The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson This book suffers from the fate that befalls a lot of groundbreaking work in that it’s been copied and emulated so much that a modern reader such as myself reading it for the first time finds it dull and almost derivative. It’s not fair to Jackson, of …
Category: Book Review
Aug 21
Book Review: The Magician’s Land
The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman This is, I think, the best of the three of Lev Grossman’s Magician’s series. Even though the main characters are separated in the last book, their stories continue independently and eventually together. Grossman’s greatest strength, I think, is his creativity, and it really shines in this novel. Every scene, …
Aug 11
Book Review: Ysabel
Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay I’ve always been a huge fan of Guy Gavriel Kay’s work, and I bought a signed hardback copy of this the year that Ysabel was up for the World Fantasy award. So my expectations were rather high. Reading it was like opening a cherished bottle of expensive wine that’s been …
Jul 31
Book Review: All Joy and No Fun
All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior This book says its aim is to talk about the effect that children have on parents. I don’t know if many people have really dealt with this subject recently, so it’s gotten some good press because of that.. I’ve only read one …