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. Last year Cathy from 746 Books was kind enough to ask me to take part in her Books […]
Blasts from the Past: That They May Face the Rising Sun by John McGahern (2001) 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. When I was in bookselling I knew that if a rep showed me a book on the Franklin
Blasts from the Past: The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett (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 remember being deeply impressed with Nadeem Aslam’s writing when I first read Maps for Lost Lovers, not
Blasts from the Past: Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam (2004) 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. This one’s a surprising one for me. It has elements of the fantastical which is usually a literary
Blasts from the Past: The Vintner’s Luck by Elizabeth Knox (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. The People’s Act of Love is one of those rare things: a novel that came to me via
Blasts from the Past: The People’s Act of Love by James Meek (2005) 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. Way back in my bookselling days I remember being given a proof of Elizabeth Hay’s Garbo Laughs. It
Blasts from the Past: Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay (2007) 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. Jake Arnott was featured in a documentary on the trials and tribulations of getting your first novel published
Blasts from the Past: The Long Firm by Jake Arnott (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 in as many hands as I could. There seemed to be something of a vogue for Victorian novel pastiches a decade or so ago. May
Blasts from the Past: The Observations by Jane Harris (2006) Read More »
Back from sunny Split – more of which later in the week – 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 in as many hands as I could. If you’re a regular visitor to
Blasts from the Past: Plainsong by Kent Haruf (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 in as many hands as I could. I’d read one of Carol Birch’s earlier novels years before Jamrach’s Menagerie was published and while I enjoyed
Blasts from the Past: Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch (2011) 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. Ingenious Pain is the example I often cite when talking about the difficulty of following an impressive first
Blasts from the Past: Ingenious Pain by Andrew Miller (1997) Read More »