Category Archives: 2008

The Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler

Posted on May 31, 2008 by Thistle

The last time I picked up a modern fiction book, I assumed I’d like it, and was disappointed. This time, with The Jane Austen Book Club, I assumed I wouldn’t like it, and ended up loving it. Go figure. I … Continue reading →

Posted in 2008, Adult, Prose | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Cricket in Times Square, by George Selden

Posted on May 26, 2008 by Thistle

This book is about a country cricket named Chester who gets accidentally carried to NYC in a picnic basket. He meets up with a little boy, Mario, who keeps him as a pet, and with two city-toughened friends, Tucker Mouse … Continue reading →

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Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys

Posted on May 25, 2008 by Thistle

I must say, this book was a very welcome change from Don Quixote. So welcome, that it only took two days to read. Of course, I admit it’s shorter – under 200 pages – but it’s also extremely captivating. The … Continue reading →

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Don Quixote (book 1), by Miguel Cervantes

Posted on May 23, 2008 by Thistle

Spoilers. Hem. Well, I’ll make this brief. I didn’t like this book at all. This is supposed to be such a great book, the model for modern times, or whatever such nonsense. To me, it felt like the 1600s version … Continue reading →

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Protected: The Book of Names, by Jill Gregory and Karen Tintori

Posted on May 8, 2008 by Thistle

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Protected: Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux

Posted on May 5, 2008 by Thistle

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The Bookseller of Kabul, by Asne Seierstad

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Thistle

In her introduction, Seierstad states that she met Sultan Khan (the bookseller, whose name has been changed for anonymity) in Kabul, Afghanistan, after spending six months tagging along as a journalist with the military offensive in the country. She was … Continue reading →

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My Antonia, by Willa Cather

Posted on April 21, 2008 by Thistle

Spoilers. I got an unusual lesson in “Never judge a book by its cover” while reading My Antonia. My book cover tells me that Antonia Shimerda elopes with a railway conductor after her father’s tragic death, and later comes back … Continue reading →

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The Eye, by Vladimir Nabokov

Posted on April 16, 2008 by Thistle

Spoilers. The Eye is Vladimir Nabokov’s fourth novel (more of a novella, really). It is told from the point of view of a tutor, who, towards the beginning of the book, is beaten up and humiliated in front of his … Continue reading →

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November Ever After, by Laura Torres

Posted on April 14, 2008 by Thistle

Spoilers. About a year ago, I stumbled across a description of this young adult fiction book while searching for another title, and it looked interesting. Amy is dealing with the recent loss of her mother, and throughout the book, discovers … Continue reading →

Posted in 2008, Prose, Young Adult | Tagged | 1 Comment