Author Archives: John Sloan

September 2024. We were warned by our B&B hosts that this restaurant is considered expensive. In a way it was but sharing plates somewhat diminished that. Overall the impression was good. It’s located peripherally in accessible downtown Stratford, a bistro-style … Continue reading →

Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day. Vintage Canada, Toronto 1988. F;8/24. After reading Ishiguro’s more recent Never Let Me Go I wanted more so started this1988 shorter novel. I had the same impression of subtle-yet-overstated characters, which might seem … Continue reading →

Ishiguro, Kasuo. Never Let Me Go. Vintage Canada, Toronto, 2005. F; 7/24. This is a haunting tale which although it is technically science-fiction not only has characters that seemed real in my imagination but also carries – maybe because of … Continue reading →

Bosker, Bianca. Get The Picture. Viking, New York, 2024. NF; 7/24. Bosker is a now best-selling journalist whose recent success Cork Dorks described her exploration of wine (which I’m a bit familiar with). Here she does another exploration, this time … Continue reading →

O’Hagan, Andrew. Caledonian Road. McClelland & Stewart, Toronto. 2024. F;7/24. I chose this from Book Marks, Lithub’s weekly recommendations. I find them, similarly to prize juries’ selections, nearly exclusively progressive in content which even though I see the point doesn’t … Continue reading →

Doerr, Anthony. Cloud Cuckoo Land. Scribner, New York, 2021. F; 5/24. I’m afraid I’m slowing down a bit. It’s taken me a couple of months to write about this quite lovely book. Or are things around me speeding up? This … Continue reading →

May 2024. This is the only “Michelin-star” restaurant on this little Croatian island. I should say a bit about Michelinism to avoid being misunderstood as a gospel believer. It’s still consistent that the places they name in their guide nearly … Continue reading →

Enger, Leif. I Cheerfully Refuse. Grove Atlantic, New York, 2024. F; 5/24. This author started out as a journalist I believe and then wrote with a brother under a mutual pseudonym. Here he’s come up with a strongly affecting story … Continue reading →

May 2024 I think this place must be pretty close to unique. It’s in a small town (Pupnat) on the island of Korcula in Croatia where we were holidaying. Michelin mentions it and gives it their “green” icon plus the … Continue reading →

May 2024 This relaxed bistro is located on the only sandy beach on this Croatian island. Lumbarda is the main wine town in a region where some surprisingly good white is made. This restaurant was recommended by our AirBnB hosts … Continue reading →