Dave Higgins's Blog, page 74

Happy Cat-versary, Thumb Bearers

To celebrate the anniversary of Jasper and Una moving in, here’s a photograph of Jasper demonstrating his administration skills. Skilled readers will note that he is not wearing a hat.

Witch’s Sight by Crissy Moss

Combining the emotional turmoil and distrust of a classic witch hunt with fast-paced, airy prose, Moss provides a tale that explores complex issues of social and personal responsibility without becoming dry or didactic. Since time immemorial, the Acolytes have protected the islands of the Sea of Tears from witchcraft, and brought the protection of the … Continue reading Witch’s Sight by Crissy Moss

New Year’s Revolution

It’s the start of another arbitrary division of a time dimension, so there are plenty of posts from people committing to do something or suggesting ways others might have a higher chance of succeeding at achieving that something. And plenty of people asking whether others have made any resolutions and what they are. In the … Continue reading New Year’s Revolution

Yule Be Back

Replete with pine cones and books, I am retreating deep into a cave for the festive season. Reviews and thoughtful posts will return in January. Advertisements

Needs of the Few

Barry angled the mirror around. Satisfied no-one lurked near the door, he slipped into the supermarket. His gut roiled at the stench. They always said, don’t go shopping on an empty stomach; who knew piles of corpses would be even more effective. Mirror preceding him, he crept toward the tinned aisle. A woman in a … Continue reading Needs of the Few

The Portal by Carol Riggs

Mixing an intriguing variation on characters mysteriously transported to another world with an immediately recognisable portrayal of teenage brittleness, Riggs provides a decidedly young adult tale on the border of science-fiction and fantasy. Mari Stratton doesn’t especially like Stephanie, but doesn’t dislike her enough to miss her New Year’s Eve Party. However, what starts as … Continue reading The Portal by Carol Riggs

I’ve Been Thunderstruck

Hark at the pipes on him! Advertisements

Be Mindful of the Present

I’ll die at 8:23 am next Tuesday. Rather precise but true nevertheless. Teenage dreams had given way to boring adulthood. Then I saw this advert “Scared to live? We offer seven days without worry about possible futures.” It was free and I literally had nothing interesting that evening, so I went. Woke up with this … Continue reading Be Mindful of the Present

Fleeting Ink by Miriam Joy

Joy weaves together hymns in praise of feeling rather than deconstructing poetry with evidence that words cannot be other than a structure around anything of actual meaning, elegantly capturing both the power of language to show reality and its failure. This collection contains twenty-nine of Joy’s poems inspired by the concept of writing. The eponymous … Continue reading Fleeting Ink by Miriam Joy

Like a One Legged Man in a Pie Eating Contest

One of the common battle lines in the (not)war for equality, is ‘privilege’: on one side the division of society into equality haves and equality have-nots; on the other the stories of white men who are stuck in a poverty not of their own making. The arguments of both sides can be compelling, yet they … Continue reading Like a One Legged Man in a Pie Eating Contest