No, no. The typography is wrong in that title: it should be “The library had Something to Hide,” not “The library had something to hide.” Something to Hide is the latest novel by Elizabeth George; I had to wait for… Read More ›
Books
Have you read For Whom the SUV Rolls and Farewell to Legs?
Those two titles may remind you slightly of a couple of books by some guy named Hemingway, who was famous mostly for his many six-toed cats. Actually, however, I cheated slightly: the first title is really For Whom the Minivan… Read More ›
What did you read in high-school English?
Just over three months ago I wrote a post about the pros and cons of my high-school experience. One paragraph, in the list of cons, focused on what my classmates and I read in my English classes: When I asked… Read More ›
This philosopher explained Donald Trump before Trump ever became president.
Not only before he became president, but even before he had won the Republican nomination, in fact. Nevertheless, the explanation still holds today. The philosopher in question is Professor Aaron James, head of the philosophy department at UC Irvine. The… Read More ›
A “newish” Agatha Christie…plus a golden oldie
There was, of course, no doubt: I had to watch the 2018 BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence, even though I hadn’t (and still haven’t) read the original. The movie is adapted from a 1958 novel, one of… Read More ›
Nasty, brutish, and short
If you don’t recognize the title of this post, it probably means that you didn’t pay attention in your college philosophy class! Or perhaps your professor just didn’t teach you about Hobbes (that’s Thomas Hobbes, not Calvin and). That’s right,… Read More ›
It’s not Hillbilly Elegy. Fortunately.
Let’s suppose Hillbilly Elegy were a novel, i.e. fiction. And suppose its author, J.D. Vance, were an honest writer. Then Hillbilly Elegy would turn into Lady Chevy. Of course Hillbilly Elegy is actually a memoir, not a novel. And J.D…. Read More ›
He moved up in the world (from Providence to Brattleboro), changed his name, and then…
And then he became the murder victim in Archer Mayor’s latest novel, Marked Man. Of course “moving up in the world” is a matter of opinion; I don’t mean that he moved north, although he definitely did do that. No… Read More ›
No pirates. And it’s not in Penzance. But it’s nearby: It’s Death in Cornwall.
What, I wonder, draws me to the Celtic languages and Celtic lands, when I’ve never even been there and speak none of those languages? Irish, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish…all are missing from my language repertoire. And I’ve never visited… Read More ›
The books of the century (Which century? The 20th, of course!)
You’re surely wondering which books were the most influential, or most popular, or most important in the 20th Century. Fortunately, Daniel Immerwahr has done the work for you. “Who’s he when he’s at home?” you’re asking. Well, in his own… Read More ›
Another Jersey Girl Mystery
Five days ago I wrote a brief review of E.J. Copperman’s third mystery novel in his Jersey Girl series. I pointed out that I had inadvertently skipped the second novel in the series, Judgment at Santa Monica. I commented that it… Read More ›
Books with linguists
Read that title again: it’s books with linguists, not books for linguists. This thought came from a post on Language Log, in which Barbara Phillips Long asks whether “there are books with linguists as major characters.” Commenters came to the rescue, with… Read More ›
Great fun! This is a truly enjoyable mystery novel!
I am not a big reader of cozies. But this is a worthwhile exception. I’m talking about Witness for the Persecution, by E.J. Copperman. Or is it by Jeff Cohen? Anyway, yes, the word is persecution, not prosecution. You’re probably… Read More ›
The Oxford Brotherhood
If you’re interested in academic mysteries, read this novel. If you’re interested in Lewis Carroll, read this novel. If you’re interested in mathematical logic, read this novel. In all these cases, the novel in question is The Oxford Brotherhood, by… Read More ›
42: From crosswords to jigsaws to the meaning of life
Another exciting book from A.J. Jacobs! 42: From crosswords to jigsaws to the meaning of life is not the title of the book. As Lewis Carroll might say, it’s not even the name of the book. Nor is it what… Read More ›
What’s an “app crit”? And why should I care?
Perhaps for some odd reason you have never looked at a modern edition of an ancient or medieval text—whether in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Old Norse, Sanskrit, Old High German, or whatever. In that case, it’s not too late to start!… Read More ›
Back when Heinlein was antifa (really!)
When I was growing up and reading a lot of science fiction, the Holy Trinity of sf writers consisted of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert Heinlein. Often they were called “The Big Three.” They had a number of… Read More ›
Happy Bloomsday!
As you probably know, today is Bloomsday, the annual Irish holiday commemorating the 24-hour period over which James Joyce’s Ulysses took place. As you also know, I had announced in this space last month that I would be (re)reading that… Read More ›
Frogs? Yes, Frogs!
“Brekekekéx-koáx-koáx!” Unless you google it, you probably don’t know what that means or where it’s from. Perhaps it would be easier in the original Greek: “βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ.” No? That didn’t help? Well, I’ll tell you. It might help if… Read More ›
A strange book cover puzzle
You recognize this book, right? A glance at the cover makes it obvious what book this is. But then… You look again and start asking yourself why it says Garri, not Harry. And that reminds you of two things: It… Read More ›
Learning Strategies 