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 what’s truly exhilerating about the historical novel. The setting and surroundings become like a fully formed character in the novel. Whether we’re talking about a BritishContinue reading “Seven suspenseful and unforgettable historical novels”
Tag Archives: books
Book Review: Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky: A London Trilogy by Patrick Hamilton
*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.Continue reading “Book Review: Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky: A London Trilogy by Patrick Hamilton”
Seven Unique and Moving Fictional Books Set in Japan
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 innerContinue reading “Seven Unique and Moving Fictional Books Set in Japan”
10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet this Week #14
Nick Cave performing Stagger Lee in Copenhagen is electrifying I have seen Nick live three times so far and his live performances of this song Stagger Lee are always a big highlight. The song escalates and gets harder, darker and more intense as it goes on. This is definitely my favourite Nick Cave song becauseContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet this Week #14”
Ten Quirky and Mind Expanding History Books
Here’s a collection of the best and treasured history books that I don’t 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 thinkContinue reading “Ten Quirky and Mind Expanding History Books”
10 Interesting Things I found on the Internet #13
1. Chilled out hip-hop grooves from Emapea – Seeds, Roots & Fruits 2. These book-rescuing heroes don’t wear capes 3. François Schuiten’s steampunk cityscapes ‘Les Cités obscures’ Immense skyscrapers and towering monoliths dwarf the citizenry in François Schuiten’s ‘Les Cités obscures’, a graphic novel series (1983–present) that captures the steampunk modernist aesthetic. Read more 4.Continue reading “10 Interesting Things I found on the Internet #13”
Book Review: His Bloody Project by Graeme MacRae Burnet
His Bloody Project by 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. HisContinue reading “Book Review: His Bloody Project by Graeme MacRae Burnet”
Anaïs Nin on why she writes
We write to taste life twice…in the moment and in retrospection. One has to create a world in which to live. I could not live in any of the worlds offered to me. The world of my parents. The world of war. The world of politics. I had to create a world of my own.Continue reading “Anaïs Nin on why she writes”
Book Review: The Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann
*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 heContinue reading “Book Review: The Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann”
Book Review: Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson
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 transfixedContinue reading “Book Review: Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson”
