Civil War, again

One comes to books through many routes. I've been fortunate to have been surrounded by fellow bibliophiles who often come bearing wonderful gifts of books I may not have run into otherwise. Some of my favorite titles have been introduced to me thus. But occasionally I will follow up on a review or an author …

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Dear Life: Alice Munro

Review by Thomas Peak and Susanne Gjonnes Why do we read?  To think, to experience and most of all to feel. Perhaps. Munroe’s final collection of short stories Dear Life achieves all of this in abundance.  With characteristic subtleness, a refined and homely style, the stories in this collection penetrate into the reader with a …

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Why do we read (and write) novels?

I found this 2013 article on the University of Cambridge website. Four writers—Sarah Burton, Trevor Byrne, Malachi McIntosh and Helen Taylor—talk about how reading and writing shaped their childhood, the power of fiction, what makes good literature. Here are some extracts from their their thoughts on the power of fiction: Sarah Burton: "The power of …

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