L.H. Johnson's Blog, page 4

A year in books

Looking back through the year is always interesting to me as patterns begin to make themselves known. I’m conscious, for example, that the end of the year has been a strange one in terms of books. I read a lot of things that did not quite agree with me and that I either put asideContinue reading "A year in books"

Tulku by Peter Dickinson

Tulku by Peter Dickinson My rating: 5 of 5 stars When you are having a time of it, I think you don’t really read what you’re reading. You perform a semblance of reading; you mimic the gestures that you have learned and performed for years now, most likely, because the muscle memory gets you through,Continue reading "Tulku by Peter Dickinson"

The Secret of the Everglades by Bessie Marchant

The Secret of the Everglades: A Story of Adventure in Florida by Bessie Marchant My rating: 2 of 5 stars I was thinking about how to review this book or even if I should because it’s a difficult read on a number of levels. Not only does it feature the n- word on multiple occasionsContinue reading "The Secret of the Everglades by Bessie Marchant"

Worrals Flies Again by W.E Johns

Worrals Flies Again by W.E. Johns My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Okay, so how are we going to go about this review?”“Perhaps by utilising a rhetorical device that asks me provocative questions whilst also providing a knowing counterpoint to the issues I raise?”“That’s a bit wordy for ‘talk it out’ but sure, let’s goContinue reading "Worrals Flies Again by W.E Johns"

Time For Lights Out by Raymond Briggs

Time For Lights Out by Raymond Briggs My rating: 3 of 5 stars I have been thinking about how to begin this review and I have failed, several times, because I’m not quite sure what to say about this. So perhaps we shall begin there and tell you about my doubts and we shall seeContinue reading "Time For Lights Out by Raymond Briggs"

A talk for the New Chalet Club AGM

I was lucky enough to speak at the New Chalet Club AGM last weekend and here’s a version of the talk that I gave. It is an approximate version because I was working from prompt cards and so, alas, don’t have an exact copy to share with you. I’ve also edited out some identifying dataContinue reading "A talk for the New Chalet Club AGM"

The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer

The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer My rating: 3 of 5 stars It’s an interesting one this because it kind of folds in on itself and creates layers so dense that even the story can’t quite figure out what it means to say. But then, I think, maybe that’s the point: this is theContinue reading "The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer"

Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir and Myisha Haynes

Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really have found this run of reimagined classics in comic form (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Little Women and The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Retelling of the Secret Garden) infinitely charming thingsContinue reading "Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir and Myisha Haynes"

The Human Kind by Alexander Baron

The Human Kind by Alexander Baron My rating: 5 of 5 stars I found this by accident, had never heard of the author, and then it turned into one of the most wonderful discoveries I have made in a bookshop for quite some time. The Human Kind is a a collection of short stories “basedContinue reading "The Human Kind by Alexander Baron"

Flappers by Judith Mackrell

Flappers: Six Women of a Dangerous Generation by Judith Mackrell My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s difficult to tell one biography let alone six but somehow Judith Mackrell manages to do so, to bring the stories of six different women together and make it into something fabulous. I loved this book. Can I spoilContinue reading "Flappers by Judith Mackrell"