Rebecca Notes

High school English taught the elements of a novel: setting, characters, tone, and so forth. While some of these elements are not always so clear-cut and conspicuous, Rebecca has lived up to how the ominous setting, which resonates and recurs persistently into the narrative, constantly reminding readers of the alarming, almost diabolical secrets to be [...]

Children and Books, a Monday Musing

Do you buy books as gifts for children – either your own or those of friends or family? Would you buy books for all children, or only children who are already practiced readers? My social circle doesn’t comprise of many children, and even if it does, I probably would make suggestion to parents instead of [...]

[225] Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – John Berendt

“Over a period of eight years I just did that, except that my stays in Savannah became longer and my return trips to New York shorter. At times, I came to think of myself as living in Savannah. i found myself involved in an adventure peopled by an unusual assortment of characters and enlivened by [...]

Recent Fluff

What’s the lightest, most “fluff” kind of book you’ve read recently? Light, fluffy read is not usually my cup of tea. But about two months ago I read Masquerade by Walter Satterthwait, a book-crossing book that I picked up at a hotel lobby. It’s a murder mystery set in Paris during the time when big [...]

A Second Serving, Maybe Third?

The movie Julie and Julia has awakened the legend of an American living in Paris during the politically sensitive McCarthy era. What might have caught booksellers off-guard is how the film has boosted sales of anything Julia Child. The nation is swept by a Julia Child craze. My friend who lives in Julia Child’s hometown,. [...]

My Last 21 Books

Jessica from The Bluestocking Society listed the sources of her last 21 books. I thought it would be interesting to identify the sources of the last 21 books I have read, since I’m reading my 50th book this year: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. Exiles in America, Christopher Bram [...]

[224] Exiles in America – Christopher Bram

“You have to trust yourself and the other person. There are no guarantees here. The world is an unreal place. You want someone with you to make it feel less unreal. You want to keep them there, and you think you can do it with a few magic words, a marriage contract, a wedding. But [...]

Musing Mondays on Series

Do you prefer to read stand-alone books, or books in series? Do you stick with a series the whole way through or stop after the first installment? Are there any particular series you enjoy? I wish I can make this answer very interesting with recommendations on series, but I haven’t read enough to be conversant. [...]

A Word of Gratitude

I have been catching up on my blog reading and responding to all your enthusiastic and thoughtful comments. Aware of the fact that blogging is a two-way activity, I used to feel anxious that my readers might turn their back on me if I haven’t been either attending to the comments promptly or visiting their [...]

[223] Prime Time – Douglas Dean

“He had almost forgotten the intoxication of such moments, it had been so long since anything like this had happened to him. God, he thought, this is just what I need. A lusty affair. Not just a one-night stand but a real affair. His blood rushed..” [80] Consider that Douglas Dean had been a fixture [...]