I intended to start out this post by disparaging series, as I generally don’t enjoy them. Often it seems like authors continue them long past their intended expiration date for monetary gain. This irks me. I included often in the previous sentence so as not to offend anybody. Some readers really do get attached toContinue reading “Storm Front by John Sandford (Or The Top Ten Reasons To Read John Sandford)”
Tag Archives: books
Dirty Love by Andre Dubus III
To quote John Irving*: “Human beings are remarkable – at what we can learn to live with. If we couldn’t get strong from what we lose, and what we miss, and what we want and can’t have, then we couldn’t ever get strong enough, could we?” The crux of Andre Dubus III’s Dirty Love** isContinue reading “Dirty Love by Andre Dubus III”
This House is Haunted by John Boyne
We’re all scared of something. Well, most of us, myself included. For those of you who say you aren’t scared of anything, I call bullshit you can skip this post. My something is actually somethings. I’m scared of several things – spiders, flying, aliens, garbage disposals, and lawnmowers. You know – the usual stuff. I can pinpointContinue reading “This House is Haunted by John Boyne”
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: Literary Mixtape
Without a doubt, Jane Eyre is my favorite classic novel. It may even be one of my favorite novels period. I relate to Jane on many, many levels. Primarily, I always felt just like her: poor, obscure, plain and little. Beyond that, I respected her for not compromising herself to obtain something she desired. ItContinue reading “Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: Literary Mixtape”
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro
Let’s talk about sex. Again. I read ‘Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage*’ by Alice Munro for two reasons. The first and easiest to explain is that it’s included on the list of books women should read before they are 30. The second, more complicated reason is that I find sex absolutely fascinating from a psychologicalContinue reading “Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro”
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Hannah Kent’s novel is stunning, almost unfairly so given it’s her debut novel. ‘Burial Rites’ is the sophisticated, yet simple telling of Agnes Magnúsdóttir’s story. She was the last woman executed in Iceland. Unprepared for dealing with a murderess, the courts sent her to the remote family farm of Jón Jónsson, his wife Margret, andContinue reading “Burial Rites by Hannah Kent”
Literary Pairings: Books & Music
Although I had good intentions of doing this monthly, every ten weeks seems like as good of a spacing as any. For the second time (my first effort can be found here, although it’s only a mediocre effort), I’m trying out this particular feature. Although I generally pair books with food mentioned within the text, IContinue reading “Literary Pairings: Books & Music”
Fallen Land by Patrick Flanery
Why do I include personal information in book reviews? I’ve thought about this question quite a bit. I do it for innumerable reasons and for reasons I can’t always explain. I do it to celebrate and remember when something good happens. I do it to try and find the humor in a shitty day atContinue reading “Fallen Land by Patrick Flanery”
The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale
So you’ve read True Grit but thought it could be both funnier and dirtier, maybe with a bit more violence? May I introduce you to The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale. (It’s worth noting that if you thought True Grit was excellent, you’ll like this one too.) I imagine it’s rare that a book canContinue reading “The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale”
Needful Things by Stephen King
You’ve been here before. At least if you’re a King fan. “Here”, for the sake of my discussion, is the town of Castle Rock, Maine. Upon reading Needful Things, you’re welcome to delve deeper into the meaning of the rather ambiguous opening statement. As for Castle Rock, it’s a town of utmost importance and infamyContinue reading “Needful Things by Stephen King”
flannel and folklore 