There is a particular kind of magic that happens when a romance novel refuses to stay in its lane. It starts as a fizzy, laugh-out-loud rom-com, and before you know it, you are crying into your pillow at two in the morning because a man has been secretly hiding dimes around his grieving sister’s house. […]
The Idiot by Alexander Kuprin is part of his short story collection A Slav Soul, and Other Stories which was published in English in 1916. This post may contain affiliate links that earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The Idiot by Alexander Kuprin The Idiot by Alexander Kuprin We were seated […]
Synopsis: Plantations filled the Antebellum Period and mansions the Gilded Age. Much is known about those who lived and designed them, little is known about those who built and renovated them. At the time, the public had their halls and theaters to discuss their issues, and the wealthy had their private auditoriums or ballrooms to […]
An aura of nostalgia permeates this novella about friendship hearkening back a century to less cynical times. It’s the 1920s and Samuel Peabody Elliot (Peabo) is a bookish young man who loves sports, but, because he can’t play them well, he has few friends in his circle. He’s raised by caring parents in privileged circumstances […]
A thought-provoking meditation on the relation between belief and truth Spanning centuries, disciplines, and genres, The Tin Merchant’s Riddle opens amid the smoking ruins and blood-stained streets of Constantinople at the end of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. “Knights, squires, pages, and knaves hustled in and out of the church doors hauling away gold and […]
There is a particular kind of novel that grabs you by the collar on the first page and only loosens its grip after you have given it everything you have. This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum is that kind of novel. It arrives with the chatty warmth of your favorite podcast, lulls […]
Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001, Trinidad born Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul is known for his comic early novels set in Trinidad, and his chronicles of life and travels. Enjoy the 5 Best Books of V. S. Naipaul! This post may contain affiliate links that earn us a commission at no extra cost […]
A poignant story about the loss of a loved one and the diverse reactions from family members and friends When John Died credibly and tactfully explores the void left in the wake of an unexpected death. John Marquis left home, estranged from his parents, but his death and his posthumous plans hold the possibility of […]
A fascinating history of innovation From Steam to Silicon: The Development and Diffusion of General-Purpose Technologies is a history book that manages to be sweeping without becoming abstract, rigorous without seeming dry, and urgent without resorting to hype. Through a mix of technical details, biographical facts, and contemporary accounts it provides an overview of technologies […]
An atmospheric homage to the classical safari tradition In Death in the Long Shadows, Francis M. Flavin transports readers to the stark and intoxicating African wilderness, where Coloradan hunter Paul Thayer embarks on a challenging quest for the infamous Cape buffalo, nicknamed in hunting circles, “black death.” Alongside his seasoned professional hunter, Johan, and a […]