![]() The road, or track, ran most of the time along the high ridges of the hills or downs, and they could look down on either side of them upon the desolate marshes where the snowy reeds sighed, and the ice crackled, and the duck in the red sunsets quacked loud on the winter air. ![]() Perhaps, if you happen not to have lived in the Old England of the twelfth century, or whenever it was, and in a remote castle on the borders of the Marches at that, you will find it difficult to imagine the wonders of their journey. The nurse spent the whole time constructing new warm pants for everybody, on the principle that the climate of any place outside the Forest Sauvage must be treacherous to the extreme, and, as for the sergeant, he polished all the armour till it was quite brittle and sharpened the swords till they were almost worn away.Īt last it was time to set out. Kay's sumptuous bath had to be set up in the box-room, between two towel-horses and an old box of selected games which contained a worn-out straw dart-board-it was called flechette in those days-because all the other rooms were full of packing. ![]() The knighting took place in a whirl of preparations. ![]()
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![]() When the anxious monotony of lockdown got on top of me, I’d catch myself wishing I could just go to sleep until it was all over, and found I was thinking of the book’s nameless narrator, too. ![]() I thought of that cover image often over the last fifteen months, during the many hours I spent sitting inert inside my own apartment. ![]() ![]() A poster girl for our times, though perhaps My Year of Dread and Depression would be more accurate for the 2020 update. The book’s iconic cover exploits this tension with style: beneath the hot pink text of the title phrase, is a neoclassical painting of a young woman in a white muslin dress sitting sideways on a chair with an expression of exquisite, sarcastic inertia on her face. Set in the year 2000, it tells the story of a privileged young woman living on Manhattan’s upper East side who, dissatisfied with her life, resolves to spend a year holed up asleep in her apartment, aided by prescription drugs and a permissive psychiatrist.Ī story about a woman confined to bedrest for her nerves might sound anachronistic, but Moshfegh gives the Victorian trope of the confined woman an arch upgrade by framing it within the solipsistic individualism of the early aughts. ![]() I first read Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation in 2018, when life was busy and a satirical novel about a year of voluntary confinement sounded like fun. ![]() ![]() I don’t agree with that, and it promotes a weird level of Consumerism. Or people lost so much of their belongings in the floods.Ī recurring thing that I noticed in his tips was the idea that if you really need something, you can just buy a new one at the corner store. ![]() ![]() People’s stuff was falling all around them, and their prized possessions were turned into weapons within moments. But a reason that would have never crossed my mind, and was interesting to read, was the impact of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The first few chapters talk about Japan and why decluttering and minimalism is growing in popularity there. So if you’ve read Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, you could still find value in this book. Swearing in my decluttering book? Marie Kondo would never! He does actually mention her in the book, but there’s actually not that much overlap in ideas or methods. Pants I only bought because my boss told me to, which made that quote hit even closer to home.Īfter reading that line, I decided that I would actually read the book. That quote hit me hard as I was wearing khakis that day. ![]() The one before the first or second chapter: “You aren’t your fucking khakis” from Fight Club. ![]() ![]() The man who had once been reviled for his refusal to fight for his country and for his fast-talking denunciation of his opponents was now almost universally adored, the true cost of his astonishing boxing career clear to see. When the frail, trembling figure of Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic flame in Atlanta in 1996, a TV audience of up to 3 billion people was once again gripped by the story of the world's most famous sporting icon. The most comprehensive and definitive biography of Muhammad Ali that has ever been published, based on more than 500 interviews with those who knew him best, with many dramatic new discoveries about his life and career. THE TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR. WINNER OF THE PEN/ESPN AWARD FOR LITERARY SPORTS WRITING. SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR. SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 2017. BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR. ![]() ![]() ![]() In the end, family is what matters most and Ben has created a memorable one for us to enjoy. The excellent world building creates both fun and scary images. You’ll admire Bernie’s growth in his self confidence, along with themes of friendship and bravery. The climax is an up and down struggle that will have you flipping the pages to read what comes next. ![]() Their harrowing journey takes them to Mount Dreadful, the giants’ home. They also get assistance from Tish’s tough granny. When giants kidnap Bernie’s parents, Tish and Bernie set out to rescue them. Her lineage is a bit different with a race that grows hair and is not green. Bernie is the main focus, pictured on the far right. What we get is a tight plot that still challenges young readers. The short length (136 pages) is something I’ve been clamoring for in MG as many kids aren’t ready to lug around 300 + page books. Ben Langhinrichs is a past contributor to Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, and now he has a new mi ddle grade series which gets a promising start with Danger Tastes Dreadful. ![]() ![]() Stone's main source for Lust for Life, as noted in the afterword, were Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo. During their lifetime, Stone and his wife funded a foundation to support charitable causes they believed in. The Stones lived primarily in Los Angeles, California. Stone enjoyed a long marriage to his wife and editor on many of his works, Jean Stone. When at home, Stone relied upon the research facilities and expertise made available to him by Esther Euler, head research librarian of the University of California at Los Angeles, to whom he dedicated and thanked, in addition to many others, in several of his works. ![]() In the 1960s, Stone received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Southern California, where he had previously earned a Masters Degree from the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. In 1923, Stone received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Trump’s savage bullying of everyone in his circle, along with his singular command of his political base, created a dangerous culture of submission in the Republican Party. What would these politicos do to preserve their place in the sun, or at least the orbit of the spray tan? What would they do to preserve their “relevance”? Almost anything, it turns out. Thank You for Your Servitude is Mark Leibovich’s unflinching account of the moral rout of a major American political party, tracking the transformation of Rubio, Cruz, Graham, and their ilk into the administration’s chief enablers, and the swamp’s lesser lights into frantic chasers of the grift. Even more, in their outrage: Trump was a menace and an affront to our democracy. In the early months of Trump’s candidacy, the Republican Party’s most important figures, people such as Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Lindsey Graham, were united-and loud-in their scorn and contempt. “The new must read summer book.” –Stephanie Ruhleįrom the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller This Town, the eyewitness account of how the GOP collaborated with Donald Trump to transform Washington’s “swamp” into a gold-plated hot tub-and a onetime party of rugged individualists into a sycophantic personality cult. “Really fascinating.There are so many revelations.” –Anderson Cooper “His writing is so damn good.” –John Berman “This is a really funny book.” –Kara Swisher “He’s one of the best chroniclers of politics today.” –Jake Tapper ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Praise for 11 Birthdays:* "A fresh twist on the familiar themes of middle-grade family and school dynamics."- Booklist, starred review* "Girls will relate to Amanda's insecurities, and the confidence and insight she gains will resonate."- Publishers Weekly, starred reviewPraise for Finally:" Finally is a treat - a delicious story about fitting in, falling down, and growing up. Wendy Mass has done it again!"- Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal winner of When You Reach Me" Finally will have readers laughing, nodding in agreement, and sighing in sympathy."- Praise for 13 Gifts:* "Mass keeps the plot jumping like a fireworks display there's one surprise spark after another, all coming together at the end for a breathtaking finale."- School Library Journal, starred review"Philosophical and wryly humorous, this magical tale will satisfy both fans and new readers alike."- Kirkus Reviews ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find-aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Schwab - Vicious (Villians Series Book 1) audiobook part 1/6Description:A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.Victor and Eli. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch popo up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. ![]() In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. Victor and Eli started out as college roommates-brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. 2.1 1: Water, Blood, and Thicker Things. ![]() ![]() ![]() Surrounded by his mother and three aunts, he lives day to day, struggling to keep his. Even years later, he’s buried in his grief, throwing himself into managing Big Eddie’s convenience store in the small-town of Roseland, Oregon. ![]() Everyone called it an accident, but Benji knows it was more. It's also more dangerous, as forces beyond anyone's control are descending on Roseland, revealing long hidden truths about friends, family, and the man named Calliel who Benji is finding he can no longer live without. Five years ago, Benji Green lost his beloved father, Big Eddie, when his truck crashed into a river. It's not until the impossible happens and a man falls from the sky and leaves the burning imprint of wings on the ground that he begins to understand that the world around him is more mysterious than he could have possibly imagined. He thinks himself haunted, but whether by ghosts or memories, he can no longer tell. With ever-increasing dreams of his father's death and waking visions of feathers on the surface of a river, Benji's definition of reality is starting to bend. Surrounded by his mother and three aunts, he lives day by day, struggling to keep his head above water. However, even years later, he is buried deep in his grief, throwing himself into taking over Big Eddie's convenience store in the small town of Roseland, Oregon. All called it an accident, but Benji thought it more. Five years ago, Benji Green lost his beloved father, Big Eddie, who drowned when his truck crashed into a river. ![]() |