The Visionist: A Novel by Rachel Urquhart. An interesting story and nice character development. Set in the 19th century in New England when Shakers were thriving. The description of Shaker society and organization often kept me reading.
Tagged reviewA Fatal Likeness: A Novel by Lynn Shepherd A rather wordy fictional account of deadly rivalries with Victorian sensibilities at the time of Shelley his wives and mistresses.
Tagged reviewChasing Utopia: A Hybrid by Nikki Giovanni A wonderful collection of poems and short prose pieces about daily life many presented as an autobiography. The end of the poem ‘When My Phone Trembles (for D’Angelo) When my phone trembles After midnight I take A deep breath Reach for my glasses Think of my […]
Tagged poetry, reviewThe One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming (New York Review Books Classics) by Masanobu Fukuoka An interesting account of farming in Japan using no plowing for grain crops and almost no tending, certainly no pruning in orchards. Also what we now call slow food – eating what is in season and available locally. Look […]
Tagged farming, reviewTinkers by Paul Harding A wonderful exploration of two lives. A man in his eighties on his death bed, his last few days and past life in retrospective, and the man’s father. THe father is subject to epileptic seizures and we see the world in a way that many of do not perceive. The dying […]
Tagged reviewI had borrowed Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry: Recipes and Techniques for Year-Round Preserving from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, but it is a very popular book right now and so it had to be returned. I have requested it again and I’m number three on the waiting list. BUT, I thought, perhaps there is a blog associated […]
Tagged cooking, food, RecipesCrooked Numbers (Raymond Donne Mysteries) by Tim O’Mara A very accessible and interesting tale of a teacher’s and former policeman’s involvement in uncovering the mysterious surroundings of a former student’s death. Set in Brooklyn and Manhattan with a decent comparison of the differing cultures on each side of the Brooklyn Bridge up through Central Park […]
Tagged mystery, reviewOutrage: An Inspector Erlendur Novel by Arnaidur Indridason. Another captivating crime thriller by Indridason. The good side, the warts of Inspector Erlendur carry through this sordid tale. Indridason tackles the issues for the victim, the family of a victim of drug-induced date rape.
Tagged iceland, mystery, review