Category Archives: best seller

Diana Gabaldon, “Outlander”

Posted on November 18, 2014 by carolwallace

Careful, now. The electronic version of Outlander doesn’t bear a warning label, but it should. It would say something like, “Reading this book may cause complete absorption in an imaginary world. Side effects could include missing deadlines, neglecting children, skipping … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, historical fiction | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Daniel James Brown, “The Boys in the Boat”

Posted on November 3, 2014 by carolwallace

If I say that The Boys in the Boat is like Seabiscuit, only with humans, and on water, I mean no disrespect. How could I? This is one of those heart-warming sagas of effort rewarded and character winning the prize. … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, nonfiction | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Lee Child, “Personal”

Posted on September 11, 2014 by carolwallace

Apparently deep in the shadiest corners of the U.S. Army there is a very old and neglected  general named O’Grady who refers to Jack Reacher as “Sherlock Homeless.” Which just goes to remind all of us that one of Lee … Continue reading →

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Anthony Doerr, “All the Light We Cannot See”

Posted on July 11, 2014 by carolwallace

You know how I just said The Silkworm was terrific summer reading? Well, it is. But actually, the one book you want to drag around in your canvas tote bag and get sunscreen all over is this one, All the … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, historical fiction | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Robert Galbraith, “The Silkworm”

Posted on July 2, 2014 by carolwallace

Only you’re not fooled, are you? You know that Robert Galbraith is J.K. Rowling’s nom de plume. So you’ll probably be entertained by the conceit of The Silkworm, which is all about the true authorship of a novel. Oh, wait, … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, best seller, mystery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sue Grafton, “W is for Wasted”

Posted on January 11, 2014 by carolwallace

The new Sue Grafton. Of course I bought it. Didn’t think much about the title: asked recently how far Grafton had gotten in the alphabet, I said, “V.” (Which was “… for Vengeance.“) The alphabet titles aren’t always strong descriptors … Continue reading →

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Donna Tartt, “The Goldfinch”

Posted on November 14, 2013 by carolwallace

One of my favorite things to see in a painting is a passage where the artist straddles a divide. On the one hand, your conscious mind knows you are looking at marks on canvas, yet you also see the simulation … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, contemporary fiction | Tagged | 12 Comments

Phillip Rock, “The Passing Bells”

Posted on October 11, 2013 by carolwallace

Here’s a book I’ve had on my shelves for thirty years. It’s survived purge after purge because I remembered enjoying it so much the first time I read it. But it wasn’t until I saw that Phillip Rock’s The Passing … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, best seller, historical fiction | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

John Le Carre, “The Constant Gardener”

Posted on October 1, 2013 by carolwallace

I don’t go looking for bleakness, at least not these days. So I finished The Constant Gardener with some puzzlement. What is it that periodically draws me back to John Le Carré? He’s like that bad boyfriend who makes you feel … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, best seller, contemporary fiction | Tagged | 2 Comments

Lee Child, “Never Go Back”

Posted on September 7, 2013 by carolwallace

A lot of people were disappointed by the filmed version of Lee Child’s Reacher novels, probably right down to the improbably-cast Tom Cruise. If I remember correctly, the premise was that Reacher on film needed to be a blockbuster that … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, contemporary fiction, thriller | Tagged | 7 Comments