Wes Moore, The Other Wes Moore, (2011) “Do you think we’re all just products of our environments?”… “I think so, or maybe products of our expectations.” “Others’ expectations of us or our expectations for ourselves?” “I mean others’ expectations that you take on as your own.” This particular conversation between the two Wes Moore’s isContinue reading “One Name, Two Fates”
Tag Archives: reading
A World run by Women
Naomi Alderman, The Power (2017) The day of the girls has arrived – but where will it end. Naomi Alderman, The Power The Power is a fascinating book as the language of the patriarchy is reversed following the awakening of an electrical power in most women across the globe. It is important to note thatContinue reading “A World run by Women”
The Monkey’s Paw
W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey’s Paw, (1902) He went down in the darkness, and felt his way to the parlour, and then to the mantelpiece. The talisman was in its place, and a horrible fear that the unspoken wish might bring his mutilated son before him ere he could escape from the room seized uponContinue reading “The Monkey’s Paw”
V for Vendetta
Alan Moore & David Lloyd, V for Vendetta, (2008) Originally first run in 1982 as a series of comics and published over a span of years the compiled edition first released in 2006 collects three books into a feature length comic book. V for Vendetta is perhaps most closely associated with the Guy Fawkes maskContinue reading “V for Vendetta”
Communicating without Words
Joe Navarro, What Every Body is Saying. An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People, (2008) This week is a shorter review due to being a specific non-fiction offering. Nevertheless this was a loaded book with brilliant insight into nonverbal communication. The use of figures, examples and case studies only serve to strengthen the comprehensive scientificContinue reading “Communicating without Words”
The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allen Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart (1843) *In a collection of his short stories As a prolific writer of short stories Poe has a significant catalogue of work. The Tell-Tale Heart is perhaps one of the most iconic of these. Not only is it available in a large collection on Project Gutenberg but the PoeContinue reading “The Tell-Tale Heart”
Normal People
Sally Rooney, Normal People. A Novel, (2018) This book by Sally Rooney received considerable attention and recognition when it was published. Perhaps part of the appeal of Normal People is the enthralling way Rooney presents the roller coaster relationship of Connell and Marianne. The story is a brutally honest depiction of what normal life canContinue reading “Normal People”
The Dirtiest Race in History
Richard Moore, The Dirtiest Race in History (2013) Doping in sport has become a consistent presence in news over recent years. Most recently, the case of Ruth Jebet was just another example of depressing stories of leading athletes testing positive. The Dirtiest Race in History follows one of the most notorious cases but it isContinue reading “The Dirtiest Race in History”
“This was me now”
Stephenie Meyer, The Host (2010) For the first time in a while I found myself spending a couple of hours unable to put a book down. The Host not only takes place in a compelling and thought-provoking environment but involves a number of fascinating relationships as a result. With Earth becoming home to a raceContinue reading ““This was me now””
An American Abroad in a Post-American World
Suzy Hansen, Notes on a Foreign Country. An American Abroad in a Post-American World (2017) Hansen’s work is a mix of self-realization, historical education and anger at a personally misplaced sense of American exceptionalism. Told from her experiences of moving to Istanbul from New York under the cloud of scaremongering headlines about the “Muslim World”.Continue reading “An American Abroad in a Post-American World”
The Weekly Book Report 