Really planning to post the reviews of The Improbability of Love, The Brontë Plot, and The Queen of the Night before the year is over. Swear it.
What are you reading?
Showing posts with label Nonfiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nonfiction. Show all posts
3.14.2016
A Post: Weekly Reads / 03.14.2016
Really planning to post the reviews of The Improbability of Love, The Brontë Plot, and The Queen of the Night before the year is over. Swear it.
What are you reading?
3.07.2016
A Post: Weekly Reads / 03.07.2016
Today's post is more a celebration of the weekend because I missed the natural light for Monday's photo post and really hate artificial light for personal projects, so apologies.
J and I attended the grand opening for Pilsen Community Books in Chicago on Saturday. Beautiful store with so much charm, offering a meticulously assembled collection of used books for sale (you actually couldn't even tell most of the books were used). The delicious bonus was coffee and donuts from a local bakery. Nom. Picked up two nonfiction titles (shown below) and can't wait to visit again.
Took a million pictures.
Stopped in a small bakery with giant windows and sturdy wooden tables for a slice of buttered sourdough toast and a cup of English breakfast tea before heading over to a tiny plant shop that had the most beautiful hanging ceramic planters. Swoon.
Also fell in love with the Pilsen neighborhood (my husband, pictured below, was so thrilled to be my mural model, ha!). If you're in Chicago, you have to visit the area-- so much to see (and eat and buy and on and on and on).
Ended the night with a photoshoot with two creative directors for my photography series called the The Creative Stories Project. All and all, a good weekend even if I didn't get to read as much as I would've liked.
In the Book Department:
Finished The Queen of the Night earlier this week and was a little disappointed with the story, overall. Very short review to come.
Almost done with Colm Toibin's Brooklyn and think it's pretty ok.
Currently staring down a very large pile of library books and trying to decide what to start next. Decisions.
J and I attended the grand opening for Pilsen Community Books in Chicago on Saturday. Beautiful store with so much charm, offering a meticulously assembled collection of used books for sale (you actually couldn't even tell most of the books were used). The delicious bonus was coffee and donuts from a local bakery. Nom. Picked up two nonfiction titles (shown below) and can't wait to visit again.
Took a million pictures.
Stopped in a small bakery with giant windows and sturdy wooden tables for a slice of buttered sourdough toast and a cup of English breakfast tea before heading over to a tiny plant shop that had the most beautiful hanging ceramic planters. Swoon.
Also fell in love with the Pilsen neighborhood (my husband, pictured below, was so thrilled to be my mural model, ha!). If you're in Chicago, you have to visit the area-- so much to see (and eat and buy and on and on and on).
(J in the city, Pilsen Community Books, The Spoke & Bird)
New Books
Ended the night with a photoshoot with two creative directors for my photography series called the The Creative Stories Project. All and all, a good weekend even if I didn't get to read as much as I would've liked.
In the Book Department:
Finished The Queen of the Night earlier this week and was a little disappointed with the story, overall. Very short review to come.
Almost done with Colm Toibin's Brooklyn and think it's pretty ok.
Currently staring down a very large pile of library books and trying to decide what to start next. Decisions.
What are you reading?
2.22.2016
A Post: Weekly Reads / 02.22.2016
Still working on First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic Women by Susan Swain and C-SPAN.
Started Alexander Chee's The Queen of the Night a couple of days ago and hate having to do anything other than read it. A+ historical fiction (even though one scene prompted intense eye roll action) based in Paris with loads of debauchery and enchanting prose.
Hoping to get into some of the comics I've got stacked on my coffee table to finish out #comicsFebruary before we call a wrap on the month.
If all goes to plan, I'll finally post my review on The Improbability of Love & The Bronte Plot later this week because it's seriously been sitting in my draft list for TWO WEEKS and that's just unacceptable.
What are you reading?
2.08.2016
A Post: Weekly Reads / 02.07.2016
Started and finished The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay this weekend, so look out for a post of mini reviews with my thoughts on it, and The Improbability of Love, later this week.
Started First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women by Susan Swain on Friday and have gotten as far as the 28th-- there were two, Edith, and then Ellen Wilson. It's fascinating and has pushed me to do some more reading featuring American history. C-Span pulled the book together by taking pieces from the televised programs created for each of the first ladies in order to give a basic overview of their personalities and legacies. Pretty excited that I'll have something to watch once I'm finished. Learn more (and watch) here: http://firstladies.c-span.org/.
Hoping to get into Girl Through Glass by Sari Wilson after finally getting it in at the library.
And, of course, the large stack of comics I hope to add between longer reads. (insert smiley emojis)
All and all, I'm thinking it's going to be a promising week in the reading department!
What are you reading?
9.17.2015
A Review: Liar Temptress Soldier Spy (I Met the Author!)
Summary: New York Times bestselling author Karen Abbott tells the spellbinding true story of four women who risked everything during the Civil War. Seventeen-year-old Belle Boyd, an avowed rebel with a dangerous temper, shot a Union soldier in her home and became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her considerable charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds disguised herself as a man to enlist as a Union private named Frank Thompson, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the war and infiltrating enemy lines. The beautiful widow Rose O'Neal Greenhow engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians and used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring—even placing a former slave inside the Confederate White House—right under the noses of increasingly suspicious rebel detectives. With a cast of real-life characters, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, Detective Allan Pinkerto,n, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napoléon III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy shines a dramatic new light on these daring—and, until now, unsung—heroines.
Thoughts: I LOVED this book! Even though a reader's copy was provided, I ended up purchasing it through Audible as well so I could listen when I was editing photos and cooking dinner and reaching my 10,000 steps. I needed to know what was going to happen next! I'd heard of Belle Boyd from one of my favorite podcasts, Stuff You Missed in History Class, and had been interested in hearing more about women involved in the Civil War after reading Erin Lindsay McCabe's I Shall Be Near to You (which is FANTASTIC), so this seemed like it would fit the bill. Abbott doesn't disappoint-- she really brings each of these women to life with beautiful prose and her attention to detail. If you're into fast-paced nonfiction about incredible women in America's history go grab a copy NOW!
Oh, and don't be jealous, but Karen Abbott just happened to be in Chicago this week so I also got to meet her and get my book signed!!! Yep, so cool. Here's some photos from the event at Women and Children First in Andersonville (these were taken on a Nikon and edited on an iPhone-- be nice!):
The Author: Karen Abbott is the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City, American Rose, and, most recently, Liar Temptress Soldier Spy, which was named one of the best books of 2014 by Library Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, Amazon, and Flavorwire, and which was optioned by Sony for a miniseries. A native of Philadelphia, she now lives in New York City, where she's at work on her next book.
*I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours and Harper Perennial in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, TLC!
6.29.2011
Favorite Reads of 2011: A Mid-Year Review
When I was a child I was told that as I grew older the years would begin to flash before my eyes, rushing past so quickly that I'd barely have time to grasp the subtleties that presented themselves before me. While I agree that time seems to be more hurried, I also have days that seem to (so wonderfully) stretch before me. Some of these days I'm busy getting in all the things I can't do when working, or spending time with my loved ones, but sometimes I get the chance to sit and read for as long as I wish.
Because I featured my favorite reads at the close of the following year, I felt it only right to provide a little mid-year review of six titles that I just couldn't put down. I'm also excited to share that I've already read three books more than I did in all of 2010. Goals!
1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Mysteries and secrets. Secrets and mysteries. I'm kidding, but this novel sucked me in. I distinctly remember my boyfriend having to pull me out of the groove of the couch I found myself in after not getting off the thing for hours. In the end, you still have questions. It was dark and fascinating and an awesome thriller. All hands for The Thirteenth Tale.
2. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
I don't know if any of you remember, but a while back, Brenna from Literary Musings and I decided to host a little read-along. The book was a little slow in the beginning, but I soon found that I didn't want to stop reading once I began the second half. We got some great participation and were able to share our opinions and questions, which made the read even more enjoyable. Edith Wharton is seriously amazing.
3. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Another book that I couldn't peel my hands from and one that I mention as a "must read" to any bookworm I encounter. I have this thing for historical fiction (as you probably already know) and thought this was perfectly entertaining and informative. The cover art not so much.
4. The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen
I know, I know. I haven't managed to post a review on this one yet. But it has definitely been one of the best reads of 2011. The storyline was not quite what I expected and made the novel that much better. Maybe Milly and Twiss are described as old women who nurse birds back to health, but this title holds so much more. I found Rasmussen's language authentic and engaging. I strongly encourage giving this title a chance!
5. The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Ok, so maybe I read this one during haze that follows the extraction of my wisdom teeth, but somehow I was able to remain attentive enough to finish the whole thing in a sitting. Bryson is increasingly becoming a go-to when it comes to learning while laughing.
So close to making the list: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath & The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows
Because I featured my favorite reads at the close of the following year, I felt it only right to provide a little mid-year review of six titles that I just couldn't put down. I'm also excited to share that I've already read three books more than I did in all of 2010. Goals!
1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Mysteries and secrets. Secrets and mysteries. I'm kidding, but this novel sucked me in. I distinctly remember my boyfriend having to pull me out of the groove of the couch I found myself in after not getting off the thing for hours. In the end, you still have questions. It was dark and fascinating and an awesome thriller. All hands for The Thirteenth Tale.
2. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
3. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Another book that I couldn't peel my hands from and one that I mention as a "must read" to any bookworm I encounter. I have this thing for historical fiction (as you probably already know) and thought this was perfectly entertaining and informative. The cover art not so much.
4. The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen
5. The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
I finished this novel last night. And loved it. I refused to give it up upon finding that the beginning was a little slow. In the end, I am so glad I stuck with it because not only did I enjoy the historical element of the storyline, but I also really enjoyed the raw expression of emotions and the landscape Kent so delicately describes. I didn't want this one to end.
6. Shakespeare by Bill Bryson
Ok, so maybe I read this one during haze that follows the extraction of my wisdom teeth, but somehow I was able to remain attentive enough to finish the whole thing in a sitting. Bryson is increasingly becoming a go-to when it comes to learning while laughing.
So close to making the list: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath & The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows
1.26.2011
A Review: Shakespeare: World as Stage by Bill Bryson
Shakespeare
was my introduction to Bryson’s work after I realized that I could easily grab one of his titles from my public library. Essentially, Bryson’s Shakespeare exists to emphasize the fact that, despite the number of biographies written about Shakespeare, the prolific writer’s life is mostly a mystery. A mystery that's driven thousands of individuals to engage in painstaking research to uncover truth.
Ok, so what’s the difference? How is Bryson any different than the lot of these Shakespeare hounds?
Bryson doesn’t claim to have made any new or shocking discoveries about the writer’s life, and he dispels many common myths along the way. Using keen research skills, which indicate that many biographers often penned false, fairy-tale like situations/conclusions, he emphasizes that most failed to make any factual connections.
The novel’s exploration of people’s fascination with Shakespeare, a playwright among many other accomplished and learned men of his time, is the real subject of the title. Shakespeare’s elusive history is appealing, and begs to be, if not deserves a mostly imagined, and definitely spectacular, background. This is most certain if he is to remain at the epicenter of dramatic interpretation—a playwright of the gods.
And, however subtle, it’s clear that Bryson pokes fun at this hysteria.
Don’t get me wrong. Please refrain from your rotten tomatoes and your apple cores, folks! Bryson didn’t publish this title to say that Shakespeare is a fraud, or a playwright who received undeserved praises; no, he’s simply presenting the reader with snap shots of intense fixations with Shakespeare. In addition, he offers quite a number of facts about Shakespeare’s life through legal documents preserved from this period.
I really enjoyed this title because I have an insatiable want for obscure details of the day-to-day routines in different time periods. He provides many informative and entertaining details about the Elizabethan period. Some facets of this period may even leave the reader wondering how humanity progressed to its present state. It’s especially interesting to understand the development of today’s English, and the acceptance of writing produced during this period, which was devoid of a collective system of punctuation and spelling.
All in all, Bryson’s Shakespeare was fun and informative. I read it quickly and without feeling overwhelmed by tedious details. The reader may walk away learning a little more about Shakespeare’s life (like me), or nothing at all. Either way, you’re sure to get a kick out of this entertaining piece of historical nonfiction.
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