So Dickens chose to write about Oliver Twist, the cherubic little orphan lost in the big bad world. But I think we all know who the more interesting character is – Jack Dawkins, otherwise known as the Artful Dodger. In fact, that’s how the book starts: the preface “reintroduces us to the acclaimed Mr. Jack Dawkins, known to sundry as the Artful Dodger, and laments the inattention paid him as compared to more simpering examples of the day.” The author goes on to explain why […]
The Unabomber Manifesto is NOT an anarchist’s handbook nor a madman’s rant.
Forty-fifth book reviewed as part of the 130 Challenge. All of 150 pages, but one hell of an essay! He falters in a lot of places where he loses control and rants madly, but when he is coherent, he is really very sharp. His observations are quite spot on and he does seem to have seen through the charade that is the modern civilization. I started reading this book just because I was curious about the mind of a serial murderer. Ted (aka The Unabomber) […]
A small Texas town is crossroad of supernatural secrets
I’m a big fan of Charlaine Harris as she tends to write humorous mystery tales with a big dollop of hot romance. I’ve read all of the Sookie Stackhouse, Harper Connelly and Lily Bard books. As the last few Sookie books sucked, I wasn’t super keen to return to her body of work. However, once I learned Manfred Bernardo from the Harper books was the protagonist, my interest shot up by 100 percent. Manfred moves to Midnight into a house owned by no other than the handsome […]
Laugh-out-loud-while-reading-on-public-transit funny
I read this book because I am very slowly working my way through all the books that have won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Dunces won in 1980. There is a certain anticipation when starting an award winning novel. I wonder “What is so special about this work? Why did it win?” I wonder if I am up for the challenge, if I can do the work justice as a reader. I didn’t know what I was getting into.The beginning of Dunces is rollicking and […]