Very Nice, by Marcy Dermansky. Pub 2019 I have read Dermansky's previous books (Bad Marie and Red Car) which were wonderful. The lead characters were flawed and made bad decisions, but were still people you cared about and rooted for. I had such high hopes for this book, but was disappointed. Sadly, there was no... Continue Reading →
Reynard the Fox, by Anne Louise Avery. Book report #1 (2021)
Reynard the Fox, by Anne Louise Avery. Pub 2020 I have been following @AnneLouiseAvery on Twitter for a little over a year. In her tweets (and now also on Patreon) she tells delightful little stories about animals living in and around a small village in Southern England. Centred around Old Fox and his wise and... Continue Reading →
2021 Reading Challenge
Another year, another list. 2021's reading list takes us to 34 items, with some more new categories to keep things interesting. The list is below. This year we combined play and poetry into a single category, and added a book from high school or university, a book about politics or history, and a book with... Continue Reading →
Good riddance, 2020
Like most people I'm sure, I'll be glad to flip the calendar from 2020. I started this blog in 2010, at the end of (for me) a tumultuous year. 2020 has been less personally challenging but still no picnic. I tried for a few years doing a year-end sum-up of things that made me laugh/cry/get... Continue Reading →
2020 Reading Challenge – summary
I don't know why I haven't done this before - a summary of the year's reading. Perhaps I've just gotten more organized in recent year. Here's the final book list for 2020: 1 – Body part in title Any Human Heart – William Boyd 2 – Published before 1939 Mrs. Dalloway – Virginia Woolf 3... Continue Reading →
Landmarks, by Robert MacFarlane. Book report #35 (2020)
Landmarks, by Robert MacFarlane. Pub 2015 I have wanted to read something by Robert MacFarlane, and when I saw that I needed a language book to complete my list for 2020, he was a good choice. I opted for this book because I already owned it (otherwise, I would likely have chosen The Lost Words).... Continue Reading →
Moon of the Crusted Snow, by Waubgeshig Rice. Book report #34 (2020)
Moon of the Crusted Snow, by Waubgeshig Rice. Pub 2018 I chose this one based on one of those "staff picks" walls at a local bookstore (obviously, a while ago). It has been on my to-read list for a while, and so was on the list of books I gave to my sister for Christmas... Continue Reading →
The Splendid and the Vile, by Erik Larson. Book report #33* (2020)
The Splendid and the Vile, by Erik Larsen. Pub 2020 This was a leftover from vacation, and one that I don't recall how or why it made it into my book pile, as it's not a genre (historical war fiction) I normally go for. I have wanted to know/learn more about Winston Churchill, but I... Continue Reading →
A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles. Book report #30 (2020)
A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles. Pub 2016 This book was suggested by a friend, and since a book with a place name in the title was still unticked on my list, I decided to give a shot. I was initially daunted by the book length, but got over that soon enough. By page... Continue Reading →
Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf. Book report #29 (2020)
Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf. Pub 1925 Another of the should-reads and never-read-agains, I sought this out specifically for the pre-1925 category. Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway is having a party tonight. We see the entirety of the day told in considerable detail and meet many people in her circle and beyond. The perspective shifts throughout as... Continue Reading →
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