The Day the King Defaulted: Financial Lessons from the Stop of the Exchequer in 1672
Book
This book studies King Charles II's decision to stop all payments from his royal exchequer, a sordid...
Little Wildheart
Book
By turns quirky, startling, earthy, and hope-filled, Micheline Maylor's poems slip effortlessly...
The Little Shop of Found Things
6.0
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New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter Paula Brackston returns to her trademark...
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Night Falling in Books
Dec 17, 2018
The Night Falling by Katherine Webb is a historical novel with a romantic theme. The story is told from the perspective of two people: Clare, a middle class wife from England, and Ettore, a poor Italian "peasant". Set in Puglia in the summer of 1921, the two characters meet when Clare and her step-son, Pip, are forced to accompany Boyd to Italy where he is going to be working for Leandro, Ettore's uncle.
Clare and Ettore's relationship become more involved as they try to avoid their complicated feelings surrounding their other family members. Not only do they have their personal issues, there is antagonism between the rich and the poor. The so called "peasants" with their lack of food and jobs are fed up with the way they are treated by the rich authorities. Strikes have been unsuccessful so their only other plan is an uprising.
As well as the hostile environment story line there are many secrets that begin to be uncovered. Obviously Clare is keeping Ettore secret from her husband but she is unaware of the secrets and dangers he harbours.
It was interesting to see the contrast between the two classes of characters. Unlike England where the lines are slightly blurred between upper, middle and lower classes, Italy in the 1920s the differences were very clear cut.
In all honesty I did not think much of this book. I found it hard to get into and it did not get any easier as it progressed. Although I understand the storyline I found it a little bit boring and took me a while to get through.
Classic Recipes of Russia: Traditional Food and Cooking in 25 Authentic Dishes
Book
This title explores the rich and varied delights of Russian cuisine from Georgian meat soup to the...
Classic Recipes of Spain: Traditional Food and Cooking in 25 Authentic Dishes
Book
This book lets you explore the essence of this rich historical cuisine with classic recipes, from...
The Food and Cooking of Peru: Traditions, Ingredients, Tastes, Techniques in 60 Classic Recipes
Book
This book helps you discover the vibrant food of Peru, one of the most delicious and ancient...
TheDefunctDiva (304 KP) rated The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) in Movies
Jul 23, 2018
Mick Haller is a slick lawyer. He's always quick with a quip and knows which palms to grease. When he comes to represent rich-kid Louis Roulet, it seems he is in for a sweet payday. Cha-ching! Anyhow, the case becomes more complicated than he originally anticipated. This movie becomes dark and suspenseful quite quickly after that.
I would say more, but I want to avoid spoilers. I was pleased to see John Leguizamo and Michael Pena in supporting roles as well. My mom liked it and my mom doesn't like just any movie. As she advised me, pop some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy.
On the flipside, I found the characters in this book a little lacklustre. Aidan and Effie are the main characters, yet they lacked any real depth and emotion which was a real shame. Similarly, the whole concept of Effie being Aidan’s ‘Dream Angel’ was overwhelmingly cliché and sickeningly sweet. I’m all for romance, but this just took it a step too far!
All in all, the positives and negatives add up to create an enjoyable, light-hearted, historical read – in fact, providing the perfect way to sum up this collection.
Careless Love: Unmaking of Elvis Presley
8.0
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Last Train to Memphis, the first part of Guralnick's two-volume life of Elvis Presley, received...