Alphabetical—How Every Letter Tells a Story: Michael Rosen

Published by John Murray, 2013, 431 pages. Can you imagine a world without alphabets? They are such an essential part of our lives; the letters help us form words to express ourselves and communicate with others. Take, for example, the “English” alphabet—which is what Michael Rosen’s book is about. It feels like it has been …

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Bitter Grounds: Sandra Benítez

Published by Picador, 1997, 444 pages. “You say, but for the golden hope of coffeefew men would get ahead.I say, when the people harvest,all they reap is bitter grounds.” Coffee plantations are the centre of the lives of two families: one, that of peasants who work picking coffee, and the other, the plantation owners. The …

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The Last Day: Jaroslavas Melnikas

Translated from Lithuanian by Marija MarcinkutePublished by Noir Press, 2018, 175 pages. Original version published in 2018. The Last Day is a book of absurdist short stories by a Lithuanian writer. The protagonists, mainly men (with one exception), are victims of circumstance, caught up in strange situations that they cannot control. In the title story, …

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Bringing Ancient Rome to Life: An Interview with Lindsey Davis

Photo: Ed Shaw Lindsey Davis is a British author. The first Falco book, The Silver Pigs, won the Authors’ Club Best First Novel award in 1989. Lindsey has won several awards, including the Crimewriters’ Association Dagger in the Library, Ellis Peters Historical Dagger, as well as the Crimewriters’ Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement …

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