading
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It’s not about mixed doubles at all – The Only Story, by Julian Barnes
Julian Barnes’ latest novel is called The Only Story and, despite the subject (the “scandalous” love affair between a manContinue Reading
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The scripts work – does the novel? Night Vale – A Novel, by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
Can the same subjects, settings and characters be successfully used in a podcast, and in published script format, and in aContinue Reading
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A novel about a poet that’s filled with delightful poetry – Diary of a Somebody, by Brian Bilston
Comment from Brian Bilston: Brian Bilston “What a lovely review. Thank you so much. I’m delighted you enjoyed it – andContinue Reading
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High calibre writing – Arm of the Sphinx, by Josiah Bancroft
Some writers write so clearly, elegantly and expressively that reading their words is like drinking a glass of the bestContinue Reading
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If it’s cute, tentacled and ravenous, don’t bring it home – Borne, by Jeff VanderMeer
“Borne” is the past participle of the verb “[to] bear”, which means to carry or transport, as in a weight orContinue Reading
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A different kind of oasis – Paradise Gardens, by Monty Don and Derry Moore
I have long been an admirer of Monty Don, the horticulturist and garden expert. I love watching him on hisContinue Reading
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A long trip without a decent map – A Long Way From Home, by Peter Carey
Despite two trips to Australia, I have failed to figure out the archetypal Australian or the layout of the country.Continue Reading
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Give me Stockholm or give me death – Midnight Sun, by Jo Nesbo
Jo Nesbo’s famous “Harry Hole” detective novels, and his other works for adults, bear the marks of contemporary Scandinavian NoirContinue Reading
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The fatal thrills of zero inhibitions – The Pleasure Model Repairman, by Ruuf Wangersen
Any novel that has the words “pleasure model” in the title could be automatically relegated to the category of “chickContinue Reading
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Hendrik Groen stubbornly clings to life – On the Bright Side, by Anonymous (Hendrik Groen)
The mystery over who “Hendrik Groen” is, continues. Groen is the pseudonym of a Dutch author who has produced twoContinue Reading
New video-format review – The Memory Palace, by Edward Hollis
Compact Crit. #9 – The Memory Palace, by Edward Hollis Since Edward Hollis’ book, The Memory Palace, is mostly aboutContinue Reading
This is why we love our “stuff” – The Memory Palace, by Edward Hollis
When I studied Interior Decorating years ago, I didn’t have the foggiest idea about the real significance of interiors. YouContinue Reading
54-second review of Insomniac City, by Bill Hayes
Compact Crits #7: 54-second review of Insomniac City, by Bill Hayes Read the whole story here. Make no mistake, thisContinue Reading
46-second review of The Last Kind Words Saloon
Compact Crits #5: 46-second review of The Last Kind Words Saloon, by Larry McMurtry
The Fine Art of Economical Prose – The Last Kind Words Saloon, by Larry McMurtry
The title is probably one of the longest phrases in the novel, which is a mere 191 pages, including illustrationsContinue Reading
Review in a 60-second video – Caroline, by Sarah Miller
Compact Crits #4: 60-second review of Caroline, by Sarah Miller Here’s the long list of all the novels – apartContinue Reading
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A portrait of stoicism and fortitude – Caroline, by Sarah Miller
What is the appeal of the old-fashioned stiff upper lip? Of a person with backbone, inner strength, dogged determination? Caroline,Continue Reading
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Review in 50-second video – Rhett & Link’s Book of Mythicality
Compact Crits #3: Rhett & Link’s Book of Mythicality, by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal
Current events Discussion of current events Humor Humour Publishing technologies Review of new book Review of new non-fiction Subjective non-fiction Trending Web series and vlogs
Will it…Print? – Rhett & Link’s Book of Mythicality
I have been watching Rhett and Link, a.k.a Rhett McLaughlin and Link (Charles) Neal, on their YouTube channel, Good MythicalContinue Reading
Review in a 57-second video – Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders
Compact Crits #2: 57-second review of Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders.
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A Triumph of Imagination – Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders
I wrote this review of Lincoln in the Bardo carefully, and I spent some time making sense of it, becauseContinue Reading
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Review in a 47-second video – The Thirst, by Jo Nesbo
Taking a lesson from one of my favourite bloggers, Seth Godin, I am from now on going to compact myContinue Reading
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It’s all about the blood…and how it drips! – The Thirst, by Jo Nesbo
The film adaptation of The Snowman by Jo Nesbø (Nesbo outside Norway) came out last year October. Directed by TomasContinue Reading
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Debut fiction from Tom Hanks – “Uncommon Type” – is a labour of love
Tom Hanks’s debut work of fiction, a collection of short stories, came out on October 17, 2017. It has beenContinue Reading
Afrikaans Discussion of writing style Mysteries and Thrillers Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Review of new book
Taut, tense, snappy and shocking – Die Onaantasbares (The Untouchables) by Steve Hofmeyr
Readers who can manage Afrikaans will get a real kick out of reading Die Onaantasbares (“The Untouchables”) by South African authorContinue Reading
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The food is better than the family saga – The Prodigal Daughter, by Prue Leith
Prue Leith, as Anglophiles and food show fans would know, replaced Mary Berry as the co-judge with Paul Hollywood whenContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Review of modern fiction Review of new book
Making Light of Autism and Lust – Best-laid Plans, by Kathy Lette
In popular author Kathy Lette’s latest novel, Best Laid Plans, her writing style is a torrent of words, which you eventuallyContinue Reading
Scoundrels, crooks and high rollers – “Boereverneukers”, by Izak du Plessis
Izak du Plessis’s non-fiction dive into the fascinating if mortifying world of Afrikaans scoundrels, crooks and high rollers should alsoContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Modern fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book Trending
This is what being old is really like – The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, by…?
There is a current trend for novels with long titles about eccentric old people: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed OutContinue Reading
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It’s a family thing – but is it art? The Family Fang, by Kevin Wilson
It says on the cover that The Family Fang is a comedy – but I did not find it funny.Continue Reading
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Reality from a different perspective – Giants at the End of the World, Finnish Weird anthology
At the 75th World Science Fiction Conference (Worldcon 75) held in August 2017 in Helsinki, Finland, the bag of goodiesContinue Reading
Constructed World Novel Discussion of writing style Fairytales Review of new book Review of new science fiction Review of science fiction
Mental-floss on a grand scale – Death’s End by Cixin Liu
It has been said that many authors seem to be unable to grasp or describe how big outer space is.Continue Reading
Weird and funny – The Rapture of the Nerds by Doctorow & Stross
Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers often present original concepts in their novels, but Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross not only inventedContinue Reading
The magic didn’t work for me – All the Birds in the Sky, by Charlie Jane Anders
If I can use one term to describe All the Birds in the Sky it would be “uneven”: uneven inContinue Reading
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What makes an AI human? – A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
This novel is on the shortlist for the 2017 Hugo Awards which will be handed out at Worldcon 75 inContinue Reading
Not much of a mirror – You Don’t Look Your Age, by Sheila Nevins
Update: On Dec. 18, 2017, the New York Times reported that Sheila Nevins is exiting HBO after 38 years. TheContinue Reading
Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book Review of novel
A questionable method of child-rearing – Perfect Little World, by Kevin Wilson
I imagine a woman must’ve sat Kevin Wilson down and explained to him in excruciating detail what pregnancy, childbirth, breast-feeding andContinue Reading
This guy knows food – Appetites, by Anthony Bourdain
Sometimes you have to admit you don’t know enough to give an opinion. For Appetites – A Cookbook, I askedContinue Reading
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Nice but Light-Weight – Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
I did not like Backman’s previous novel, A Man Called Ove, but was spurred on to buy book no.3, Britt-MarieContinue Reading
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Hard-hitting Alt-history novel – Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters
Ben H. Winters wrote the acclaimed, award-winning Science Fiction series, The Last Policeman. I called the hero of the series,Continue Reading
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From the inside looking out – A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles
This is a stylized, studied novel, about a stylish gentleman, written in elegant style. It has a fin-de-siècle feel to it,Continue Reading
Award-winning novel Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of literary fiction Review of new book Review of new novel
“Kǔ lé”, a state of both joy and sorrow in Do Not Say We Have Nothing, by Madeleine Thien
This important novel about two families of brilliant musicians in China during the “Great Leap Forward” (1958 – 1961), the “Cultural Revolution” (1966 –Continue Reading
Doesn’t work, bestseller or not – 300 Days Of Sun, by Deborah Lawrenson
Some magazines don’t publish negative reviews because they want to review books that people will buy. The problem with that argument isContinue Reading
Who’s up for some Surrealist warfare? The Last Days of New Paris, by China Miéville
To give some background on this peculiar novella, The Last Days of New Paris, consider this: No dedicated Science FictionContinue Reading
Into the mind of a dead composer: The Noise of Time, by Julian Barnes
Julian Barnes is a writer who does not waste words. While his subjects are often difficult and his novels contain references to specializedContinue Reading
A perfect world you’d kill to escape from – The Heart Goes Last, by Margaret Atwood
The Heart Goes Last held no surprises for me. Dystopia set somewhere in the future? Check. All doomed to implode due toContinue Reading
With love and fatigue from writer and reader – Report from the interior, by Paul Auster
Paul Auster has been one of my favourite authors for many years, but not one whose name would come directly toContinue Reading
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Prepare to have your head messed with, brilliantly – Icelandic writer, Sjón
Sjón: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Reader of Sjón. Her current mission: to explore strange new worlds,Continue Reading
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A sexy idea that moves you – The Gods of Tango, by Carolina de Robertis
There is a lot of tango-ing in this novel, The Gods of Tango, as well as an eyebrow-raising amount ofContinue Reading
They don’t exist: The High Mountains of Portugal, by Yann Martel
Let’s just get one thing out of the way: the title of the book and the setting: First, there areContinue Reading
Too many “glittery encrustations” – Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-eight Nights, by Salman Rushdie
Not worth the effort, frankly This is part two of the essay about “readability” that I published yesterday. This timeContinue Reading
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The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka – Review: How does artistic consciousness connect with the world?
The Piano Maker could have been so much less, and in that way, been so much more. I thought that the author,Continue Reading
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The Buried Giant – It remains in the mind long afterwards
I have found that truly memorable books have something in common: they make you think. As Science Fiction author Neil Gaiman says of KazuoContinue Reading
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Imprecision with purpose – This Census-Taker, by China Miéville
Like it says on the title page, this novella, This Census-Taker, is mystery fiction. I could not figure out, evenContinue Reading
Furiously Happy, by Jenny Lawson
I read Jenny Lawson’s first autobiography Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, with a sense of having made a happy discovery,Continue Reading
Cold Climate Novels for Summer Detective fiction Discussion of writing style List of similar books Mysteries and Thrillers Review of historical fiction Review of new book Review of new novel
An Excellent Cold Climate Mystery: Wolf Winter, by Cecilia Ekbäck
Murder on an imaginary mountain I wondered, when I read this, how Cecilia Ekbäck came to know Blackåsen Mountain inContinue Reading
The White Road – Journey Into An Obsession, by Edmund de Waal
Today I added the 153rd author to my list of reviewed authors. Only a few stand out, and here is one:Continue Reading
SEVEN CIRCUMSTANCES 