The Red Car, by Marcy Dermansky. Pub 2016 My second taste of Marcy Dermansky was even better than the first. Dermansky creates characters real and recognizable, with a heroine (Leah) you want to like but don’t always. And despite Leah’s bad choices and missteps, you end up rooting for her throughout and cheering her at... Continue Reading →
Machine Without Horses, by Helen Humphreys. Book report #10 (2019)
Machine without Horses, by Helen Humphreys. Pub 2018 I bought this one last year on the strength of the author – Helen Humphreys is a long-time favourite – but ended up reading Wild Dogs instead. I came back to this one on vacation, on my e-reader after my pile of books held nothing more entrancing.... Continue Reading →
Hag-Seed, by Margaret Atwood. Book report #9 (2019)
Hag-Seed, by Margaret Atwood. Pub 2017 This novel is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series, and while the previous novel from the series that I read was exceptional (Macbeth), I had heard that the rest of the series was just so-so. But this one was available (as in, I already owned it), and fit into... Continue Reading →
The Handmaid’s Tale – Graphic Novel, by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault. Book report #8 (2019)
The Handmaid’s Tale – Graphic Novel, by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault. Pub 2019 This dystopic story has been on my reading list for the last few years, in a world that sometimes increasing resembles these fictional horror worlds, familiar and other-worldly at the same time. Also, there are the recent mini-serieses dramatizing the world... Continue Reading →
Letters on film
This year's first cinematic list takes a look at letters in movies (or epistolary film, which I was somewhat surprised to learn is not only a genre, but has subgenres). As my lists must include films I've actually seen, my own experience of examples is somewhat limited. Here are the ones I know and love:... Continue Reading →
Bad Blood, by John Carreyrou. Book report #6 (2019)
Vacations makes such a lovely time to read... (books 7, 8 and 9 all read on holiday.) Bad Blood, by John Carreyrou. Pub. 2018 I had somewhat followed the dramatic rise and fall of the brief career of Elizabeth Holmes, Silicon Valley wunderkind cum con artist. I had heard of her a... Continue Reading →
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. Book report #7 (2019)
Vacations makes such a lovely time to read... (books 7, 8 and 9 all read on holiday.) Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. Pub 1937 It took me a bit to get into this book, partly because of the colloquial dialogue but more because of the main character -... Continue Reading →
Unsheltered, by Barbara Kingsolver. Book report #5 (2019)
Vacations makes such a lovely time to read... (books 7, 8 and 9 all read on holiday.) Unsheltered, by Barbara Kingsolver. Pub 2018 After putting this aside after 2/3s done last month, I decided to stick it out till the end in the hopes that it would get better. It didn't. Barbara Kingsolver's... Continue Reading →
The Enchanted April, by Elizabeth Von Armin. Book report #4 (2019)
The Enchanted April, by Elizabeth Von Armin. Pub 1922 I’ve been thinking about this book (as in thinking about reading it) for several years. I remember the film from 1991, and although I have not seen it since the late 90s, I recall that it was part of the era of “period” films based on... Continue Reading →
French Exit, by Patrick DeWitt. Book report #3 (2019)
French Exit, by Patrick DeWitt. Pub 2018 This was another recommendation from a book-loving friend – he has been right every time, and this was no exception. This novel is fun, funny, shocking, and thoroughly enjoyable. Telling the story of Frances Price and her son, Malcolm, the self-described “tragedy of manners” is a modern homage... Continue Reading →
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