When you come across the name Kingsley Amis (1922-95) you don’t expect to find it associated with science fiction. A novelist, poet, and literary critic, Amis is probably best known for his first published novel, Lucky Jim, which appeared in 1954. The book won a major literary award and is...
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World War II Italy comes into high relief in Rhys Bowen’s poignant tale of a downed British pilot and the daughter who returns to Tuscany a generation later to understand why her father’s life changed so dramatically following his time there. Estimated reading time: 3 minutes The...
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If you think history is a cold recitation of dates and the names of kings and battles, you owe it to yourself to check out Big History. And the best introduction I’ve found to that fascinating new field is Tamim Ansary’s brilliant 50,000-year survey, The Invention of Yesterday. Unlike...
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When you think about private eyes, who comes to mind? Sherlock Holmes, of course. Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe, perhaps. But surely, if you’re a fan of mysteries and thrillers, you’ll conjure up Spenser as well. The protagonist of forty novels by the late, great Robert B. Parker...
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What sets apart a great science fiction novel from one that’s just so-so? By so-so, I mean a story that works reasonably well, smoothly moving from beginning to end and creating suspense along the way. But that so-so novel doesn’t stand out in any particular way — not by demonstrating...
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Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review,
with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review,
with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.
Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review, with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review, with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.