Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain , by Anthony Bourdain If you’ve ever watched No Reservations, a travel and food show hosted by Anthony Bourdain, then you have “Tony’s” voice in your head as you read this book, the one that made him famous enough to be made host of his own show(s). He has a trademark writer’s voice, too – a little too cool for his own good, but genuinely racked-out sounding and with a certainhardcore urbanity and something that sounds like a foodie-sensualist’s version of Beat Poetry on his summing-up monologues. I’m a fast reader, so it’s not unusual…
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I keep meaning to purchase the New Zealand Prayer Book because it’s got some amazingly beautiful and poetic liturgy in it. Also, things like the Night Prayer and little gems like this: For People Critically Ill, or Facing Great Uncertainty God of the present moment, God who in Jesus stills the stormand soothes the frantic heart;bring hope and courage to N,as s/he/they wait/s in uncertainty.Bring hope that you will make her/him/them the equalof whatever lies ahead.Bring her/him/them courage to endure what cannot be avoided,for your will is health and wholeness;you are God, and we need you. Good, eh? Speaking of…
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Salt Lake Tribune – Book says Smith came from Jesus family tree Oy.
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Via Pazzo Blog » Blog Archive » Books you’ll never read: Instead of suggesting books you might like to buy, based on what you've bought before, Library Thing has the Unsuggester – plug in a book you've read or you own, and it comes back with a list of books you probably would not want to read. The Lord of the Rings (Collector's Edition) So I plugged in one of my all-time favorite books…and found that apparently, Mary Higgins Clark is the Anti-Tolkien.
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((deep, raspy Movie Guy voice)) In a world where evil trolls lie in wait, thirsting for blood, and cruel goblins lurk deep under the middle-Earth, a great treasure lies at the end of an arduous journey…guarded by… a dragon. They are not heroes… they are not mighty warriors. They are refugees on a quest to reclaim their golden birthright. But they've got a problem… thirteen of them. Bad luck. They're about to change their luck… by taking on one more traveler, who has no idea what fate awaits him… right after a wild, crazy, and quite unexpected party. Underground. Tom…
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‘Schroedinger’s Ball’ by Adam Felber – The New York Times – New York Times I have to admit, I’m a Fanatical Apathist, so I’m looking forward to reading Adam Felber’s new novel. I’m a little puzzled by this review in the Grey Lady, though – did the reviewer like the book, were they charmed enough to imitate the style, or just showing off that they “get” all the romantic metaphors possible with a solid background in quantum physics? Anyway, it sounds pretty darn good for a WWDTM denizen, so well done Adam. Take 20th-century physics, add Johann Strauss, the Waltz…
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Maisie Dobbsby Jacqueline Winspear Honestly, I tried to like these books. I love “cozy” British murder mysteries, and have read every single Ngaio Marsh title, every single Dorothy L. Sayers book about Lord Peter, every novel and short story by Edmund Crispin, and yet I have the good taste to shun Agatha Christie, because a) she wasn’t as good a writer as the above authors and b) she didn’t play fair with her clues. I was looking for a new author to love, and had briefly flirted with a couple of authors (P. D. James: too violent. Patricia Wentworth: dull…
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All in all, it was a perfect day here in Suburbia Nervosa. I had friends who were going to be at the Pirate Fest in Port Washington, WI, so my husband David and I had decided to drive up for a few hours. Since getting an early start wasn’t all that necessary, we lolled around drinking coffee, listening to the Saturday lineup on WBEZ (naturally, we listened to WWDTM) and eventually gathered a few odds and ends that included cameras, hats, sunscreen… and books. One of my friends is a writer and would be signing copies of his latest book…
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Next must-read book: How Would a Patriot Act? Defending American Values from a President Run Amok by Glenn Greenwald How Would a Patriot Act? is one man’s story of being galvanized into action to defend America’s founding principles, and a reasoned argument for what must be done. Greenwald’s penetrating words should inspire a nation to defend the Constitution from a president who secretly bestowed upon himself the powers of a monarch. If we are to remain a constitutional republic, Greenwald writes, we cannot abide radical theories of executive power, which are transforming the very core of our national character, and…
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My wacky British chum Mrs Blubridge has been very quiet of late, but now she’ll be completely full of herself. My copy of GUS OPENSHAW’S WHALE-KILLING JOURNAL : A Novel finally arrived, and in the acknowledgements section at the back is this little item: This book wouldn’t have left the dock without Gus Openshaw’s digital shipmates, the bloggers who took part in the hunt via the internet, offering support, advice, navigational aid, and in one case, access to NASA satellite feed to help locate the blubbery bastard. They are: Annie, Bard Sinister, Bastardess, Blueberry, Mrs. Blubridge, JCanuck, Trish Cavendish, Edna,…