We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson This was my annual “spooky Halloween read.” I have a hard time judging it, having spoiled myself on the twist long ago. I find it hard to believe that this twist wouldn’t have been obvious even if I hadn’t known, ... more >
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow I had long wanted to see Hamilton, Lin-Manual Miranda’s award-winning musical based on this book, and I finally got a chance on my 50th birthday in 2019. I liked it a lot, though it wasn’t the magical experience for me that I know it was ... more >
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, narrated by Rosamund Pike I listened to this audiobook a long while ago so I’ve probably forgotten some things. A lot of you already know this, but Sense and Sensibility tells the story of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, two teenaged sisters who navigate romantic ... more >
Dear Readers, As a child, I loved Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. It’s considered a classic novel and is the story of children beginning to blossom as they bring a locked, abandoned garden to life. I was introduced to Burnett via a serialized reading of Little Lord Fauntleroy that ... more >
Before I started Jamaica Inn, I had only read one book by Daphne Du Maurier – Rebecca. But I did have an acquaintance with this story. I grew up in the golden heyday of television miniseries. Though the breadth and quality of television offerings available to us these days is ... more >
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, performed by Rosamund Pike I’ve begun to make better use of my Audible membership, and my current listen is the Pride and Prejudice audiobook performed by actress Rosamund Pike. Pike’s performance is delightful and especially wonderful when it comes to the novel’s omniscient narrator. ... more >