Everything to do with books! Mostly book reviews, but occasionally, I have the non-review bookish post too.
Warning: Spoilers for the previous books in this review. Please skip if you hate spoilers and are going to start this series. Do you think that spending too long away from a series can make you fall out of love with it? Because while I enjoyed this instalment of the Flavia de Luce series, I… Read More The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
I guess my UK-trip inspired interest in history is still continuing because I just finished She-Wolves by Helen Castor. After the death of Edward VI, England faced the prospect of female rule, something they considered unnatural. But as Castor shows, that wasn’t the first time England was in the hands of women. Before the Mary… Read More She-Wolves by Helen Castor
I’m finally back with my World of Genji project research! This isn’t strictly about Heian Japan, but it is about the relationship between Japanese and Chinese culture, which is one of the things that I want to look at. Although the title specifically mentions China and Japan, the history of these creatures covers a few… Read More Creatures Real and Imaginary in Chinese and Japanese Art by Walther G. Von Krenner
After reading Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession, I decided that I should read one of Alison Weir’s nonfiction books ASAP, before I forget that I wanted to do so (so many books on my TBR list are languishing there because I did not read them ASAP). Katherine Swynford sounded interesting, especially since I know nothing… Read More Katherine Swynford by Alison Weir
I saw this in the Heathrow bookstore, but since I was running low on pounds, I decided to just note it down and read it later. Well, it’s later and I’ve read the book. The Stranger Diaries is a crime novel set in the English countryside. Clare Cassidy lives a fairly uneventful life as a… Read More The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
Because I’ve started writing about the libraries I frequent, I’ve started wondering about some of the changes that I’ve seen – for example, why are the information desks gone? The Remaking of Singapore’s Public Libraries provides an answer to that, and many other, questions as it tells the “story of how “Singapore’s public libraries have… Read More SingLib: The Remaking of Singapore’s Public Libraries by Hong Xingyi
I heard about this book from Tim Harford’s blog and was immediately intrigued because… I like rest but I also like creativity. And now that I’ve got a bit more time thanks to the fact that I’m lowering my handphone use, I’m also looking to see if there any changes I can make to have… Read More Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
When I saw this book, I thought the author’s names looked familiar. As it turns out, I actually read another book by them – The Story of Tea – last year. I’ve definitely learnt a lot since then, so I decided to read this and see if my opinions on their opinions of tea would… Read More The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss
While I’m fairly familiar with the term Asperger’s syndrome, I don’t actually know anything about the history behind it. So I was a bit shocked when I saw the cover of this book and found out that the origin of this diagnosis has its roots in Nazi Vienna. The term “Asperger Syndrome” was popularised by… Read More Asperger’s Children by Edith Sheffer
After reading The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, I was pretty excited to continue the rest of the series. The only thing was that I read the first book – The Mysterious Benedict Society – six years ago and only remembered that I really enjoyed the book (present me tsks at past me). So it… Read More The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart