A Cineaste’s Bookshelf
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REVIEW: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
This is perfect kind of steampunk. It merely blurs the lines ever so slightly between fantasy and reality. Rather than imagining strange new worlds full of variant species or particle space travel, this book is set firmly in 1880s London. It is foggy, sooty and on the cusp of a new century.Read More »
Giveaway: MISS EMILY by Nuala O'Connor
FROM THE PUBLISHER The American debut of an award-winning Irish writer that brings to life Emily Dickinson and will enthrall fans of Longbourn and Mrs. Poe. Nuala O’Connor’s enchanting American debut novel, Miss Emily, reimagines the private life of Emily Dickinson, one of America’s most beloved poets, through her own voice and through the eyes… Read More »
REVIEW: JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL
Why are there no more magicians in England? In the Napoleonic era one man asks the question. Just why are there no more magicians in England? Yes, there are those who study magic, but there are no more practical magicians left. This at a time when the French emperor is trampling all over Europe. Thus far,… Read More »
REVIEW: MEET ME IN ATLANTIS by Mark Adams
Mark Adams presents the various theories and cases for Atlantis in this self-deprecating book. Part travelogue, part memoir, part history lesson, he shares both his childlike zeal and his scientific findings.Read More »
Books for June
Somehow, June is already nearly half over. Summer is well and truly underway. Time to find the shade of a tree or a lazy hammock and do some reading. And in the spirit of relaxation, here is some lighter fare to enjoy on a quiet summer day. JAMES THE CONNOISSEUR CAT by Harriet Hahn… Read More »
Armchair BEA 2015: Character Chatter
It’s time to give your favorite characters some love! Characters are essential to a story, and they can make or break a book for some readers. Now’s your chance to shine the spotlight on your favorite characters, or maybe your least favorite. I suppose this is obvious but I have to begin with Elizabeth Bennet… Read More »
Armchair BEA 2015: Social Media
How do you use social media to expand your blogging/writing horizons? Social Media is all about networking and connections, and utilizing today’s technology to the fullest. Do you have another blog, maybe a Tumblr? Have a Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook? Or maybe there’s an underrated social media program that you like. I have numerous accounts… Read More »
Armchair BEA 2015: Visual Expressions
There are so many ways to tell stories. Whether it’s comic books, graphic novels, visual novels, webcomics, etc, there are quite a lot of other mediums to tell a story. On this day, we will be talking about those books and formats that move beyond just words and use other ways to experience a story.… Read More »
Armchair BEA 2015: Introduction
Somehow it is already time for Armchair BEA again! Cheers to the lovely folks who organize this virtual get-together each year. It’s always great fun. Tell us a bit about yourself: How long have you been blogging? Where are you from? I began blogging about books nearly seven years ago. I’d been writing film… Read More »
Books for MAY
For winter’s rains and ruins are over, And all the season of snows and sins; The days dividing lover and lover, The light that loses, the night that wins; And time remembered is grief forgotten, And frosts are slain and flowers begotten, And in green underwood and cover Blossom by blossom the spring begins. ~Algernon… Read More »
REVIEW: MIND OF WINTER by Laura Kasischke
This is a brilliant, searingly creepy, psychological thriller — reminiscent of A Rose for Emily. Though written in the third person, it is entirely told from one point of view and in a type of stream of consciousness. It’s rather like what it would be like if you wrote down every thought and memory that passed through… Read More »
REVIEW: THE STRANGLER VINE by MJ Carter
Without glorifying the colonial days of India, Carter has sketched an enjoyable adventure within these pages. India in 1837, the heydey of the British East India Company is the backdrop for two exceedingly unlikely heros. Both are Company men, and neither is happy about it. William Avery is young and finds himself broke in Calcutta.… Read More »
ACCENT: THE ELEMENTARY SHERLOCK HOLMES by Matthew E Bunson
It takes a great deal for me to be impressed when it has to do with Sherlock Holmes. I’m very protective of the detective’s legacy, as are most fans, I think. Rather than try to recreate a set of stories ‘inspired’ by Sherlock or inserting him into a new setting, this book compiles all… Read More »
BOOKS for April
Spring is coming slowly this year. It is creeping back from the brink of a brutal, snowy winter. But it is coming. And with it are several interesting titles to read as you sit defiantly on your porch, no matter how chilly it still is. WILDERNESS OF RUIN by Roseanne Montillo A… Read More »
ACCENT: The Allure of the East
As I have said in past posts, I am an unabashed Orientalist – though, not, perhaps, as Edward Said meant it. I am truly fascinated by those ancient civilizations and I look upon them with respect and admiration. These two books, nonfiction both, only make my curiosity stronger. And make me feel sorry I missed the… Read More »