Unraveling the Haunting Mystery of Devil’s Neck
In “The House at Devil’s Neck” by Tom Mead, a recent suicide in London recalls a historical mystery, prompting investigator George Flint to delve into the past. Simultaneously, Joseph Spector’s coach party becomes stranded in a haunted house, encountering a series of deaths linked to a phantom soldier. The narrative combines intricate plotting with nostalgia for classic mysteries.
Perfect Days (2003): A Reflection on Simplicity in Tokyo
“Perfect Days” (2003) by Wim Wenders tells the story of Hirayama, a toilet cleaner in Tokyo, who finds joy in his simple routine amidst the city’s chaos. Embracing beauty in daily life and human connections, he contrasts with societal materialism, ultimately celebrating contentment in an unglamorous existence. The film is visually stunning and resonates deeply.
Understanding Jennette McCurdy’s Memoir: The Dark Side of Child Stardom
Trigger warning: themes of abuse and grooming; eating disorders There are probably few people who haven’t heard of this book. It was everywhere for a while! Well, I finally got around to reading it, and let me tell you, I am proud of Jennette for coming to terms with all that happened to her and […]
‘The Mystery Writer’: Sulari Gentill Unravels Intriguing Secrets of a Publisher
‘The Mystery Writer’ by Sulari Gentill is a page-turning murder mystery that touches on topical themes in our current post-covid world. While I felt the end was hurried, I enjoyed the first half’s build-up to the twist at the end. While none of the characters, especially Theo, were physically described in detail, I feel like […]
Emotional Loss & Childhood Fears: ‘A Place Called Here’ by Cecelia Ahern
‘A place called Here’ is an easy-to-read story about loss, in particular, the emotional response to childhood fears. While reading this novel, I reflected on my own childhood anxiety of not being able to complete everything I’ve ever wanted to do, or not being able to read every book in existence. Sandy Shortt, the protagonist, […]
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Big Little Lies is a gripping light novel that immediately draws the reader in. Starting with fragmented snippets of police interviews that slowly hint at the story’s truth, the author masterfully builds the suspense to a satisfying climax. This small-town playground mystery thriller addresses serious topics such as domestic violence and sexual assault. Despite the […]
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
The Night Watchman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, was inspired by Erdrich’s own grandfather who belonged to the Turtle Mountain Reservation on which this book’s story is based. The novel tells the story of the resistance to repeated oppression and the real-life assimilation and termination policies against native peoples. Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at […]
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams tells the story of two lost souls, Alisha, a 17-year-old, and Mukesh, an Indian widower, who both live in London. They somehow manage to find each other living amongst the chaos of the busy city. They form a unique bond of kinship through books found on a reading […]
Met Gala 2022 Outfits as Book Characters
Veering off a little from my traditional book review style, I thought I’d combine two of my favourite topics (popular culture and literature) into this post. It’s just a bit of fun and no harm is intended! Lenny Kravitz – Bellatrix Lestrange [getty src=”1395044601″ width=”396″ height=”594″ tld=”com”] Although we don’t talk about JK, you can’t […]
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Girl, Woman, Other’ by Bernardine Evaristo
‘Girl, Woman, Other’ by Bernardine Evaristo follows the intricacies and complexities of womanhood, privilege and feminism. Written in a non-traditionalist narrative form, this novel tells non-traditionalist stories of womanhood and otherhood. We have Yass, the university student finding herself, learning that it’s okay for teenage ideals and values to be challenged. Her university friend challenging […]