Leni Zumas's writing crackles. Her books are sharp, bleak, funny, and possibly dangerous. When her collection of short stories, Farewell Navigator,...
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This, like all Jon Ronson books, is a must-read. You will look at the world and people around you differently and question basic notions of virtue and responsibility. Weighty as it sounds, it's also a really enjoyable read.
It's a rare person who can deal ably in both words and image. That's why comic books traditionally had both writers and artists. It's hard to find the total package. Lauren Redniss ties text and art together in a way that seems totally in service of the story -- not cute or contrived -- but poetic and natural.
I became a fan of her graphic reportage for the New York Times, and her two books have not disappointed. Century Girl wove archival imagery together with original drawings and text to tell a charming true story, and Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie is masterful. Every page is frameable and evocative. Truly a book to experience in print, turning each page was a delight.
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(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Long a devotee of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, I took a while to warm to Mccall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie series. But once I did I read every one in quick succession and have been delighted with each. The characters are unforgettable and the books smart and moving. Perfect reads...but expensive, as you'll surely want to travel to Edinburgh within a few pages.
This is the craft book for the intuitive crafter -- the crafter who sees something sparkly or quirky and has to make something out of it. (I love that the author describes Retro-Craft as more akin to "prison art" than Martha Stewart!)
Often craft books remove the most delightful steps from the process by giving you a list of things to buy and rigid step-by-steps, but this book prepares you for a crafting life. The author talks about how to create crafting spaces, how to find vintage supplies, how to connect and work with other crafters, and, generally, how to get started crafting in a heart-felt, not by-the-numbers way.
It's witty and warm and a pleasure to read as well as work from.
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(8 of 10 readers found this comment helpful)
Gosh, I loved this book. I kept coming across it and thinking I really should read it, as I'm a sucker for primate stories like Washoe's in Next of Kin. Had I known what fun and how full of surprises A Primate's Memoir would be, I would've picked it up much sooner. A scientist with gift for story and humor, such as Sapolsky has, is a fine combination.
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(7 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)
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ashevillelibrarian has commented on (5) products.
The Psychopath Test: A Journey through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson
ashevillelibrarian, January 9, 2012
This, like all Jon Ronson books, is a must-read. You will look at the world and people around you differently and question basic notions of virtue and responsibility. Weighty as it sounds, it's also a really enjoyable read.Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss
ashevillelibrarian, April 6, 2011
It's a rare person who can deal ably in both words and image. That's why comic books traditionally had both writers and artists. It's hard to find the total package. Lauren Redniss ties text and art together in a way that seems totally in service of the story -- not cute or contrived -- but poetic and natural.I became a fan of her graphic reportage for the New York Times, and her two books have not disappointed. Century Girl wove archival imagery together with original drawings and text to tell a charming true story, and Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie is masterful. Every page is frameable and evocative. Truly a book to experience in print, turning each page was a delight.
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
The Charming Quirks of Others (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries) by Alexander Mccall Smith
ashevillelibrarian, January 4, 2011
Long a devotee of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, I took a while to warm to Mccall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie series. But once I did I read every one in quick succession and have been delighted with each. The characters are unforgettable and the books smart and moving. Perfect reads...but expensive, as you'll surely want to travel to Edinburgh within a few pages.The Complete Book of Retro Crafts: Collecting, Displaying & Making Crafts of the Past by Suzie Millions
ashevillelibrarian, March 27, 2008
This is the craft book for the intuitive crafter -- the crafter who sees something sparkly or quirky and has to make something out of it. (I love that the author describes Retro-Craft as more akin to "prison art" than Martha Stewart!)Often craft books remove the most delightful steps from the process by giving you a list of things to buy and rigid step-by-steps, but this book prepares you for a crafting life. The author talks about how to create crafting spaces, how to find vintage supplies, how to connect and work with other crafters, and, generally, how to get started crafting in a heart-felt, not by-the-numbers way.
It's witty and warm and a pleasure to read as well as work from.
(8 of 10 readers found this comment helpful)
A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life among the Baboons by Robert M. Sapolsky
ashevillelibrarian, January 4, 2008
Gosh, I loved this book. I kept coming across it and thinking I really should read it, as I'm a sucker for primate stories like Washoe's in Next of Kin. Had I known what fun and how full of surprises A Primate's Memoir would be, I would've picked it up much sooner. A scientist with gift for story and humor, such as Sapolsky has, is a fine combination.(7 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)