Posts Tagged ‘novels’
Books 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 MoreBook review: I leoni di Sicilia
We all know the old adage that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But when lockdown ended in Rome and I could walk around and visit bookshops (!!) when they were one of the first non-essential businesses to be allowed to open, I couldn’t resist the stunning cover of I leoni di Sicilia.…
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 MoreBeach reading 2020
As everyone in the world has certainly realized during the first months of 2020, this is not a normal year … Usually I scramble for a free Saturday or Sunday in March to hit the beach, and to enjoy the annual tradition of cracking open a paperback while I breathe in the fresh, sea air…
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…
Read MoreBook review: Park Avenue Summer
I enjoyed White Collar Girl, an earlier Renée Rosen novel I read, so I was interested when I saw Park Avenue Summer. This is the story of 1960s Manhattan, and a new generation of young women working to carve out lives and careers for themselves in the Big Apple. Alice Weiss is a young woman…
Read MoreI’m taking the 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge
It’s that time of year again – time to sign up for the 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge. I enjoy taking the challenge each year – and keeping track of the novels I read for the new year. Once again, I’ll be setting a goal of 45 books for the new year. Will you be signing…
Read MoreI wrapped up my 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
Every year I sign up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge, and as the year comes to a close it’s always nice to feel I’ve “ticked the box”. It goes without saying that reaching the self-imposed goal of reading 45 novels in 2019 is far more enjoyable than, say, ticking off my dental cleaning or the…
Read MoreReaders rule the (literary) world
“The writer does not and should not have the last word. That belongs to the reader.” —Tobias Wolff Love this quote from author Tobias Wolff. Although I always enjoy reading about authors’ writing process, I do tend to be skeptical when they are too insistent on overall themes and interpretations. Although those may be the…
Read More