During a recent discussion with colleagues, a rating for a recent review I’d done was met with surprise. How could I not have given five stars to a novel I had, in fact, very much enjoyed? Allow me to explain It occurred to me my rating system is quite different from that of my colleagues’. They rate according to emotional response, which is quite fine. However, for me, when I’m reading whether for pleasure or…
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Kite Runner is my introduction to Khaled Hosseini, and it’s a good one. The tale Hosseini weaves is one of sorrow and redemption, primarily set in his native Afghanistan during the fall of the monarchy and the rise of Soviet invasion. Against this backdrop Hosseini creates a relationship between a privileged boy, Amir, in the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, and…
A Brief History of Iceland by Gunnar Karlsson My rating: 3 of 5 stars If nothing else, Gunnar Karlsson’s title for his history of Iceland is accurate. It is definitely a brief history. Something like an amuse-bouche. It’s well-written, albeit dry, focusing more on mid-19th century to relative present day. There is brief reference to its indigenous and Viking roots, referring more to the advent of Christianity and more modern political structure. Still, a quick…
The Centaur’s Wife by Amanda Leduc My rating: 3 of 5 stars If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic, nature-takes-revenge on humans, with a fantasy overlay novel which represents disability rights, then The Centaur’s Wife is your ticket. Amanda Leduc presents a dark, relentless story in which a group of survivors takes refuge in the remains of a city which sits at the foot of a mystical mountain. And the mountain is in turn the refuge…
Thraldom: A History of Slavery in the Viking Age by Stefan Brink My rating: 5 of 5 stars Stefan Brink’s book about slavery in the Viking Age is a dense, academically focused tome, and also a fascinating read if this is a subject you find of interest. Certainly I do, mostly because of research with which I’m involved. Having said that, even if you aren’t involved in research, Brink’s book illuminates another aspect of human…