![]() ![]() Humphrey Bower is a remarkable narrator: I have enjoyed many of his readings before, but this one is astonishingly good. I am not at all sorry that I made this mistake, because I think this is a rare example of the audio-book being a better way to ‘read’ the book. Truth be told, although the title and author seemed vaguely familiar I forgot that I had the book at home, and didn’t find it until after I had finished the audio-book and I was *blush* shelving some other new acquisitions on the N shelf. ![]() ![]() I bought a copy of the book not long after reading Marilyn’s review but it was still biding its time on the TBR when I saw it available as an audio book at the library. It reminded me of the best of Graham Greene in the way that the novel explores how context and culture impact on crime and justice, and how survival in an intransigently corrupt society involves an existential struggle between integrity and resignation to the inevitable. Not being interested in crime fiction, I most certainly would have missed reading it if not for Marilyn’s enticing review, and that would have been a pity because A Beautiful Place to Die is much more than genre fiction. I am indebted to Marilyn Brady for her recommendation to read Malla Nunn’s A Beautiful Place to Die. ![]()
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Is she a victim or an abuser? Is she stupid or just simply stuck in a role she can't get out of? Am I sympathetic to her or do I despise her? Is it a tragedy or a comedy? Could and should anyone love her? I was constantly trying to cast judgement as the book kept reminding me that I don't actually need to. The book is literally a portrait.Īnd as I was reading this, I was constantly thinking about this woman. The small vignettes are also disjointed, very rarely connected to each other, and although they are told in a chronological order, they shatter any semblance of a story. Bridge, it's your own verdict, not the author's. There is nothing to push you in one direction or another whatever you think of Mrs. I loved the fact that the chapters were ironic, but remained descriptive, without any judgement. Bridge, the wife of rich lawyer Walter Bridge in the 1930's America. It is made entirely of short chapters - more than 100 of them in a 246 page book - which describe little moments in the life of Mrs. It might sound strange to say this about a book published in 1959, but Mrs. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() How does Jess compare to the other residents of the apartment building?ģ) Did you notice any other prevalent themes throughout this listen?Ĥ) Even though this listen is set in the bustling city of Paris, the apartment still feels very isolated. CONTAINS SPOILERS!-ġ) Did you feel like you were racing to the end of this listen or was it more of a slow burn?Ģ) Discuss the importance of wealth throughout this story. If you and your book club are getting lost in The Paris Apartmentthis month, then keep keep reading for our discussion questions below. The Paris Apartment is a dark and twisty mystery/thriller listen that will keep you guessing until the very end. She begins looking into his disappearance and as she uncovers more about her brother, the apartment he lives in, and its residents she is sent on a frenzied path to discovery of the truth. When she arrives, Ben is nowhere to be found. ![]() In this latest listen from Foley, we follow Jess as she leaves her job and travels to Paris where she plans to stay with her brother, Ben, while she figures out what’s next. We’re chatting about The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. Our Book Clubbin’ blog feature is back and this time we’re getting immersed in a highly anticipated listen from the bestselling author of The Hunting Party and The Guest List. ![]() ![]() ![]() Milne, Christopher Robin and Winnie The Pooh. The Airbnb listing reads: “Stay in the historic former home of A.A. ![]() It also features the words: “This warm and sunny spot belongs to Pooh, and here he wonders what it’s time to do.” ![]() The garden also features a full size tennis court, basketball hoops, trampoline and a BBQ and standing heater for outdoor entertaining.Īround the grounds there are several statues of characters from Milne’s series, including Christopher Robin, Owl and a sundial carved with images of Piglet, Tigger and Roo. The exterior of the property is perhaps the most significant aspect of the listing as it offers guests around five acres of garden space as well as the now infamous swimming pool. The property itself contains a large, open living space which features cosy wood-panelled walls as well as a giant fireplace in the living room.ĭespite the building dating back to possibly the 16th century, the house has been tastefully modernised to fit the vibe of the classic feel of the property. Now the property – which appears to still contain the exact pool that Jones drowned in – is available for an eye-watering £919 a night, but requires a minimum stay of three nights for a total of £3,340. Jones was found floating in the property’s outdoor swimming pool, where his cause of death was ruled as “death by misadventure“. However, the six-bedroom property would go on to gain a tragic past as it later served as the home of Rolling Stones founding member Brian Jones, who was found dead on the grounds in 1969. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() First I will set a purpose for reading the story: to analyze the character of Vicente and to discover the author’s message. It is just chock full of good messages and I use it as a jumping off point to writing about literature. The story is about a wonderful old guy named Vicente, who discovers that true contentment is not found in your pocket book, but in doing what brings you joy. The first one is one of my all time favourites: The Singing Silence by Eva-Lis Wuorio (I’d provide a link, if I could, but I can’t find an e-copy). My students will be shifting gears from non-fiction to fiction, and I will begin with a little bit of gradual release as we study three short stories. Oh joy, oh bliss! Here’s hoping that all the work we did over the last few weeks paid off and I can fly through them with ease □ My first big pile of essays get delivered to my desk tomorrow. ![]() ![]() ![]() She hopes that they can come out of it unscathed, closer than ever. To find out if the attraction is mutual, Val decides that she must corrupt her innocent best friend. Mandy is a pure-hearted breath of fresh air, sweet and innocent, and non-judgemental of Val’s promiscuity. When Val takes the biggest risk of all and gives in to her growing attraction to best friend Mandy, she finds out that there’s more at stake than she anticipated. And if her actions lead to hilarious consequences, even better! At least her life will never be dull. ![]() She's too busy taking chances and forming strong connections in the real world. Parents would say that Val is a bad girl, a promiscuous heathen who their children should steer clear of, but what do they know? Unlike them, Val isn't sitting around judging people like her who choose to live their lives with passion. As a 23-year-old woman, who is confident in her sexuality and unafraid of taking risks, she believes that she’s living life to the fullest, the only way she knows how. Valentina Richards’ sexual escapades are the stuff of legends. ![]() ![]() If my father truly is gone, that means I have a chance to set a new course.īut only if I make the right move tonight. I’ve fought a losing battle from the time I first realized my place in my father’s business, fought to be considered an actual person instead of an asset. “Then you’re mine, body and soul.”Ī thrill cascades through me, intense enough to steal my breath. If you make it to the front door, I’ll release you, trust fund intact.”Īnother of those sinful chuckles. ![]() He stops near my bed, and I would give a fortune to know his thoughts as he looks down at the tangled sheets where I spend every night. ![]() As if I don’t have them memorized, from his close-cropped black curling hair, to his medium brown skin that darkens over the summer months, to his perfectly groomed beard. ![]() Jafar moves away, his features still hidden from me in the darkness. It’s certainly not something akin to delight at the opportunity to pick up whatever gauntlet he’s about to throw at my feet. Understandable and justifiable, considering my circumstances. That’s why my heartbeat kicks into high gear, a stampede of one in my chest. ![]() Excerpt Desperate Measures (Wicked Villains #1) by Katee Robert ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The Wind in the Willows is a book for those “who keep the spirit of youth alive in them of life, sunshine, running water, woodlands, dusty roads, winter firesides.” So, wrote Kenneth Grahame of his timeless tale of Rat, Mole, Badger, and Toad. This is a set of four beautiful collectable bone china plates. Here’s a lovely print, titled ‘A New Home’, of Rat making himself comfortable in a hollowed out tree. ![]() Somehow, he has to escape and get home but what will he find when he gets there? This print is of the cozy painting ‘Water Sanctuary’, inspired by The Wind in the Willows. He’s already wrecked seven! While his friends try to keep him out of trouble, his passion for cars eventually results in his being caught and kept prisoner in the remotest dungeon of the best-guarded castle in all the land. While Mole and Rat are content to go out in a row boat or travel the roads in a caravan, Toad prefers the excitement of motor cars. The timeless story of Toad, Rat, Mole, and Badger has delighted readers of all ages for more than eighty years.įriendly Rat, mild-mannered Mole, wise Badger, and kind-but conceited-Toad all live on the banks of the Thames. The Wind in the Willows is a book for those who keep the spirit of youth alive in them of life, sunshine, running water, woodlands, dusty roads, winter firesides. Since its beginnings as a series of stories told to Kenneth Grahame’s young son, The Wind in the Willows has gone on to become one of the best-loved children’s books of all time. The Wind in the Willows, known to many readers through theatrical adaptations such as Toad of Toad Hall, belongs to a select group of English classics whose characters (Rat, Mole, Badger and Mr. ![]() ![]() I like her cheery sounding Lina, but Doon sounds too silly and kid like. It doesn't say he is wheezing and gasping like he is on his last breath, but every time he says anything it sounds like the narrator is on her death bed. The book flat out tells you he is big and fat. (I suppose I must declare the book “Fascinating!”) I must mention here that the narration was inferior and the assignment day scene is a perfect example of why. This Assignment Day ritual fascinates me too. The kids go to school until they are twelve and then pick out of a hat the job they will be doing. canned food – the storerooms fascinate me). They get the power from a source they don't really understand and rely on the dwindling contents of storerooms full of items they cannot truly understand (i.e. I am fascinated by the controlled environment in which the people of Ember have lived. ![]() ![]() Ember is a city that was built to ensure that humans survived some disaster and the city is powered by electricity from a mysterious generator. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 3 The books are attractively and well produced, and the design is clearly meant to recall that of the look of the Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics series. Individual volumes also include supplementary material appropriate to the text or editor. Helene Casanova-Robin oversees the collection, which “se situe entre les ouvrages pédagogiques universitaires et les travaux scientifiques spécialisés.” 1 Based on the two volumes I’ve worked with, 2 I think they have succeeded in their goal of allowing “un public relativement large d’accéder à une lecture scientifique et approfondie des œuvres.” All Commentario volumes include an introduction, Greek or Latin text, facing French translation, and commentary. ![]() Since no reviews of the series have appeared yet in BMCR, I’ll begin by saying a little about Commentario. This volume is the eleventh, and most recent, in the relatively new Commentario series from Les Belles Lettres. All readers will benefit from the roadmap of the dialogue’s arguments that the authors sketch in the introduction and discuss in the commentary. ![]() More advanced readers will be grateful for the new Greek text, full critical apparatus, the thirty-page section of “Notes Textuelles,” and the ample references to additional primary and secondary resources. Students and scholars from other fields will appreciate the introduction and the French translation. With this new edition and commentary on Plato’s Ion, Ferroni and Macé have done several types of readers a great service. ![]() |