From childhood until now I have always been curious and fascinated by fallacies and the little, illogical moments which are so ubiquitously common in our world. Coming from a family of teachers and professionally a teacher myself, I can only imagine these factors added to this. Having lived in numerous countries and encountering the same conundrums, I am only more driven to explore what is generally, and acceptingly, misunderstood. A fan of reading, I have found that the best people and medium to do so is in literature, which is just what I hope my own works do; explore what is unclear, neglected, and accepted.
A case of complex absurdity and enigma, served in engrossing mystery and humor, The Faulty Crew is a story which hopes to shed light on the common discrepancies and mysteries found across our world. The story, propelled by varied vocabulary, unpredictable jokes, and the power of the reader’s projected imagination, envelopes into a world of absurd mystery combated by struggling logic.
Who Goes There is not only a riveting, entertaining, and refreshing tale, contained in a relatively short amount of words which grasps the readers’ pure sense of curiousity and delves with them into the realm of what would or could be, should the unexpected present itself to the contemporary, which it does joyfully and effortlessly.
It is also an impactful investigation into selflessness and what is right, even when it results in no obvious benefit to the doer.
A short book, I would always recommend this as it is not only entertaining and suspenseful but also does not sacrifice any sense of development or meaning for entertainment, achieving both goals flawlessly and perfectly delivering a wonderful reading experience.
Who Goes There?, the novella that formed the basis of the film The Thing, is the John W. Campbell classic about an antarctic research camp that discovers and thaws the ancient body of a crash-landed alien.
The origin of the phrase “Catch-22” this intriguing spiral into the absurdity of reality, particularly in war, is an exceptional tale.
Although it can be somewhat protracted, it is never boring. Following and recounting the inexplicable and illogical inequalities that life often has to over through the eyes of one ‘Yossarian’, it explores the gauntlet of the commonly uncommon in any form; love, fear, empathy, sympathy, dereliction, sardonicism and, finally, hope.
What truly remained with me was the tone of the book, only changing when truly necessary. For anyone trying to make sense of the chaos of life, dealing with a hopeless situation, or simply feeling down, I would always recommend this book, if not for the insight it provides but also for its ability to elicit humor in the darkest moments.
Explosive, subversive, wild and funny, 50 years on the novel's strength is undiminished. Reading Joseph Heller's classic satire is nothing less than a rite of passage.
Set in the closing months of World War II, this is the story of a bombardier named Yossarian who is frantic and furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. His real problem is not the enemy - it is his own army which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. If Yossarian makes any attempts to excuse himself from the…
One of the first books I had ever read in both English and the original language, this book can best be described by a comment I received from a fellow passenger when reading it; “That is the type of book which you read once and shouldn’t keep, pass it on to someone else.”
That is because this story has so much to teach any and everyone uniquely and individually. The story of the eponymously named Siddhartha who mirrors the life of the ancient Indian prince turned spiritual leader. This is an exploration into the meaning of every facet of life, comprised in a form of writing so flawless and fluent that it would leave a river jealous.
Reading this helped me tremendously in my own life and I am certain it would any other reader.
Here the spirituality of the East and the West have met in a novel that enfigures deep human wisdom with a rich and colorful imagination.
Written in a prose of almost biblical simplicity and beauty, it is the story of a soul's long quest in search of he ultimate answer to the enigma of man's role on this earth. As a youth, the young Indian Siddhartha meets the Buddha but cannot be content with a disciple's role: he must work out his own destiny and solve his own doubt-a tortuous road that carries him through the sensuality of a love…
The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov is one of my favorite pieces of Russian writing.
Encapsulating the, often deadly, absurdity of life during the 50’s Soviet system and how it is not less than the devil’s musings and doings, the story still, excellently evokes notions of hope, love, comedy, tragedy, and learning within this setting.
What still remains with me is the vivid richness in description and characters. In my words, Bulgakov and specifically The Master and Margarita are to literature what Tarantino is to cinema and films.
'Bulgakov is one of the greatest Russian writers, perhaps the greatest' Independent
Written in secret during the darkest days of Stalin's reign, The Master and Margarita became an overnight literary phenomenon when it was finally published it, signalling artistic freedom for Russians everywhere. Bulgakov's carnivalesque satire of Soviet life describes how the Devil, trailing fire and chaos in his wake, weaves himself out of the shadows and into Moscow one Spring afternoon. Brimming with magic and incident, it is full of imaginary, historical, terrifying and wonderful characters, from witches, poets and Biblical tyrants to the beautiful, courageous Margarita, who will…
Of Mice and Men engages the reader in a rich observation of the phrase “desperate times call for desperate measures” and leaves nothing unexplored, uncovered nor unmentioned.
Rought with life’s destruction of dreams, the prevelation of hope and the beautiful misplacement of innocence, I would always argue that this is Steinbeck’s best and most underappreciated work.
Introducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith.
Celebrating the range and diversity of Penguin Classics, they take us from snowy Japan to springtime Vienna, from haunted New England to a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, and from a game of chess on the ocean to a love story on the moon. Beautifully designed and printed, these collectible editions are bound in colourful, tactile cloth and stamped with foil.
Drifters in search of work, George and his childlike friend Lennie have nothing in the world except…
I’m an Australian USA Today bestselling romance author who writes contemporary romance and uses the pen name Alyssa James to write medieval romance. I think the makeover trope resonates with me because although I’m no beauty queen now, I was definitely an ugly duckling in my teens. For reasons best known to him, my father insisted on close-cropped hair, and financial circumstances dictated out-of-style hand-me-down clothing. After university, I found my own style, but it wasn’t until I was accepted as an international flight attendant that I believed that I couldn’t be all that ugly if Qantas employed me!
Return to Hope Creek is a second-chance rural romance set in Australia.
Stella Simpson's career and engagement are over. She returns to the rural community of Hope Creek to heal, unaware her high school and college sweetheart, Mitchell Scott, has also moved back to town to do some healing of his own.
Mitchell, a former NFL quarterback, doesn't need the complication of encountering Stella again so long after the messy end to their relationship, but as each tries to build a new life, they are drawn together and find their chemistry is just as strong as ever.
Will their love be stronger the second time around?
When two old flames come back to their home town, sparks are bound to ignite. A rural romance from USA Today bestselling author Alyssa J. Montgomery.
A horrific car accident ended former world number-one Stella Simpson’s tennis career, and a betrayal ended her relationship with her fiancé/coach. When a family friend offers to sell her half of a property in the rural community where she grew up, it seems like the perfect place to escape, heal and begin the next phase of her life. Until she discovers that the man who broke her heart ten years ago has bought the…
