Michelangelo's Poetry and Iconography in the Heart of the Reformation
Book
Contextualizing Michelangelo's poetry and spirituality within the framework of the religious...
The Vatican Heresy: Bernini and the Building of the Hermetic Temple of the Sun
Robert Bauval, Chiara Hohenzollern and Sandro Zicari
Book
In 16th century Italy, in the midst of the Renaissance, two powerful movements took hold. The first,...
Secrets of Women: Gender, Generation, and the Origins of Human Dissection
Book
Toward the end of the Middle Ages, medical writers and philosophers began to devote increasing...
Apollo's Angels: A History Of Ballet
Book
Apollo's Angels is a major new history of classical ballet. It begins in the courts of Europe, where...
ClareR (6106 KP) rated The Glassmaker in Books
Sep 2, 2025
Murano comes across as a magical place, both in its ability to make beautiful pieces of art from glass, and also its ability to keep those who live there in a kind of time warp or stasis. If you live on Murano, you don’t age.
Such is the case with the main character, Orsola Rosso.
We join her family when she is 9 years old and her father dies suddenly. Her brother struggles with the responsibility and skills needed to run the business - that is until a rival matriarch teaches the Rosso women (via Orsola) how to make glass beads.
I loved how real people from history were brought into the story (Casanova and Josephine Bonaparte, amongst others), and how when time jumped hundreds of years, Orsola only aged a few in that time. We see how Italy changes over time, how it modernises and how climate change endangers both lives and livelihoods.
The story and characters felt as vibrant as the glass beads. This was such a refreshing, different read. Just outstanding 🤷🏼♀️
I let too long go between reading books in this series, but it was nice to be back in Jaya’s presence. The story grabbed me quickly and I was hooked the entire way through. This is different from a typical murder mystery, and I was on board for it. I loved how it all came together at the end and how some clues had been woven in early. The characters were interesting, and I need to read more soon to find out about what happens next to them. Fans of the author’s new Secret Staircase series will enjoy some references to those characters thanks to a crossover character. This is a fun book that will keep the pages turning.
The House of Da Vinci
Games and Entertainment
App
Enter The House of Da Vinci, a new must-try 3D puzzle adventure game. Solve mechanical puzzles,...
In the Name of the Family (Borgias #2)
Book
1502 and Renaissance Italy is in turmoil. Backed by the money and wily power of his ageing father...
Lamb: A Global History
Book
Lamb: A Global History is an introduction to one of the world's most popular foods. With a good look...
Solid Wood: Case Studies in Mass Timber Architecture, Technology and Design
Book
Over the past 10-15 years a renaissance in wood architecture has occurred with the development of...