A Cineaste’s Bookshelf
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QUICK REVIEW: OTHER PEOPLE'S REJECTION LETTERS
This tome is a collection of letters, ephemera, notes, cards and documents, all indicating some form of rejection. Edited by Bill Shapiro, he and his assistants sifted through these chronicles, looking for glimpses into everyday life. Shapiro notes in his introduction that in addition to the hurdle of convincing people to open up, is the primary… Read More »
QUICK REVIEW: ONLY MILO
I recently won a copy of this book from The Book Studio, a great site with tons of interviews and contests. If you like books at all, make sure you check their site often. I had sort of forgotten about it until it arrived in the mail yesterday. Within two hours I had finished it.… Read More »
REVIEW: MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER
Historical fiction is a tough genre to tackle. When done well, it requires as much research as a biography and the imagination to weave a story that takes the reader into each of the settings. It is clear that first-time author ROBIN OLIVEIRA must have uncovered dozens of unsung heroes and broken hearts while gathering… Read More »
Article/ Interview in Connect Savannah: For All The Tea in China
My interview with Sarah Rose, author of FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA appears in this week’s Connect Savannah. Many thanks to Sarah Rose for her willingness to speak with me, and to editor Jim Morekis for including this and many articles on books and literature in his publication. And thanks to all those at… Read More »
REVIEW: Russia Against Napoleon
I don’t pretend to be an expert historian – on Russia or any other topic, but I thoroughly enjoy a good yarn. And there are plenty of true, lesser-known tales to cull from centuries of human complications. Writer and professor Dominic Lieven tackles the mountainous topic of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia from 1812-14. This impressive… Read More »
Sarah Rose on NPR, FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA
Sarah Rose, the author of FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA was recently interviewed on NPR. You can listen to the broadcast, and read more about Robert Fortune and the book here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125237353Read More »
REVIEW: FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA by Sarah Rose
The fortuitously-named Robert Fortune took on a great adventure in the name of tea and Queen. The East India Company was losing money, so they decided to steal the secrets of Chinese tea and transplant them to India, where they still had power. They tapped Fortune to be their spy. This debut book by Sarah Rose, follows Fortune on his journey.Read More »
Winner of the Book Contest
Thank you everyone who entered to win a copy of FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA by Sarah Rose. The winner of this fantastic book is LISA, from NH for her story about tea and an older woman she was caring for. She wrote: “My favorite cup of tea is black tea…It has more to… Read More »
CONTEST: Free Book
The good folks (Thanks, Meghan and Holly!) over at Viking were kind enough to send me a copy of FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA by Sarah Rose to giveaway on the site. Book: Hardcover | 5.51 x 8.26in | 272 pages | ISBN 9780670021529 | 18 Mar 2010 | Viking Adult | 18 – AND… Read More »
New Classic: THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY
Painstakingly researched, this book shifts between chronicling the World's Fair that changed America's world standing and the inhuman monster who lurked under its electric lights. Read More »
THE BOOK OF FIRES
Jane Borodale’s first novel, THE BOOK OF FIRES, is a vivid portrait of 1750s England. The heroine, Agnes Trussel, leads the reader from countryside squalor to a sooty, bustling London. Part of a large family, struggling to even survive, Agnes clearly stands out from her siblings. Her interior thoughts, expertly drawn in present tense, add… Read More »
Good word: Picayune
Etymology: Occitan picaioun, a small coin, from picaio money, from pica to jingle, of imitative originDate: 18041 a: a Spanish half real piece formerly current in the South b: half dime2: something trivial Originally pronounced something rhyming with “Pick a yoon,” the prevalence of this word in the titles of so many newspapers seems to… Read More »
A Good Word: Balaclava
A balaclava is a piece of headgear that basically just leaves your eyes and nose open, but protects the rest of your head from the elements. It makes one look like a combination of a knight and bank robber. This isn’t a word you hear much anymore, even among skiers and sporting good stores.… Read More »