The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Pure indulgent treat. The Architecture of Happiness explores the connection between the constructed world and the human emotions that it evokes—this no small challenge and has…
1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon—The Epic Campaign That Forged Three Presidencies by David Pietrusza My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars As this is my third Pietrusza book, I think it’s high time I thought about why his writing works…
Pencils You Should Know: A History of Ultimate Writing Utensil in 75 Anecdotes by Caroline Weaver My rating: 3.4 of 5 stars For me, Pencils You Should Know: A History of the Ultimate Writing Utensil in 75 Anecdotes was far…
My rating: 4.75 of 5 stars David Gange’s The Frayed Atlantic Edge posits that the trajectory of mapping human experience has moved inland over time. We have lost the presence of the coast(line) in economic, social and historical appreciation of…
The Ordeal of the Haunted Room by Jodi Taylor My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars I fear that this latest novella in the Chronicles of St Mary’s is better received in retrospection – that is at the time I struggled…
The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai My rating: 4.8 of 5 stars The Ardent Swarm is a short, but emotional and evocative read. A deeply poignant story with global interconnections and a series of themes – both environmental and socio-economic…
Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo by Teasel Muir-Harmony My rating: 4 of 5 stars Operation Moonglow presents a unique angle on the space race. It is particularly well-conceived and meticulously researched. Muir-Harmony explores the psychological geopolitical strategy…
Using the Pera Palace (a special locality in a special metropolis), Charles King uses the hotel as a focus for an exploration of the birth of modern Istanbul. He tells a tale well and is an adept manager of tangents.…
Daughters of the KGB: Moscow’s Secret Spies, Sleepers and Assassins of the Cold War by Douglas Boyd My rating: 3 of 5 stars The year is not over despite me starting to post summation articles on this blog. A gracious…
Just because I was tabulating the book club, I decided to avail myself of the data dump from GoodReads.com where I track all my reads and occasional reviews. Just for fun, I thought I’d rank my own reads for the…
As I was compiling this year’s Book Club end of year considerations, I decided to add to some of our tabulating since starting the club. Next April will be out 10th anniversary and so it seems like time for reflection.…
On what would pass a normal year, we always look forward to and end of year repast at a cosy cellar of the RIYC coutesy of one of our distinguished members. It’s a night of festive frivolity and likewise the…