Category Archives: Review

Book Review: George Ilsley’s The Home Stretch: A Father, A Son, and All the Things They Never Talk About

The Home Stretch: A Father, a Son, and All the Things They Never Talk About by George K. Ilsley My rating: 5 of 5 stars You wouldn’t think, necessarily, that a book about a son, visiting his father in his … Continue reading

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Book Review: Milan Kundera’s The Festival of Insignificance

The Festival of Insignificance by Milan Kundera My rating: 2 of 5 stars As a young man, I discovered Kundera’s novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and since, have read a number of his books. At the time, his writing … Continue reading

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Book Review: Kawai Strong Washburn’s Sharks in the Time of Saviors

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn My rating: 3 of 5 stars I spent summers in Hawaii as a child, while we were visiting my grandmother. It took me many years to realise that the Hawaiian … Continue reading

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Book Review: Lydia Davis’s The End of the Story

The End of the Story by Lydia Davis My rating: 2 of 5 stars I found The End of the Story a confusing book, and yet, it felt like it was purposely so. The narrative and descriptions could be emotionally … Continue reading

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Book review: David Lebovitz’s Drinking French

Drinking French: The Iconic Cocktails, Apéritifs, and Café Traditions of France, with 160 Recipes by David Lebovitz My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’m a huge fan of Lebovitz’s blog and website, and his regular newsletter, having discovered them around … Continue reading

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Book Review: Shaun Tan’s The Arrival

The Arrival by Shaun Tan My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow. I’m stunned by this book. I’ve read a lot of comic books in my time, and some graphic novels, so on first glance, I wondered how the format … Continue reading

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Book Review: Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was stunned by this book. Immediately, on entering it, it’s clear that the story will be unconventional. A letter to a mother. An autobiography? A … Continue reading

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Book Review: David Sedaris’s When You are Engulfed in Flames

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris My rating: 3 of 5 stars I’ve enjoyed Sedaris’s writing in the past, and possibly even more so, hearing him speak at a writer’s festival. He’s funny. Occasionally, he produces a … Continue reading

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Sydney Food Diary: Buffalo Dining Club, Darlinghurst

Wow. Four years since I’ve been to Buffalo Dining Club, and it’s refreshing to see a restaurant that found a great formula, stuck to it, and that it’s still doing booming business. On a Friday night, it was packed, with … Continue reading

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Book Review: André Aciman’s Call Me

Find Me by André Aciman My rating: 1 of 5 stars A ridiculous, overwritten ode to romanticism and wish fulfilment, it’s so bad it may have ruined my affection for the prequel. If you are reading this, I am guessing … Continue reading

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