As Winter slowly but surely approaches the Northern Hemisphere, I felt that a book on Alaska would help me get into the mood of all things cold and frosty. As an Australian, it is hard to imagine the cold that is experienced in places like Alaska and Northern Sweden and Finland. I did not see … Continue reading
Tag Archives: novel
25 years since Jeffrey Eugenides’ debut novel: “The Virgin Suicides”
TRIGGER WARNING: This review deals with death by suicide. The Virgin Suicides were first published in 1993 and it was Jeffrey Eugenides’ breakout debut novel. It was received with critical acclaim and some reviewers at the time called his novel a modern Greek tragedy. It has captured readers since its release and was turned into … Continue reading
A Review of “Idaho”: forgetting and remembering
I am not going to lie, the decision I made to read this book was heavily based on the cover. What is that old saying again? Anyway, I found myself drawn to the strong yellows and greens and I had also seen this book everywhere. It was popping up in book stores, in my library, … Continue reading
Asian Invisibility In Western Literature: a review of Ann Y. K. Choi’s “Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety”
I am going to cut to the chase on this review. Like the title suggests, there is a problem with the way that Asian literature is represented, or to be more precise its lack of representation, in the Western world. Many scholars and teachers have suggested to me over the years that Asian literature cannot … Continue reading
“Sleeping Beauties”: a feminist look at this father/son written novel
First of all, let me start by saying this book is long. Over 700 pages long. It is not something for the faint-hearted, however, I will say that in audiobook form this novel is still long (25+hrs of listening time), but digestible. This was the first Stephen King and/or Owen King novel that I have … Continue reading
My Top 5 Books About Death, Dying, Medicine, and Grief
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. Clicking through for additional information or to make a purchase may result in a small commission. It is coming up to Christmas, the end of the year, and the 21st of December. Whilst many people around the world are making Christmas lists, dusting off menorahs, tentatively imagining New … Continue reading
The Sheldon Effect: ‘funny’ books about mental illness
In the past few weeks I have read two books: Brian Conaghan’s When Mr Dog Bites is about a teenage boy, Dylan Mint, and his struggles with going to Drumhill special school and battling tourette’s syndrome (amongst other mental health issues). On top of all of that, he thinks that he is going to die. … Continue reading
Not Buying Books
I didn’t want to tell anyone my new year’s resolution out of fear that I might actually not make it through the whole year. However, I figured I need something to keep me honest; the internet and a loyal readership should surely keep me in check. Right? *In 2017 I decided to not buy books, … Continue reading
Interview fail: Han Kang author event at the Kaufleuten in Zurich
I have been attending author events at the Kaufleuten in Zurich since I moved to Switzerland. They are great things for the community and I think they can encourage reading, multilingual boarder-crossing, and intellectual discussions about literature from around the world. I recently went to Han Kang’s talk/interview about her book, The Vegetarian. I have … Continue reading
“Vinegar Girl”: how well can Shakespeare translate into modern times?
If you grow up in an English speaking country, chances are rather high that you have had to read some Shakespeare. Conquering Shakespearean language, rhythm, and rhyme are a rite of passage every young English speaking teenager must go through. Some people hate Shakespeare, others love him so much that they pursue academic research projects … Continue reading
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