Author Archives: Thistle

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About Thistle

Queer, neurospicy, chronically longwinded oversharer. 40s; they/them. ✍️📷🐈📚🥾🇩🇪🏳️‍🌈😇💖🐍

The Monk, by Matthew Gregory Lewis

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Thistle

I hardly know what to say about this book, it was such a trip. It was like a 1700s gothic Harlequin romance adventure thriller allegory! Every gothic element you can think of was in the book, excepting the whole vampire/zombie/werewolf … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

My Name is Memory, by Ann Brashares

Posted on September 18, 2010 by Thistle

I keep trying these books about love through multiple lives, but just like with Reincarnation last year, this was not what I was looking for. It was too young, the topics too shallowly-touched on, the plot too predictable. I probably … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Thistle

I don’t want to say anything at all about the plot of this book and give stuff away. I made the mistake of reading the back of my book when I was a short way into it. At the time, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Flush, by Virginia Woolf

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Thistle

Flush is a biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s dog, whose name was, of course, Flush. Flush was a golden Cocker Spaniel who was apparently very finely bred, though I personally know nothing whatsoever about dogs or dog breeding. The book … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Prose | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Bleak House, by Charles Dickens

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Thistle

Bleak House would be impossible to describe in terms of plot. There are lots of plots, many of which eventually become connected, but not until the second half of the book. The plot elements vary from bad law cases to … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Prose | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Imposter’s Daughter, by Laurie Sandell

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Thistle

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a review of this book that wasn’t mixed. People seem to like it, but with reservations, not fully connecting with it. I, on the other hand, really, really enjoyed it. I kept waiting for … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Visual | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Curse of the Blue Figurine, by John Bellairs

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Thistle

My first experience with John Bellairs, The House With a Clock in its Walls, was mixed – I liked it, but had trouble really connecting with it. The Blue Figurine was happily much better, a creepy little children’s book perfect … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Children's, Prose | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Juliet, Naked, by Nick Hornby (audio)

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Thistle

Tucker Crowe, a middling rock star from the late 70s and early 80s, disappeared from public life in the mid-80s. Since then, he hasn’t made any music or given any interviews. It’s rumored that he lives on a farm in … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Prose | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Callback: Crossed Wires

Posted on September 5, 2010 by Thistle

I first read/reviewed Crossed Wires last fall, and it ended up being one of my favorite books of 2009. I remember debating at the time whether or not I should do a giveaway – I wanted more people to have … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Return of the Native, by Thomas Hardy (audio)

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Thistle

Oh Thomas Hardy! I offer you my sincere apologies for not having read this book sooner. It’s just, after reading Tess of the D’Urbervilles, I was a little scared to read another of your books. I loved Tess, don’t get me … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments