In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a fan of historical fiction. You might think you can read only so many books about World War II, the Tudors, or almost any European royal family before losing interest but apparently, for me, that’s not true. There's always some aspect of history I knew nothing about and, while I should read non-fiction for accuracy's sake, it puts me to sleep. ... Read More...
Copygirl
Oh dear, oh dear. Beware the comparative blurb. As in “the next Gone Girl” or “it's like Little House on the Prairie meets Twilight”. And I’m not warning writers, I’m warning readers. Do you fall for this? I like to think I don’t but obviously, I do. Today’s example is Copygirl, a novel set in an advertising agency. I saw the Goodreads blurb and was ready to start ... Read More...
Rich White Dudes: Mini-Reviews
I’m back again with two more mini-reviews on a theme. Last time was mysteries that had me going until the end but today is not all that mysterious, it’s rich white dudes. Which, apparently, there are fair amounts of in recent fiction. The Fall of Princes is author Robert Goolrick’s look at the brash and bullish world of Wall Street in the 1980s. An interesting time ... Read More...
Right Up Until the End: Mini-Reviews
Picture this: you’ve started a mystery/thriller/sci-fi/suspense novel—any book that sucks you into a plot that requires full buy-in on the reader's part. And you do. And it’s well written, it’s all working and then BAM!, it’s not. You’re left like Nathan Lane in The Birdcage, a gay man trying to play a straight man discussing the Miami Dolphins. The betrayal, the bewilderment. ... Read More...
It’s Not You, It’s Me: Mini-Reviews
The “It’s Not You, It’s Me” phrase is more true this month than almost any other. My head space is so messed up by living in a construction zone with the ear-shattering noise, frequent questions, and now, mistakes being made on a renovation that is 20 days behind schedule means my attention span is shot to hell. The only place I’m finding mental peace these days is ... Read More...
Books about Books: Mini-Reviews
Every reader has a soft spot, a genre or author or both that they gravitate towards without their usual scrutiny. Some people will read any book about dogs, others will grab anything written by John Grisham or Stephen King. For me, it’s books about books or books with the word book in the title. My brain disengages from critical thinking and switches to the blind belief that it ... Read More...
