“Oh! just, subtle, and mighty opium! that to the hearts of poor and rich alike, for the wounds that will never heal, and for ‘the pangs that tempt the spirit to rebel,’ bringest an assuaging balm; eloquent opium! that with thy potent rhetoric stealest away the purposes of wrath; and to the guilty man, for one night givest back the hopes of his youth, and hands washed pure of blood….” — Thomas de Quincey In 1839 the Chinese government, alarmed by the increasing number […]
This is book one in a series, people
3.5 stars When Lord Nicholas Falcott, the Marquess of Something-or-other (I finished this book more than a month ago and can’t be bothered to go looking up piddling details like that) is about to be killed on the battlefield in Spain in 1812, he suddenly finds himself transported forward in time about 200 years. After being nearly run over by a car, he wakes up in a modern hospital, in the company of a stranger who tells him that jumping through time is less unusual […]
How to Be Enthralled with a Bargain Book
Once again, I have found delight in the bargain book bin. The cover intrigues me, I read the back and decide it’s worth my time for $5.00. I have yet to be mislead by my judging a book by its cover. I love historical fiction. I love being taken back to a time before me, a culture gone by. This story did not disappoint. We are introduced to Shoko, a young World War II-era girl and her family. Before the war, her father was a […]
How to Enjoy Tea and Custard While Loosing Ones Bloomers
In a vaguely steampunk and certainly supernatural Victorian England, a sassy and witty young lady of means and her equally sassy and well-off friends are sent off on an adventure that ends up being more complicated and dangerous than they expected. The protagonist is Prudence (Rue), raised by werewolves and vampires, herself in possession of a certain supernatural ability that makes her a strong and confident but also a target. In her dirigible (if you don’t’ know what that means, you’ll have to look it […]
What happens when you combine medieval poetry and guns?
This book takes place some time after the first in the series (A Burnable Book) starring the real life medieval poet John Gower as a (probably) fictional detective. This series is based on a lot of research and historical accuracy is impressive. A possible problem with this second installment is that there is not a glossary of medieval terms or full list of sources for a reader unfamiliar to consult. The author notes that a source list accompanies the first volume, and only names those […]
The Best Book You’ve Never Heard Of
Have you ever felt the urge to let your inner hipster come out? I’ve got just the thing for you: a book nobody has ever heard of. And it’s actually good. You can sit at your local non-Starbucks organic overpriced coffee joint, fancy hardback in front of you, and gaze sternly over your thick-rimmed glasses and your cashmere scarf and, your voice full of disdain, inquire of other hipsters: What do you mean, you’ve never read Willem Frederik Hermans? What is wrong with you? This […]
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