Have you ever wondered what life in France is really like? Is it all garlic and fabulousness? Berets and croissants? What do they do with bidets? Do they really eat horses? In this quirky little book, Piu Marie Eatwell reveals the truth behinds 45 myths about France and its citizens. The author lived in France […]
■ REVIEW: The Eat Horses Don’t They?
French idioms … and bidets Read Post »
The launch of Jeannie Barnes’ long-awaited book on the swagmen of the south brought together a host of Southlanders – from those who contributed stories to the book to families of some who were the subjects. Ms Barnes has researched widely and well, drawing on many contacts built up over a lifetime here and has
■ REVIEW: Swaggers, Tinkers, Hawkers: Deep South Tales
Great piece of local history Read Post »
My Notorious Life was inspired by the true story of 19th century New York midwife and abortionist Ann Trow Lohman, better known as Madame Restell; a woman once labelled “the wickedest woman in New York”. At the age of 13, young Axie Muldoon was living a hard life as an Irish immigrant in New York
■ REVIEW: My Notorious Life by Madame X
True midwife drama drawn from history Read Post »
He is revered around the world for his love of food and those who produce it, for his passion for seafood and, of course, his late dog Chalkie. But Rick Stein was not always such a much-loved celebrity chef. As he admits, he is a bit bolshie and even a bit of a ratbag who
■ REVIEW: Under a Mackerel Sky
Stein’s life story worth a read Read Post »
Most people know that it was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo that eventually triggered the beginning of World War I, but the story of the man who fired that opening shot is not so well known. Although the actions of the teenage assassin Gavrilo Princip had a massive impact on the world,
■ REVIEW: The Trigger
Tracking a moment in history Read Post »
A little girl finds a stray dog with a note attached to its collar: “HELP US”. She passes the dog on the a vagrant – known as the Walking Man – in the hopes he will be able to find its family. Oliver and Matilda Anchor-Ferrers, along with their daughter Lucia, and their dog, Bear, are
■ REVIEW: Wolf
Sinister story cranks up the terror Read Post »
Eighteen essays by chiefly Australian and Kiwi scientists detail what is happening as our planet gets warmer and examine both political and ethical issues. It is certainly an eye-opening read as there are impacts on our food and water supplies as well as on the spread of infectious diseases. How is our health being affected
■ REVIEW: Living in a Warmer World
Climate debate heats up Read Post »
With a PhD in history from Oxford University, Dr Yuval Noah Harari is well-qualified to examine the history of us – the human species. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind looks at the whole of human history, from the very first humans until now, and how our history has shaped us and our environment. Going back
■ REVIEW: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
What shaped our evolutionary path? Read Post »
Every morning, Rachel catches the same train to the same destination, to her same job, and passes the same houses on her journey. And every morning that train stops at the same signal, overlooking a row of houses and their back gardens. Rachel has started to imagine the lives of the people she sees on
■ REVIEW: The Girl on the Train
A good read, if you ignore the annoyances Read Post »
Where would we be without paper? Sure, the digital age has changed the way we read our books, magazines and newspapers, but we didn’t get there without killing a few trees first and as an avid reader, there’s nothing like that new book smell: I’ll read a book on my iPad from time to time
■ REVIEW: Paper
Hold it in your hands and feel the history Read Post »
