A Cineaste’s Bookshelf
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REVIEW: THE DIVINER'S TALE by Bradford Morrow
To be blunt, I couldn’t put this book down. I was up until the wee hours last night, determined to finish it, lest my dreams be infiltrated by the specters of this book. Author Morrow remains on the better side of a fine line between psychological fear and shock tactics. He relies on unexpected appearances… Read More »
QUICK REVIEW: JOHANNES CABAL THE NECROMANCER by Jonathan Howard
Faustian in nature, the first in the Cabal series is witty, wry and in general, hysterical. The title character attempts to win back his soul from the Devil (traded for scientific secrets). He is given a second chance and one year to collect one-hundred souls. Aided by his bitter and vampiric brother, the two manage… Read More »
QUICK REVIEW: Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes
And the World’s Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count An enticing and engrossing snapshot of one of (if not the) most recognizable landmarks in the world. Author Jonnes brings together all of the tidbits and urban legends you’ve heard – and several you haven’t – to illustrate a… Read More »
fridayreads: A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in last week’s FridayReads. Our final part
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REVIEW: Unknown by Didier Van Cauwelaert
Previously published as Out of My Head Translated from the French by Mark Polizzotti Without a number of artistic elements this would be nothing but a slapdash pulp action. Fortunately, Van Cauwelaert brings pulp up several notches. Plenty of action, a femme fatale and a sympathetic narrator make it pulpy. But the writing is… Read More »
The British Library never ceases to amaze me.
The British Library never ceases to amaze me.Read More »
QUICK REVIEW: The Englishman Who Posted Himself...
And Other Curious Objects By John Tingey A light biography of W. Reginald Bray, the undisputed Autograph King. In Edwardian England, Bray decided to have a little fun with the postal service. He mailed unusual objects (a turnip, coin, piece of seaweed, himself) to test the regulations of the Post. Then he started testing the… Read More »
REVIEW: PARISIANS by Graham Robb
An Adventure History of Paris Consider this an entirely unorthodox guidebook through the crooked streets and tumultuous times of Paris. Robb, as expert as one can be without actually being Parisian, uncovers and shares fleeting tales of famous moments in the City of Lights. It is rather like finding a train ticket or a… Read More »
WIN BIG -- It's Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books!
It’s SO easy to win. Read about the list of items I’ve put together. Leave a comment below. If Chronicle Books picks your comment, we BOTH win up to $500 worth of great stuff in the list below! Even if you don’t win, you can always visit their website to purchase the items you just… Read More »
Thanks
It has been just about a year now that I have been doing book reviews — and I’m having a blast. I’d like to thank everyone who takes the time to read my reviews. But mostly I’d like to thank those that read books, those who write the words that inspire us, those that work… Read More »
Rediscover lost history in FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA by Sarah Rose from Penguin Books
Corporate Espionage — from the 1800sRead More »
REVIEW: THE KINGDOM OF OHIO by Matthew Flaming
The young woman is an heir to a lost kingdom in Ohio. The Latoledan family was given tracts of land in the Louisiana Purchase and allowed to keep their autonomy throughout the Revolution and the Civil War. It seems she is the only surviving Latoledan -- only because she escaped the siege via a transportation machine she worked on with Tesla.Read More »
INTERVIEW: With Ben Greenman
About “Celebrity Chekhov” As published in Connect Savannah, November 3, 2010. Ben Greenman has decided it’s time for us to talk back to literary characters. His recent projects What He’s Poised To Do and Letters with Character both rely upon reader engagement not only to succeed, but to exist. His latest book, Celebrity Chekhov, inserts… Read More »
REVIEW: THE TRUTH-TELLER'S LIE by Sophie Hannah
This gripping mystery from the UK is not for the faint of heart. Naomi, the main protagonist, has endured the most unspeakable of personal horrors yet found a way to carry on. So unspeakable that three years later her closest friends are still unaware of it. That is until she becomes obsessed with finding her… Read More »
REVIEW: A Secret Gift by Ted Gup
An absolutely fascinating snapshot of a town hit hard by the Great Depression. As one who never lived through anything so terrifying, I was always intrigued by how emotions — particularly fear and doubt — can affect something so math-based like the economy. And how the (over)reactions of a few can drastically ruin the lives… Read More »