We have arrived at the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year of The Emerald City Book Review — which came into the world on January 1, 2014. It seems a good time to take stock, look at how far I’ve come, and think about next steps. The past six and a […]
This month, while mostly still staying home and finishing my CELTA English-teaching course, the world of languages was much on my mind; I finished a book in French (don’t be too impressed, it took me several months), I decided to start an other-language challenge, and I read Gaston Dorren’s Lingo, a fun and informative tour […]
As summer begins, here is just a heads up that after last year’s Robertson Davies Reading Week event, there was enough interest in doing it again that I’ve decided to host a three-day “birthday weekend” for the Canadian author, August 28 to 30. This will be a very free-form event; simply read whatever you like […]
Ed Yong, I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life (2016) When I was asked to contribute a “book I should have read” to Keeping Up with the Penguins, this one sprang to mind. And spurred by that reminder, I did finally read it! I can now recommend it to […]
Joseph O’Connor, Shadowplay (2019) Till recently, I knew nothing about Bram Stoker beyond his name, as the author of Dracula. I didn’t know he was the theatrical manager for Henry Irving, and worked with Ellen Terry — about both of whom I did know a little more, largely thanks to my reading of the theatre-mad […]
As part of my personal language learning goals, I’ve decided to challenge myself to read only French for my pleasure reading in the month of July. I’m pleased the lovely Emma of Words and Peace has agreed to join me for a buddy read of Complètement cramé by the popular contemporary novelist Gilles Legardinier. Paris […]
I’ve seen some comments around the blogosphere from people who say they categorically dislike first-person narration. I find this puzzling, and a bit ironic considering how deeply this form is rooted in the history of fiction; many early novels were written in the first person as “letters” or “memoirs” so the authors could present them […]
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1925) It’s thanks to Sheree of Keeping Up with the Penguins that I picked up this little confection of the Jazz Age — her enthusiasm for it knows no bounds, especially in comparison to the contemporaneous, but far more loudly touted The Great Gatsby. I’ve nothing against Gatsby, but a […]
I’m back from my blog break — returning at one of those times when it seems a bit strange and self-indulgent to just talk about books. But I still think that reading is one of the things that holds us together in this broken world, and an act of courage and conscience. We readers are […]
I’m taking a break from the blog for a few weeks to try to catch up on some other projects — notably the course I’m doing to earn a CELTA certificate in English language teaching. Online teaching is challenging and takes a huge amount of preparation, and so I think I’d better focus on that […]