I have completed my reading of this remarkable book by Umberto Eco. Thank you to Annabel for suggesting the readalong. Please read Annabel’s excellent assessment of this boo…| Volatile Rune
*** Poet Sue Hubbard is probably best known for her sublime art installation/poem ‘Eurydice’ which stretches the length of the tunnel from Waterloo Station to Waterloo Bridge – or used to I have not been there for a while – has produced this lovely novel of loneliness, loss and redemption all set within the sound […]| Volatile Rune
This is book 8/#10 Books of Summer hosted by Annabel and Emma. Having already read and reviewed two of her other Books, Black Narcissus and China Court, I’m becoming a bit of a fan of this author.&…| Volatile Rune
Rumer Godden (1907-98) grew up in Narayanganj, India now part of Bangladesh. She lived much of her life in India, in Calcutta and Kashmir. For twenty years she ran a dance school in Calcutta. *** …| Volatile Rune
For this Classics Club challenge we are told to read book number 11 on our Classics Club list by 24th August. I got it into my head that it was 4th August. This is book 6/10 Books of Summer hosted by Annabel and Emma. Imagine you are a writer. It is 1952. You have a […]| Volatile Rune
China Court is my second Godden book and my fifth review for 10 Books of Summer. Black Narcissus by the same author was a psychological drama concerning loss of faith and deteriorating mental and …| Volatile Rune
I reviewed another book on here recently and received a comment from a reader that the book had not been good, but that most reviewers were not willing to admit it. I understand that reluctance to criticise, given how hard it is to write anything and particularly when a writer has been known to do […]| Volatile Rune
I’ve noticed an increase in traffic to a post I wrote reviewing Raynor Winn’s third book Landlines, an increase attached no doubt to the recent controversy surrounding Winn as author of the best-selling memoire, The Salt Path. Anyone who has not recently visited the moon will know that in the last few weeks The Observer […]| Volatile Rune
“I arrived at the Humboldt University in Berlin imagining that I’d be among people who shared my enthusiasm for antiquity. But if they did, most of them hid it really well.” So writes G…| Volatile Rune
I am a great admirer of Vietnamese born author Ocean Vuong who writes in the most extraordinary poetic prose stories about the double insanity of living in the US both as a citizen and as someone originally from a refugee family. When I reviewed his first novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous I said: “ Ocean […]| Volatile Rune
All is born to blossom in eternal springtime. So writes Franciscus, the only Pope to write an autobiography – or at least to have one published while still living. Pope Francis (17th December 1936 – 21st April 2025) was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina to a family originally from Piedmont, Italy. The day his […]| Volatile Rune
Sorry for the hiatus. I’m so done with wordpress. I’ve had to restore backups and all sorts and I’m really not technie enough. My site is still not working properly. I am reading …| Volatile Rune
These are my first two titles for the 10 Books of Summer Challenge, originally hosted by Cathy@746 Books. Now hosted by Annabookbel and Emma at Words and Peace Yes I know I am a bit out of date but…| Volatile Rune
For many years 20 Books of Summer was hosted by Cathy@746 books (thanks Cathy for sterling work). But when Cathy stepped back from hosting last summer the challenge was taken on by new hosts Annabe…| Volatile Rune
