The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield My rating: 2 of 5 stars This is an odd book which is kind of a stream of consciousness rant about the ways in which an artist struggles with what the author calls “Resistance.” That in itself is…
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is a beautifully detailed portrait of a young love and marriage, corrupted by both the selfishness of a man and his mistress but also by every person, including his wife, who felt that somehow his genius, his work meant that different…
Moving to Thailand – Your 2nd Life Begins! by Mike Fook My rating: 3 of 5 stars Despite the cover, this book is not for sex-tourists, it will be useful for anyone who wants a quick run-down on how not to offend Thai’s or get into trouble, but also provides a positive, enthusiastic attitude toward…
How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One by Stanley Fish My rating: 5 of 5 stars I read this book immediately after being disappointed by It was the Best of Sentences, It was the Worst of Sentences, so I may have been primed to have an overly enthusiastic reaction to a book…
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse My rating: 4 of 5 stars I thoroughly enjoyed reading Labyrinth, the story and the will-she-work-it-out-before-someone-else-dies tension kept me turning the pages. I was forced to put this book down after about 150pages to read other books, for book clubs, and was eager to return to it – when I did…
Shaman’s Crossing by Robin Hobb My rating: 1 of 5 stars I’m giving this book 1 star because I simply could not push my way through it. A loved one asked me to read it, so I wanted to give it a decent chance but 33% was all the exposition I could handle. This is…
The Athenian Murders by José Carlos Somoza My rating: 1 of 5 stars An interesting idea which the author, unfortunately, simply does not pull off. The internal logic is flawed, as is the logic of his (straw man) detective character. The author’s presentation of philosophy and logic, as well as Plato’s theory of the forms…
Storm Front by Jim Butcher My rating: 3 of 5 stars A friend recommended these books (by way of bringing all but book 1 and putting them on my table) and I tried to read them but I found I just couldn’t get into the writing. I felt I should give it a go, though…
Tales of Moonlight And Rain: A Study And Translation by Anthony H. Chambers by Ueda Akinari My rating: 3 of 5 stars I enjoyed Akinari’s Tales of Moonlight and Rain – eventually. Unfortunately, the translator’s introduction is long and gives the impression that one simply will not possibly be able to understand or enjoy the…
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford My rating: 5 of 5 stars Utterly engrossing, and filled with information we should all know to combat all of the disinformation about Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Empire which still passes for common knowledge. I honestly believe that this book should be…
