Anyone who lives abroad knows how hard it can be to engage with literature from your mother tongue. For me, living in Switzerland means that German is a regular part of my day-to-day life. This means I forget English words all the time (just ask any of my friends back home when I throw in … Continue reading
Tag Archives: reviews
Review: “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas
“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” This is the most important book for American literature in 2017. In fact, I would go further in saying that this novel deserves the same respect, appreciation, and academic and general popularity as those by Toni Morrison, … Continue reading
“Insight”: a personal review of Dr Tasha Eurich’s novel of self-awareness
This is Dr Tasha Eurich’s latest book. This is the first book I listened to with my newest Audible account. I’ve spoken about audiobooks in the past, and back then I wasn’t so excited. However, this time around, I’m sorta loving audiobooks. Although that is another discussion for another post. Insight: Why We’re Not as … Continue reading
Reading Colour: a review of Toni Morrison’s “God Help The Child”
The first book I ever from Toni Morrison was The Bluest Eye. It has stayed with me since I first opened its pages and it still has a special place in my heart when it comes to exceptional writing. Reading Morrison’s works, it is not hard to see why she has won countless awards. I … 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
Books from the Year of the Rooster
2017 is the year of the rooster according to the Lunar calendar followed by many countries throughout Asia. Australia’s vibrant Asian communities all celebrate the Luna New Year in special ways. I miss participating in the big festivals and eating great foods like tang yuan. This year though, I thought I would celebrate in my … 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
Kim Kardashian and Elena Ferrante: the problem with public privacy
In the past few days the question of privacy and how much we should and should not share about ourselves on- and offline has been brought to the forefront. For two very different reasons Kim Kardashian and Elena Ferrante have been in the news. One for sharing too much and therefore causing a violent robbery … 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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