A thin volume of short stories by the author of Winter's Bone, the film of which launched Jennifer Lawrence's career. The book is incredibly evocative of different lives lived on the fringe of society, each story focusing on a person who transgresses, or lives with someone who transgresses the law. Most of the stories are …
Tag: book reviews
East Of Eden by John Steinbeck
Although to younger readers, Steinbeck's novel Of Mice And Men might be more well known, this was the book that the author felt was his master work. It's the story of the Trask and Hamilton families, who live and grow in the Salinas Valley in California, the place that Steinbeck hailed from. Originally the book …
Simon Jay’s Bastardography: a memoir of coming out, bullying, and bipolar disorder.
I first met Simon on a film shoot about 5 or 6 years ago. He was brought in as a writer, and I liked the way he was so intelligent and down to earth. He was funny. Catching a train back into central London together, he surprised me by making little quips about Australian politics …
Continue reading Simon Jay’s Bastardography: a memoir of coming out, bullying, and bipolar disorder.
Local Girls by Alice Hoffman
A lovely book from the author of River King and Practical Magic, this book is a coming of age story about two girls as they navigate life, love tragedy, and becoming adults. Narrated by the sharp witted Gretel, the book tells of the break up of her parents marriage, her mother and cousins search for …
The English Ghost by Peter Ackroyd
If I see a Peter Ackroyd book, I'll generally pick it up. This historian (I've recently heard that he's a novelist too) has a nice, anecdotal but informative writing style, and researches his books thoroughly. They are often very long, so when this one arrived, I was surprised that it's about the length of a …
Second Nature by Alice Hoffman
This beautiful, sorrowful book tells the story of a man raised by wolves, and the woman that rescues him when he's taken into the mental health system. Robin is still reeling from her split from her philandering cop husband and starting over with her teenage son in their home town, when she happens one day …
The Confessions Of A Failed Southern Lady by Florence King
I picked this book up almost accidentally. I love stories about women in the Southern states of America, they tend to be warm, funny stories that you can laugh and cry over and the women in them are good friends to each other. I think they call it GritLit, because the women have got grit, …
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The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
In 1959, Nathan Price, a zealous Baptist preacher from Georgia, with his wife and four daughters go to a village in the Belgian Congo to preach and convert the people. The story is told from the very different perspectives of Orleanna, the wife, her beautiful eldest Rachel, her twins, pious Leah and silent Adah, and …
Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman
When difficult teen Jody is sent to live with her grandmother, she sets her eyes on her neighbours husband, Andre. Andres' wife, Vonny, is not blind, but the families money problems and their son Simons health are bigger problems right now. It's a story about love, loneliness and the things we leave unsaid. The characters …
Survival Lessons with writer Alice Hoffman
As you probably know, this year I've been reading all Alice Hoffman's books, which has been a lovely experience, and I'm quite sad that I've nearly read them all. Thankfully she's still writing more, with another coming out soon. Hoffman often writes about small town, suburban America, with magic realism often a theme. Her books …
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