"The story that follows is one I never intended to commit to paper. Recently, however, a shock of sorts has prompted me to look back over the most troubling episodes of my life and the lives of the several people I loved best. This is the story of how as a girl of sixteen I … Continue reading Review: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
It's been quite the month. I turned 31 at the weekend, quietly decrying the fact that I'm now officially 'in my 30s'. Birthdays as a continuously nomadic expat are always something of a double-edged sword. My non-stop wandering over the past decade has left behind me a wake of confusion, with family and friends generally … Continue reading The Monthly Reader: September 2019
"So they went into the basement, a long, white-washed room running the whole length of the house. A window at one end gave onto a coal hole; a little daylight filtered through at an angle from an iron grating in the pavement above. There was a clean, sweet smell of new wood and a tang … Continue reading Review: The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter
It is unsurprising, given my own struggles, that I have always been intrigued by fictional representations of mental illness. As society-at-large attempts to redress some of the taboos surrounding psychological ailments, the publishing industry has been working overtime to fill the gaping chasm in accurate portrayals of mental illness. While there is still an incredible … Continue reading Why We Need More Mental Illness In Fiction
I track the history of my life less along the lines of conventional milestones - fleeting first crushes and those terrifying but gratifying signs of impending puberty - and more in my memories of favourite books. My fascination with the fantastical magnificence of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory marked one of my earliest forays into 'proper' books … Continue reading Monday Musing: For The Adults Who Read Children’s Fiction…
"Even in death the boys were trouble. The secret graveyard lay on the north side of the Nickel campus, in a patchy acre of wild grass between the old work barn and the school dump...The developers of the office park had earmarked the field for a lunch plaza, with four water features and a concrete … Continue reading Review: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
The Book Habit 