Category Archives: books

I come here so often to break a silence with a sorrowful memorial, or a cranky rant. Tonight is nothing but delight. This is something I want to keep always.

I don’t think I have much to add to what I said in May …

It’s the same old story. A cozy mystery seems to always be either abysmal or really good, with very few landing in the middle. The bad seem to outnumber the good – but the good ones are so enjoyable that … Continue reading →

Barbara Hambly’s books are hard for me to review. It’s stupid and annoying that bad books are so much easier to blather on about than the good ones, but (as I say probably too often) it’s easier to pinpoint why … Continue reading →

Frost is one of those poets who is accessible to kids (if my kidhood is a good example); the rhythm of his words is easy to slip into. I know nothing about literary criticism of poetry, but Frost’s work has … Continue reading →

“Dot closed her eyes. Miss Fisher was about to happen to someone again. She hoped that Phryne wouldn’t get blood on her shoes. That glacé kid was a beast to clean…” That is the perfect introduction to the Hon. Miss … Continue reading →

What a spectacular book. It works on several levels: There are lovely patterns for knitting, obviously. From subtly magical items anyone could wear anywhere, anytime, to extraordinary things which suit a magical setting (or someone bolder in their display of … Continue reading →

As you might guess from the title, Chuck Wendig uses whatever words best suit him at any given time, and some of them are of Anglo-Saxon origin. This book, and – since I quote him more than I probably ought … Continue reading →

Stunning photography makes this book well worth having even if the recipes were terrible. Landscapes relating to recipes’ origins, wonderful process photos, shots of ingredients that make them look like they should be in museums, and pictures of the finished … Continue reading →

Authors: Greg King, Penny Wilson I believe the authors of this book were angry when they wrote it. It comes through when they talk about how for a hundred years Richard Loeb has been fingered as the leader of the … Continue reading →