When the latest version of True Grit was released in cinemas in 2010 (the first film was released in 1969 and starred John Wayne), I was eager to see it. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and the Coen brothers were a big yes, and my dad recommended the story. I'm not usually a fan of Westerns, but… Continue reading True Grit by Charles Portis
Category: Fiction
The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh
I acquired my slightly enormous paperback early copy of this book from the Penguin Bloggers Night (I will stop going on about that eventually) and it was one I was particularly eager to read. Having enjoyed Jennifer McVeigh's reading and having chatted with her at the event, I had high expectations for The Fever Tree.… Continue reading The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh
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Pub Walks in Underhill Country by Nat Segnit (Guest Post)
This is a guest post by Hannah Gillow Kloster. The Penguin Book Bloggers night was, as host Joe Pickering suggested, a whirlwind literary festival: 12 authors, 12 novels, three minutes each. One of the readings that most captured my attention was Nat Segnit reading from his novel Pub Walks in Underhill Country. Hilariously describing a small marital spat in… Continue reading Pub Walks in Underhill Country by Nat Segnit (Guest Post)
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‘The Cellist of Sarajevo’, Steven Galloway
This book was one of several I bought in what I now admit to being a binge on Amazon. I bought it because I liked the cover and the title sounded interesting. Plus, I had never heard of it and thought it might be worth a go. How naive I was. Firstly, when it arrived,… Continue reading ‘The Cellist of Sarajevo’, Steven Galloway
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Nightwood by Djuna Barnes
I came to hear of Djuna Barnes when I started reading Anais Nin, who was influenced by her. I read a little about Barnes and liked what I read - she was an American in Paris in the 1920s, wrapped up in the Modernist scene. I read recommendations from TS Eliot. This was enough to… Continue reading Nightwood by Djuna Barnes
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This is Life by Dan Rhodes (Guest Post)
This is a guest post written by Hannah Gillow Kloster. The day Dan Rhodes' last work, Little Hands Clapping, was released I hopped on a train to London and went straight to Waterstone's at Trafalgar Square. Upon arrival I cast a cursory glance around the shop, marched up to the counter and demanded "Do you have… Continue reading This is Life by Dan Rhodes (Guest Post)
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Little Hands Clapping by Dan Rhodes (Guest Post)
This is a guest post written by Hannah Gillow Kloster. Dan Rhodes' latest novel, Little Hands Clapping, was published amid great expectations in 2010,following successes such as Little White Car, Timoleon Vieta Come Home and Gold, perhaps my personal favourite. I have had the good fortune to have met Dan a few times, and he is one of… Continue reading Little Hands Clapping by Dan Rhodes (Guest Post)
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The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Guest Post)
This is a guest post written by Meg Hayes Fisher. ‘It is curious how sometimes the memory of death lives on for so much longer than the memory of the life that it purloined. Over the years, as the memory of Sophie Mol ... slowly faded, the Loss of Sophie Mol grew robust and… Continue reading The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Guest Post)
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A Spy in the House of Love by Anais Nin
Anais Nin is a name I have been familiar with for years, but an author I knew very little about. I only knew her to be a writer from the early 20th century, whose novels were often very erotic. I had always heard of A Spy in the House of Love and was always intrigued by the… Continue reading A Spy in the House of Love by Anais Nin
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English Passengers by Matthew Kneale
The British Empire existed recently enough for it to still be a bit of an 'issue' in global relations. No one will let us forget all the things that Britain did - most of which were not beneficial to those being colonised. If anything the memories of the Empire have become a reminder that not… Continue reading English Passengers by Matthew Kneale
These Little Words 