As I was reading Jeanette Winterson's novella Oranges are not the only fruit, the question, rightly or wrongly, that was uppermost in my mind was "What is it with the oranges?" Is there something about oranges that I don't know? Something specific that they symbolise? I racked (wracked) my brain for something in my literary … Continue reading Jeanette Winterson, Oranges are not the only fruit
Reading
So you have a book collection…
... but how well do you care for it? In a recent post, I reviewed (if you could call it a review) Leslie Geddes-Brown's book titled Books do furnish a room. That book focused on the aesthetics of having a book collection, but what about how best to ensure its longevity? The April 2010 edition … Continue reading So you have a book collection…
David Malouf, Ransom
Words are powerful. They too can be the agents of what is new, of what is conceivable and can be thought and let loose on the world. (p. 61) Is risk-taking only the province of the young? Do desperate times call for desperate measures? Or, more to the point, can the impossible be made possible? … Continue reading David Malouf, Ransom
Helen Garner, The children’s Bach
I've said a few times now that I rarely reread books, and then go on to write about something I've re-read. I must look like a liar, but the fact is that if I've liked a book so much that I've reread it it's likely to find its way here. The funny thing is, though, … Continue reading Helen Garner, The children’s Bach
Librarians as writers
It is (almost) a truism that librarians harbour a secret (or not so secret, as the case may be) desire to be writers. It is, similarly, (almost) a truism that keen readers desire to be writers. Now, I am a librarian (retired) and a keen reader but I have never really had a desire to … Continue reading Librarians as writers
How to write a (book) review!
If you go looking for advice on how to write a book review on the web, you won't be looking for long. There are hundreds of sites which provide such advice or offer courses on how to do it. Reviewing 101 is alive and well out in cyberspace. Much of the advice, though, is step-by-step … Continue reading How to write a (book) review!
A light interlude, but will Desert Book Chick approve?
I have nearly finished my next book/s and so a review will be coming up any moment now, but in the meantime I thought I would post this photo: Now, the thing is, Desert Book Chick recently wrote a post on the Five Things that turn her off (some) book blogs - and one of them … Continue reading A light interlude, but will Desert Book Chick approve?
The Diagram Prize for the oddest title of the year
I know you've been waiting for it: the longlist for the Bookseller/Diagram Prize is out - and in fact was out in early February. You can find it in the Guardian article here. As no doubt some of you know, this prize began in 1978 as a way, says the Wikipedia article to which I've linked, … Continue reading The Diagram Prize for the oddest title of the year
Sawako Ariyoshi, The doctor’s wife
The doctor's wife is the third Ariyoshi novel that I've read. The other two - The River Ki and The twilight years - I read well over a decade ago. According to Wikipedia The doctor's wife is considered her best novel. All, though, are fascinating reads providing an insight into a culture which is so different … Continue reading Sawako Ariyoshi, The doctor’s wife
Sarah Waters, The little stranger
I'm not quite sure I know where to start with this one - the ghost story that isn't. Or is it? The little stranger is my second Sarah Waters' novel. I found The night watch riveting, and I did see and enjoy (but not read) her very Dickensian Fingersmith. Like The night watch, The little stranger was … Continue reading Sarah Waters, The little stranger
