About stories of all kinds
The Big Sleep by Raymond ChandlerMy rating: 4 of 5 starsEver since I saw the murky, black-and-white film noir (a dizzying merry-go-round of murders and mayhem with a new character and a new accusation every five minutes that was Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in a classic gumshoe and siren routine), I've been wanting to… Continue reading Don’t Sleep on Raymond Chandler: The Big Sleep Book Review
Peveril of the Peak by Walter ScottMy rating: 4 of 5 starsWhen I started Peveril of the Peak I had no idea what it was about, which turned out to be fine because the first chapter or so pretty much lays it all out. There are, in fact, two Peverils of the Peak, a father… Continue reading Peveril of the Peak Book Review
The Nest of the Sparrowhawk by Emmuska OrczyMy rating: 3 of 5 starsThe Nest of the Sparrowhawk is an intrigue placed in the upheaval following the execution of Charles I and during the Protectorship of Cromwell. Lady Sue, orphaned daughter of royalist parents, has been placed under the guardianship of Cromwell supporter, Sir Marmaduke de… Continue reading The Nest of the Sparrowhawk Book Review
Twenty Years After by Alexandre DumasMy rating: 3 of 5 starsTwenty Years After brings back the old guard of The Three Musketeers (TTM), as D’Artagnan rises in the service of the Mazarin and seeks out his old friends in their various places of residence to join his cause. I was curious to see where the… Continue reading Twenty Years After The Three Musketeers: Book Review
Drood by Dan SimmonsMy rating: 2 of 5 stars“My name is Wilkie Collins, and my guess… is that you do not recognize my name…my wager with you, Dear Reader, would be that you have neither read nor heard of any of my books or plays…” So begins the alternately falsely modest and egomaniacal narrator, a… Continue reading Drood: A Review
Charles Dickens is a poet. In his Defense of Poesy, Sir Philip Sydney, said something like this: “There are many poets who never versified and there are many versifiers that need never answer to the name of poet.” So, Dickens may not be one to slide a romantic rhyming couplet over on you or scratch… Continue reading Sketches on Boz: Books Inspired by Charles Dickens
Classic stories get around, from Greek legends to Germanic fairy tales. They are told and re-told with new elements, characters, and settings, inspiring spin-offs, backstories, and continuations: fan fiction, if you will. I’ve come across many stories in recent years that are based off of some classic work and I’ve wanted to do a series… Continue reading Mock Turtle Stories: Books Inspired by Alice in Wonderland… and other places, slightly less wonderful
“100 Books You Should Read Before You Die;” “100 Books Everyone Should Read;” “Top 100 Books to Read.” You've probably seen these lists around with varying amounts of recommended books on reading sites and blogs. To be perfectly honest, I cringe a bit when I think about them, because (as I’ve briefly mentioned in a… Continue reading 15 Children’s Classics: 100 Books to Read #1
Well, the end of the term draws nigh and my life has ignited in one blazing pile of papers: articles, assignments, essays, and sheet music. As my life goes up in the proverbial flames of the fireplace that is university, what better time to review a Cinderella story? Or at least rake out the ashes… Continue reading Ashes to Ashes: Review of Cinder
Admittedly, it was the cover of this book that got me. Reading the synopsis, I wasn't too sure it was up my alley--the story of a young woman's experience in a new blended family--but the cover kept me coming back to it. It's interesting because this book is so focused on appearances and how they… Continue reading Boy, Snow, Bird: Mirror Reflections
Fictitiously Yours 