Category Book Reviews
Everlasting is the Past by Walt Wangerin
I received Everlasting is the Past in my Rabbit Room Christmas box back in December, and I’ve finally made my way around to reading it. This book is a memoir written by Walter Wangerin, Jr., who is a very successful writer. The book doesn’t really discuss his writing, life; it focuses on his journey of faith […]
Textbooks Spring 2016
At midnight tonight my last project of the semester is due and I will be finished with my first year of grad school! It’s always nice to add my textbooks to my book list at the end of the semester. Here’s a quick look at the books I’ve been reading since January. Advanced Fiction Writing […]
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by L…
The year is 1915. Mary Russell, a brilliant and feisty young woman, takes a walk on the Sussex Downs and bumps into Sherlock Holmes, the great consulting detective. The Holmes of 1915 is older, semi-retired, and amazed at Mary Russell’s powers of deduction. The two strike up a friendship, Holmes mentors his new pupil, and they […]
One Summer by Bill Bryson
A lot happened in the summer of 1927: Charles Lindbergh made his historic flight across the Atlantic, Babe Ruth was closing in on his home run record, and President Coolidge took a three month vacation in South Dakota, to name a few things. Bill Bryson’s book One Summer is an in-depth look at just about everything that […]
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Sometimes I think the authors we read in school deserve a second chance outside the classroom. Today’s example: John Steinbeck. I read Of Mice and Men and The Pearl while I was in school, and I did not enjoy either of them. So when I started East of Eden I had to try and forget those negative experiences. I’m so glad I did, because this novel was, for me, another Tess experience. The book is so full of symbolism and Biblical references that I know I will be thinking about it for a long time.
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
A bildungsroman is a type of novel that tells a coming-of-age story, a story of education or growth. There are many, many examples of this type of novel, from the Harry Potter books to The Kite Runner. Brooklyn is a beautiful coming-of-age story about a young Irish immigrant who moves to New York. Eilis Lacey, the protagonist, leaves […]
Pride and Prejudice
There isn’t much that can be done to improve Jane Austen’s best known novel; it is perfectly charming and funny on its own. That being said, this audiobook version, performed by Rosamind Pike, somehow manages to make Pride and Prejudice come to life in a remarkable way. Sometimes audiobooks are questionable because they involve the […]
Bill Bryson’s Books on British Travel
In just thirty days Mom and I will be setting out on a trip to the UK. I can’t believe I just wrote that sentence, and I really can’t believe how quickly our departure is approaching! Many of you know that I am a huge anglophile, so any book that deals with traveling around the […]
Five (Unexpected) Love Stories
Everyone knows that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy end up together, and everyone knows how Rhett leaves things with Scarlett, but I thought I’d take a minute or two to share with you my top five unexpected love stories–books you might not recognize, or books you might not have gone into the bookstore to buy.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Yesterday I stopped by Barnes and Noble on a whim and picked up this book. The movie version is scheduled to release in June, and I saw the first trailer yesterday. It looked intriguing, so I jumped headfirst and purchased it! Well, I finished it last night. Not even a whole day later. The story […]
Book Fifty 