reviews

Centennial electoral turmoil... Author:  Gore Vidal What happened in 1876? Everyone knows that the United States celebrated the centennial of its independence that year.  But for the average reader, 1876 falls into the gap between the Civil War and the start of the 20th century when nothing seemed to happen and the White House was filled with a series of presidents that no one can ever remember.  Nevertheless, the political events of that year have special significance in 21st century America, as presidential elections have become increasingly belligerent, corrupted and imbalanced.  Traveling back to a similarly contentious time, Gore Vidal’s [...]

Love, Laughter, and the Cosmic Horn Author: Louise Rennison The whirlwind life of self-absorbed and hilarious teen Georgia Nicholson is back with an angsty love-triangle, a trip to Paris, and some surprise kittens. Still the girlfriend of Robbie, the much older Sex-God, all is not well in the land of love and snogging scales. With the Stiff Dylan’s new album taking off, Robbie is traveling more than ever and Georgia and her red bottom are left behind with increasingly boyfriend happy friends (all of whom have their own snogging antics to tell). When Dave-the-Laugh, now boyfriend of Ellen, enters the [...]

Treachery or treacle? Author:  Billy Collins Superstardom and poetry.  Somehow, one man has implausibly brought together these two exceedingly incompatible entities.  Over the past three decades, poet Billy Collins has set the publishing world on its ear by writing bestselling poetry collections, one after another.  And when he’s not writing or teaching, the 76 year-old luminary is reading on the radio or performing his works for sold out audiences who clamor for his attention.  Not surprisingly, all this success has generated detractors who question the quality of his work, even arguing that what he writes really isn’t poetry at all.  [...]