Reading for Change – Cherrie Zell

Ben and Barack

Two books. One read. Can you guess which? The story of Benjamin Franklin It was a radical trip to the book store; one of those outings where I was unlikely to return with something run-of-the-mill because I didn’t need run-of-the-mill that day. I’ve already written about my encounter with Thomas De Quincey’s On Murder Considered asContinue reading “Ben and Barack”

Two books, intertwined?

I started one, wasn’t getting it so wasn’t getting into it, grabbed another from the shelf, got bored with the repetitiveness, went back to the first and stuck it out. The first choice was very left field, even though it was a Penguin. Its strangeness was grounded in an element of familiarity. It wasn’t theContinue reading “Two books, intertwined?”

Garner’s Everywhere

We have a new bookshop. Let me be more specific. We now have a local bookshop. It’s quite small and wants to specialise in a subculture to which I do not belong, but it stocks a selection of generically normal books such that I can fulfill an obligation to be supportive. Buying Local. I glanceContinue reading “Garner’s Everywhere”

The War of the Worlds

There’s a lot to digest before the story even starts. There are biographical notes on the author, an Introduction that seeks to contextualise the story within the times it was written, a couple of pages listing Further Readings for those readers with a mind to explore further, and something titled ‘Note on the Text’, whichContinue reading “The War of the Worlds”

Phos

I wanted a longer book; I got a longer book, and then decided it was longer than the content needed it to be. I don’t want that to my takeaway memory. So, now I need to remind myself that Julia Baird’s Phosphorescence was worth the effort and worth remembering. Part way through chapter one, theContinue reading “Phos”

The Details

It’s an unusual state I find myself in – needing to re-read a book just finished. It feels like a book I could learn from because it’s a book about reading and about writers who read. As I flick through the pages, assessing – remembering – each chapter, I pick a random paragraph. Read it.Continue reading “The Details”