"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. " -- Plato.
Recently a friend recommended I read a book he absolutely adored called The Alchemist, by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. This friend of mine is one of life's seekers of light and treasure, and as such he is a deeply spiritual person – much like Paulo Coelho himself, as is obvious when you read his book. […]
Why should you choose to read classic literature? Classic literature is the best of the best from a bygone era. It offers a glimpse into our former social habits and customs, the foundations of our modern society and intellectual reasoning. In coming to understand those times and people, you will know our modern life better.
I’ve […]
I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to try to become well read. Where do you begin? It all seems so daunting, almost overwhelming, not to mention that you almost feel like you need to be well read, or at the very least highly educated, before you can even attempt to read classic literature. […]
You may not have heard of Tom Rob Smith yet but you will, and soon, as he is the next big thing in crime/political thriller novelists. Think Sue Grafton having drinks and a laugh with Ian Rankin at a party thrown by John Grisham and that should go some way to help you understand […]
Imagine living in a place where even suggesting there has been a crime is a crime. A crime against the state punishable by, at best, being sent away for a life of hard labour in a deserted frozen wilderness, and at worst, execution without a fair trial. Where your neighbours can turn on […]
Recently I decided to do something I haven’t done for quite some time - read a book because I wanted to. I know this may not sound like a big deal but when you review books all the time, there isn’t much time for reading for pleasure.
I had, for several months, been craving — […]
The Satirical/ Sci Fi novelist Kurt Vonnegut died late Wednesday. The man many critics consider to be one of the key figures in the shaping of modern American literature had suffered irreversible brain injuries after a fall in his Manhattan home several weeks ago.
Vonnegut, the author of 14 novels was ever the social critic; […]
I grew up in a very sanctimonious place, Salt Lake City, Utah. Mormons (yes, I know they like to be referred to as LDS now, but we all know they’re Mormons), the ruling class are generally speaking more conservative than Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson combined – although they are far more genteel about […]
Have you ever had one of those nothing-to-do days? You’ve finished cleaning the house, the kids are at school/out playing with friends, you partner is away working/having an affair/out with friends, leaving you alone and bored. So you look for something to keep you occupied, something to stimulate you. Well Basem Darwish […]