40: A Doonesbury Retrospective by G.B. Trudeau
31 Oct 2010 23:53:19
G.B. Trudeau's "40: A Doonesbury Retrospective" features 700 pages, close to 2,000 strips — amazingly, a number representing only 13 percent of the total published — as well as essays from Trudeau that detail the genesis of "Doonesbury" and many of its 40 major characters, from old standbys Boopsie, Joanie Caucus and the Hunter S. Thompson parody — Raoul Duke — to newbies such as Zipper, Toggle and Trff Bmzklfrpz, president-for-life of Greater Berzerkistan.
"Doonesbury," which appears in hundre... Read Full Story
Let’s change our understanding of farming with new book drom Dickson Despommier
29 Oct 2010 02:37:16
In "The Vertical Farm," Dickson Despommier challenges the notion that plants should be grown in soil, advocating for developing and investing in big projects using hydroponic greenhouses and other indoor growing technology in cities.
The goal is to provide safe, fresh food around the globe in a way Despommier says is impossible with modern farming. He acknowledges that getting to that future might be expensive, but he considers it a challenge akin to the space race.
"There is nothing stopping ... Read Full Story
Kelly Valen pleased all her fans
29 Oct 2010 02:34:47
Kelly Valen in the introduction to "The Twisted Sisterhood," a book that tackles a recognized but oft-unspoken truth about female friendships: that while women cherish their friendships, there is also frequently an undercurrent of destructiveness.
"Twisted Sisterhood" is a thorough, well-researched, earnest look at how women might stop turning away from one another. Valen covers mother-daughter relationships, friendships and work relationships, offering evenhanded advice bolstered by psycholog... Read Full Story
The winner of former president Vaclav Havel become Franz Kafka
29 Oct 2010 02:33:18
An international nine-member jury picked Havel out of 14 authors as the 10th winner of the prize accompanied by a 10,000-dollar (7,200-euro) cheque, bestowed by the Franz Kafka Society commemorating the Prague-born author.
"Vaclav Havel is the author of vast literary-dramatic work... which in many respects influences Czech, European and world literature," the society said in a statement.
Jury member Oldrich Kral said at the ceremony on Tuesday the prize honoured "artistically exceptional liter... Read Full Story
Good book from good author, Avi Steinberg
28 Oct 2010 00:51:44
To the indoctrinated, it's not just the books — their musty covers, gilded pages and Dewey Decimal System-ized order. It's about creativity. It's about community. It's about escape.
In Avi Steinberg's memoir, "Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian," we learn most about the latter as the Harvard graduate and one-time obituary writer takes a job teaching writing and supervising the library in a Boston prison. There we learn not only about the clientele — the pimps, t... Read Full Story
Sweet book " Bloodthirsty" from Flynn Meaney
28 Oct 2010 00:49:59
Fin is tall, has pale skin and is sensitive to sunlight, so he believes that he'll have no trouble persuading girls that he's the next EdwardCullen.
Trouble is, he has no fangs — and faints at the sight of blood.
Bullied and humiliated at his previous school, Fin has the opportunity to reinvent himself when his family relocates to a new town. But when he tries to adopt a mysterious allure and a vampire attitude, he is ultimately betrayed by his nerdy persona.
Over time, and with a few subtle ... Read Full Story
Have you ever read Rebecca Johns? We suggest you to start with her new work "The Countess"
28 Oct 2010 00:47:51
In her new novel, "The Countess," author Rebecca Johns paints Bathory as a child following her mother's advice — and a woman trying to earn her husband's love.
The story begins with Bathory being walled into a castle tower in 1611 for the murder of dozens of women and girls. Her only visitors are a butler, who brings her modest meals, and a priest, who tries to persuade Bathory to confess her sins and ask for God's forgiveness.
"The Countess" is told from Bathory's perspective. She is writing ... Read Full Story
"Nightshade" by Andrea Cremer
27 Oct 2010 02:17:29
Guardian Calla Tor is a teenage alpha werewolf of the Colorado Nightshade pack. She's smart, strong and, at 17, has her whole life ahead of her. Too bad it's been mapped out for her by Calla's masters, The Keepers.
Calla has been selected to mate with Renier, a domineering alpha classmate, and together, they will rule a newly formed pack of teenage werewolves. Trouble builds when Calla reveals her powers to save lone hiker Shay Doran from a vicious animal attack. She then discovers he's the new... Read Full Story
David McCullough wrote interesting book
27 Oct 2010 02:16:03
"He was a phenomenal success in business and a success at almost everything he touched. Here's a fellow who had little education, who fairly late in life became interested in American history and interested in how teaching could be improved, a subject close to my heart," McCullough, the Pulitzer Prize winning historian, said during a recent telephone interview from his home in Maine.
"I helped him set up a summer seminar program for history teachers in Utah, whereby it was made possible to spen... Read Full Story
The Marriage Artist by Andrew Winer
27 Oct 2010 02:14:11
Lichtmann initially believes he might have been responsible for the affair, having taken his wife to a private preview of what would turn out to be Benjamin Wind's last show. He is stunned when he finds a photograph that makes it clear the affair had started years earlier. He begins delving into the artist's past, uncovering a string of family secrets.
Lichtmann's search eventually leads him back two generations to Wind's grandfather, a brilliant artist who made a living painting Jewish marriag... Read Full Story
In the deep history
25 Oct 2010 13:33:28
The War of 1812 doesn't get a lot of attention these days; many Americans know it vaguely as something like an addendum to the RevolutionaryWar.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Alan Taylor gives a fascinating account of the war and shows its importance to the fragile new republic in a book filled with stories about the people who instigated, commanded and fought in the conflict.
Taylor explains the tensions that led to the war, particularly the Royal Navy's habit of snatching American mercha... Read Full Story
"Worth Dying For" by Lee Child
25 Oct 2010 13:32:03
Reacher, Lee Child's homeless hero through 15 books, is in Nebraska this time, a frozen, wind-swept land where neighbors are miles apart and law enforcement is even more distant.
The challenges for Reacher are many, and the mysteries he must figure out before his personal code will allow him to leave the inhospitable area are intricate.
Reacher, who was a member of the Army's military police, is taking on small-town evil, and the Duncans — three brothers and the son of one — are far more sinis... Read Full Story
