‘Merely a form of anaesthetic’

For the first time in months he was in reach of a real library, just the kind of scholarly yet miscellaneous library that his restless and impatient spirit craved. He was aware that the books he read... were merely a form of anaesthetic... But they were beginning to produce in him a moral languor that… Continue reading ‘Merely a form of anaesthetic’

‘Too little company’

The truth was, he thought that what newspapers and books referred to as ‘the horrors of solitary confinement’ were grossly exaggerated. He would rather have too little company than too much of the wrong sort. Arthur & George by Julian Barnes Arthur & George by Julian Barnes, Vintage Books 2006, p. 211 There are times… Continue reading ‘Too little company’

A 1920s Delight: The Glimpses of the Moon Review

This book was just what I needed to pick me up from a series of reading disappointments. There haven’t been many new reads I’ve discovered that I really liked instantly and kept me interested and enjoying them all the way through.

“To turn the world upside down”

“[W]e... care not what you set up, so you pull merrily down what stands in our way... for it is our profession to turn the world upside down, and we live ever the blithest life when the downer side is uppermost.”The Monastery by Sir Walter Scott The Monastery by Sir Walter Scott Some days the… Continue reading “To turn the world upside down”

The Wrong Words

The wrong words. They were true a hundred times over, yet they sounded like a lie. Hadn’t he always known it? Words were useless. At times they might sound wonderful, but they let you down the moment you really needed them. You could never find the right words, never, and where would you look for… Continue reading The Wrong Words

Fishing for Red Herrings: Moriarty Book Review

Moriarty by Anthony HorowitzMy rating: 3 of 5 stars2.5 stars.I really liked this book the first time I read it. I liked the ending—I appreciated how unapologetically villainous Moriarty was. It was a breath of fresh air—“and [I] shot him in the head.” Very in keeping with the pragmatism of a man calculating enough to… Continue reading Fishing for Red Herrings: Moriarty Book Review

Fallen Favourites: when a book you loved becomes a book that’s “meh”

As a book person, I have created various iterations of “my favourite books” lists over the years. A favourite book had to be somehow incredible: it had to make me actually cry, or laugh out loud consistently, or wow me with its whole tone and writing, in addition to being a good story with some… Continue reading Fallen Favourites: when a book you loved becomes a book that’s “meh”

The Nutcracker Book Tag

Because I’m in the middle of work and life stuff and don’t have other posts ready, I’m going to take the opportunity to do this fun new book tag by Becca @ Words and Other Malarky. I love me some Barbie and the Nutcracker. And it brings back fond memories of the magical night in… Continue reading The Nutcracker Book Tag

When the Right Book Comes at the Wrong Time

Dear Former Self, You didn’t know it at the time, but you would have loved this book. It’s right up your alley. Unfortunately you aren’t here anymore and I can only do so much to envision what your reaction to it would have been. I’ve tried to summon your spirit, to imagine this being your… Continue reading When the Right Book Comes at the Wrong Time