Category Archives: Book Review

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver and other books that marked my year

Posted on December 29, 2018 by sagesomethymes

If you’ve ever looked at the world and asked yourself, ‘What the hell just happened?’ you’ll enjoy ‘Unsheltered’ by Barbara Kingsolver, one of my favourite fiction writers. Set in Vineland, New Jersey, in 2016, we meet Willa Knox, a woman who’s just … Continue reading →

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My Top Ten Books

Posted on January 16, 2017 by sagesomethymes

Here are ten books that I enjoyed reading last year and thought were worth sharing. They’re a mix of fiction and non-fiction in no particular order. I read them at the beach, on the train, on the couch, in the park, … Continue reading →

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The Art of Grace

Posted on November 5, 2016 by sagesomethymes

What does the word grace conjure in your mind? For some it’s divine assistance, particularly when unmerited. For others it’s a gentle disposition and an elegance of movement. For me it’s the sublime beauty of a sunset at the end of … Continue reading →

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My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

Posted on June 10, 2016 by sagesomethymes

The Revolution is not over. The Feminist Revolution that is. And the Democratic one too. In fact they’ve barely begun. “All my years of campaigning have given me one clear message: Voting isn’t the most we can do, but it is … Continue reading →

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How to Live by Sarah Bakewell; A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer

Posted on December 17, 2014 by sagesomethymes

Political assassinations, religious rebellions and civil war, this pragmatic Renaissance philosopher lived through them all, and in so doing practiced the art of living. Sarah Bakewell playfully adopts the Socratic method to investigate the life of Michel de Montaigne.  Using the … Continue reading →

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The Young Hornblower

Posted on November 15, 2014 by sagesomethymes

Sea sickness is one of Horatio Hornblower’s weaknesses, as are honesty, courage, ridiculous modesty and a penchant for chasing the enemy rather than prize money. Hornblower is a Royal Navy Officer during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. … Continue reading →

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Everybody Matters by Mary Robinson; A Memoir

Posted on October 25, 2014 by sagesomethymes

Someone once famously said “democracy is a verb, not a noun.” For a long time I didn’t understand what this meant. Then I read Mary Robinson’s memoir. Mary Robinson is someone that does. And in the doing she has made … Continue reading →

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Optimism by Bob Brown; Reflections on a life of action

Posted on October 15, 2014 by sagesomethymes

“Optimism, like pessimism, feeds on itself.”1 Bob Brown is a commonsense radical whose lovely memoir beats off the twin spirits of despondency and despair that whisper, “Why bother?” and “What can you do?” in our ears. His moving and inspiring anecdotes … Continue reading →

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