The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is whimsical tale of a magical competition by proxy between two conjurers which takes place through the medium of a fantastical circus which “opens at nightfall, closes at dawn.” The challenge is further complicated by the fact that the two chosen proxies fall in love. I read recently that the novel in its original form was little more than a series of vignettes with little in the way of plot o...
Recently I was asked to review The Land of Honey by Chinenye Obiajulu. This is the account of Zimako’s and Anuli’s, a professional Nigerian couple’s, experiences as they immigrate from Nigeria to Canada. It deals with their struggles to adapt to Canadian culture and also to enter the Canadian workforce. It is additionally a moving account of how struggle to adapt put a strain on what appeared to be a strong marriage....
Recently I was asked to review The Land of Honey by Chinenye Obiajulu. This is the account of Zimako’s and Anuli’s, a professional Nigerian couple’s, experiences as they immigrate from Nigeria to Canada. It deals with their struggles to adapt to Canadian culture and also to enter the Canadian workforce. It is additionally a moving account of how struggle to adapt put a strain on what appeared to be a strong marriage....
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani is the fairytalesque story of Sophie and Agatha who attend the School for Good and Evil. The twist is that Sophie, who s is beautiful and thinks of herself as a princess and is expecting to go to the School for Good, ends up being placed in the School for Evil whereas reclusive, less traditionally attractive Agatha is placed in the School for Good. Much of the book revolves around the ...
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani is the fairytalesque story of Sophie and Agatha who attend the School for Good and Evil. The twist is that Sophie, who s is beautiful and thinks of herself as a princess and is expecting to go to the School for Good, ends up being placed in the School for Evil whereas reclusive, less traditionally attractive Agatha is placed in the School for Good. Much of the book revolves around the ...
Red Rising by Pierce Brown is the first in a trilogy of YA dystopian novels. It tells the story of Darrow who, after his wife’s martyrdom, is given the opportunity to escape his lower class existence in order to infiltrate his society’s elite. The idea behind this is that he will give the rebels opposing the current regime a man on the inside to help bring down the current system. When he learns that his class has been lied to...
Red Rising by Pierce Brown is the first in a trilogy of YA dystopian novels. It tells the story of Darrow who, after his wife’s martyrdom, is given the opportunity to escape his lower class existence in order to infiltrate his society’s elite. The idea behind this is that he will give the rebels opposing the current regime a man on the inside to help bring down the current system. When he learns that his class has been lied to...
This week I have read some fun books. The first of these is William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher. Doescher has taken the script for George Lucas’s Star Wars movie and translated it into Shakespearean English, complete with the Bard’s iconic iambic pentameter. [book-info] In short, this is the most brilliant piece of writing I have read in a long time. I am a big fan of the original trilogy Star Wars movies and it...
This week I have read some fun books. The first of these is William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher. Doescher has taken the script for George Lucas’s Star Wars movie and translated it into Shakespearean English, complete with the Bard’s iconic iambic pentameter. [book-info] In short, this is the most brilliant piece of writing I have read in a long time. I am a big fan of the original trilogy Star Wars movies and it...
Cress by Marissa Meyer is the third in the Lunar Chronicles series and is loosely based on the Rapunzel fairytale. It also continues the stories of Cinder and Scarlet, the heroines of the first two novels based on Cinderella and Red Riding Hood respectively. Cress is quite a different kind of protagonist to Cinder and Scarlet who are both rather feisty and capable. This fits very well with the Rapunzel backstory; like her fairyta...