I got this book when I read that the New York Times had selected it for its book club in March. I had also vaguely heard of it at my local bookshop, and with the added imprimatur of the Nobel Prize in 2024, it seemed like a good bet to try out this new-to-me author.... Continue Reading →
The End of the Affair, by Graham Greene. Pub 1951
This book was part of my September binge of favourite bookstores in Victoria (specifically, Russell Books and their terrific selection of used and remaindered). I’ve enjoyed my previous Greene novels, and since this one is well known for its film versions (neither of which I’ve seen) and for being Greene's best (indeed one of the... Continue Reading →
Changing My Mind, by Julian Barnes. Pub 2025
Upon seeing this new volume by Barnes, I instantly ordered it, raced down the bookshop when it arrived, and made it my next read. I confess to being disappointed when I got it – it is so small – 57 small pages. But it’s Barnes, so it was, to me, essential reading, even if it... Continue Reading →
Curiosities, by Anne Fleming. Pub 2024
This was a Christmas gift from my sister, who heard an interview with the author and thought it sounded interesting. She was oh-so right. This book was terrific – engaging, surprising, well-written, and lives up to its name. This is historical fiction at its finest, with a few kernels of real history enveloped in an... Continue Reading →
Kairos, by Jenny Erpenbeck. Pub 2021. Translation by Michael Hoffman, Pub 2023
I went for this book specifically because it won the 2024 International Booker prize, and so knew it would fulfill a booklist category. Otherwise, I knew nothing about this book, other than its original language was German. The title Kairos refers to the Greek god or characteristic of a chance encounter. This is how the... Continue Reading →
Dickens and Prince, by Nick Hornby. Pub 2022
Short version: Dickens may not be your cup of tea. Ditto for Prince. So the short version is: I really enjoyed this book, learned a lot, and found the comparison to be a fascinating look back at two artists of different mediums and times. If you are interested, but not so much you want to... Continue Reading →
The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley. Pub 2024
I had high hopes for this book. A Christmas gift from a fellow bookclubber, this time-travel romance seemed very promising. However, after pushing to the half-way point, I gave up in frustration, then skimmed through the remainder of the book. Perhaps I missed out, but I was too worn out from rolling my eyes to... Continue Reading →
The MANIAC, by Benjamín Labatut. Pub 2023
I got this book as part of a vacation bookstore binge earlier this year. After loving the previous book by Labatut (When We Cease to Understand the World), I was looking forward to this one, and saved it up for some quieter reading time. Almost double the length of Cease, The MANIAC takes its name... Continue Reading →
A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters, by Julian Barnes. Pub 1989
After recently re-reading Not Wanted on the Voyage and The Preservationist, I wanted to revisit this book for its themes and images from the Noah’s Ark story. These appear in every chapter as either the topic of the chapter, a metaphor, or a mention by a character. Four chapters have a direct connection, while others... Continue Reading →
Melania, by Melania Trump. Pub 2024
After seeing several interviews with Melania Trump about this book, I wanted to read it for the additional details and perspectives on recent history. Melania is much maligned in the mainstream media, and often overlooked in terms of her own experiences. I wanted to give her the chance to be heard in her own voice... Continue Reading →
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