My thoughts on rereading Richard Bach’s classic 1970 story of a seagull who finds fulfilment and a higher purpose through flight.
American Literature
BOOK REVIEW: In the Dream House: A Memoir
Carmen Maria Machado’s absorbing and brilliantly unorthodox account of an abusive relationship is due for publication in the UK on 2nd January 2020.
THE CLASSICS CLUB: Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel imagines a future American society where books are forbidden and ‘firemen’ burn those that are found.
THOUGHTS ON: Into the Wild
I share my thoughts on the true story of Chris McCandless, a young man who walked deep into the Alaskan wilderness to seek adventure but never returned.
THOUGHTS ON: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
We look back at a powerful memoir exploring death, illness, marriage and memory from an iconic American writer.
THE CLASSICS CLUB: The Haunting of Hill House
A classic supernatural thriller by an author who helped define the genre.
BOOK REVIEW: Swan Song
A deft, dazzling, diligently researched debut about a literary icon and his beautiful, wealthy, spoiled Swans.
1977 CLUB: Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams by Sylvia Plath
Collaborative book blogging: My last minute contribution to the 1977 Club.
BOOK REVIEW: White Houses
The story of an unexpected and forbidden love affair that developed between America’s First Lady and a well-known female journalist.
BOOK REVIEW: The Second Winter
Craig Larsen’s novel is a harrowing tale of survival in desperate circumstances. It will undoubtedly appeal to readers of gritty noir wartime thrillers.
BOOK REVIEW: Asymmetry
Asymmetry is a story in which nothing and nobody is equal. It is inventive, compelling and altogether unforgettable. We should expect to hear a great deal more of its promising author over the coming months.
Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime Tag
This is a first! Brittany, a fellow book critic over at Perfectly Tolerable, has picked me, along with several others, to take part in her book tag.
BOOK REVIEW: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
Author Matthew J. Sullivan, a bona fide Denverite, has set his debut novel in the Lower Downtown district of Denver, Colorado, and the City is as much a character in his story as the patrons of the Bright Ideas Bookstore.
THOUGHTS ON: The Awakening: And Other Stories
This short but impassioned novel, first published at the turn of the 19th century, portrays a new way of thinking; a dissension among the women of North America and Europe, which caused excitement and consternation in equal measures.