Tag Archives: fiction

Esther Waters by George Moore

Posted on May 31, 2016 by jenny

Esther Waters by George Moore strives for realism as it portrays the choices and struggles of Esther, a house servant, as she seeks to provide for her illegitimate son. Esther herself is a strong character but by no means flawless. … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic, General adult audience, Novel, Realism, Social Novel, Victorian | Tagged 19th Century, British, character-driven, classic, domestic realism, drama, exam period friendly, fiction, injustice, realism, servants, single mothers, society, women | Leave a comment

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

Posted on April 25, 2016 by jenny

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr is a semi-autobiographical account of her family’s flight from Germany in 1933 because of her father’s opposition to the Nazi party. They move to Switzerland, then Paris and finally England. The story … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics | Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, British, children's classic, coming-of-age, England, fiction, France, Germany, good out loud, historical, Nazi Germany, refugees, Switzerland, war novel, wartime, whimsical, WWII | Leave a comment

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

Posted on February 20, 2016 by jenny

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis is the fourth book set in Narnia. Caspian, the true king of Narnia has been usurped by his uncle, Miraz. Caspian longs for the olden days of Narnia when animals spoke, fawns danced, and two … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics, Fantasy | Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, action, adventure, animals, British, C.S. Lewis, children's classic, Christianity, classic, fantasy, fiction, food and fighting, good out loud, humour, Narnia, The Inklings | Leave a comment

Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell

Posted on January 27, 2016 by jenny

Mary Barton is a story that looks at the difficulties of lower class people in manufacturing towns during the Industrial Revolution. It has some really engaging characters and charming story-telling. My enjoyment was up there with North and South and … Continue reading →

Posted in British, General adult audience, Romance, Social Novel, Victorian | Tagged 19th Century, British, character-driven, classic, coming-of-age, drama, fiction, industrial revolution, realism, society, working class | Leave a comment

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Posted on December 30, 2015 by jenny

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks is my favourite vampire book, spoofing the idea of the handsome, strong, good vampire. Nina and the others in the RVSG struggle with nose bleeds, unconsciousness during daylight hours, being forced to … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 years and up, Australian, Contemporary YA, Fantasy, Young Adult | Tagged 21st Century, action, adventure, Australian, fantasy, fiction, humour, parody, supernatural, vampires, young adult | Leave a comment

Don’t judge this book by its Disney: The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

Posted on December 2, 2015 by jenny

The 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith is so much richer than the movie! The story is basically the same, telling of two married people and two married dalmatians attempting to rescue their puppies from a woman who wants a dalmatian … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics | Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, adventure, animals, better than the movie, British, children's classic, classic, Dodie Smith, dogs, fiction, good out loud, humour, whimsical | Leave a comment

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

Posted on October 27, 2015 by jenny

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis is my favourite Narnia story. It tends to be the one people forget as none of the main characters are “from our world” and very little of the action actually happens in … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics, Fantasy | Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, action, animals, British, C.S. Lewis, camping, children's classic, Christianity, classic, fantasy, fiction, good out loud, horses, Narnia, The Inklings, whimsical | Leave a comment

Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoevsky

Posted on September 30, 2015 by jenny

Before I read Crime and Punishment all that I had heard about Feodor Dostoevsky was that he was a Russian author and, whereas Tolstoy understood legalism, Dostoevsky understood grace. I’ve since found out that he is also considered one of the greatest … Continue reading →

Posted in 18th Century, Classic, Crime fiction, General adult audience, Realism, Russian, Social Novel | Tagged character-driven, classic, drama, ethics, exam period friendly, fiction, grace, Murder, philosophy, poverty, psychological, relationships, Russian, society, St Petersburg, worldview | Leave a comment

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Posted on August 25, 2015 by jenny

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 20th Century, 7 and up, action, American, animals, children's classic, fantasy, fiction, food and fighting, humour, illustrated, parody, travel, whimsical, Wordplay | Leave a comment

The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas

Posted on July 31, 2015 by jenny

The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas is a tale of two tulip-fanciers – Dutchmen obsessed with growing (or stealing) a 100 000 guilder-winning black tulip. Set against the backdrop of post-Reformation Holland, the story is a mix of historical novel, … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic, French, General adult audience, Historical Fiction, Melodrama, Romance, Victorian | Tagged 17th century, classic, death by emotion, drama, exam period friendly, fiction, French, historical, Holland, humour, tulips | Leave a comment