Category: Fiction

Book Review, featured, Fiction, Irish Literature, Novel, Novella, Rants, Uncategorized

I Almost Cried Three Times. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Small things can contain worlds. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is literally small. 114 pages of a fairly large font, you’d be right to call this a novella. I read it cover to cover in a sitting. The lives Ms. Keegan portrays here are also small. The central character, Bill Furlong, goes about his days running the small coal distributor that keeps his … Continue reading I Almost Cried Three Times. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

james b chester2 Comments
Book Review, European Literature, Fiction, Italian Literature, Noir, Novel

Murder and Glass in Medieval Venice. “The Eye Stone” by Roberto Tiraboschi, Translated by Katherine Gregor

First an admission. This book opens with the life of a 12th century cleric who spends his days copying the books in the monastery’s library reading them in his spare time. This is something of an escapist fantasy for me. That’s my confession. I’m betting that I’m not alone. It’s not something I would want to do for life, but for a long weekend… Sounds … Continue reading Murder and Glass in Medieval Venice. “The Eye Stone” by Roberto Tiraboschi, Translated by Katherine Gregor

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American Fiction, Book Review, Fantasy, featured, Fiction, Novel, Western

Enough Already: The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Classification can be a challenge. The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu is clearly a western. The hero travels from Utah through Nevada to California in the 1860’s riding a horse. So, clearly a western. He’s doing this to get revenge on the five men who separated him from his wife. So, revenge fantasy plot. Think The Revenant. But throw in a healthy dose of magical … Continue reading Enough Already: The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

james b chester
Book Review, Fiction, Uncategorized

Everything you think you know is wrong. Trust by Hernan Diaz

I started this book with no preconceptions. It was just the next book on the Camp TOB reading list. I ended with a new favorite book–one that I could see rereading someday which I don’t say very often. The story concerns a wealthy man who becomes even more wealthy through inventive financial creativity. Along the way, he marries a woman intent on producing an heir. … Continue reading Everything you think you know is wrong. Trust by Hernan Diaz

james b chester
American Fiction, California, Fiction, Noir, Novel, Ramble

I’m Back?

I’m not sure what this is going to turn out to be–regular thing or an occasional blog? Book blog? Art blog? Online journal? Something to pass the time in retirement? Maybe it will just be this one entry and $18 spent on a domain name I thought would be clever and an activity to justify sitting around in local coffee shops. In any case, here … Continue reading I’m Back?

james b chester4 Comments
Book Review, California, Fiction

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

This review contains spoilers. You’re welcome. A book about the Donner Party ought to be a page-turner.  The Wikipedia article on them is fascinating reading.  Take what is already an inherently compelling story, add in a supernatural element and you should have a very entertaining book.  That’s all I was expecting.  Something unnatural is stalking the Donner Party, an evil they cannot see, killing them … Continue reading The Hunger by Alma Katsu

james b chester3 Comments
American Fiction, Book Review, Fiction, Novel, Science Fiction

Census by Jesse Ball

This book was not what I expected. Even though I had no expectations at all when I started it.  I had no idea what it was going to be about.  I read it because it’s part of The Summer Reading Challenge at The Morning News.  I didn’t even read the inside flap; just started reading. In his introduction Mr. Ball writes about his brother who … Continue reading Census by Jesse Ball

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American Fiction, Book Review, Fiction, Novel

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

You probably already know all you want to know about Tayari Jones’s novel An American Marriage. It’s an Oprah pick with starred reviews in major publications.  It’s even part of this summer’s reading list at The Morning News which is why I read it. You rarely go wrong with The Morning News’s Tournament of Books, so I decided to give their Summer Reading Challenge a go. … Continue reading An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

james b chester6 Comments
American Fiction, Book Review, California, Fiction, Novel

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

I admit it. I picked this one because it was the shortest. I’ve a pile of books by my favorite reading chair–books from the Tournament of Books’ long list. They keep arriving at my local library with worrying frequency.  So, to speed my way through the stack, I picked the shortest one… …My new favorite book, Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong. I wasn’t completely sold at first.  … Continue reading Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

james b chester3 Comments
Asian Literature, Book Review, Classic, Fiction, Japanese Literature, Novel, Poetry, Translation

Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata

A novel that is also a haiku. Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata takes place on the western coast of northern Japan where geography and climate conspire to create a mountainous landscape that gets more snow than any other place on earth.  The small townships along the railway tracks that cut through the mountains survive on income from the few tourists who visit the local hot springs … Continue reading Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata

james b chester2 Comments