History “Lessons” with Ian McEwan: A review of McEwan’s latest novel
Book Reviews / British / historical / The Latest

History “Lessons” with Ian McEwan: A review of McEwan’s latest novel

The novel follows the life of Roland Baines, and the novel swaps between Roland’s formative years at an all boys boarding school in the U.K. and his adult life as a single father to his son Lawrence, after his wife disappears one day. Continue reading

A Review of “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois”: Race, gender, and the pecan tree that watches it all
African / American / Book Reviews / The Latest

A Review of “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois”: Race, gender, and the pecan tree that watches it all

Nations are fiction. The U.S. is fiction. Australia, my home country, is fiction. The stories that are celebrated and told about these nations do not speak to the true history of these lands. They begin at an arbitrary point, picked by and for white supremacy. They are stories told over and over again, like water over stone. They are stories about collective groups that change and form over time. But they are just that – stories. Continue reading

Climate Change Fiction (Cli-Fi): A review of Clare Moleta’s “Unsheltered”
Australian / Book Reviews / The Latest

Climate Change Fiction (Cli-Fi): A review of Clare Moleta’s “Unsheltered”

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I might make a very small commission. This helps fund my blog and keep it free for all to read. I recently figured out I have been reading books of a very specific genre – dystopian novels and climate disaster … Continue reading

A Review of Sally Vickers’ “The Gardener”: A novel about siblings, small country towns, and the power of gardening
Book Reviews / British / The Latest

A Review of Sally Vickers’ “The Gardener”: A novel about siblings, small country towns, and the power of gardening

After many twists and turns, two adult sisters, Margot and Halcyon also known as Hassie, find themselves living together in a rundown Jacobian house in Hope Wenlock – a small village in the Welsh marshes. The two sisters seem to be completely different. And their relationship is civil but also very cold at the beginning of the novel. The sisters, almost unbeknownst to themselves, want to reconnect. They just don’t know how to do it. Continue reading

Review of Niall Williams “This Is Happiness”: when the rain stops in Faha
Book Reviews / Irish / The Latest

Review of Niall Williams “This Is Happiness”: when the rain stops in Faha

When a telephone gets installed in Noe’s home, people line up to call loved ones from afar. However, the telephone calls are not really considered private. And indeed, many of the villagers feel that writing things down and sending letters is much more intimate and personal. Continue reading

Who Is Allowed Access to Education?: What Bri Lee’s “Who Gets To Be Smart” and Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Klara And the Sun” can tell us about equitable education
Australian / Book Reviews / British / nonfiction / Opinion Pieces / study / The Latest

Who Is Allowed Access to Education?: What Bri Lee’s “Who Gets To Be Smart” and Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Klara And the Sun” can tell us about equitable education

What does a nonfiction social commentary book from Australian writer Bri Lee have to do with a dystopian futuristic novel from Japanese-British author Kazuo Ishiguro? The short answer – A lot.
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The Endless Pursuit of Chasing Your Dreams: A book review of William Boyd’s “Trio”
Book Reviews / British / Scottish / The Latest

The Endless Pursuit of Chasing Your Dreams: A book review of William Boyd’s “Trio”

This article contains affiliate links. These links don’t cost anything extra for you, but if you click on the link and buy a book through these links I can make a very small commission. This helps me keep my tiny blog afloat. Trio by William Boyd has been one of those books that has grown … Continue reading

Book Review of Emma Gannon’s “Olive”: Fiction about Being Childless
Book Reviews / British / The Latest

Book Review of Emma Gannon’s “Olive”: Fiction about Being Childless

The pressure to have a child as a cis woman is REAL. It is all encompassing. It comes up with every person you meet – and the expectation is not if you will have kids, but when. So there is no nuance for those of use, who just really don’t think kids are for them for whatever personal reason that may be. Continue reading

Review of “The Last Children of Tokyo”: dystopias as social commentary
Book Reviews / Japanese / The Latest / translation

Review of “The Last Children of Tokyo”: dystopias as social commentary

In Tawada’s world, the old don’t age or die, and the young are cursed with ill-health and short life-spans. Learn more about why this dystopian novel haunted me for months after I read it. Continue reading