![]() I glanced over at her paper-A, of course. “Looks like I have Raine to thank for this.” He looked between us, his eyes narrowed. Patel was in front of us, handing us our essays. “If it wasn’t you, then who was it?”īefore I could say anything else, Prof. Turning her head, I saw the anger disappear as her eyes met mine, wide and unsure. “Angry? Because you falsely accused me of stealing?” “Last night you told me you didn’t want me, and you were-never mind.” “Why are you here?” she hissed, all fired up despite her body’s reaction to me. But there’s something different.” I tugged gently at her hair before releasing it, not missing her shiver. Reaching out, I threaded a strand of her silky hair through my fingers. My gaze raked over her, and her breathing quickened. “Why are you here?” Her voice was annoyed, and it made me smile. I was aware of everything-her soft intake of breath as she saw who was in the seat next to her, the thump of her books as she slammed them down on the table, and the scent of caramel apples as she reluctantly sat next to me. ![]() ![]() ![]() I felt her enter the room before I saw her. ![]()
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![]() ![]() She was born in Pittsburgh, into “a house full of comedians.” Her mother was delightful and defiant. How could a mind contain such multitudes? Pilgrim is not only the wisdom of my 28 years but I think it's the wisdom of my whole life.” Yet she grew into “the writing life,” tapping her inquisitive soul to write essays, novels, poetry, a memoir of childhood, even a book about writing. And when A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek came out in 1974, American letters had found the “true heir” to Thoreau.Īnnie Dillard worried that she had "shot my lifetime wad. No body of water since Walden Pond had enjoyed such a loyal bard. ![]() ![]() “I explore the neighborhood.“ She spent two years along the creek, wandering, studying, jotting thoughts. She called herself “a fugitive and a vagabond, a sojourner seeking signs.” “I am no scientist,” she wrote. Then in 1971, a young woman from nearby Roanoke began dropping by. TINKER CREEK, VA - The creek flowed for millions of years but the world beyond its banks was too busy to notice. ![]() ![]() ![]() Upon hearing of this new threat in the very heart of Britain, the media go crazy over the notion of these seemingly mutant worms which actually attacked a fit and strong human being. ![]() ![]() Parker survives the ordeal, but is left severely disfigured. Hungry for human flesh and with a newly acquired taste for blood, these bizarre creatures swarm on their victims, ripping into their flesh with razor sharp teeth. However, whilst Parker is left on his own for a short period of time, he is attacked by a swarm of limbless newt-like creatures, later referred to as the 'worms'. In the dank sewers of London, thirty-six year old TV film cameraman Matt Parker is filming a TV documentary about urban growth through the centuries. The novel was later followed on by the similarly themed novels ‘ Slime’ (1984) and ‘ Squelch’ (1985). First published back in March of 1980, British author John Halkin’s pulp horror novel ‘Slither’ was the first book in the ‘Slither-Slime-Squelch’ creepy-crawly trilogy. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() He welcomes Heidi into his modest home, and they become fast friends. Shunned by the townsfolk, Grandfather lives alone in a remote mountain hut. Dete forces Heidi to hike from Dörfli up the mountain, where she will live with her grandfather, called “Uncle Alp” by the villagers. Dete’s mother dies as well, leaving Dete as Heidi’s sole caregiver, but she wants to take a new job in the city and can no longer care for her niece. The source material for this guide comes from the 1956 translation from Penguin Random House UK, reissued in 2015 as a Puffin Classic edition, therefore names and wordings may vary.ĭete’s sister Adelheid dies, leaving her and her mother to care for her daughter, Heidi. In addition to Heidi, Spyri published 32 other children’s books before she died in 1901. However, before Spyri’s death, she burned all her private letters and journals, leaving much of her life a mystery. Spyri’s depiction of the idyllic, simple past of Alpine life is believed to be partially autobiographical, as she spent her summers in a village called Maienfeld. Spyri was born in Hirzel, a Zurich village that shares a border with the German Rhineland. ![]() ![]() I think this is maybe a bit of a problem because it makes it more glaring how how odd some of the characters' behaviours and motivations is, admittedly that may be somewhat explained by some of the traumatic events the characters have in their past but I think it's easier to accept the eccentricities that Powers' characters tend to have when they are (for example) 19th Century Romantic Poets rather than young adults in modern-day Los Angeles. Unlike most of the Tim Powers books I've read which tend to be historical fantasy this is (mostly) set in the modern day. I really like Tim Powers' books, I think he has some fantastically imaginative stories and a real knack for making bizarre plotlines seem strangely plausible. They are unable to resist the temptation to investigate some of the mysteries of their childhood, including their parents' disappearance, and the bizarre legacy their aunt left for them. ![]() Scott and Madeline Madden have been trying to ignore their strange childhood as much as possible, but after their aunt commits suicide by grenade they are drawn back to their childhood home to meet with their estranged cousins. ![]() ![]() This approach conveys a conventional picture of what would transpire in the life of modern youth, enjoying peer moments and enduring various climatic conditions. I realized that the article provides a captivating scenario where one would want to know what happens next, from the physical location of the house, the owner- Roderick’s role, and how the two grew up together. One can vividly visualize the contextual implications of all the events unfolding within the introductory scene as a result of Poe’s diction.Īt the same time, the setting of the story creates a lot of suspense for the reader as Poe describes his ordeal. ![]() In essence, the way he introduces the environment, the weather, and the event succinctly illustrate his prowess in mood-setting, which makes it relevant for all generations. Poe sets the mood of the story right from the introduction, and I thought it was real life. ![]() While reading the story, I connected with much of Poe’s explanation of the setting, splendid environment. ![]() ![]() Milena isn't sure if she's mad or if she's the only sane person left in the world she only knows that she wants to escape to her own private Fairyland and live forever. At the cost of three hours of his life, he finds an unlikely ally in a scary, super-smart little girl called Milena, but his troubles really start when he helps Milena quicken intelligence in a Doll, turning it into the first of the fairies. ![]() ![]() In London, Alex Sharkey is trying to make his mark as a designer of psychoactive viruses, whilst staying one step ahead of the police and the Triad gangs. Europe is divided between the First World bourgeoisie, made rich by nanotechnology and the cheap versatile slave labour of genetically engineered Dolls and the Fourth World of refugees and homeless displaced by war and economic upheaval. ![]() ![]() ![]() Our central characters help each other find a place where they belong and find love without judgement. In the meanwhile, she falls in love with a cowboy who always believed there was something more in life for him. The female protagonist of this book is a noble woman who searches for her larger purpose in life as she fights society to run a brewery left to her by her husband. When I shelved this book in 2009 at the bookstore I was working at, I cried. Let’s just say it involves a doctor, a secret baby, and a Hanukkah miracle. This is the second Jewish-themed book written by the pioneering Jewish author responsible for the first “own voices” contemporary romance featuring Jewish characters. Here’s a list of a few of my favorites, as well as a sneak peek of some exciting books being published soon. ![]() And now it was.īut don’t just take my word for what an amazing experience reading a romance novel written by Jewish authors about Jewish characters is. ![]() Before that, identifying with a character on a level beyond superficial details hadn’t been an option. Of course, the first time I read a Jewish character in a leading role of a romance novel? I cried. ![]() ![]() ![]() But something about this biography’s promise to tell the story, for the first time in full, of the author of a once-famed children’s book from the 1950s who fell out of the limelight in later life spoke to me. I had, at this point, never heard of Dare Wright or The Lonely Doll, named “ the creepiest children’s book” of all-time by The New Yorker in 2017. It was at such a store that, thanks to their wide and eclectic range of often offbeat literary biographies, I came across Jean Nathan’s The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: The Search for Dare Wright. I try to do my part to keep my passion for books alive through stores like these, as it’s there that you can often unearth valuable, out-of-print gems that you would unlikely find anywhere else. Bookshops like these have become a precious rarity in the digital age and especially with the continued decline of brick-and-mortar retail. A few months back, I was browsing the shelves of my favorite used bookstore. ![]() ![]() ![]() He can be charming in company and has excellent, extremely polite manners but there is no warmth in his dealings with anyone outside his family. Sylvester, Duke of Salford, is an arrogant young man, very conscious of doing his duty but completely unconscious of how he speaks down to those who annoy him. I rank it only slightly behind A Civil Contract and The Grand Sophy in my affections and there is every possibility that it will surpass both of those in coming years as I seem to love it more each time I read it. Sylvester, or The Wicked Uncle (first published in 1957) is, I think, one of the best novels Heyer wrote. But reading Sylvester reminded me of my favourite reason of all: to feel a delicious sense of joy bubbling up inside me, from the very first page to the very last. There are a number of reasons why I pick the books I do: to learn something, to be challenged, to be distracted, etc. ![]() Rereading Sylvester by Georgette Heyer this week has made me so happy. ![]() |