Nonfiction November – Book Pairings

It’s Nonfiction November, this week hosted by Julz Reads. The task? Pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title.

Charismatic fraudsters living the high-life – My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams and The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. Continue reading

Carol by Patricia Highsmith

Believe it or not, Carol is my first Patricia Highsmith. In the past, I’ve dismissed her work as ‘not my thing’ (on account of me being coverist* – you know those crime novels with darkly coloured covers and the author’s name in blocky gold-foil font, often found lying about at beach houses? That.) Anyway, I changed my mind a few years ago when I saw the fantastic play, Switzerland – Highsmith is the subject and the play included bizarre biographical details (things like carrying snails around in handbags). I was intrigued. Continue reading

Six Degrees of Separation – from Revolutionary Road to Rush Oh!

six-degrees-revolutionary-road

It’s time for #6Degrees, the easiest and, without question, most fun book meme (because there aren’t any rules). Join in! Link Up!

We begin this month’s chain with the Richard Yates classic, Revolutionary Road. I love Yates – he’s so goddamn depressing but he gets to the nitty-gritty of feelings. Although books brimming with feelings don’t always make the best movies, Revolutionary Road is an exception. The 2008 movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, is brilliant. Continue reading