Subdued but beautiful – A Short Walk from Harrods
To continue with my series on marvellous writing, here is another particularly beautiful and moving piece, from the memoir ofContinue Reading
Tag: Review of memoir
Discussion of writing style Review of Biographical Fiction Review of historical fiction Review of memoir
Beautiful and quotable – Antinous was dead.
In the process of writing lyrics, I’ve been doing an awful lot of critical listening, and I’ve been reading aContinue Reading
How Japan is to a gaijin – Abroad in Japan, by Chris Broad
This morning, Jan. 1, 2024, I woke up to news of a series of high-magnitude earthquakes on the West coastContinue 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
critiques Discussion of writing style Review of essay collection Review of memoir Review of new book reviewers reviews
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
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
Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Review of memoir Review of new book
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
Backstories Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Pastoral Literature Review of memoir Review of new book
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
To read if you’re bone-tired, lonely or blue – Insomniac City, by Bill Hayes
Insomniac City made me cry – but in a nice way. I am an incurable romantic and Hayes’s revealing memoirContinue Reading
Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Non-fiction Review of memoir The Grim Reaper
Forensic analysis of death – Nothing to Be Frightened Of, by Julian Barnes
Death is a difficult subject to write about, but particularly when it is not coincidental but core to a book’s theme orContinue Reading
SEVEN CIRCUMSTANCES 