Tag Archives: Book Reviews

Alcott Again

I extended my time with Louisa May Alcott by picking up two new-to-me titles: Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom. Together, they tell the story of Rose Campbell, an orphaned girl who goes to live with her father’s estranged family. … Continue reading

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An Old-Fashioned Girl

An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott In the first half of this book, country girl Polly Milton pays a visit to her wealthy city friend Fanny Shaw. Polly, an unsophisticated 14-year-old, is utterly out of her depths in Fan’s … Continue reading

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The Liar

The Liar, by Stephen Fry “Little girls grow up to be women. Little boys grow up to be little boys.” In his first novel, Stephen Fry explores the games played by men of a certain privileged type: spy games, mind … Continue reading

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2010 Reads

It was a good reading year here at Bookish Dark. I completed most of my reading challenge commitments, although the TBR got derailed by Adams and the wide world of ebooks. I did pretty well with the goal of giving … Continue reading

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Her Fearful Symmetry

Elspeth Noblin, losing her battle against leukemia, sets about putting her earthly affairs in order. She wills her entire estate to the twin daughters of her own estranged twin sister, Edie, with a couple of stipulations: the inheriting nieces must … Continue reading

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The Ice House

A body has been found in the ice house on the grounds of Streech Grange, and the citizens of Streech Village are eager for that witch, Phoebe Maybury, to finally get what’s been coming to her. Phoebe’s husband disappeared ten … Continue reading

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Persephone Arisen

My good friend Rachel shared an article about Persephone Books some time ago, and I was captivated by the notion of a publishing house dedicated to reviving forgotten modern classics by women. I asked Bookish Dark’s London correspondent, the redoubtable … Continue reading

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A Crack in the Edge of the World

When I picked up A Crack in the Edge of the World, I hesitated over including it in my science book challenge list, thinking it might be more of a sociological work, a survey of witness reports and survivors’ accounts. … Continue reading

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Doubt: A History

The only thing such doubters really need, that believers have, is a sense that people like themselves have always been around, that they are part of a grand history. In Doubt: A History, Jennifer Michael Hecht sets out to provide … Continue reading

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The Robber Bride

From the outside, Tony, Charis, and Roz appear to be old college friends who reunite for the occasional ladies’ luncheon. In reality, they’re a survivors’ support group: they are wounded veterans of the interminable War of the Sexes, tattered survivors … Continue reading

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