A Cineaste’s Bookshelf
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A Russian Pas De Deux: TWO REVIEWS
Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay This historical fiction is the debut novel by an award-winning short story writer. Her true strength lies in creating vignettes; small snowglobe-like places that her characters inhabit. The tale switches between present day and 1950s Soviet Russia, following the memories of a prima ballerina of the Bolshoi. Daphne Kalotay… Read More »
REVIEW: Voltaire's Calligrapher by Pablo De Santis
Translated by Lisa Carter This is the perfect Halloween read. It is smart, sharp and dry — like a fine cheese. It leaves you wanting more, but with the knowledge that it is perfect as it is. The basic premise, without reveals the twists that make it so lovely, is that calligraphers, of the early 18th… Read More »
REVIEW: CHARLIE CHAN by Yunte Huang
Part academia, part history, part theory, part commentary and part mystery itself, this ambitious book tackles numerous subjects at once. Not because the author lost his focus, but because the stories, and the people in them, were so intertwined.Read More »
REVIEW: MAD WORLD by Paula Byrne
Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead “Thorough” is the first word I would use to describe this biography. Intense, assured, incisive. America had Hemingway and Fitzgerald, while England had Waugh and Wodehouse. Wodehouse found the whole scene rather silly and made hysterical fun of it. Waugh, on the other hand, had a more… Read More »
LOCAL BOOKSTORE: Books on Bay, Savannah
Check out my recent post (with photos!) about Books on Bay in Savannah, GA. http://insatiabletheic.blogspot.com/2010/09/books-on-bay-savannah.html EnjoyRead More »
Books on Bay: Savannah
I love everything about old bookstores. And this one in Savannah has its own eccentricities. It is set back on the second story of Factor’s Walk, a row of old cotton warehouse and merchant offices on the river in Savannah. Just getting to it (down some hairpin stairs and across a plank bridge) is an… Read More »
REVIEW: EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE GREAT by Rachel Shukert
This is unabashed writing at its funniest. Imagine if David Sedaris were a twentysomething, Jewish, naive, experimental actor abroad, with questionable taste in men — then wrote a book about it. Shukert’s exploits include landing an unpaid gig in an acting troupe that specializes in nontraditional performance pieces. The show, seemingly forever in rehearsal, finally… Read More »
CLASSIC REVIEW: Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie
I’ve been a bit slow in the review area lately. I’m still reading, have no fear, but I am on vacation with limited internet access… and limited time! It’s lovely to unplug but I had to share a few words about this unlikely find. I finished the book I brought with me entirely too quickly… Read More »
REVIEW: The Girls of Murder City by Douglas Perry
Fame, Lust, and the Beautiful Killers Who Inspired Chicago This book is absolutely as much fun as you think it is. But what isn’t immediately obvious from the cover (and engrossing subtitle) is how very well-researched and detailed the tales of the recently liberated women of Chicago. Perry delves into each murderess’ past with the… Read More »
REVIEW: The Art Detective by Philip Mould
Fakes, Frauds and Finds and the Search for Lost Treasures I could not have enjoyed reading this book more. It is fresh, fast, and furiously entertaining. If you need a summer read with some substance, look no further. Part Indiana Jones, part London academia, Mould shares tales of his years in portrait dealing with elegant… Read More »
GIVEAWAY: A 75th Birthday Celebration for Penguin
One of the most famous publishing houses, Penguin, turns 75 years old TODAY. Founder Allen Lane chose ten titles in 1935 and published them in England, complete with the stamp of that cute little black and white bird. By 1937, they set up shop in Holy Trinity Church Crypt in New York City. Make sure… Read More »
GIVEAWAY & CONTEST - The Quickening Maze
The fine folks at Penguin (via Viking) sent me an extra copy of this interesting novel (my review is here). So if you would like to win this fine tome, here is what you do: In the COMMENT section below: 1) Tell me about a time you were lost – literally or figuratively – in 100 words… Read More »
REVIEW: THE QUICKENING MAZE by Adam Foulds
I always look forward to starting new books — ones to review or otherwise. When I knew this one was on its way, I watched the mail everyday. It is by a British author. It’s about an asylum … and poets … and madness … and takes place in Victorian England. What more could I… Read More »
REVIEW: BRIGHT YOUNG PEOPLE
Considering my obsession with this period in history, and some of its tenants, I cannot believe it took me so long to find this book. I have heard, anecdotally, of the Bright Young People but I knew little about their specifics. Even with this marvelous history as a guide, they are still a fluid, amorphous… Read More »
Interview with Character: Author Ben Greenman
Greenman is making classic literature engaging. And his own engaging literature. Some may remember his project Hotel St. George Press, which invited his readers to interact with his main protagonist. The seventh and final story was left intentionally unfinished and readers were invited to send in postcards with the missing bits. Here are some of… Read More »