Tag Archives: America

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Posted on January 3, 2013 by

Melanie Benjamin picks such interesting subjects for her novels, introducing us to historical figures who, despite their significance, we may not know much about: first Alice Liddell, the inspiration behind Alice in Wonderland, then Lavinia Warren or ‘Mrs Tom Thumb’, … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Fiction, Recommended, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

Posted on December 17, 2011 by

Until I picked up The Sisters Brothers last month I had never read a western before and didn’t think I would ever want to read one. But after Patrick deWitt’s novel, with its unusual title and cover, appeared on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Highly Recommended, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

The House of the Wind by Titania Hardie

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

The House of the Wind is a novel consisting of two storylines, one set in the present day and one in the 14th century. In 2007 we meet Madeline Moretti, a young lawyer living in San Francisco. Maddie is grieving … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Posted on November 8, 2011 by

I’ve heard so much about this book since I started blogging, particularly around this time of year when it seems such a popular choice for Halloween or the dark winter nights. Yet somehow I had managed to avoid reading any … Continue reading →

Posted in Highly Recommended, Reviews | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Florence and Giles by John Harding

Posted on September 29, 2011 by

I hadn’t even heard of Florence and Giles until recently but as soon as I saw that it had been described as a gothic thriller and compared to Henry James and Edgar Allan Poe I knew I wanted to read … Continue reading →

Posted in Gothic Fiction, Recommended, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

Devil Water by Anya Seton

Posted on September 17, 2011 by

About five years ago I had the pleasure of discovering Anya Seton’s historical fiction novels. The first one I read was Katherine, the story of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, quickly followed by Green Darkness, Avalon and The Winthrop … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

On Canaan’s Side by Sebastian Barry

Posted on September 3, 2011 by

“Bill is gone. What is the sound of an eighty-nine-year-old heart breaking? It might not be much more than silence, and certainly a small slight sound.” When this year’s Man Booker Prize longlist was announced at the end of July, … Continue reading →

Posted in General Fiction, Recommended, Reviews | Tagged , , | 4 Comments