Any Human Heart, by William Boyd. Pub 2002I picked this one based on the recommendation in The Diary of a Bookseller. It's not something I would normally pick (author I've never heard of, middling reviews), but the recommendation from The Bookshop owner had me interested. I was pleased that I did. It was very well... Continue Reading →
Keeping an Eye Open, and Through the Window, by Julian Barnes. Book reports #10 and #11 (2020)
Keeping an Eye Open, by Julian Barnes. Pub 2015 Through the Window, by Julian Barnes. Pub 2012 Two non-fiction books by Julian Barnes. Keeping an Eye Open is a collection of essays on art (art history and art criticism) and Through the Window is a collection of essays on literature (more history and criticism). Each... Continue Reading →
The Mirror & the Light, by Hilary Mantel. Book report #9 (2020)
The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel. Pub 2020 I had read the previous books in this series a few years ago. Both were very good, so I had high hopes for this concluding book. And I was not disappointed. Personalities that we think we know from history become very real people in these... Continue Reading →
Circe, by Madeline Miller. Book report #7 (2020)
Circe, by Madeline Miller. Pub 2018It is a testament to how gripping this book is that I finished it in 2 days. The story is a wonderful tale of a character central to Greek mythology and legend, but seen primarily as being on the fringes. Circe was literally on the fringes, in exile for much... Continue Reading →
Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari. Book report #3 (2020)
Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari. Pub 2011 (English translation 2014) I chose this book after seeing it on Bill Gates’ top-ten book list, reading a bit about it, and then finding it during my January top-up splurge. I was daunted by the length of it (466 pages), and skeptical about getting through it. A previous... Continue Reading →
The Moon is Down, by John Steinbeck. Book report #17* (2017)
The Moon is Down, by John Steinbeck. Pub 1942 This short novel was written specifically to be a piece of insurgent propaganda. As the US was entering WWII, Steinbeck became one of many artists with a patriotic and anti-fascist bent who wanted to use their skills for the cause. Originally intended to take place in... Continue Reading →
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