Category Archives: Book Reviews

In which the reader shares his thoughts on the books that possess his imagination throughout the year.

Book Reviews, Fantasy, Short Stories

The Ivory and the Horn ~Charles de Lint

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The Ivory and the Horn ~Charles de Lint

–published 1995
–Tor Books
–318 pages
–4.5/5 stars

If there is one thing that Charles de Lint does well (and trust me, there is more than one), it is to write short stories that work well in and of themselves yet carry the additional weight of being masterfully woven into the tapestry of a shared universe. In the sense of Charles de Lint’s work, this universe is the fictional North American city of Newford.

This collection of short stories, with a cover image by the incredible Terri Windling (which fits the spirit of de Lint’s stories so very well), is another gem, and has added to my esteem for his writing ability and this world that he has created.

This review is a bit of a departure from my normal structure in that I read this as a joint-read with Kailana and we are co-reviewing it. We decided to do this by asking each other a set of questions about the book. What follows are my answers to Kailana’s questions. Click here to go to her site to read her thoughts on the questions I posed to her.

Continue reading The Ivory and the Horn ~Charles de Lint →

Book Reviews, Fantasy, Poetry

A Guide to Folktales in Fragile Dialects ~Catherynne M. Valente

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A Guide to Folktales in Fragile Dialects ~Catherynne M. Valente

–published 2008
–Norilana Books
–163 pages

The cover of this book, an art piece done by Connie Toebe, has intrigued me since I first laid eyes on it on the Endicott Studio website. April being National Poetry Month, and the first month of this year’s Once Upon a Time Challenge, it seemed like the ideal time to explore the treasures that this wonderful image promised.

I certainly do not pretend to be anything other than a mere dabbler in the genre of poetry, and despite my fascination for old folklore and fairy tales I am no where near being familiar with much of what exists in that realm. Given those facts I have to admit that I found Valente’s book to be quite the challenge, albeit in the very best sense.

Continue reading A Guide to Folktales in Fragile Dialects ~Catherynne M. Valente →

Book Reviews, Nonfiction

How Reading Changed My Life ~Anna Quindlen

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How Reading Changed My Life ~Anna Quindlen

–published 1998
–Ballantine Books
–96 pages
–4.5/5 stars

“How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book. The book exists for us perchance which will explain our miracles and reveal new ones.”

~Henry David Thoreau


With the recent taste of a new-to-me Anna Quindlen, I could not resist the urge to return to the book that made me a fan, How Reading Changed My Life. This return to the abode of a kindred spirit was every bit as pleasurable the second time around. This slight book is one of the most wonderful reflections on the love of reading that has ever been written, and it is written not in a dry, stoic, elitist manner–it is written from a place of a passion that was birthed in childhood and remains equally strong today.

This delightful book, championing the great pleasures of the written word, is a book that I think all book lovers should read.

Continue reading How Reading Changed My Life ~Anna Quindlen →

Book Reviews, Fantasy

Enchanted Night: A Novella ~Steven Millhauser

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Enchanted Night: A Novella ~Steven Millhauser

–published 2009
–Crown Publishers
–109 pages
–4.75/5 stars

‘Tis a dangerous thing to journey into the realm of a book blogger as ’tis easy to be ensnared by the lure of enticing books. Such was my peril when I recently came across this review by my friend Chris. When he wrote “Millhauser’s writing is something that is just a pure gift to readers”, I was hooked.

Enchanted Night is an all-too-brief glimpse into the magical and mysterious events that happen to a handful of residents in a small Connecticut town on a particular hot summer moonlit night. As darkness is pierced by the almost-full moon, strange forces begin to work on a group of people and inanimate objects in seemingly random, unconnected ways. Millhauser weaves these diverse elements into a cohesive though unconventional story, a story with its own set of dangers and mysteries yet filled with such beauty that it is nigh unto impossible to put this book down.

Continue reading Enchanted Night: A Novella ~Steven Millhauser →

Book Reviews, Nonfiction

Bright Star ~John Keats

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Bright Star: Love Letters and Poems of John Keats to Fanny Brawne ~John Keats

–this collection published 2009
–Penguin Books
–130 pages
–4/5 stars

I recently reviewed the beautifully tragic love story of John Keats and Fanny Brawne as adapted in Jane Campion’s film, Bright Star. I was so impressed with Keats’ poetry in the film that I picked up the companion book as a gift for my wife for her birthday…then promptly borrowed it to celebrate the beginning of National Poetry Month.

Continue reading Bright Star ~John Keats →