I don't know about you, but I've never been big on poetry. The rhythm and meters necessary to appropriately read poems just bog me down. I love hearing poetry read by someone who understands how it should be enunciated, but when I try to read poetry, either in my head or out loud, I sound … Continue reading Ode to Tomatoes (A Poem) by Pablo Neruda
Tag: lemon
Don’t Look Now by Daphne DuMaurier
Having had a long-time love affair with the books of Daphne DuMaurier, I was especially pleased to find a compilation of stories that included Don't Look Now. The story, set in Venice, which is my favorite city on earth, combines creepy supernatural elements with the gorgeous backdrop of La Serennissima. The basic story is a … Continue reading Don’t Look Now by Daphne DuMaurier
Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
No doubt many people saw the mediocre movie made from this book Corelli's Mandolin, beautifully filmed but as usual, not nearly as compelling as the book, which is written in lively, colorful prose from the viewpoint of several unique characters. These unique individuals include the main female character Pellagia, a traditionally raised Greek daughter who … Continue reading Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
You can almost feel the Italian heat baking down, and smell the bougainvillea flowers, as you read this evocative novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Tom Ripley is a young man from New York, struggling to make something of himself. He's approached by Mr. Greenleaf who mistakes him for a close college friend of his son, Dickie, … Continue reading The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
Reading this book and getting to know the main character of Cesar Castillo in The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love was both a joy and a sadness. This is a man with a great lust for life, dancing and drinking and eating and womanizing.......and with a talent for making decisions based on instinct and … Continue reading The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
Vaporetto 13 by Robert Girardi
Robert Girardi is one of my favorite "unknown" writers. He wrote Madeleine's Ghost, which I blogged about previously, and Vaporetto 13 is another novel that combines cynicism, hope, the supernatural, and a gorgeous city as the backdrop. In this case, Venice. You can read about what makes Venice so uniquely gorgeous and special by checking … Continue reading Vaporetto 13 by Robert Girardi
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
I am a diehard Bond Girl. I've seen all the films, read all the books and of course, have my own opinions about who has been the best Bond of all. Having a major crush on Timothy Dalton, I am biased in his favor, but there is also something to be said for the talents … Continue reading Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
The Waiting Room by F.G. Cottam
F.G. Cottam is my new favorite author of horror, supernatural and paranormal fiction. He's published several works, and I'd previously blogged The House of Lost Souls, which was the first book I read by him and the one that hooked me into his elegant, spare and eerie style of writing. The Waiting Room is a … Continue reading The Waiting Room by F.G. Cottam
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Probably one of the creepiest books I've ever read, and that's saying something, because I love ghost stories. The Haunting of Hill House is effective because it doesn't actually show any ghosts, there are no murderers chasing anyone, no demons possessing souls, no vampires sucking blood, no monsters under the bed. There is just the … Continue reading The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
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









