Category Archives: Adult

Flush, by Virginia Woolf

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

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 →

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The Imposter’s Daughter, by Laurie Sandell

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 →

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Juliet, Naked, by Nick Hornby (audio)

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 →

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Callback: Crossed Wires

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 →

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

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 →

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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley

Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old chemistry prodigy in 1950 England, is taken by surprise early one morning by the discovery of a body in the garden of her house. The police are called in, but Flavia, not wanting to be … Continue reading →

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Kindred, by Octavia Butler

The year is 1976. Dana, as a black woman married to a white man, has a myriad of race-related issues in her life. It’s not a good time period for interracial marriages, and both family and friends (on both sides) … Continue reading →

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The Black City, by George Sand

Étienne, nicknamed Sept-Epées for his expertise with metalwork, is a young man in mid-1800s France. He belongs to the lower class, but dreams of one day escaping poverty and the doldrums of daily work to live in the Upper Town … Continue reading →

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Market Day, by James Sturm

Mendleman makes rugs by hand and sells them to support his growing family in the market in early 1900s Eastern Europe. One day, however, the person who usually buys his rugs is no longer in business. Mendleman can no longer … Continue reading →

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