If there’s one thing that can be said about this book, it’s that it lives up to its title. The premise is fascinating: An institute of historical research called St Mary’s, associated with the (also fictional) University of Thirsk in northern England, is not the stuffy old institution it appears to be but actually conducts its historical research in the most contemporary way possible–they go back in time and observe the events firsthand. The main character, Dr Madeleine Maxwell, called Max, is recruited by St […]
Rae Carson is one of the best YA authors out there
It’s official! Rae Carson can do no wrong. This trilogy was an utter delight and I plan on making as many people read it as possible. Over the past three books, these characters have become true friends and I’m a little lost now that the series is over. I have a feeling that these will become comfort reads in the same way that Harry Potter and a few other favorite books have. *** Spoilers below if you haven’t read the first book *** 3.5 Stars […]
Reincarnation meets Groundhog Day….
Not my ideal choice for a first pick, but it was a book club selection that I was supposed to have read back in Nov/Dec, and I’m nothing if not an extraordinary procrastinator. I persevered through this with the gusto of someone who is determined to stick with a New Years Resolution. If I picked this up in October, I couldn’t guarantee the same enthusiasm. Life After Life was one of those books that I finished and said, “I think I liked it? Maybe? I […]
Simple Lessons are the Hardest to Learn
Way back when I was a kid in the 1970s, I remember seeing part of a TV production of Great Expectations starring Michael York as Pip. While I had forgotten most of the story, I do have a vivid recollection of Miss Havisham, who cannot help but leave an impression on a viewer or reader. I don’t think I ever read the novel before now, or if I tried, I never finished. And so with this review, I give a nod to “the canon,” which […]
Two books for the price of no thanks
These two detective stories have made me realize I need to do a better job of picking mystery novels. I’ve been completely spoiled by Tana French who manages to make even the most basic characters interesting. One could even argue that her mystery plots aren’t all that complex or interesting and yet, I’m always enthralled. These two books squandered super interesting premises on garbage characters. Brilliance is a bookish take on the X-Men premise of humans being born with super abilities. These abilities are a […]
It doesn’t get better than this
Much Ado About Nothing is by far my favorite Shakespeare play. I love most of his others too (especially Twelfth Night, Macbeth, & Romeo and Juliet), but this play is special. It’s fun to watch/read but surprisingly complex. If you haven’t ever seen/read it, I highly recommend starting with the Branaugh movie version and then reading an annotated copy. I actually own the dramatized audio version with David Tennant and Samantha Spiro, so I really like listening while I read along in hard copy. They’re […]
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