A Cineaste’s Bookshelf
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ARMCHAIR BEA 2014 - Giveaways Galore
Many of the fine publicists I work with all year round were kind enough to offer the following titles for giveaway during Armchair BEA. Please support their kindness and enter to win these great books. My sincere thanks to Catherine, Andrea, Chris, Sarah, Shannon, Kristin and Elisabeth for providing the prizes! To enter: 1) Leave… Read More »
ARMCHAIR BEA 2014 - Expanding Blogging Horizons
Tell us about how you have expanded on blogging in your own unique way. About two years ago I upgraded my blog to be the site you see now. It was three (yes, three) separate blogs on blogger. As you can imagine, I became quite tired of managing the different outlets. I sprung for a… Read More »
ARMCHAIR BEA 2014 - Novellas & Short Stories
Now it is time to give a little love to those little stories in your life. Share your love for your favorite shorts of any form. What is a short story or novella that doesn’t get the attention that it deserves? Recommend to readers what shorts you would suggest they start with. This book changed my… Read More »
ARMCHAIR BEA 2014 - Author Interaction
Author Interaction — Let’s talk interacting with authors IRL (in real life) or online. I’ve been pretty lucky in this regard. We have a good book festival where I live, so I’ve been able to meet some favorite authors. I was also lucky enough to meet the very sweet and funny David Sedaris after a reading.… Read More »
ARMCHAIR BEA 2014 - Literature
It’s the nightmare essay question of every English major: Define literature. Here goes… I think for a piece of writing to be considered “literature”, it should defy boundaries in some way. Some examples. Dracula was considered trashy (by some) in its time but is thought of as a classic now – and not just because it… Read More »
ARMCHAIR BEA 2014 - Introductions
I’m so excited for another great year of Armchair BEA. Allow me to introduce myself… 1. Describe your blog in just one sentence. Then, list your social details — Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. — so we can connect more online. My blog highlights the best in books, writing, film and photography. Twitter: @cineastesview Facebook: A Cineaste’s… Read More »
REVIEW: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR by Joel Dicker
Translated from the French by Sam Taylor I don’t believe I’ve ever read 650 pages so quickly. I finished this one over the course of about two and a half days. And regardless of its story or plot, every writer-in-training will love the cryptic Mr. Miyagi-like kernels of advice that begin each chapter. The book… Read More »
ACCENT: STRANGE BODIES by Marcel Theroux
Strange Bodies is strange indeed. It’s some bizarre stew of Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and Grendel. At the outset, the reader is introduced to Nicholas Slopen, a man who insists he is a man who has already died. He is a guest of a local asylum and tells what he remembers of his life… Read More »
ACCENT: SMALL PLATES by Katherine Hall Page
This collection of short stories is quirky, funny and just the right size. Each tale has its own tone but the book wallows the same mood throughout. Page manages to knit together stories that are dastardly and ironic, some with a Twilight Zone twist. The opening story, “The Ghost of Winthrop”, reads like a Mary Roberts Reinhart adventure. Eliza… Read More »
ACCENT: MURDER ON THE HOME FRONT by Molly Lefebure
A True Story of Morgues, Murderers, and Mysteries During the London Blitz Knowing how much stories like this interest me, I was surprises I’d only learned of Molly Lefebure from a PBS show. In it, a spunky young reporter teams up with a forensic pathologist to solve crimes in war-torn London. And I was even… Read More »
REVIEW: THE GREEK COFFIN MYSTERY by Ellery Queen
As a nerdy child who read just about any mystery she could get her hands on, I often picked up musty copies of the Ellery Queen Magazine with stories by dozens of contributing writers at yard sales. And in recent years I’ve watched some episodes of the show starring Jim Hutton. But somehow, I… Read More »
REVIEW: THE TALE OF THE DUELING NEUROSURGEONS by Sam Kean
It is amazing that we still don’t know very much about the human brain. With all our technology and brilliant doctors, it remains a shadowy fairly elusive. This is partially due to the fact that the brain also houses the mind. The brain is the organ but the mind is consciousness. If the brain is… Read More »
ACCENT: HOW TO WRITE ANYTHING by Laura Brown
This hefty compendium doesn’t seem to have left anything out. Brown has compiled a resource that covers it all. Beginning with the more typical — thank-you note, cover letter, letter of recommendation — Brown also examines best practices for business Facebook updates, a note to the babysitter and divorce condolences. Each heading has a description of… Read More »
ACCENT: EQUILATERAL by Ken Kalfus
This is a strange, haunting and completely addictive read. It is set in the late Victorian era, in the Egyptian desert, but it is also science fiction. If Jules Verne had decided to write about British colonialists trying to communicate with Mars, this would be the book. Sanford Thayer has convinced the best minds… Read More »
BOOKS: for May
Bees are buzzing. Wildflowers are blooming. For every reader there is a meadow somewhere waiting for a blanket and a good book. Here are some new and recent releases for the front porch swing or the secret treehouse. THE SWAN GONDOLA by Timothy Schaffert For those looking for unlikely romance and adventure, consider this novel set… Read More »