The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai by Ruiyan Xu is all about isolation and communication. Li Jing is a Chinese businessman with a beautiful wife and son, a successful investment company, family and friends. But in one tragic instant, he finds himself cut off from everything. A gas leak, an explosion, and a flying sheet of glass change his… Read more
It’s Wednesday, and I have some new words for you! These are from my current book, Under the Poppy by Kathe Koja. It’s about the goings-on at a brothel in Brussels in the 1870s, so you can imagine it has some interesting and obscure words. 1. Chary – characterized by great caution and wariness “…but he is chary of much… Read more
A friend of mine posted a link to a site that has had me drooling…the Bookshelf Porn archive! Now, I have often complained about my lack of bookshelves. I don’t know anyone who loves books who thinks they have enough room for them all. But these folks? They have got this under control. Amazing bookshelves, awesome reading rooms, like… Read more
I have to admit that I requested this book based on the title. Angels, Vampires and Douche Bags is a title with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. The book separates the people in our lives into three categories. Angels are the people who love you and take care of you. Vampires are… Read more
This book really took me back to my heavy metal roots. I was a fan in high-school and college, saw a lot of head-banging bands play live, and still have the hard rock/alternative stations programmed in the car radio. Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir is a look behind the scenes at how a scrawny kid from La Mesa, California became… Read more
It’s been a while since I had something I wanted to share on a Tuesday! It’s funny, I complain about how hard it is to keep up with the blog when I’m traveling, but when I take a little time off, my schedule really falls apart and it gets even harder. Anyway, today’s Teaser is from a book I finished… Read more
I talked in an earlier review about looking for simple recipes for this abnormally hot summer weather – preferably recipes that did not require cooking. Well, I believe I have found just the thing and the best part — it’s absolutely free! A friend suggested I check out that Stone Soup Cookbook and what a terrific find! The cookbook is… Read more
If you wanted to completely change the face of American politics, what would you do? If you had nothing left to lose, what risks would you take? In Steve Martini’s The Rule of Nine, one character decides on a dramatic plan to change the political scene for decades to come. The Old Weatherman is dying — he has nothing left… Read more
The other day, as I was browsing my cookbook shelf, looking for something that didn’t actually require cooking, it occurred to me that I have a lot of cookbooks that deserve a review. I’m a big fan of cookbooks — I like serious, gourmet cookbooks, ethnic cookbooks, theme cookbooks — all kinds of cookbooks! Rock & Roll Diner (Menus and… Read more
Proust’s Overcoat: The True Story of One Man’s Passion for All Things Proust is an interesting little read — a case study in obsession. It is the story of a book lover, his connections to the Proust’s family, and his obsession with preserving the author’s writings and possessions. Author Lorenza Foschini does an excellent job of pulling the threads of… Read more