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Articles by Ellen Morton
Anti-establishment anger builds in Scotland – but where will it go?
On the streets of Scotland, you would be forgiven for not realising there is an election going on at all. The usual party stalls and leafleters are missing, and parties are reporting difficulties getting volunteers to go out campaigning. Instead, there is a general mood of despondency. Despite their lead in the polls, there is a notable lack of enthusiasm for the SNP. One recent survey showed that only five percent of Scots think the party has done a very good job in government since 2007.
Are communists amoral?
Communists are often accused of being bloodthirsty and violent provocateurs, who would stop at nothing to achieve their malevolent aims. But our accusers are the same people responsible for the slaughters in Gaza, Sudan, the Congo and countless others. In this episode of Marxist Voice, Ellen Morton will explain the difference between their morals, the morals of the bloody and barbarian capitalist system, and ours, the morals of the slaves in struggle to end slavery.
Abortion rights and the struggle for socialism
Fifty years ago, the US Supreme Court passed its famous Roe v Wade ruling, providing abortion rights to women in America. Today, these same rights are being ripped up. The fight to end women’s oppression must be a fight for socialist revolution. On 24 June 2022, nine unelected and unaccountable judges took away the rights of millions of American women over their bodies. They curtailed the right to abortion almost exactly fifty years after it was won in the Roe v Wade Supreme Court ruling.
Abortion rights and the struggle for socialism
On 24 June 2022, nine unelected and unaccountable judges took away the rights of millions of American women over their bodies. They curtailed the right to abortion almost exactly fifty years after it was won in the Roe v Wade Supreme Court ruling. This demonstrates the precariousness of all rights and benefits for the working class under the capitalist system. The rights that we enjoy are not given to us, once and for all, by our ‘enlightened’ rulers.
In 'Florida Woman,' wild animals aren't as unpredictable as the humans
A savvy reader comes to any "Florida Man" story armed with certain expectations. There will be wacky, tacky characters, primordial wildlife at close range and run-ins with the law. Deb Rogers's debut novel, "Florida Woman," is no exception to these rules. It starts with a requisitely strange and solid premise: Hapless 20-something Jamie Hawthorne makes headlines while committing a petty crime at work.
Stephen Graham Jones’s ‘My Heart Is a Chainsaw’ will delight horror movie fans
The novel is a paean to slasher films, a devotional about an acolyte written by an obsessive. BING NEWS: Stephen Graham Jones’s ‘My Heart Is a Chainsaw’ will delight horror movie fans Which is why Stephen Graham Jones’s “My Heart Is a Chainsaw” is such an accomplishment; it makes me want to watch all the horror. This novel is a paean to slasher films, a devotional about an acolyte ...
Review | Stephen Graham Jones’s ‘My Heart Is a Chainsaw’ will delight horror movie fans
I started reviewing movies for the local paper while in high school. My degree is in film. I’ve watched a lot of movies in nearly every genre – except horror. I’ve never been able to summon a desire to be terrified for fun. Which is why Stephen Graham Jones’s “My Heart Is a Chainsaw” is such an accomplishment; it makes me want to watch all the horror. This novel is a paean to slasher films, a devotional about an acolyte written by an obsessive. And it’s a lot of fun.
Review | Sally Thorne’s ‘Second First Impressions’ is full of cracking attraction and cackling laughs
With “Second First Impressions,” best-selling author Sally Thorne stays true to form, writing an addictive romance filled with deep feeling, crackling attraction and cackling laughs. Buttoned-up Ruthie Midona serves the aged residents of Providence Retirement Villa, where she lives as a 24/7 administrator. Her total lack of social life makes her feel decades older than her 25 years, but she’s not quite ready to retire on-site.
Book World: A modern romance full of cracking attraction and cackling laughs
William Morrow. 352 pp. $27.99 - - - With "Second First Impressions," best-selling author Sally Thorne stays true to form, writing an addictive romance filled with deep feeling, crackling attraction and cackling laughs. Buttoned-up Ruthie Midona serves the aged residents of Providence Retirement Villa, where she lives as a 24/7 administrator. Her total lack of social life makes her feel decades older than her 25 years, but she's not quite ready to retire on-site.
Leigh Bardugo adds to the depths of the Grishaverse with 'Rule of Wolves'
By Ellen Morton Special to the Washington Post The newest release in Leigh Bardugo’s blockbuster YA fantasy series, “Rule of Wolves” brings a satisfying resolution to the latest chronicle of the Grishaverse. Bardugo’s multi-series saga, the inspiration for the upcoming Netflix show “Shadow and Bone,” revolves around Grisha, soldiers with exceptional abilities to injure, heal, summon storms and control tides.
Book review: Bardugo adds to the depths of the Grishaverse
By Ellen Morton Special To The Washington Post The newest release in Leigh Bardugo’s blockbuster YA fantasy series, “Rule of Wolves” brings a satisfying resolution to the latest chronicle of the Grishaverse. Bardugo’s multi-series saga, the inspiration for the upcoming Netflix show “Shadow and Bone,” revolves around Grisha, soldiers with exceptional abilities to injure, heal, summon storms and control tides.
Review | Leigh Bardugo’s ‘Rule of Wolves’ is the latest action-packed installment in the Grishaverse saga
The newest release in Leigh Bardugo’s blockbuster YA fantasy series, “Rule of Wolves” brings a satisfying resolution to the latest chronicle of the Grishaverse. Bardugo’s multi-series saga, the inspiration for the upcoming Netflix show “Shadow and Bone,” revolves around Grisha, soldiers with exceptional abilities to injure, heal, summon storms and control tides.
‘Yellow Wife’: An enslaved woman must become her own savior
Simon & Schuster. 288 pp. $26 Reviewed by Ellen Morton Through the eyes of a character with uncommon access and compassion, The Yellow Wife, the latest novel of Philadelphia-raised writer Sadeqa Johnson,evokes a vision of one woman’s tenacious survival of antebellum cruelty and objectification. The daughter of an enslaved healer and seamstress and her white master, Pheby Delores Brown grows up in a kind of in-between state.
Review | Sadeqa Johnson’s ‘Yellow Wife’ chronicles one tenacious enslaved woman’s survival in the antebellum South Original
Through the eyes of a character with uncommon access and compassion, Sadeqa Johnson’s novel “The Yellow Wife” evokes a vision of one woman’s tenacious survival of antebellum cruelty and objectification. The daughter of an enslaved healer and seamstress and her White master, Pheby Delores Brown grows up in a kind of in-between state.
Book review: A rom-com with some refreshing twists
By Ellen Morton Special to the Washington Post The manifold reboots of “Pride and Prejudice” practically require their own bookstore section these days, so when you pick up a rom-com with lead characters named Darcy and Elle, you might think you know what you’re in for in this book. But Alexandria Bellefleur’s queer romance “Written in the Stars” gives its inspo a mere wink before unfolding into a distinctly modern frolic, charming and effervescent and entirely itself.
Book World: 'Written in the Stars is a rom-com with refreshing twists
The manifold reboots of “Pride and Prejudice” practically require their own section in the bookstore these days, so when you pick up a rom-com with lead characters named Darcy and Elle, you might think you know what you’re in for. But Alexandria Bellefleur’s queer romance “Written in the Stars” gives its inspo a mere wink before unfolding into a distinctly modern frolic, charming and effervescent and entirely itself.
Review | ‘Written in the Stars’ is a ‘Pride and Prejudice’ reboot that’s charming, effervescent and entirely itself
The manifold reboots of “Pride and Prejudice” practically require their own section in the bookstore these days, so when you pick up a rom-com with lead characters named Darcy and Elle, you might think you know what you’re in for. But Alexandria Bellefleur’s queer romance “Written in the Stars” gives its inspo a mere wink before unfolding into a distinctly modern frolic, charming and effervescent and entirely itself.
'The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue': A spellbinding fantasy
By Ellen Morton The Washington Post Updated October 13, 2020 6:00 AM THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab (Tor, 448 pp. $26.99) "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue," the latest tour de force from fantasy master V.E. Schwab, begins in 1714, as Addie, a dreamer and artist, tries to finagle her way out of an impending marriage. To escape the wedding, she makes a deal with Luc, the god of darkness, to free herself forever from belonging to anyone.
Review | V.E. Schwab delivers another compulsively readable novel with ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’
“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” the latest tour de force from fantasy master V.E. Schwab, begins in 1714, as Addie, a dreamer and artist, tries to finagle her way out of an impending marriage. To escape the wedding, she makes a deal with Luc, the god of darkness, to free herself forever from belonging to anyone. Luc grants Addie immortality and liberty in exchange for her soul. Addie soon learns the consequences of dealing with darkness.
Review | In Charlotte McConaghy’s ‘Migrations,’ a woman tries to document a dwindling species
Brace yourself for a book about the end of the world — but not the type with a high-octane hero saving the planet from annihilation. Charlotte McConaghy’s “Migrations” offers no such easy reprieve. The beauty and the heartbreak of this novel is that it’s not preposterous. It feels true and affecting, elegiac and imminent.
Book World: In 'Migrations,' climate change takes a tern for the worse
Ellen Morton, The Washington Post Published 3:15 pm CDT, Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Migrations Migrations Photo: Flatiron Photo: Flatiron Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 Migrations Migrations Photo: Flatiron By Charlotte McConaghy Flatiron. 272 pp. $26.99 - - - Brace yourself for a book about the end of the world - but not the type with a high-octane hero saving the planet from annihilation. Charlotte McConaghy's "Migrations" offers no such easy reprieve.
Analysis | The best YA fantasy to read now
One of the greatest joys of this chilly season is afternoons inside, cozied up with a mug of hot chocolate in one hand and a good book in the other. This crop of YA fantasy novels imbues familiar settings with rich enchantment, unleashing the imagination far beyond your four walls. Get ready to travel from your warmest reading nook to extraordinary new worlds steeped in magic and mystery.
The best YA fantasy to read now
Sun., January 05, 2020 The Guinevere Deception Wayward Son / By Ellen Morton, Washington Post One of the greatest joys of this chilly season is afternoons inside, cozied up with a mug of hot chocolate in one hand and a good book in the other. This crop of YA fantasy novels imbues familiar settings with rich enchantment, unleashing the imagination far beyond your four walls. Get ready to travel from your warmest reading nook to extraordinary new worlds steeped in magic and mystery.
Review | In Jasmine Guillory’s ‘Royal Holiday,’ sparks fly across the pond
After her much-lauded summer hit, “The Wedding Party,” best-selling romance novelist Jasmine Guillory is sending some of those same characters on a “Royal Holiday” to Great Britain. Just before she steps into a demanding promotion, social worker Vivian Forest seizes her chance to take a vacation with her daughter, “Wedding Party” protagonist Maddie. For Maddie it’s a working holiday, styling an English duchess for the Christmas festivities at her country cottage.
Review: Philip Pullman’s 2nd in the Book of Dust series
Lyra Silvertongue, the captivating hero of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy, continues her adventures in “The Secret Commonwealth,” the second installment in the Book of Dust trilogy. The new novel returns to Lyra’s Oxford 10 years after the cataclysmic events of “His Dark Materials,” but Lyra and Oxford are both changed. Now on the cusp of adulthood and an Oxford student, Lyra must flee the university after her constant companion Pantalaimon witnesses a murder.
Review | Philip Pullman returns to the world of ‘His Dark Materials’ with ‘The Secret Commonwealth’
Lyra Silvertongue, the captivating hero of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy, continues her adventures in “The Secret Commonwealth,” the second installment in the Book of Dust trilogy. The new novel returns to Lyra’s Oxford 10 years after the cataclysmic events of “His Dark Materials,” but Lyra and Oxford are both changed. Now on the cusp of adulthood and an Oxford student, Lyra must flee the university after her constant companion Pantalaimon witnesses a murder.
Review | After dominating YA, Leigh Bardugo delivers a fantasy novel for adults with ‘Ninth House’
Already a hugely successful YA novelist, Leigh Bardugo is delivering fantasy to a new demographic. Her adult debut, “Ninth House,” is wry, uncanny, original and, above all, an engrossing, unnerving thriller. The action takes place at Yale University, where magic complicates reality. Ghosts crowd the campus, and elite clubs capitalize on the power that pervades the grounds, using it to predict the markets and peddle influence.
Book World: In a new fantasy series, thrilling adventure takes cues from ‘Project Runway’
Spin the Dawn By Elizabeth Lim Knopf for Young Readers. 416 pp. $18.99 With all the cutthroat competition of a runway fashion reality show and the thrilling exploits of an epic quest, Elizabeth Lim’s “Spin the Dawn” weaves a stunning tapestry of adventure. Spin the Dawn The start of a new YA fantasy series, the novel introduces Maia Tamarin.
Review | In a new fantasy series, thrilling adventure takes cues from ‘Project Runway’
Books Review Review Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events July 30 at 12:00 PM (Knopf Books for Young Readers) With all the cutthroat competition of a runway fashion reality show and the thrilling exploits of an epic quest, Elizabeth Lim’s “Spin the Dawn” weaves a stunning tapestry of adventure. The start of a new YA fantasy series, the novel introduces Maia Tamarin.
Review | A summer reading list for fans of ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’
Books Review Review Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events July 23 Falling in love has a special place in the journey of adolescence. Just as teenagers are establishing their identity, the search for acceptance couldn’t feel more necessary — or risky. Fortunately, there has been a positive movement in young adult literature to include and affirm a broader range of experiences.
‘Boy Swallows Universe’ by Trent Dalton: High-stakes coming-of-age tale
Reviewed by Ellen Morton Set in Australia, Boy Swallows Universe is a sprawling novel about a thoughtful boy’s premature journey into manhood. At age 12, Eli Bell has grasped the last idyllic strands of innocence. He is catapulted reluctantly out of his youth after he discovers the depth of his mom and stepdad’s involvement with local drug traffickers.
'Boy Swallows Universe' hypnotizes with wonder
Books increase font size The marvelous story of Eli and August is full of loss and love, trauma and triumph. By Ellen MortonSpecial To The Washington Post Share Set in Australia, “Boy Swallows Universe” is a sprawling novel about a thoughtful boy’s premature journey into manhood. At age 12, Eli Bell has grasped the last idyllic strands of innocence. He is catapulted reluctantly out of his youth after he discovers the depth of his mom and stepdad’s involvement with local drug traffickers.
A high-stakes coming-of-age story from Down Under
By Ellen Morton | Washington Post Set in Australia, “Boy Swallows Universe” is a sprawling novel about a thoughtful boy’s premature journey into manhood. At age 12, Eli Bell has grasped the last idyllic strands of innocence. He is catapulted reluctantly out of his youth after he discovers the depth of his mom and stepdad’s involvement with local drug traffickers.
A high-stakes coming-of-age story from Down Under
By Ellen Morton | Washington Post Set in Australia, “Boy Swallows Universe” is a sprawling novel about a thoughtful boy’s premature journey into manhood. At age 12, Eli Bell has grasped the last idyllic strands of innocence. He is catapulted reluctantly out of his youth after he discovers the depth of his mom and stepdad’s involvement with local drug traffickers.
Review | ‘Boy Swallows Universe’ is a high-stakes coming-of-age story
Books Review Review Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events April 3 Set in Australia, Trent Dalton’s “Boy Swallows Universe” is a sprawling novel about a thoughtful boy’s premature journey into manhood. At age 12, Eli Bell has grasped the last idyllic strands of innocence.
Return with me, dear readers, to the Grishaverse
Breaking News Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey joins the 2020 presidential race By Ellen Morton | Washington Post In “King of Scars,” Leigh Bardugo returns to the Grishaverse she created in her “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows” series, where citizens known as Grisha are endowed with extraordinary abilities to heal people, or hurt them, by summoning and controlling wind, fire and water.
Return with me, dear readers, to the Grishaverse
Breaking News Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey joins the 2020 presidential race By Ellen Morton | Washington Post In “King of Scars,” Leigh Bardugo returns to the Grishaverse she created in her “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows” series, where citizens known as Grisha are endowed with extraordinary abilities to heal people, or hurt them, by summoning and controlling wind, fire and water.
Review | Leigh Bardugo returns to the Grishaverse with ‘King of Scars’
Books Review Review Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events January 29 at 7:00 AM In “King of Scars,” Leigh Bardugo returns to the Grishaverse she created in her “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows” series, where citizens known as Grisha are endowed with extraordinary abilities to heal people, or hurt them, by summoning and controlling wind, fire and water.
An enigmatic child sends a small town on a search for answers
"Once Upon a River" by Diane Setterfield, Atria/Emily Bestler. 480 pp. $28 Diane Setterfield haunts familiar ground in "Once Upon a River," an eerily mystic tale of a mute child who captivates the local townspeople after she's seemingly brought back from the dead. The author of "The Thirteenth Tale" and "Bellman & Black" begins this account on a winter solstice more than a hundred years ago.
Book World: An enigmatic child sends a small town on a search for answers
Diane Setterfield haunts familiar ground in “Once Upon a River,” an eerily mystic tale of a mute child who captivates the local townspeople after she’s seemingly brought back from the dead. The author of “The Thirteenth Tale” and “Bellman & Black” begins this account on a winter solstice more than 100 years ago. A near-drowned stranger arrives at a rural inn, grievously injured and carrying a young girl who, to all appearances, has already died.
A river, a mute girl, and the search for answers
By Ellen Morton | Washington Post Diane Setterfield haunts familiar ground in “Once Upon a River,” an eerily mystic tale of a mute child who captivates the local townspeople after she’s seemingly brought back from the dead. The author of “The Thirteenth Tale” and “Bellman & Black” begins this account on a winter solstice more than a hundred years ago. A near-drowned stranger arrives at a rural inn, grievously injured and carrying a young girl who, to all appearances, has already died.
Review | An enigmatic child sends a small town on a search for answers
(Atria/Emily Bestler) Diane Setterfield haunts familiar ground in “Once Upon a River,” an eerily mystic tale of a mute child who captivates the local townspeople after she’s seemingly brought back from the dead. The author of “The Thirteenth Tale” and “Bellman & Black” begins this account on a winter solstice more than a hundred years ago. A near-drowned stranger arrives at a rural inn, grievously injured and carrying a young girl who, to all appearances, has already died.
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