I start this with a disclaimer - please don't confuse this blog with a book review – to do that I'd have to obtain a copy of Harry's book and actually read it - thereby helping support the lavish lifestyles of millionaire royals. On the other hand, was there anything in his book that wasn't …
Category: Books
STRUCTURES OF INDIFFERENCE BY McCALLUM & PERRY
Structures of Indifference by McCallum and Perry, University of Manitoba Press, 2018 - In September of 2008 Brian Sinclair, a first nation's man who, earlier in life, had lost both his legs to frostbite, wheeled himself into the emergency room of Winnipeg's Health Science Centre. He had an infection that was easily treatable. Sinclair was …
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BRING UP THE BODIES BY HILARY MANTEL
Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel, HarperCollins 2012 A sequel to Mantel's celebrated 'Wolff Hall' (2009), 'Bring Up the Bodies' chronicles the life and machinations of Thomas Cromwell during the downfall of Anne Boleyn. The literary field is littered with movies, books and plays about Anne Boleyn. She has been portrayed as everything from …
CRAZY RICH ASIANS
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, Random House 2013 If you're one of the many people who dote on books about the filthy rich, this one might feel like you've struck the jackpot. There's Nick Young, living in America and a professor of history. Why Nick, heir apparent to one of the world's great fortunes, …
A PLACE OF GREATER SAFETY BY HILARY MANTEL
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel, Atheneum Press, 1992 - If you’ve read ‘Wolf Hall’ you might already be a fan of Hilary Mantel. If you haven’t read ‘Wolf Hall’, her book about the life and times of Thomas Cromwell (Henry VIII’s chief political architect after the fall of Cardinal Wolsey), you should. …
THE OTHER BY MATTHEW HUGHES
The Other by Matthew Hughes – Underland Press, 2011 – now rereleased on Amazon in paperback or e-book and on Kobo. Famous sci-fi writer Robert J. Sawyer described Matt Hughes as ‘science fiction’s best-kept secret’. Despite the lack of instant name recognition, Hughes has been producing high quality work in several genres for decades and …
ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH & BERTIE
Love in the Time of Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith, Vantage 2022 - How does McCall Smith do it? His highly successful career in medical law was long ago eclipsed by his fame as a best-selling author. The sheer volume of books produced by McCall Smith might leave one wondering if he has any time …
VIOLETA BY ISABEL ALLENDE
Violeta by Isabel Allende, Ballantine Books, 2022 - In Isabel Allende’s last book, ‘A Long Petal of the Sea’ (reviewed in an earlier blog), she favored a style of writing that used a great deal of first person narrative instead of dialogue. In her latest book, ‘Violeta’ she goes even further in this direction. The …
KING LEOPOLD’S GHOST BY ADAM HOCHSCHILD
King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild – Houghton Mifflin, 1998 – If you’ve ever wondered why so many African countries continue to be in disarray, long after they chucked out the colonial system, this is a book that you should read. King Leopold II of Belgium (1835 – 1909) managed to carve out a huge …
THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND BY JULIA KELLY
The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly, Gallery Books 2021 - What better time spent than enjoying the delights of a resplendent garden? The famous gardens of the world are the result of landscape designers attempting to enhance, harmonize or tame nature in a way that reflects their will. But landscape gardening is a …
Richard's Left Bank 