Author: Mallee Stanley

Kazuo Ishiguro’s—The Remains of the Day

Mr. Stevens who has been the head butler for decades at Darlington Hall now works for the new owner, an American. With an opportunity to drive to Cornwall while his employer is away, he plans to visit Miss Keaton who was once a co-worker under Lord Darlington. Mr. Stevens begins his journey while his thoughts turn to the past. During the 1930s important meetings were held in Darlington Hall as well as incidents between himself and Miss Keaton that he dwells over.

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Maggie O’Farrell—The hand that first held mine *****

When Innes first spies Lexie in the 1950’s, he is enthralled. She’s desperate to escape her boring English village and her siblings. She heads to London and works in a department store, but Innes soon entices her to his office where they make an inseparable team writing articles for his magazine.

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Yoko Ogawa’s Mina’s Matchbox *****

In 1972, Tomoko’s widowed mother decides to take a sewing course in Tokyo and leaves her daughter with her family in Ashiya. When her uncle picks Tomoko up from the train station, she is stunned by his good looks and Mecedes. When they reach their house, she is an awe of the miniature hippopotamus that lives in the front garden, then their beautiful home.

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The world’s oldest operating bookstore

I haven’t posted a five out of five review in a while because I haven’t read anything lately, I consider that good, but also because I’ve been busy with research for an upcoming novel. I visited a London medical and a pharmaceutical museum where I took photos of medical equipment and pages of medicines used in earlier times. Between reading those notes as well as the history of the town where I’m setting part of the story, pleasure reading has slipped from my usual routine.

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