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Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

October 27, 2025

katabasis

I’ve read and enjoyed both of R.F. Kuang’s adult novels (Babel, Yellowface) so was looking forward to her latest, Katabasis. A Greek word meaning “going down or descending” this chunky novel is about Alice Law, an American student getting her graduate degree in Magick from Cambridge. The title refers to Alice’s descent into Hell to retrieve the soul of her academic advisor, the ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: England, fantasy, literary

The Secret Book Society

October 3, 2025

secret book

It’s 1895 in England and women are kept firmly in their established roles as wives, mothers, and arbiters of society. Deviation from these roles or even a desire for something more could lead to a woman being institutionalized by her guardian “for her own safety”. A guardian was the male in her life be it father, husband, or brother. These female problems were often thought to ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, historical, reading, women

Guilty by Definition: A Novel

October 1, 2025

guilty

A love of words, academia, and mystery are all that’s needed to fall in love with Susie Dent’s novel, Guilty by Definition. Editors of the Clarendon English Dictionary start receiving cryptic letters hinting at a mystery and the recovery of a possible item of great significance. The letters indicate the  timeline coincides with the disappearance of one of the dictionary’s ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: mystery, vacation reading

Starter Villain

September 29, 2025

starter

Hello, lovely readers! You may have noticed that The Gilmore Guide to Books doesn’t look the way it usually does. Instead of brief excerpts of the books I’ve reviewed, the landing page now contains the full review for every book. It is clunky and not how I like things to look. Sadly, it’s been almost ten years since I’ve had to dive into the code that makes this blog work so my ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: fantasy, humor, vacation reading

The Satisfaction Cafe

September 25, 2025

satisfaction

Joan is a Taiwanese woman in America in The Satisfaction Café. Her first marriage, through no fault of her own goes horribly wrong, leaving her destitute and living hand to mouth. She then meets and marries a wealthy, older man. They have their own children before he dies, leaving her very wealthy, but insecure, as the adult children from her husband’s first marriage vigorously ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, cultural

We Don’t Talk About Carol

September 23, 2025

carol

We Don’t Talk About Carol begins with Sydney going back home after her grandmother’s death to help clear out her house. In doing so, she comes across a picture of a little girl who looks somewhat like her. She discovers this is an aunt who disappeared when she was a teenager and that Sydney was never told about. She’s immediately intrigued and wants to learn more but as both ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, mystery

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