a little fantasy * a little sci fi * a little love
Not long ago I had a conversation with a man in his seventies. He was one of the members of my writing group who asked if I'd mind getting a lift from him each week as he had a long drive to get to our meetings and would enjoy the company. During my first chat …
Continue reading "Book Review – Tilda Is Visible by Jane Tara"
I don't generally read erotic novellas. The few I have read I put down after a few chapters because the scenes were similar. But I caught up for coffee with author, Levi Huxton, to share marketing tips, and as a gift he gave me a copy of his popular debut. His success is something many …
Continue reading "Book Review – The Lodger, That Summer by Levi Huxton"
I read this straight after reading his previous novel, 7 1/2. These are the first Tsiolkas' books I've read (yes, I've waited that long) even though I'm familiar with his stories from various TV and film adaptations. 7 1/2 fascinated me with its stream of consciousness style, its raw sex scenes and fascinating prose, which …
Continue reading "Book Review – The In-Between by Christos Tsiolkas"
There are important themes in this book. And everyone who recommended it to me focussed on the main message rather than the serial killer aspect of the plot. Reagan lives offline, even using an old phone with no smart features to avoid having an online presence. In her teen years she had a dangerous stalker, …
Continue reading "Book Review – Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt"
Wow! I just finished this last night and wow! Glasgow. Late twentieth century. Toxic masculinity. Homophobia. And in the middle of this is Mungo, a gay teen believing his mother actually cares for him. Author, Douglas Stuart, begins this story closer to the dramatic end, then takes us back to show daily life in the …
Continue reading "Book Review – Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart"
I took a while, but I finally understood what this story was about. Or at least, I know what I took from this after the final scene. I loved Ishiguro's novel, Never Let Me Go. I read it after falling in love with the movie, and plan to read Remains of the Day at some …
Continue reading "Book Review – Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro"
I read this non-fiction book at the right time. No, I'm not dealing with either my husband's or my own infidelity, but as a Gen X, I'm heading toward an important milestone next year. Yep, I will turn sixty. Kate Legge is a Baby Boomer who has been forced to reaccess her life due to …
Continue reading "Book Review – Infidelity and Other Affairs by Kate Legge"
Berlin in the 90s, but not as we knew it. This is one of those alternative history tales. In this story, gays and lesbians flock from all over the world to the safety of Berlin because they are accepted and celebrated. Several new residents include young couple, William and Gareth, who have escaped their homophobic …
Continue reading "Review: Proud Pink Sky by Redfern Jon Barrett"
Exploring 'what might have been' should make good fiction. Charles Dickens made Scrooge a better man just by showing him who he was, and what his fate would be if he continued to be the person he is. In the movie It's A Wonderful Life, kind hearted George Bailey gets to experience how depressing his …
Continue reading "Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig"
"We don't have the characters now that we had in the past." That was said by a work colleague back in the 90s who was talking about how younger generations didn't have adventures any more, like people had in the past. So, they were watered down versions of themselves. They hadn't built themselves to be …
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