Monthly Archives: June 2012

Thomas Perry, “Poison Flower”

Posted on June 26, 2012 by

Have you read Thomas Perry’s Jane Whitefield novels? They are some of my favorite diversions, taut thrillers with an interesting concept. Jane Whitefield is a Seneca Indian who makes people disappear. They might be abused wives or embezzlers on the … Continue reading →

Posted in mystery, thriller | Tagged | 1 Comment

Robert Goolrick, “Heading Out to Wonderful”

Posted on June 25, 2012 by

On the one hand: Robert Goolrick wrote A Reliable Wife which I really enjoyed. On the other hand: Heading Out to Wonderful is about a doomed love affair in rural Virginia in 1948. The doomed love affair is one of my least favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in contemporary fiction | Tagged | Leave a comment

Craig Johnson, “As the Crow Flies”

Posted on June 22, 2012 by

You think maybe Craig Johnson reads “Book Group of One?” Because, here’s the thing. I was not totally thrilled with Hell Is Empty, his last Walt Longmire mystery, and I made my opinion known on this little blog. In fact … Continue reading →

Posted in mystery | Tagged | 1 Comment

Emma Donoghue, “Room”

Posted on June 21, 2012 by

I’ve been avoiding Room. It was everywhere for a while, including, insistently, the shelves of my local library which are very far from well-stocked. I had picked it up and read a few pages, then put it down. Narrated by … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, contemporary fiction | Tagged | 3 Comments

Henry James, “The Awkward Age”

Posted on June 20, 2012 by

The problem with Henry James is, sometimes I do not understand what he is saying. Usually, eventually, I can puzzle it out, and it’s worth the effort. But on this reading of The Awkward Age, I was repeatedly frustrated by … Continue reading →

Posted in classic | Tagged | 13 Comments

Glen Duncan, “The Last Werewolf”

Posted on June 14, 2012 by

No, actually, I am not interested in the occult. And, being squeamish, I’m not so keen on horror. In fact the scenes where Jake Marlowe kills and devours his monthly prey were not my favorite bits of The Last Werewolf. … Continue reading →

Posted in contemporary fiction, thriller | Tagged | 2 Comments

Carole DeSanti, “The Unruly Passions of Eugenie R.”

Posted on June 12, 2012 by

It’s 1861. Goose-girl from the south of France runs away with her handsome lover. He sends her to Paris to wait for him but he never shows up and she has to become a prostitute. She sits for a painter … Continue reading →

Posted in contemporary fiction, French, historical fiction | Tagged | 4 Comments

William Boyd, “Waiting for Sunrise”

Posted on June 4, 2012 by

Oh, the tyranny of the public library’s reserve system! Having read William Boyd’s Any Human Heart just a couple of weeks ago, I should probably not have embarked on another Boyd novel so soon but Waiting for Sunrise is popular in … Continue reading →

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Penelope Lively, “Passing On”

Posted on June 3, 2012 by

Today’s nomination for Best First Sentence of a Novel: “The coffin stuck fast at the angle of the garden path and the gateway out into the road.” Thank you, Penelope Lively, for giving us an episode and a metaphor elegantly … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, contemporary fiction | Tagged | 7 Comments