![]() ![]() Much later in life he set down his account of his passage through pre-war towns and cities, soon to plunge into total war, and the people whose lives would be changed for ever in two wonderful, lyrical books, A Time of Gifts (1977) and Between the Woods and the Water (1986). Patrick Leigh Fermor walked into a darkening Europe in late 1933, just as fascism was taking hold in Germany, with the insouciance of a carefree 19-year-old. The man widely regarded as one of the finest British travel writers of the past century set off from London 83 years ago next week on his epic hike across Europe. But if he had been exact, he would have denied us a wonderful beginning. Or was it? The weather was almost certainly crisp and frosty. ![]() ![]() Central London was aslosh under a deluge, in Fermor's vivid description of his embarking for Holland to start his famous walk across Europe in 1933. ![]()
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![]() Similar to my love of reading the acknowledgement sections of books, it’s always fun to look inside the private worlds of the well-known, even if they’ve been dead for hundreds of years. It also included other literary figures of the time, Ralph Waldo Emerson being a good example, and reading about these names that you’re familiar with bring a sort of inclusiveness to the work, so you feel not only proud of yourself for recognizing them, but curious to learn about them as people, rather than writers in history. Although I don’t typically pick up this genre, the book interested me because it was based on real people ( Edgar Allan Poe being the most obvious). ![]() Lynn Cullen is an American writer who writes historical fiction as well as children’s books. Another reason I feel a bit of urgency? We’re inching our way closer to Christmas as the hours tick by, and I think this would be a great gift for that historical fiction lover on your list. Poe, and I’m sure many will not be familiar with it, so I wanted to get the word out right away. ![]() ![]() ![]() I just finished reading this book a few minutes ago, and raced to my computer to write a review so I could share it with my readers (yes-both of you!) as quickly as possible. ![]() ![]() "Infused with political intrigue, royal pageantry, infidelity, scandal, historical authenticity, romance and love, this story brings yesteryear to life while heating up the pages and fascinating readers."-Romance Junkies "For a terrific historical romance with a couple who can't keep their hands off each other, this is perfect."-RT Book Reviews "Fifty Shades of Tudor sex." -The Sunday Times Praise for Erotic Romances by Elizabeth Moss: Hugh has long held himself in check, but even his iron will has its limits as they remain alone together in the forest, far from the restraints of court. But most deadly of all is their forbidden desire for one another. ![]() ![]() Neither of them is prepared for the dangers that lie in wait. ![]() When Susannah pulls an outrageous stunt and finds herself lost in the wilds of England, Hugh must go to her rescue. And Hugh is fascinated by her-despite himself. She is feisty, beautiful, opinionated and brave. But Susannah Tyrell is neither of these things. ![]() Hugh Beaufort, favored courtier of King Henry VIII, likes his women quiet and biddable. Hilary Mantel meets Sylvia Day: the second installment in a deliciously erotic trilogy begun in Wolf Bride, set against the sumptuous backdrop of the scandal-ridden Tudor Court by Elizabeth Moss. ![]() ![]() Arthritis, tremors, and small strokes, for example, make it difficult to brush and floss, and, because nerves become less sensitive with age, people may not realize that they have cavity and gum problems until it’s too late. Scrupulous dental care can help avert tooth loss, but growing old gets in the way. Experts say they can gauge a person’s age to within five years from the examination of a single tooth-if the person has any teeth left to examine. Meanwhile, the blood supply to the pulp and the roots of the teeth atrophies, and the flow of saliva diminishes the gums tend to become inflamed and pull away from the teeth, exposing the base, making them unstable and elongating their appearance, especially the lower ones. ![]() With age, it wears away nonetheless, allowing the softer, darker layers underneath to show through. The hardest substance in the human body is the white enamel of the teeth. This portrait is part of a series that the photographer made to record his father’s last years. ![]() Jacob Israel Avedon, Sarasota, Florida, December 19, 1972. ![]() ![]() ![]() He states, "Oh, I marked the first for another day!" suggesting that he fully intended to go back another day and take that second road so that he would not miss anything from either road. There is a hint of wistfulness in the poem, suggesting that he wished he could go back and travel the second road as well. ![]() He would have liked to take them both but recognized that once he took one of them, it was likely he would never make it back to the fork to choose the other, so he chose the road that seemed less traveled. In the first of the poems, "The Road Not Taken," Frost reflects upon his life, pointing out that early on he came to a fork in the road of his life where he had to choose either one path or the other. In each of these poems, Frost alludes to some aspect of his life or his approaching death. In the four poems "The Road Not Taken," "After Apple Picking," "Birches," and "Desert Place," the common underlying theme is the contemplation of life and death. The poems of Robert Frost are generally on the surface reflections of nature, but there is always a deeper meaning. ![]() ![]() ![]() But when Sofya’s letters suddenly stop coming, she fears the worst for her best friend. On the other side of the Atlantic, Eliza is doing her part to help the White Russian families find safety as they escape the revolution. In need of domestic help, they hire the local fortune-teller’s daughter, Varinka, unknowingly bringing intense danger into their household. But when Austria declares war on Serbia and Russia’s imperial dynasty begins to fall, Eliza escapes back to America, while Sofya and her family flee to their country estate. Now Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia: the church with the interior covered in jeweled mosaics, the Rembrandts at the tsar’s Winter Palace, the famous ballet. ![]() The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. “A nuanced tale that speaks to the strength of women.”- Kirkus Reviews It is 1914, and the world has been on the brink of war so often, many New Yorkers treat the subject with only passing interest. ![]() Petersburg to Paris under the shadow of World War I. Now Lost Roses, set a generation earlier and also inspired by true events, features Caroline’s mother, Eliza, and follows three equally indomitable women from St. ![]() The million-copy bestseller Lilac Girls introduced the real-life heroine Caroline Ferriday. ![]() ![]() ![]() “In terms of feel and build, we honestly can’t find a compromise between this Ensenada-made Player and the US Acoustasonics we’ve tried. MusicRadar: The onboard voice options might have been scaled down but the Acoustasonic Telecaster sticks the landing as a Player Series model, in what could be one of the guitars to make the hybrid build truly go mainstream.įender Player Series Acoustasonic Telecaster: The web says That, in sum, is the sort of thing the Acoustasonic format encourages. ![]() That said, it can be pressed into service of many different kinds of styles, perhaps some that are all your own. It is warmer, with a little more width than you’d expect from a Tele’s bridge pickup. Fender promises twang but this isn’t Pete Anderson levels of twang. Park yourself on position one for a more traditional electric guitar experience, but don’t necessarily expect a traditional Telecaster experience. In a sense, this is a sound that almost exists outside of the spectrum of acoustic/electric tones, and is sure to support pedalboard experimentation. The sound is just coming from the piezo and as you turn the blend control it adds drive. Here is where the true hybrid tones are, and as such, there are fewer references for what we are hearing. ![]() ![]() Ultimately, it is the photographs that stand out here the produce closeups offer a veritable cornucopia of appealing visuals, from the juxtaposition of tiny red radishes along side slender stalks of celery to the smooth, shiny skins of an assortment of squashes. Turnip treats!” The language is energetic but the text ultimately lacks flavor the general pro-vegetable cheerleading doesn’t provide much actual use, since there’s no help in correlating items mentioned in the text with the veggies in the photos. The simple pattern introduces a pallet of different veggies, each accompanied by a celebratory phrase (“Root for rutabagas. This vegetable chant celebrates all sizes, shapes, and colors of vegetables at a well-stocked farmer’s market through rhymed verse and crisply reproduced full color photography. ![]() ![]() ![]() My brain is mush.” I jerk my head at Goliath, and he and Donnigan form a protective barrier around us. But clearly, Indy doesn’t think that way, which confirms for the dozenth time that she’s nothing like any other woman in my past. It might not be much compared to what you have-” I almost start laughing, because technically, as long as we’re married, what’s mine is also hers. I don’t care if it’s the appetizers or dessert, or even a damn rose for his wife. “ That’s not necessary.” “Maybe not to you, but it is to me. “Yes?” “Just so you know, I’m paying for something tonight.” Her expression is mulish, but I push back anyway. “ I’ll be ready in an hour.” “Good, because otherwise we’ll be late.” I take a step toward the door, but Indy tosses a shirt at my head. Once you figure out what to wear…” Indy shoots me the middle finger. I sit at the poker tables with billionaires and sheikhs.” “I know you can. If I thought there would be any issue, I would’ve said no and not brought it up.” She scrunches her nose. I usually study people before I meet them in real life.” “Stop worrying. ![]() ![]() If you enjoy Heinlein’s writing, and you just want a silly yarn to pass the time, this might suit you. Maybe it’s just meant to be a bit of fluff to amuse and entertain. It’s not much more than a plot-gimmick (aren’t they all?), but I’m struggling to find any resonant themes or ideas. ![]() I have to admit, there’s just not much to this story. But hey, here’s to new experiences, right? The Takeaways The weirdly-forced sexual references left me feeling a bit grimy. Heinlein’s story is a bonkers time-travel tale that just couldn’t be bothered with resolving paradoxes or explaining much of anything. The Payoffįolks, when I asked my social feeds for recommendations, I hoped I would get some stories that would stretch me, take me outside of my wheelhouse. time-travelling…cop or something?) goes to ridiculous lengths to recruit a new agent for his organization. ![]() ![]() I can’t find any legit sources online, so you’re on your own.Ī “temporal agent” (a.k.a. (I’m still not sure if Web was trolling me…) I found this story in a collection of 20th century science fiction short stories from the library. This week’s selection was recommended by Webster Hunt. ![]() |