Alison Reads

This is a very strange book, quite original in concept. It’s a psychological thriller of sorts. One day Eric Sanderson wakes up and has no memory of who he is or where he is. He finds a letter addressed to “the second Eric Sanderson” from “the first Eric Sanderson” directing him to the office of […]

The author examines five plants that have changed the course of human history: quinine, sugar, tea, cotton, and potatoes. Quinine cured malaria and allowed European colonists to expand their empires around the globe. The increasing popularity of sugar in Europe required workers who could tolerate the tropical heat where sugar cane was grown, so black […]

The subtitle of this book is “true tales of faintly repulsive wildlife.” It explores the lives of creatures such as the little brown bat (which can live for 30 years or more), weasel, shark, porcupine, sloth, and others. Entertaining and instructive.

Jeffrey Archer is a best-selling British author whose books I have enjoyed. He spent two years in prison and these stories are the stories of some of his fellow inmates. Stories of con men and murderers, they are interesting and even likeable, but ephemeral. I read the book a couple of weeks ago and have […]