Being a fan of anything paranormal, I quite enjoyed Maledicus: The Investigative Paranormal Society, although there were some pretty gruesome parts, too. (And I admit that I was too damn hungry to pause for my usual book-and-food photo, so I improvised and did one with a glass of the wine I used in the recipe … Continue reading Maledicus: The Investigative Paranormal Society by Charles French
Tag: garlic
Heroines of the Medieval World by Sharon Bennett Connolly
I think I've mentioned my lack of enthusiasm for most non-fiction books before. However, I discovered Sharon Bennett Connolly's amazing blog, History, The Interesting Bits, a few years ago, and her subsequent book, Heroines of the Medieval World, so hooked me into her writing that I immediately ordered the book and was sucked into the … Continue reading Heroines of the Medieval World by Sharon Bennett Connolly
Sexy Sunday! Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
DISCLAIMER! The following post contains explicit sexual language and profanity. You've been warned! Welcome to the second installation of Sexy Sunday, my monthly collaboration with fellow blogger The Bookworm Drinketh, in which we read a book infamous for its sex scene or scenes; she writes a review and does her usual cocktail-to-go-with, and I write … Continue reading Sexy Sunday! Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch
Though an interesting read, it was also occasionally difficult to continue The Sea, The Sea, so convoluted are the mental musings of Charles Arrowby, the main character. I never fully connected to him or any other character, though the setting - an isolated house on a cliff overlooking the ocean - sounds appropriately Gothic and … Continue reading The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch
The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols
At last, we are in New Mexico! My home state is written about beautifully in this classic, The Milagro Beanfield War. Set in the mythical village of Milagro (there is actually a Milagro, NM, but the real town is nothing like the book's version), it's the story of Joe Mondragón and his fight for water … Continue reading The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols
The Dead House by Billy O’Callaghan
What I found fascinating about The Dead House is the fact that it's narrated in first person by a character who is not the focus of the story, but whose own story is as much a part of the overall arc as the main character. Mike is an art dealer and his best friend is … Continue reading The Dead House by Billy O’Callaghan
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
This is a bizarre, surreal, and very captivating read. I'd read The Time Traveler's Wife a few years ago by the same author, and although I enjoyed it greatly, it didn't grab me the way this one has. Her Fearful Symmetry is one of the strangest and compelling ghost stories I've read in ages, although … Continue reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
An interesting microcosm of history, Salt essentially takes us back through the known history of the world, and analyzes how this humble little rock - the only rock humans can eat - and how it has had a transforming effect upon civilization. To be honest, however, there were large chunks of the book that weren't … Continue reading Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Delicious! by Ruth Reichl
Have you ever read a book that you nearly instantaneously fell in love with? My friend Angela recommended Delicious! by Ruth Reichl, which I'd seen on various lists of foodie books, but dismissed as "chick lit." Those of you who follow my blog know of my disdain for "chick lit." Yes, I'm a literary snob … Continue reading Delicious! by Ruth Reichl
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Master and Margarita is a heavy and weirdly surreal read, but it's far more lighthearted and satiristic than many other Russian novels of the similar period. Mikhail Bulgakov wrote this book as a sharp commentary and satire on the communistic and atheistic government of time, top-heavy with government bureaucrats and processes. This book was … Continue reading The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov









