Category: Rants

Book Review, Fantasy, featured, Fiction, Japanese Literature, Novel, Rants, Translation

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa; translated by Louise Heal Kawai

This book is not very good. But I can see why the publishers had it translated into English. It hits three very sweet spots as far as sales go: Japanese books in translation have a definite fan base these days; it’s about books and bookstores and it features a cat. Three things with very clear audience appeal. I’ve seen it in lots of shops and … Continue reading The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa; translated by Louise Heal Kawai

james b chesterLeave a comment
Book Review, featured, History, Non-fiction, Rants

Forget the Alamo by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford

One thing that makes reading history fun, for me at least, is finding out what really happened. So often what we know, or think we know, has been influenced by forces outside the facts: racism, sexism, classism, nationalism, all the ‘ism’s plus time. Time passes and history changes. Then, periodically, someone comes along to set the record straight. It makes for interesting reading. In the … Continue reading Forget the Alamo by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford

james b chester1 Comment
Book Review, featured, History, Non-fiction, Rants

Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

History is problematic. American history is very problematic. I only recently started reading American history seriously. During the last three years of my teaching career, I kept trying to get an 8th grade history position. If I had, I might still be teaching. The closest I came was teaching it via Zoom during lockdown. Prior to that my historical interest was ancient and Medieval, largely … Continue reading Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

james b chesterLeave a comment
American Fiction, Book Review, Fantasy, Fiction, Noir, Novel, Rants, Science Fiction, Thriller

Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle

Last summer I joined Camp TOB 2022, my first time with the Tournament of Books summer reading game. I’ve enjoyed reading along and voting in the Tournament of Books for the last couple of years, and I’ve even found a few “new favorite books” as a result. So, I thought I’d give the summer reading game a go. I did find a “new favorite book,” … Continue reading Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle

james b chester
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, Classic, English Literature, Fiction, Marriage Plot, Novel, Rants, Uncategorized

Jane Austen Read All-a-long Book 4: Emma

I gave up. Full confession. I tried, I really did. I even broke down and got an audio version to listen to during my commute to and from work. But I just couldn’t take it. I think it in part an effect of this little reading challenge project I set for myself. This was the fourth Jane Austen book in as many months for me. … Continue reading Jane Austen Read All-a-long Book 4: Emma

james b chester16 Comments
American Fiction, Asian Literature, Book Review, Classic, Fantasy, Fiction, korean literature, Latin American Literature, LGBT, Noir, Novel, Ramble, Rants, Science Fiction, Translation

Sunday Rant and Ramble: Lionel Shriver Makes me Mad; A New Cat Arrives; Tournament of Books Results

What makes a book a classic? Lionel Shriver was a guest on my favorite BBC program A Good Read.  You can listen to the program here.  It was the dullest episode of my favorite program ever. Knowing something of what Ms. Shriver is like in person, I almost didn’t listen, but I thought I’d be open-minded, give it a try. The conceit of A Good … Continue reading Sunday Rant and Ramble: Lionel Shriver Makes me Mad; A New Cat Arrives; Tournament of Books Results

james b chester11 Comments
American Fiction, Book Review, Classic, Fiction, Novel, Rants, Science Fiction

Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke

It took me almost three months to read this book. The little page counter/timer on my Kindle claimed that I should have been able to read the entire book in just about three hours, but even when using the audio read-a-loud feature, I never made it more than a few pages at a time without falling asleep. Okay, I was reading in bed, sometimes lying … Continue reading Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke

james b chester4 Comments
American Fiction, Book Review, Fiction, Novel, Rants

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Things start out very well. A great opening line. A paragraph that grabs you like it’s not going to let go.  This wonderful bit: It’s not the moment that is the tragedy. It’s the memory. Things don’t go wrong either, not exactly. They just don’t quite go anywhere. I’m a dissenter. Jacqueline Woodson’s novel for adults Another Brooklyn has gotten nothing but the highest of praise. … Continue reading Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

james b chester8 Comments
American Fiction, Book Review, Classic, Fiction, French, French Literature, Noir, Novel, Rants, Translation

Two Award Winners I Didn’t Finish

Two days after I gave up on Paul Beatty’s satirical novel The Sellout, it won the Mann-Booker Prize, the first American novel to do so. My general rule of thumb is that the books on the long list that don’t win the Man Booker Prize are generally much better reads than the winner is. I have not read the rest of the long list, so I can’t … Continue reading Two Award Winners I Didn’t Finish

james b chester9 Comments
American Fiction, Book Review, Fiction, Non-fiction, Novel, Ramble, Rants, Science Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult

Sunday Salon: Catching up with This Week’s Reading and Lionel Shriver Wears a Funny Hat.

This post is more of a ramble than a rant, so don’t worry. It’s been a busy week, getting ready for the 20th anniversary party C.J. and I threw yesterday, so there have not been many posts here lately.  I’m hoping to have a good amount of down time today, enough to relax and get a bunch of robo-posts ready for the week. Some I’m … Continue reading Sunday Salon: Catching up with This Week’s Reading and Lionel Shriver Wears a Funny Hat.

james b chester6 Comments
Book Review, English Literature, Fiction, LGBT, Marriage Plot, Novel, Rants

Mr. Loverman by Bernadine Evaristo

Was it okay for Bernadine Evaristo to write this book? I ask this question in light of the ongoing controversy over cultural appropriation, specifically who has the right to write about whom. If you haven’t been following this issue lately you might want to check out Lionel Shriver’s keynote speech at the Brisbane Writers Festival and Yassmin Abdel-Magied’s essay explaining why she walked out on … Continue reading Mr. Loverman by Bernadine Evaristo

james b chester2 Comments