Everything to do with books! Mostly book reviews, but occasionally, I have the non-review bookish post too.
I had pretty much forgotten why I had this book on my TBR list but I needed a few more books to read and this was available. Turns out, I was fooled by the subtitle “A book of Storytelling” because this is really a book about biographies and people. Facts and Fiction is a collection… Read More Book Review: Facts and Fiction by Michael Holroyd
I read this the day I visited Gyeongbokgung palace, formerly the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. I had a very interesting time listening to the tour guide and I was quite struck by the fact that something I learnt in the tour – that the King is always depicted with certain symbols, such… Read More Book Review: The Red Palace by June Hur
I really like quirky books, and so something that’s described as “a circular stroll through the hidden connections of the English Language” is definitely going to appeal to me. But first, let’s talk about what the book is not: What this book is: an exploration of the origin of words and how two seemingly unrelated… Read More Book Review: The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth
Let’s celebrate the Christmas season with a book review! I generally really enjoy Christie, so I jumped at the chance to borrow this Christmas-themed collection from her! The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding consists of 6 short stories, 5 about Poirot and 1 about Miss Marple. Since there aren’t that many stories, I’ll just give… Read More Book Review: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie
Even before I read this book, I knew that I am someone who’s the prime target for a gamified life. After all, I spent months trying and failing to get the motivation to re-start exercising regularly. But after I bought a second-hand Apple Watch and downloaded the Lumi app, I started going to the gym.… Read More Book Review: You’ve Been Played by Adrian Hon
After reading Reflections – On the Magic of Writing, I told myself and everyone who reads this (and my IG) that I want to read more Diana Wynne Jones (DWJ). Well, someone told me they loved the Chrestomanci series and since Witch Week, the third book in the series is on my TBR list, I… Read More Book Review: Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
After reading Two Years in the Forbidden City, I thought it was time to read about the woman who wrote the book, “Princess” Der Ling. Der Ling, who was also known as Elisabeth Antoinette White, was a fascinating woman. She claimed to be part of the Manchu ruling class, that she was fluent in multiple… Read More Book Review: Imperial Masquerade by Grant Hayter Menzies
I first heard about Der Ling when a friend mentioned that there was a Manchu “princess” who spoke English, Chinese/Manchu, and French. She was given the title “Princess” when she served as Lady-in-Waiting to Empress Dowager Cixi, and she also lived overseas for a significant period of time before and after entering the palace. Her… Read More Book Review: Two Years in the Forbidden Palace by Der Ling
Thanks to years of media, winter and Christmas have become inextricably linked, even if you live in year-round summer. So when I saw Murder on a Winter’s Night, I thought: “this book would be perfect for the Christmas season.” Edited by Cecily Gayford, Murder on a Winter’s Night collects 10 crime stories from various classic… Read More Book Review: Murder on a Winter’s Night edited by Cecily Gayford
After yesterday’s review of how social media and influencing could harm someone, I thought it would be interesting to review another book on influencers; this time looking at how influencing can harm others. This book is about Belle Gibson, the wellness influencer who was found to have faked a cancer diagnosis (meaning her story of… Read More Book Review: The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano