Talking To The Dead by Helen Dunmore

Helen Dunmore has such a lush style of writing that you often don't notice she's sucking you into a maelstrom of subtle discord until it's too late. Talking to the Dead is the first book by her I'd ever read and her literary style is absolutely amazing, combining the understated unease of family dynamics with … Continue reading Talking To The Dead by Helen Dunmore

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

I didn't intend to do a blog post this week for several reasons, the main one being that my dearest and only aunt - my dad's younger sister to whom I am very close - had an unexpected triple-bypass on Friday and that has been weighing on me. She came out of the surgery all … Continue reading The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Another fun book about family dysfunction! Woo hoo! Shirley Jackson was introduced into my life many years ago when I discovered The Haunting of Hill House, which is in my top 10 favorite books of all time and also which I blogged about awhile back - here's the link if you're interested. We Have Always Lived … Continue reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

This book, Little Women, has an incredibly special place in my heart, for many reasons. The first is that my edition, shown here, was bought for me by my father David, for my 12th birthday many years ago, in which he wrote me a deeply loving message, which I still read when I am feeling … Continue reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott