Monthly Archives: June 2010

‘Moths’ – Ouida

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Ela

‘Ouida’ was the nom-de-plume of the English-born novelist Marie Louise de la Ramée, who wrote in the latter half of the 19th century. Her most famous novel is probably ‘Under Two Flags’ in which a Englishman leaves England for service … Continue reading →

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Novels of Robin McKinley – discussion

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Ela

Robin McKinley is an American-born and British resident writer of fantasy whose books are generally marketed at the ‘Young Adult’ market, though not all of her books can be so described. I first encountered her novel ‘The Blue Sword’ as … Continue reading →

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‘Tigana’ – Guy Gavriel Kay

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Ela

(minor spoiler at the end) In the peninsula of The Palm, there are a number of warring city-states – much like Italy in the mediaeval period – with a common language and religion. Sensing weakness, two enemies strike to conquer … Continue reading →

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‘The Far Country’ – Nevil Shute

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Ela

This novel begins in Australia, on the sheep and cattle station ‘Leonora’ in Victoria, which belongs to Jack and Jane Darman. After many years of hardship and poverty, they have finally paid off their mortgage, and due to the high … Continue reading →

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Discussion – Diana Wynne Jones

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Ela

This post has been prompted by the news that Diana Wynne Jones is suffering from cancer and that she has decided to stop her chemotherapy. Jones’ books have been important to me throughout my reading life – ever since I … Continue reading →

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‘Round the Bend’ – Nevil Shute

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Ela

Shute is probably best known for his novels A Town Like Alice, Requiem for a Wren and his post-apocalyptic novel On The Beach, but he wrote a good many others ranging from early thrillers such as Marazan and So Disdained, … Continue reading →

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‘The Curse of Chalion’ and ‘Paladin of Souls’ – Lois McMaster Bujold

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Ela

Many readers may know Bujold through her series of SF novels featuring Miles Vorkosigan (I’ve read three of this series, Shards of Honor, Barrayar and Ethan of Athos), but these two books of hers are set in a fantasy world … Continue reading →

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One hundred new books in 2009

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Ela

Last year, I set myself a challenge to read one new book per week – the challenge was in not doing overly much re-reading, rather than the quantity of books read. I managed just over 100, as listed on the … Continue reading →

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‘The Ascent of Money’ – Niall Ferguson

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Ela

Trying to make sense of the current global financial meltdown is not easy, but Niall Ferguson’s very accessible and readable history of money (and its derivatives, such as bonds, insurance and banking) is a good place to start. The book … Continue reading →

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