Book news, reviews and recommendations
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could. I can’t remember how I came across Julia Blackburn’s gorgeously poetic novel. I’d left bookselling and wasn’t yet […]
Blasts from the Past: The Leper’s Companions by Julia Blackburn (1999) Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could. I remember someone looking over my shoulder when I was reading Being Dead on my way home from
Blasts from the Past: Being Dead by Jim Crace (1999) Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could. There was a time when it was hard to get away from Kathryn Harrison’s name in the books
Blasts from the Past: The Seal Wife by Kathryn Harrison (2002) Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy in as many hands as I could. Crossing to Safety is one of those novels I came across in my early blogging days when I
Blasts from the Past: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner (1987) Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could. Fugitive Pieces is one of those excellent books that sold satisfyingly well when I was a bookseller. I
Blasts from the Past: Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels (1996) Read More »
A very happy 2019 to you! I’m starting my posting year with the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could. I fell in love with this book to
Blasts from the Past: Brightness Falls by Jay McInerney (1992) Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could. Lost in Translation is my first non-fiction blast from the past. It was published in the UK shortly
Blasts from the Past: Lost in Translation by Eva Hoffman (1989) Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could. I know I bang on a lot about book jackets but I can’t talk about A Fine Balance
Blasts from the Past: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (1995) Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could. It was the jacket that first attracted me to War Crimes for the Home. There’s a nice little
Blasts from the Past: War Crimes for the Home by Liz Jensen (2002) Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy in as many hands as I could. The Next Step in the Dance is one of those novels that inexplicably – to me, anyway –
Blasts from the Past: The Next Step in the Dance by Tim Gautreaux (1998) Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could. I have the BBC to thank for introducing me to Haruki Murakami’s work. Someone picked A Wild Sheep