Genre: Non-fiction, medical history, medicine. Publisher: Allen Lane, Penguin Rating: π π π π π * No Spoilers This is an electrifying book about the history of surgery from the point of view of one of its pioneers, Joseph Lister. A humble and unassuming Quaker, Lister managed to rise up through the ranks of Edinburghβs…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris
Genre: Non-fiction, spirituality, Zen buddhism, psychology, philosophy. Publisher: Flatiron Books Rating: π π π π π Halifax with the Dalai Lama Standing At the Edge is a once in a lifetime kind of book. I donβt say that lightly either. Itβs a life-changing and life-affirming book that combines philosophy, Zen Buddhism, psychology, and much more…
Genre: Non-fiction, Spirituality, Philosophy Rating: π π π 1/2 stars *Contains no spoilers In this slim and elegant volume of philosophy and inspiration, writer David Whyte tackles the big topics and words that rarely get any airtime in our society, the kinds of things that haunt people but that are difficult to resolve and so…
Genre: Non-fiction, social sciences, history, public health Publisher: Counterpoint Rating: π π The Life Project is published by Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Books that focuses serious non-fiction from different realms like history, politics, science and philosophy. I really expected a lot from this book and it didnβt deliver. The Life Project is written…
Genre: Japanese fiction, fantasy, Magic realism. Publisher: Granta *No spoilers Rating: This one is mindblowing, a solid 5/5 π π π π π This is the second and much awaited fictional novel by the Japanese author of Convenience Store Woman. A book I have also reviewed and absolutely adored in the past. Earthlings traverses familiar…
Genre: Non-fiction, conservation, nature, spirituality. Publisher: HMH Books Rating: π π π π π *No spoilers This is an extra special book. Itβs filled with nourishing and kind-hearted stories of one womanβs relationships with a lifetime's worth of unique and amazing creatures. Author Sy Montgomeryβs relationships with animals mirrors so many other people's stories and…
βStanding Firmβ in the sense of this book means to counter the incessant drive towards more, more, more of everything. Itβs a call to action to resist and stand firm against βimprovement cultureβ, not just self-improvement and personal development, but also the constant acceleration and growth in our economic systems, and the overuse and destruction…
Infused with the vast and never-ending love of a mum for her unborn daughter, The Pregnancy Diaries Volume 1 is an absolutely hilarious, witty and enjoyable romp through pregnancy from conception to birth. Any woman who has given birth (or any supportive man who has gone along for the journey) will be able to relate…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Pregnancy Diaries Vol. 1 by Googie McCabe
A compelling, rich and lush blend of essay, poetry, reflections and personal stories by one of New Zealand's most preeminent MΔori writers. I have to admit that I didn't know much about Haare Williams before picking up this book in Te Papa Museum in Wellington. This is a definitive collection of MΔori wisdom that is…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Words of a KaumΔtua by Haare Williams
*Contains no spoilers Right from the start I was hooked on this novel by the celebrated author Michael Ondaatje who wrote the classic The English Patient which won the Booker Prize in 1992 and was turned into an equally successful film. His follow up, Anil's Ghost failed to hit the mark, at least for me.…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
*contains a few spoilers (sorry I couldn't resist) Iceland has always held a unique fascination for me. Driven by a love for Sigur RΓ³s and BjΓΆrk, along with the vague romance of going to a remote and icy place. In Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss, you get to actually explore the nuts and…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss
These amazing diagrams showing a medical crossβsection of Godzilla along with other Japanese monsters such as Mothra, Gamera and Agurius. These illustrations were created in 1967 by Shogo Endo for a book called 'An Anatomical Guide to Monsters'. This cult book was crafted by Shoji Otomo (writer) along with Shogo Endo (illustrator) (1967). An Anatomical…
Continue reading ➞ An Anatomical Guide to Godzilla and other Gigantic Japanese Monsters
*No spoilers A book about experimental archaeology and family violence thatβs brimming with glorious dread and that closes in around you like a vice. The novel's short 160 pages are absolutely electrifying and seem far bigger. Best enjoyed during the witching hours of 11pm and 3 am. Ghost Wall opens with an ancient hair-raising scene,…
*No spoilers "We all live in patterns we do not see. We are all following magic ravens, even when we are lost. Otherwise there would be no story." ~ Sarah Moss, The Tidal Zone. Sarah Moss is now my favourite writer. She seems to be a occupied with the lives of women. However in this…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss
Great historical novels are fully immersed in time, place and have a tangible effect of bringing you into a time period that you may otherwise never know. This is whatβs truly exhilerating about the historical novel. The setting and surroundings become like a fully formed character in the novel. Whether weβre talking about a British…
Continue reading ➞ Seven suspenseful and unforgettable historical novels
*No spoilers Patrick Hamilton isn't really as well known as he should be, which is a crime and a shame. He is a fantastic and yet underrated British writers of the post-war era. You may recognise his work in the play Rope which was turned into a well-known Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name.…
Japan is a country close to my heart and since I first went there a few years ago, I have become a big fan of Japanese fiction and Asian fiction translated to English. Japanese fiction tends to emphasise the liminal and fantasy aspects hidden at the edges of everyday reality and also exploring the inner…
Continue reading ➞ Seven Unique and Moving Fictional Books Set in Japan
Hereβs a collection of the best and treasured history books that I donβt think I could ever part with. They are quirky and delve into a little known aspect of history making them delightful lazy weekend reading. I hope you can get a hold of them, if you do...please let me know what you think…
Continue reading ➞ Ten Quirky and Mind Expanding History Books
Lost Wisdom and its two other companion books Lost Crafts and Lost Lore are beautifully typeset and laid out. Their contents are a cabinet of curiosities - a wunderkammer of the same sort as the Book of Barely Imagined Beings, which I have mentioned in the past. Although in this case Lost Wisdom runs the…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Lost Wisdom by Una McGovern and Paul Jenner
Scottish Forensic Anthropologist and Professor Sue Black's memoir about her life confronting death won the Saltire Book of the Year in 2018. Forensic anthropology (in case you are wondering) is the study of human remains in order to solve criminal cases. I was very excited to read this book. Yet the first few chapters of…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: All that Remains: A Life in Death by Sue Black
Edward Brooke Hitching, history-hound, lover of quirky things and writer for the ever-popular and erudite quiz show QI, has written The Sky Atlas. A treasury and history of some of humankindβs most beautiful maps and charts. Yet this book is more than that, itβs a sparkling and glittering array of sky-bound achievements. Itβs a visual…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Sky Atlas by Edward Brooke Hitching
His Bloody Project byΒ author Graeme Macrae Burnet recounts the story of the triple murder and subsequent trial of accused 17 year old crofter Roderick McRae, who brutally slays three people in his remote village in 1896. Roderick lives with his family in a tiny croft on a property and land owned by the laird. His…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: His Bloody Project by Graeme MacRae Burnet
The Recovering is a memoir about alcohol and how it runs rampant in the lives of writers and artists throughout history. Itβs seen through the lens of the bookβs author, Leslie Jameson as she navigates her way through life and the being drunk and being in recovery. Jamieson clearly has a knack for the written…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Recovering Intoxication and its Aftermath by Leslie Jamieson
Tulip Fever is one of the most captivating historical fiction reads I have had the pleasure of enjoying in recent years. Tulip Fever takes place in Amsterdam in the 1630's during a time of immense wealth that is brought into the country by merchants and tulip sellers. If you enjoyed that other iconic historical novel…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach
*No spoilers Recently translated into English from German, The Pine Islands tells the story of Gilbert Silvester, a stuffy middle-aged lecturer in Germany. His area of academic specialisation is beard fashions in film. One day he finds out his wife is cheating on him (or so he believes, we never discover the truth). So he…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann
Kate Atkinson achieved great fame for her book Life After Life. This is one of her earlier and lesser known collections of short stories. I have to admit I never got into Life After Life, so I was a bit dubious about whether or not I would like this one. However, I was absolutely transfixed…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson
Art Historian Jake Hartnell takes us on a macabre and enthralling journey from head to toe in the medieval human body. This is fascinating because, even though we share the same bodies as our medieval ancestors, we had wildly diverging beliefs about the inherent symbolic power of parts of our bodies and what could heal,…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Medieval Bodies Life and Death in the Middle Ages by Jake Hartnell
Sometimes you want to be right there at the edge of an icy cliff staring death right in the face. But not really, just in your imagination. Here are some poetic, beautifully written and profound adventure and survival stories that will take you to dangerous places, without having to leave your sofa. To the Bright…
Continue reading ➞ Six Exciting Frontier Novels Set at the Extreme Edges of Civilisation
This is an incredible book. Written by Desmond Morris who is a prominent Zoologist and well-known for his book The Naked Ape. It's possibly less widely known that Morris was himself a surrealist and knew many of the prominent surrealists in the art movement. I have to admit not knowing much about Surrealism prior to…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Lives of the Surrealists by Desmond Morris
The Book of Symbols is a masterpiece of art history, philosophy, mysticism, psychology, anthropology, biology and spirituality. It brings together the history of various symbols, concepts and objects from many cultures and civilisations.
