"The road to Manderley lay ahead. There was no moon. The sky above our heads was inky black. But the sky on the horizon was not dark at all. It was shot with crimson, like a splash of blood. And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea." Every so often, … Continue reading Review: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
I have spoken before about my foray into the world of book groups. With two 'To-Read' stacks, consisting of 30 books still awaiting consumption, I am hesitant to place further demands on my already hectic reading schedule. But I recently stumbled upon a new group that seems to cater exactly to my tastes - the … Continue reading Review: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Welcome to the first review of 2014! And what better way to set a tone for the year than with another dip into the work of Jane Austen? While Pride and Prejudice undoubtedly remains my favourite of her works, there are certainly a couple of worthy rivals. Sense and Sensibility is among them. My first … Continue reading Review: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
I am, by anyone's reckoning, quite the Jane Austen fanatic (a true Austenite, if you will). My numerous copies of Pride and Prejudice are extremely well thumbed, and her most recognised masterpieces hold a similarly prominent place on my bookshelf (as well as in my heart). I have, however, long neglected her less celebrated works. … Continue reading Review: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
My recent review of Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi left me not only with a better understanding of the Iranian experience, but also with a fairly extensive reading list. After tackling Flaubert's controversial Madame Bovary, I felt that it was time to work through Nafisi's primary novel of focus - Lolita by Vladimir … Continue reading Review: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
After working my way through some contemporary novels, I thought it time to return to the list of classics stacked in my To Read pile. For a while now, I have been waiting for a chance (when time and taste coincide) to pick up Flaubert's celebrated masterpiece Madame Bovary. It is a book that I … Continue reading Review: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
I am taking a break from the usual Sunday review and instead celebrating the birthday of the fantastic Thomas Hardy. Mostly this choice is due to my intense love for Hardy's works, but is also a consequence of the belief that a review of my current read - Robert Cryer's 'International Criminal Law and Procedure' … Continue reading Happy Birthday Mr. Hardy!
Charles Dickens and I have only become recently acquainted. Having avoided him like the plague for a number of years, I finally gave in two summers ago - largely the result of his connections with Knebworth House and my inability to talk with any kind of authority about his life and work. A close friend … Continue reading Review: Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
Sitting down to write a rough schedule for upcoming reviews and attempting to ensure some variety between new-to-me reads and old favourites, there was one book that I struggled to decide whether to add. Coming top in my estimation of the classics, Jane Eyre is a book that has been my constant companion since I first … Continue reading The Ultimate Literary Heroine: Jane Eyre
The Book Habit 