I began 2020 with a fire in my belly for reading. I made up a goal to ensure a robust literary year: 20 novels, 20 plays. I proceeded to read more nonfiction than ever before, and I have no regrets.
book review
Queen Harvest’s 2019 Reading Recap
For my fifth annual Reading Recap I decided to do something a little special: procrastinate for five months before finishing it. In my defense, I was very busy around New Year’s, and I am very not-busy now.
In Review: The Ulysses List
The Ulysstes? The Ulistes? No. What better day than Bloomsday to revisit my plan and preparations to read Ulysses. Right on schedule, I started Ulysses January 1, and I was able to finish on February 1. I am not foolish enough to make any attempts toward analysis, but I am comfortable saying that Ulysses is … Continue reading In Review: The Ulysses List
Queen Harvest’s 2015 Reading Recap
Learning that a friend read over 200 books last year compelled me to reevaluate my reading habits. A voracious reader as a child, I had let various distractions take priority over my time, even though reading continued to bring me joy and satisfaction. I read maybe five books in 2014, and I found that unacceptable. … Continue reading Queen Harvest’s 2015 Reading Recap
In Review: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Here come a riddle. Here come a clue. If you were really smart, you'd know what to do. - Talking Heads '77 One lyric that typifies the style and charm of The Decemberists' songbook comes from "Calamity Song," in which a verse begins, Hetty Green, Queen of supply-side bonhomie bone-drab (ya know what I mean?) … Continue reading In Review: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Review: What’s Bred in the Bone, by Robertson Davies
What’s Bred In the Bone is the second novel in Robertson Davies’ Cornish Trilogy. As anticipated, 1985's WBITB follows the life of a minor figure in The Rebel Angels, Francis Cornish, whose death in the earlier book leaves professors Hollier, McVarish, and Darcourt with the task of sorting through his massive collection of paintings, sculptures, … Continue reading Review: What’s Bred in the Bone, by Robertson Davies
Review: The Rebel Angels, by Robertson Davies
The Rebel Angels is a 1981 novel by Robertson Davies, the first in his Cornish Trilogy. It is a story of scholars and their peculiarities, magic and its realities, and classics and their application to modern man. Sentence for sentence, Davies' prose is unparalleled: clear, expressive, and beautiful. The characters and story lines are delightfully … Continue reading Review: The Rebel Angels, by Robertson Davies