Fun Facts Friday: Harriet Beecher Stowe
Fun Facts Friday , Latest Posts / June 15, 2012

Yesterday was the birthday of Harriet Beecher Stowe (14 June, 1811 – 1 July, 1896). Stowe is known mostly for her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin but she was an avid writer all of her life. Picture from Nation’s history is embedded in portrait of a famous writer – boston.com Books by Harriet Beecher Stowe 1 ) Uncle Tom’s Cabin was originally slated to be a short series in an abolitionist magazine 2 ) Stowe was often criticized for not having firsthand knowledge of slavery. In response Stowe published A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin which revealed her sources. 3 ) After the American Civil War, Stowe bought a home in Florida and started schools for African American children. 4 ) It is said that Stowe danced in the streets when Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation. 5 ) When Stowe met President Abraham Lincoln he reported to have said: “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war!” 6 ) Uncle Tom’s Cabin sold 300,000 copies. 7 ) In 1853 Stowe was welcomed in England as a literary hero. 8 ) In November 1857 Stowe was one of the original contributors to The Atlantic along with Ralph Waldo…

Thoughts on: The Art of War by Sun Tzu
5 Stars , Latest Posts , Non-Fiction / June 14, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Art of War by Sun Tzu on Blogcritics. About: The Art of War by Sun Tzu is an ancient Chinese military treatise. The book, a classic within the science of military studies is only attributed to the high ranking general and was believed to have been complies during the last spring and autumn of the Warring States period(either 476 BC or 453 BC). 62 pages Publisher: Simon & Brown Language: English ISBN-10: 1936041758 My rating for The Art of War – 5 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format Thoughts: I first heard of The Art of War by Sun Tzu when I was in the military. I heard of the book in passing and read a bit more about it when I got home, but never picked up a copy until several years later. The first thing which struck me was how short the book was, but the more I read, the more I realized the wisdom behind the book. The second, third, forth and more I read this book I stopped for contemplation about what Sun Tzu’s words mean to me, how I implemented his advice both in the military and outside of it and the mistakes I made, how can…

Thoughts on: Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani

About: Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani is a fictional book taking place in 16th Century Iran. The story blends a mix of historical and fictional characters to create an intriguing novel. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 448 pages Publisher: Scribner Language: English ISBN-10: 1451660464 My rat­ing for Equal of the Sun— 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format More Books by Anita Amirrezvani Thoughts: I have never heard of Iranian princess Pari Khan Khanoom so I was thrilled to read Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani as my introduction to this fascinating woman. The book’s fascinating descriptions of Persian traditions and culture is its biggest strength and most captivating aspect. The parts which looked into court life, palace intrigue and royal family politics were especially appealing. Most of the book focuses on how the cultural conventions pertain to the women in the court. The story is told through the eyes of Javaher, a eunuch (by choice!) who is working for Princess Pari. Some of the graphic aspects of the story made me, as a man, feel very uncomfortable including a…

Tightwad Tuesday — Free or Affordable eBooks — Mysteries
Latest Posts , Tightwad Tuesday / June 12, 2012

Another Tuesday and another post of Tightwad. I’m reading a pretty good mystery right now called The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson so I thought I’d look up some free and/or affordable eBooks Please note: The prices for the post are current at the time of the post, please pay attention to make sure they haven’t changed before purchase. Authors: If you’d like your book to be fea­tured on Tight­wad Tues­days please email me. For the Kindle: Daily Deal Carbs & Cadavers (The Supper Club Mysteries) by J.B. Stanley Divorced, overweight, and shy, former English Professor James Henry moves back home to help his recently-widowed father. After arriving, James joins a supper club for dieters. When a mysterious death strikes fear in their small community, the club members dodge delectable temptations by working together to find the killer. Yesterday’s Price: $8.58 Today’s Discount: $6.59 Kindle Daily Deal Price: $1.99 (77% off) THE ACCIDENTAL HERO by Joshua Graham (A Digital Short) A ruthless hitman confronts his destiny in a startling tale of redemption. The Murderous Fire (Unnatural Death Investigations, Book #4) by Ryan Clover Death is never as simple as it seems. The Unnatural Death Investigations is a mystery thriller series…

Guest Post: Modern Reading: Can You Multitask your Way There?
Guest Posts , Latest Posts / June 11, 2012

It seems like it’s more and more difficult to pick up a book and concentrate on it these days. I remember when I was younger, I would sit and read a book cover to cover, completely engrossed, only putting it down to attend to absolute necessities. But now I find myself buying books and starting them, only to get distracted halfway through by life in general, or another book entirely. We hear constant chatter on the news about modern conveniences leading to a more distracted, multitasking mindset. As quick as we may be to dismiss these claims, I find myself wondering whether my current go-go-go lifestyle has hindered my enjoyment of the simple process of reading a book. And, if that’s the case, what can I possibly do about it? It’s definitely true that our minds work in accordance with the way we live. I find myself getting online and flitting about from one thing to the next, trying to take in and keep track of everything at the same time, all while trying to get significant research or writing accomplished. As much as multitasking in this way feels natural to me now, I have to admit, sometimes I do…

Thoughts on: The Dump by Peppe Arninge
5 Stars , Latest Posts / June 9, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Dump by Peppe Arninge on Blogcritics. About: The Dump by Peppe Arninge is a photo book with a series of haunting images in black and white. The photos are taken around Cambodia’s garbage dumps and evoke powerful feelings. 78 pages Publisher: Publicera Publishing Ltd Language: English ASIN: B0076I642W My rating for The Dump – 5 Buy this book in paper (from blurb.com) or Kindle format or PDF Thoughts: When I was contacted by Mr. Arminge to read The Dump it took me some time to agree. Photo books are not really my forte (a good argument could be made that no books are actually my forte…but we’ll leave that alone). After doing some research and reading Mr. Arninge’s resume and portfolio, I decided to have a look. The book shows some of the extraordinary photos Mr. Arninge took in Cambodia, it is an important historical document and a painful way to drive home a point. Seeing children digging through trash, fighting day by day other children, adults, rats, dogs and disease for a few scraps is heartbreaking. I have been witness to several acts of evil us human beings are capable of over the years – but cruelty against children…

Armchair BEA – Day 5 – Ask The Experts
Latest Posts / June 8, 2012

It’s been almost two years of blogging – still unbelievable to me – and I loved every moment. What have I learned in two short years? Not much and especially not as much as the more serious bloggers out there. If you check out the main post (with a linky) for the Armchair BEA on this topic you’ll find much needed and wise advice. In order not to repeat the already great advice given, here are a few of mine: – Book blogs are time consuming: This is an important point not only for new bloggers, but also for industry professionals. A book blog is a time consuming hobby, a blogger could spend around 6-10 hours on every book – reading, writing and setting up posts. – Know your place: while your blog is all about you, as it should be, you have to realize that 99% of the time you don’t get free books because the publisher/author values your opinion, but as part of a comprehensive social media marking plan. Sometimes that plan works out (good review), sometimes not (a bad one), but the way you’re being looked at is inexpensive publicity. What should that mean to you? Nothing really, but it’s good to know. – “No”…

Armchair BEA – Day 4 – “Beyond the Blog”
Latest Posts / June 7, 2012

“If none of these apply we’d love for you to share a fun aspect about your blog or life that may be completely separate from books!” Between life, work and kids there is very little left (a man needs to eat and has to sleep). My two little monsters keep me busy and I cherish every moment even when I get mad and the wife needs attention every now and then also. Sometimes, we even get to talk during dinner or before going to sleep. Sometimes… The last year saw some great changes. I started a new job and we moved to a new state. I have moved several times during my life but always to a place where I knew friends and had family. This time we moved to a new place with no one but our small nuclear unit. To be honest it was much more difficult than I imagined – but we survived and we will thrive even though we have to start all over again (we lost a ton of money on our house). One of the things I had to put on hold was my wood working – which left me more time to read….

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