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, …
NO TWIT FOR THE GHIT
HeLong Muskrat, reputedly the world's richest furry mammal, has recently bought the billion dollar swamp gas giant Twit. A champion of free croaks, Muskrat was enraged when Twit began to put constraints on the smells that people could let loose on the gassy platform – like when Ronald Rump (former Prez of 'Murica and Grand …
IS IT A BIRD? IS IT A PLANE?
After months of coyly wooing his supporters, fluttering his eyelashes and dropping a blizzard of hints, Ronald Rump, former Grand High Imperial Twitterbug (GHIT) and Prez of 'Murica, has announced his intention to seek the Publican nomination for the Whitey House in 2024. Comedy fans everywhere greeted the announcement with hysterical shouts of joy. As …
THE RIGHT TO RIGHTS
In the fair and frozen lands of Kanadoodle, we take great delight in criticizing governments that fall short in the treatment of their citizens. With shaking heads and finger wagging we point to the despots in other countries who bludgeon their critics in order to maintain power in their steely grip. But it’s not just …
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 …
THE NOT SO DISTANT PAST
A group of elementary students are lined up in a school gymnasium. At the behest of the school, a dentist is in attendance to perform basic work on the children. Those funding this dental project don’t pay for fillings or anesthetics so, if the dentist finds cavities or other problems, the only option is extraction, …
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 …
A MAN FOR ALL SNEEZES
More ripples in Kanadoodle with the Consumptive Party choosing a new leader – someone who can go head to head with Dustbin Truthless in the next election. For those who didn’t follow the Consumptive Party convention yawn-fest, it was a virtual coronation for Pierre (cluck, cluck) Poulet, a combative rooster that has no intention of …
Richard's Left Bank 