Amy’s Picks and Pans, Issue 30

This month, I embarked on a literary journey across 3,643 pages, traveling through Uganda, Kenya, Italy, Scotland, England, Norway, Berkeley, Washington DC, and even ancient Pompeii. I delved into historical fiction, a psychological thriller, detective fiction, and a couple of mysteries. While I had more 3-star reads than usual, I also discovered two amazing books. Remember, your mileage may vary—none of these were total clunkers! Dive in and see where these stories take you. Happy reading! A History of Burning by Janika Oza The story begins at the turn of the twentieth century, when 13-year-old Pirbhai, the eldest son of a poor family, is conscripted British to work on the […]

Read more...

The Best Mystery Novels of all Time

The Best Mystery Novels of All Time Gumshoes, investigators, flatfoots, private eyes, sleuths, G-men. There are plenty of names for detectives and plenty of ways they catch crooks in the written word and on the screen. I much prefer a mystery novel because I can envision the characters and settings rather than having them imagined for me. If you love to read this genre, too, you’re in good company. Most critics and scholars agree that the first modern mystery was penned by Edgar Allan Poe. His short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, was first published in the April 1841 issue of Graham’s Magazine. Nearly twenty years after Poe’s […]

Read more...