Posts Tagged ‘books’
A fascinating glimpse into sea-sourced vocabulary from author Grace Tierney
From baggywinkle and gollywobbler to tempest and flotsam, the sea in all her moods has given a boatload of words to the English language throughout history. Grace Tierney’s fascinating Words the Sea Gave Us explores their origins along with a cargo of old sea dog yarns. Cast your line for the salty history of skyscraper,…
Read MoreBook review: Miss Iceland
I picked this novel up in a bookstore this past summer. I liked the cover and the book blurb, and I liked that it was translated from Icelandic. I’m always eager to discover good translated literature. Luckily, this was a great discovery. Miss Iceland is the sixth novel by Icelandic novelist Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir. Miss…
Read MoreEnjoying a book in the mountains before Lockdown II
It’s starting again. Back in the spring, Italy had its big Corona virus lockdown. Now that cases are ticking up again, there’s been talk of a repeat. We have a little place in the mountains of Abruzzo we often visit in the autumn for hiking and biking escapes. The threat of another lockdown, and the…
Read MoreBook review: Critical Incidents
I discovered UK author Lucie Whitehouse with her first novel, and have since read all the novels she’s published. I always enjoy her writing, although the qualty of the novels has varied, and at times I’ve felt it diffcult to really get into the mindset of her protagonists or to fully suspend disbelief for some…
Read MoreShiny, new books!
When I’m back in the US (or any English-speaking country), I’m always excited to go book shopping. My short trip to America this summer was no exception. Shopping in my depressingly closed-down country was tough, but I still managed. I did find some books I’m interested in reading now that I’m back home. The only…
Read MoreCongratulations to the winners of 2020 International Booker
I always keep an eye out for the long-list, short-list and winner of the annual Booker Prize. This week I was pleasantly surprised to learn there is an International Booker Prize. Somehow, I had somehow missed this prize aimed at translated literature. The nice aspect of this prize is that the translated work, which must…
Read MoreBooks need secrets, too
“I think books should have secrets, like people do.” —John Updike Love this quote by American novelist John Updike. Authors – take note! We readers do not need every plot point and character insight spelled out for us – a little mystery that allows us to interpret stories or character motivation is greatly appreciated by…
Read More2020 Booker Prize Longlist announced
Readers, this one’s for you. The Booker Prize 2020 has announced its longlist. Congratulations to the thirteen novelists who made this first round of selection. A lot of these novels and novelists are new to me, so I look forward to exploring these selections. You can see the full longlist here. Have any of you…
Read MoreLockdown reading
I’ve always been an avid reader, but this passion became even more important during our time of severe lockdown in Rome. During that time, we were expected to mostly stay in our home, with rare excursions out, and no more than 200 meters from your residence. I was teleworking, and Rome was experiencing a perfect…
Read MoreCongrats to the 2020 PEN/ Faulkner Award Finalists
I always follow the major literary awards shortlists (and sometimes longlists) as I’m looking for new reading material. That’s why I was happy to see that the finalists for the 2020 PEN/ Faulkner Award for Fisction have just been announced. Congratulations to all the finalists. the final award will be announced in early May. In…
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