Month: September 2015

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Cookbooks: Preservation Society Home Preserves  by Camilla Wynne

September 30, 2015 admin 0

There is no good reason that books about home preserves and canning tend to be stodgy and old-fashioned. Could it be because this whole area of interest used to be the domain of uncool mothers and grandmothers? But in an era whose most vibrant mainstream cherishes the handmade, everything old is new again. And the hipster movement has not only revitalized many arts nearly lost, they’ve turned up the volume on many of those arts, refining […]

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Biography: Alice in Chains: The Untold Story  by David de Sola

September 30, 2015 admin 0

Alice in Chains: The Untold Story (Thomas Dunne Books) is not a book that could have been published a couple of decades ago. Aside from the obvious — events unfolding — the truth was simply too new and raw for anyone to talk about. Born in the shadow of Seattle grunge-era superstars Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains’ path to stardom was littered with drugs and mishaps, including the death of charismatic lead […]

Trainspotting Sequel Inching Closer

September 30, 2015 admin 0

It was arguably one of the more influential films of the 1990s. Now, finally, 20-plus years later,the Trainspotting movie is getting a sequel… and it won’t be called Porno, which was the book author Irvine Welsh followed that earlier novel with. From Slashfilm: Whenever [filmmaker Danny Boyle] is promoting a new movie, there are two projects he’s always going to be asked about — 28 Months Later and the Trainspotting 2. Both films have been kicking around for […]

Mired in La Mancha

September 24, 2015 admin 0

As we move towards what would have been the 400th anniversary of the publication of Cervantes’ Don Quixote, news filters through that The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, the film Terry Gilliam (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Brothers Grimm, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) has been working on on and off for many years, isn’t dead yet. From Cinema Blend: Gilliam has been trying to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote for, literally, decades, […]

The Passing of a Modern Philosopher

September 24, 2015 admin 0

“You can observe a lot by watching.” In a different era, he would have been in politics. But even though Hall of Famer Yogi Berra’s most oft-quoted lines could seem like blatant malapropisms, there tended to be a germ of homespun philosophy in even the most inappropriate seeming. “If the people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody’s going to stop them.” The 90-year-old former New York Yankees professional baseball catcher and coach […]

James Patterson

James Patterson to Receive NBF Award

September 23, 2015 admin 0

On November 18th, bestselling author and literary activist James Patterson (Along Came A Spider, Women’s Murder Club) will be presented with The National Book Foundation’s 2015 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. From the National Book Foundation: For the past decade, Patterson has been a passionate campaigner to make books and reading a national priority. Patterson has donated millions of dollars in grants and scholarships to encourage Americans to read more […]

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New Trump Book to Publish October

September 22, 2015 admin 0

Politically, the United States is having a tough time. Healthcare, taxation, national security and so much else have formed a core from which various candidates in the 2016 run at the presidency sling their mud. Do you despair of there ever being an answer? Fear not! Donald Trump is stepping up with a brand new book. From Publishers Weekly: Trump, who recently said that his The Art of the Deal was the second greatest book […]

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Fiction: The Fall of Princes  and
Did You Ever Have a Family

September 21, 2015 Tony Buchsbaum 3

The word “decade” starts the word “decadence,” and while that’s only a twist of linguistic fate, at no time was that more apt a pairing of words than the 1980s, a period when excess was the way of the day, when too much was not only not enough but just the beginning. Further, in the 80s there was perhaps nowhere on earth that excess was more on garish display than on Wall Street and in […]

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Cornelia Funke Takes Ball, Goes Home

September 20, 2015 admin 0

When Cornelia Funke’s UK and US editors recently asked her to move the first chapter of The Golden Yarn, her newest work, deeper into the book, Funke put her foot down. She decided to part company with her long-time publisher Little Brown & Company and start her own publishing house. From Publishers Weekly: The opening chapter describes a dark faerie watching a princess give birth. “It’s about love,” says Funke, from her Beverly Hills home. […]

Jackie Collins

Jackie Collins Dead at 77

September 19, 2015 admin 0

Internationally bestselling author Jackie Collins died on Saturday, September 19th, losing her battle with breast cancer. She was 77. A family statement published on the author’s web site expressed their loss: It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one of a kind mother, Jackie Collins, who died of breast cancer today. She lived a wonderfully full life and was adored by her family, friends and the millions […]