Wednesday, January 27, 2021

The Big Oyster

 By Mark Kurlansky

I would describe this book as a fascinating and humorous collection of anecdotes, all connected by their relevance to oysters. It's a great way to learn about the history of New York, and in particular, Manhattan, from the time before the Dutch arrived till early 21st century. There's so many things mentioned in the book that I would like to learn more about. I totally enjoyed reading this, and I've never had an oyster in my life, nor do I plan to have one. [307pp. including bibliography and index]

Link to book

Sunday, January 3, 2021

Circe

By Madeline Miller

A fascinating account of the goddess Circe, based on available mythology, with the author's interpretations and additions. It's very nicely written, and I'd say more enjoyable than Homer's extremely violent account. [393 pp.]

 

Link to book.