Minute Review I picked up this book after seeing someone put it on their favorite list for 2013. … [Read more]
You could also use some new ideas
Not only did Bulawayo's debut novel make it on to the longlist for the Booker, it got to the shortlist. It's won some other awards too. It seems if you have a child as your narrator, people are willing to overlook AN AWFUL LOT when it comes to the book itself. I found it a patience testing bore and … [Read more]
Scientists in Love
Sebastian Malheur is one of the most revered naturalists of his day… and one of the most reviled men in England. After all, he gives public lectures about reproduction and genetics and that is simply Not Done in polite company. Imagine how much more scandalous it would be if word got out that his … [Read more]
A Spoonful of Sugar or Lemon Juice?
When we all think of Mary Poppins, we think of that cheeky songstress, she of the wholesome face and flawless skin, Dame Julie Andrews. After all the press surrounding the film Saving Mr. Banks and learning that P.L. Travers was in fact very much against the making and production of her beloved … [Read more]
The Many Lines of Beauty
I first read this book two years ago for my Twentieth-Century British Lit. seminar with my dissertation director. It’s the novel that inspired my dissertation, so it holds a special place in my heart. It’s also one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Nick Guest is young, white, British, … [Read more]
Not All Monsters Are Bad
I’ve been hearing about Lauren Groff’s Arcadia, and my friend S recommended her first novel, The Monsters of Templeton, to me. I thought I’d give it a try. Oh, man. So, so good. In the author’s note, Groff mentions that she was trying to write about Cooperstown, NY, where she grew up. She … [Read more]



