2009 Art History Reading Challenge – Finito!

Last night I finished the last of my 6 books for this challenge, The Thief of Venice. Challenge met! Enjoyed each of these selections.
Originally published November 25, 2008:
The Art History Reading Challenge: read at least 6 books about art in 2009. These can be either fiction or nonfiction, and can span every genre from historical fiction [...]

It’s a Mystery: The Thief of Venice, by Jane Langton

Acqua alta
Venice, city of mystery, filled with great art, ancient religious relics, churches, and, sometimes, sea water. In The Thief of Venice, Homer attends a rare book conference and Mary sets out to acquaint herself with the dreamlike city. Her dreams turn into nightmares when she is pursued by a handsome but nefarious oncologist [...]

It’s a Mystery: Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn

Desperation

For 25 years, Libby Day has avoided revisiting her memories of the horrendous night in which she heard someone murder her mother and sisters. It was her own testimony, as a 5 year old, that sent her older brother to prison for life. Now Libby is barely functioning as an independent adult. She desperately [...]

Some More Quotes about Books

“The book you don’t read can’t help.”  Jim Rohn
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” Groucho Marks
“You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” [...]

History News: Is This the Real Shakespeare?

A newly discovered painting, in private hands for 300 years, may just be the only (known) portrait of William Shakespeare painted in his own lifetime. Does it matter? Probably not to some people, but it does to me. I’m one of those who believe that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare. He’s one of my favorite topics to [...]

Classic Lit: The Warden, by Anthony Trollope

Not for Profit

Septimus Hardy is that rarity – an honest, “disinterested”, Church of England cleric. For 10 years, he has held the living as warden at a charitable “hospital”, founded centuries ago for impoverished but worthy tradesmen. When in the interest of reform, John Bold, Warden Hardy’s daughter’s suitor, brings a suit against the church [...]

100 Best First Lines from Novels

Recently posted on American Book Review.org, this intriguing list is fun to peruse. I’ve read quite a few of them, but some lines from books I haven’t read  have piqued my interest in checking them out. My favorite is “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” from A Tale of [...]

Reading Resource: BookSleuth

Anyone who reads has been there. You want to reread, or recommend to someone else, this great book you read years ago. But, and it’s a big but, you cannot remember the title, author, characters, or any other specifics, except the general theme. It was set in Scotland and concerned a family which was into [...]

It’s a Mystery: The Keep, by Jennifer Egan

The lady in the tower
As it opens, The Keep zeroes in on Danny, who is forced to get out of town – fast, because he’s screwed up royally once again. These initial chapters appear to be the set up for a romance novel, until they segue into the heart of the story. Serendipitously [...]

A Visit to Poe’s Cottage, the Bronx

In honor of the bicentennial of the birth (1/19) of Edgar Allen Poe , the Bronx Historical Society threw a party of sorts at his last place of residence, a tiny wooden cottage now located a few hundred yards from its original site. When Poe lived there, the Bronx was considered a healthy retreat, offering [...]