Tag Archives: travel

The most enjoyable ‘collected letters’ I’ve ever read: 84, Charing Cross Road (and the Duchess of Bloomsbury street)

From 1950 to 1970, an American scriptwriter, Helene Hanff, embarked on self-education by book with the aid of some British secondhand booksellers. 84, Charing Cross Road is a collection of the letters which passed primarily between Hanff and the shop’s … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century, American, British, Diary, General adult audience, Letters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Letters from England by Karel Čapek

Letters from England by Karel Čapek is a book I picked up for $5 in New Zealand, one of those high points of secondhand-bookshopping. As suggested by the title, it’s a collection of letters from the Czech author’s travels in … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century, Biography/Autobiography, General adult audience, Letters, Social Commentary/Analysis, Travel and Geography Non-Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster is the story of a bored boy named Milo who comes home to find a box. It contains a a tollbooth that allows him to drive his toy car into the Kingdom of Wisdom, … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics, Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hornblower by C. S. Forester

The Hornblower novels by C.S. Forester are a terrific blend of plot and characterisation. Set during the Napoleonic wars, they are action packed and fast moving but this action also serves to develop the complex character of Horatio Hornblower. Even … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century Classics, British, Episodic Novel, Fiction, General adult audience, Historical Fiction, Novel, War Story, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

Three Men in a Boat (to Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome is an amusing account of a boating trip up the Thames. Rich in hypochondria, satire and altercations with tents and pineapple tins, it is a … Continue reading

Posted in British, Comedy, Fiction, General adult audience, Light Fiction, Novel, Travel Fiction, Victorian | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment