Category Archives: Literary

Myth Isn’t Fantasy

Posted on 24/07/2019 by readerofelse

Rather than talk about a specific book (or using a specific book as an excuse to talk about something related), I’m going to talk about a more general topic this time – it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a … Continue reading →

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The Changeling – Victor LaValle

Posted on 13/06/2019 by readerofelse

I really ought to get started on the Hugos, but the Becky Chambers is staring at me none-too-welcomingly so… I’m procrastinating it a little while longer. Which turned out to be a good decision, because apparently, the World Fantasy Award … Continue reading →

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Ghost Wall – Sarah Moss

Posted on 10/04/2019 by readerofelse

I’d been looking at this for a while but not got round to it, so when it turned up in the Women’s Prize longlist, it was the kick I needed to actually get round to reading it. Good decision all … Continue reading →

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The Familiars – Stacey Halls

Posted on 24/03/2019 by readerofelse

I bought this on a whim, really. Not actually because it was pretty (though it really rather is), but because it felt exactly like what I wanted to read at that moment – escapist, female-focussed, historical and a little bit … Continue reading →

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The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock – Imogen Hermes Gowar

Posted on 31/12/2018 by readerofelse

And back to literary again. I took this one away with me on a long weekend out of London, thinking I’d a) be busy playing board games and b) it’s a heckin’ chonker of a book and so one book … Continue reading →

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Everything Under – Daisy Johnson

Posted on 31/12/2018 by readerofelse

I’m not going to commit myself to reading the Booker shortlist every year (certainly not on top of the Nebulas and the Hugos), but I am keen to read more critically acclaimed literary fiction, as a general rule. And when … Continue reading →

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Melmoth – Sarah Perry

Posted on 22/12/2018 by readerofelse

Apparently all of Sarah Perry’s books are beautiful. I bought The Essex Serpent mainly because I loved the cover, and that was a great decision, so I figured I couldn’t go too far wrong doing the same with Melmoth. Spoilers: I did … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Detective/Mystery, History/Myth, Horror, Literary | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wise Children – Angela Carter

Posted on 10/11/2018 by readerofelse

I’m not really sure what to say about this. It’s a book that sort of defies explanation, because every time I think back on it, I wonder if I thought the wrong thing all along, and actually, there’s a totally … Continue reading →

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The Silence of the Girls – Pat Barker

Posted on 09/11/2018 by readerofelse

This was a lot less about the girls than I was expecting. Which isn’t to say it was bad, just… not the book you anticipate when you read the blurb. In a large part, the book is still telling the … Continue reading →

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Circe – Madeline Miller

Posted on 03/11/2018 by readerofelse

Ok, sod it. I’m not getting through my blogging backlog. Now you’re just getting the ones I’m interested in writing (so no rereads, no graphic novels, probably). I like Bright Air Black a lot. This is going to be quite relevant … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Fantasy, History/Myth, Literary | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment