Another ‘non-normal’ year. No repast in the cosy cellar of the RIYC or a pre-dinner reception at the house of distinguished members. Nonetheless coming together on Zoom we found that festive frivolity but as always very serious reflection both on…
Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom AuslanderMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Certainly one of the oddest – yet strangely engaging and enjoyable – or at least thought provoking. The reader (like the protagonist – at least for a while) is…
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen offers profound echoes of Rick Moody’s Ice Storm. Although Crossroads is presented across a much grander scale, with a deeper focused psychological exploration of the main characters than Ice Storm,…
There was a healthy divergence of appreciation for the Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland by Crawford Gribben. I believe that all found it a useful contribution to a broader discussion about the trajectory of the practice of Christianity in…
Tòibín wades into fertile territory by attempting an expansive biographical novel of Thomas Mann and the broader circle of his family. The Magician reflects the extensive research by the author in crafting this engaging and informative novel. However, remembering that it is…
Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars Following my quick review of The Housekeeping and the Professor, I felt obliged to offer a brief review of David Badiell’s Jews Don’t Count. This book is unabashedly…
The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing by Mark Kurlansky My rating: 4.3 of 5 stars A thoroughly delightful read. Mark Kurlansky always offers a narrative rich and replete with tangential context. Through a broad body of work, he has become…
The Watergate: Inside America’s Most Infamous Address by Joseph Rodota My rating: 4.2 of 5 stars The Watergate: Inside America’s Most Infamous Address is a delightful biography of the ‘infamous’ building complex. Joseph Rodota does a superb job of drawing…
Empire of Ants: The Hidden World and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors by Susanne Foitzik and Olaf Fritsche My rating: 5 of 5 stars An absolutely spellbinding read on what seems to be everything you could want to know…
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Y?ko Ogawa My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is one of those books that demanded an immediate review. It’s my first Ogawa and I am definitely sure not my last. I am looking…
Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was a short treat. I am not sure whether I may have read before, but it took me right back to all that Macaulay did so…
We had a great discussion around We Are Bellingcat tonight. Note: After a lovely book club and it being 20:58, I walk away from the screen, and there is still a sliver of light in the sky out there –…