Saturday, January 03, 2009

Itty Bitty Book Reviews

"Empire Falls" by Richard Russo

Well, I solved the problem of not being able to settle on a book after Russo's wonderful "Bridge of Sighs" by reading the one he won the Pulitzer for. Apparently they are making a film of it. Hope it will live up to the book which was great.

"A Curious Cage" by Peggy Abkhazi

This is a journal that Abkhazi wrote while she was in Japanese Internment Camp 1943-45 in Shanghai. I don't read much non-fiction but I quite enjoyed reading this account of life in the camp and the lead up to it. They were quite well treated and it was interesting to see how she managed to take a fairly humourous view to it all. I must go and visit the Abkhazi gardens (she donated her garden when she died to Victoria and it has recently been brought back to its former glory). Mary visited the gift shop this Christmas and said there were lots of interesting things to buy.