Wallbanger by Alice Clayton is a fluffy, reasonably entertaining, and quick contemporary romance. It is the first book in her Cocktail series about twenty-something professionals building careers and finding life partners. The book had very little conflict and read like a romantic sitcom: she is an interior designer and he is a nature photographer; they each have two friends that are perfect for their counterpart’s two friends; they have no money concerns despite living in notoriously expensive San Francisco. Caroline has a noisy neighbour. The […]
2 for 1: Harry Potter and the Cuckoo’s Calling and Harry Potter and the Silkworm
The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm are the first two entries in a new detective series featuring Cormoran Strike and written by much-beloved J.K. Rowling (her pseudonym should hopefully not be a spoiler, as it has been well-publicized and Rowling has been interviewed as Galbraith by now). Strike is a veteran and an amputee, struggling to turn a profit as a private detective in The Cuckoo’s Calling when he is approached to investigate the death of a famous model Lula Landry. Strike is accompanied by […]
The Bell Jar
I read The Bell Jar this summer somewhat accidentally; two people traveling with me happened to read it and vehemently disagreed on it, so naturally I felt curious and wanted to participate in the arguing. I was fairly surprised by how relatable this book was (plus for whatever reason, I’ve always associated Sylvia Plath with 1800s Edgar Allan Poe era, so I also get surprised when she know what telephones are). The Bell Jar is semi-autobiographical, describing the life of Esther, a young woman in […]
That Time Lady Macbeth Went Hunting
Serena is described on the cover as a “retelling of Macbeth in Appalachia” and that is the most accurate five-word description that can be given to this book, except in this version, Lady Macbeth quickly outdistances her husband. George Pemberton is the owner of a timber business in 1929, and he and his new wife Serena seek to dominate and to expand this business by any means, often ruthless, necessary. When Serena discovers she cannot bear children, she turns this same ruthlessness towards Pemberton’s illegitimate […]
Brain on Fire
Brain on Fire is the memoir of Susannah Cahalan, a New York Post reporter who at the age of twenty-four began experiencing symptoms of psychosis. These ranged from episodes of paranoia to personality changes to more neurological findings such as grand mal seizures and visual changes. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and alcohol withdrawal by different professionals until finally being admitted to the hospital following a series of seizures. Cahalan herself has little memory of the time after this point; she reconstructed most of […]
“The girl who wouldn’t die hunts the killer who shouldn’t exist”
Note: This is the first of the ten (ten!) books that were finished while abroad or while adjusting from returning from abroad. The other reviews will be along shortly and will be mostly retrospective, so apologies for any gaps in my memory. First up…. Harper Curtis is down on his luck in 1931 Chicago when he discovers the House. Through the House, Harper is able to find and to follow what he calls “shining girls” – young women in different time periods who stand out […]
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