-
And the Earth Will Sit on the Moon
Russian literature did not feature at all in my education, be it secondary or tertiary. It wasn’t much on my radar either. I definitely had an awareness for some of those fat novels written by some of the greats. I must admit I was well into adulthood before Gogol hit my radar and despite having a paperback of his stories on a bookshelf for many years, it was this book that finally motivated me to finally read his work. I thought short stories would surely be easier than one of those long novels but I was mistaken. It definitely wasn’t an easy read for me. Perhaps this was not helped…
-
Ramona the Pest
I never went to kindergarten and I don’t recall books from my life before I went to school. So my reading adventures started in first grade where I picked it up quickly and was always on the search for more books to read. I was a regular at my school library and I think I spent a bit of time at the city library too. It wasn’t long before I was reading chapter books, and one of the writers I remember most from that time is Beverly Cleary. I read many of her books and the one that stands out in my mind is Ramona, the Pest. I had a…
-
Their Eyes Were Watching God
I’ve been aware of this book for many years and finally checked it out from the library a couple of years ago. I made it through most of the book but didn’t manage to finish it before it was due and then I didn’t get back to it until now. I was going to pick up where I left off when I checked it out again but instead I read it from the beginning. I think that was a wise choice. Janie Crawford was raised by her grandmother, who worked for a white family. She grew up and played with the children in that family and never noticed a difference…
-
Welcome
I wanted to give a warm and fuzzy welcome to any and all readers of my new blog. I’m a reader of many books and I’ve been writing reviews for a while now. I decided to try out this new project and see how it pans out. The main purpose of the blog is to review books but I also plan to write the occasional posts about books and reading and how it factors into my life. The reviews will include books that are recent and not-so-recent and even the occasional classic titles that I am revisiting or reading for the first time. There may also be the occasional guest…
-
Haru’s Curse
Natsumi and Haru are sisters and they are the closest family to each other after their parents divorce and the father remarries. When they are teenagers, Haru starts dating Togo as part of an engagement in an arranged marriage. They are together for two years when Haru dies from a non-specified cancer. Later Togo asks Natsumi to go out with him and she agrees on the condition they go to the places he went with Haru. Thus begins a sort of relationship between Natsumi and Togo that isn't all that straightforward. This story probably falls under the josei genre of manga which is targeted at women. For the most part…
-
Karolina and the Torn Curtain
Zofia Turbotyńska’s maid, Karolina, has gone missing, leaving the house short-staffed in the midst of Easter preparations. Zofia hears the news a body of a murdered woman has been found washed up from the Vistula River and soon discovers the victim to be the same maid who has disappeared. Zofia is shocked and horrified and immediately starts to investigate on her own and soon finds herself in the underbelly of Crakow society, quite far from her own high social standing as the wife of a university professor. This murder mystery is a bit of Agatha Christie, a bit of cozy mystery, a bit of detective story, and quite a lot…
-
Normal People
Normal People was released in 2018 and has received a number of awards and much acclaim. I guess I’m a bit late to the party on this one despite seeing it appear on numerous must-read lists before now. Connell is a well-liked teenager who plays football and Marianne is mostly disliked by others and is generally unhappy with life. Connell and Marianne attend the same high school but to all appearances, they don’t know each other. In reality, Connell’s mum works for Marianne’s family as a housekeeper and the two have been acquainted for quite some time thanks to Connell regularly picking up his mum from Marianne’s house. Over time…
-
How To Talk to a Goddess
Nearly four years ago I was browsing shelves at a local library and The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker caught my attention. It was a paperback and rather thick, as these sorts of fantasy books tend to be. Anyway, I checked it out and read it and I was in love. It was a fantasy book about magic, unlike anything I’d read. There was action, drama, and a bit more than a suggestion of a blooming romance. I really loved the writing: it was just a joy to read the words. I have read it a couple more times since then and still take delight…