Article first published as Book Review: The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva on Blogcritics. About: The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva brings back Israeli spy Gabriel Allon in this seventh installment. This time we find Allon as a weary, tired agent ready to hang up his holster and, unwillingly, accept his fate in management. 385 pages Publisher: Putnam Adult Language: English ISBN-10: 0399154221 My rating for The Secret Servant – 5 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format More Books by Daniel Silva Thoughts: I found The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva (web­site) to be a more current, at least in atmosphere, of the Gabriel Allon series. As usual with the rest of the series, the book is difficult to put down, a fast paced adventure and thriller which brings back familiar characters. The characters age with the books, which I like. None are superheroes, but people with issues and problems who only justify their acts to themselves by holding a high moral ground. However, this high moral ground must be broken from time to time which leaves them feeling confused and filled with regrets. The book is filled with many characters, bumbling politicians, Islamic extremists, non-extremists Islamic people and other hot button issues from current day world. However,…

Vernon Lee (17 August, 1856 –1935) was a British writer of supernatural fiction. Ms. Lee was also a prolific essayist who wrote on art, music, and travel. 1 ) Vernon Lee is actually a p[pseudonym, the writer’s real name is Violet Paget. 2 ) One of her childhood friends was artist John Singer Sargent (who painted the portrait above). 3 ) Even though the author mainly wrote in English, she spent the majority of her life in Italy. 4 ) Ms. Lee was an early feminist and dressed like a man. 5 ) She was a lesbian and had long, passionate relationship with two women. 6 ) During her life, Lee was considered an authority on Italian Renaissance and wrote two works on the subject. 7 ) When writing travel essays, Lee tried to capture the psychological effects of places rather than conveying information. 8 ) Another favorite topic for Vernon Lee was the relationship between authors and readers. 9 ) She also pioneered the idea of critically assessing art in relation to the audience’s personal response. 10) After her death, Lee’s library was left to the British Institute of Florence and can still be visited today. Zohar – Man…

Article first published as Book Review: The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells on Blogcritics. About: The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells is another classic book by the famous English author written in 1901. At the time the novel was ridiculed, however it stood the test of time for over more than a Century. 176 pages Publisher: Dover Publications (December 18, 2000) Language: English ISBN-10: 0486414183 My rat­ing for The First Men in the Moon — 3 Buy this book paper or elec­tronic for­mat More books by H. G. Wells Part of the League of Extra­or­di­nary Gen­tle — Men of la — Book Chal­lenge (Vol. 1) Thoughts: The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells is a very imaginative book which, in the context of what we know now, is an amazing testament to Mr. Wells’ imagination, logic and foresight. In this book objects float in space, weightlessness is applicable, humans are able to cover large distances on the moon due to low gravity and spaceships generate an immense amount of heat returning to earth. The story also has several philosophical tones. The two main characters, Cavor and Bedford are at odds with one another…

Today marks the burning down of the historic Globe Theatre in London, 1613. The theatre was built by Lord Chamberlain’s Men, part of which was, of course, William Shakespeare.

Article first published as Book Review: The Testament of Jessie Lamb by Jane Rogers on Blogcritics. About: The Testament of Jessie Lamb by Jane Rogers is an award winning science-fiction book taking place in the near future. This is a book that out of my comfort zone as I usually don’t read this genre (I used to), but I’m glad I read and think it’s important to read books which you might not otherwise. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the form at the end of the post to enter. 256 pages Publisher: Harper Perennial Language: English ISBN-10: 0062130803 My rating for The Testament of Jessie Lamb – 5 Buy this book in paper or electronic format More Book by Jane Rogers Thoughts: The Testament of Jessie Lamb by Jane Rogers (website | Facebook.)almost reads like a classic dystopian novel and I’m sure it will become one soon enough. I found the story surprising with several gentle twists, every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I found out I was wrong. The writing is excellent, but the book is not your fast paced variety. The story is narrated from the point of view…

Tomorrow, 21 April will be the birthday of author Charlotte Brontë who was born in 1816. While I did not care much for Jane Eyre , I did appreciate its literary qualities. Check out my Fun Facts Friday on Charlotte’s sister, Emily. Books by Charlotte Brontë 1 ) Charlotte Brontë was the only one of her sisters to live past the ripe old age of 31. 2 ) The author’s most famous work, Jane Eyre, was originally published in 1847 under the nom-de-plume Currer Bell. 3 ) After Jane Eyre was published, the Brontë family suffered three tragedies in eight months. In September 1848 the family’s only son, Branwell, died, Emily died in December of 1848 and Anne died in May 1849. Charlotte stopped writing for a while but continued her second novel, Shirley, after Anne’s death as a way of dealing with her grief. 4 ) As a way of gaining attention to her Shirley, Charlotte sent copies leading authors of the time including Elizabeth Gaskell. 5 ) Charlotte’s third book, Villette, was the last one published in her lifetime. As her previous novels, the book has some autobiographical aspects. The novel was acknowledged as having sophisticated writing, but…

Jean Naggar writes her childhood spent in Cairo and England as we all remember our childhood – a magical time in an enchanted world. Surrounded by a large, protective family members of the Cairo elites

Tomorrow is the birthday of English poet William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 – 23 April 1850). Wordsworth’s semi-autobiographical poem The Prelude (buy in paperback or electronic format for $1) is considered his masterpiece among poetry scholars.

Sometimes the story behind the book is more interesting than the book. King Solomon’s Mines (my thoughts) by H. Rider Haggard also has an interesting story behind the novel that inspired such characters as Indiana Jones. Buy this book in paper or FREE in elec­tronic format. More book by H. Rider Haggard 1 ) When the novel was first published in London, 1885, it was marketed “ The Most Amazing Book Ever Written” and became an immediate best seller 2 ) At the time explorations around the globe were major headlines, however Africa largely remained a mystery. King Solomon’s Mines was the first novel, published in English, to capture the public’s interest. 3 ) Haggard has traveled in Africa when he was 19 and witnessed the Anglo-Zulu War as well as the First Boer War. 4 ) Alan Quatermain is based largely on famed British white hunter and explorer Frederick Courteney Selous. 5) The part in the novel about Captain Good taking out his false teeth and terrifying the locals is based on a true story. Jospeh Thomson, a Scottish explorer, has documented this even in his book Through Masai Land where he scared Kenyan warriors taking out his false teeth and putting them back. Haggard was…

Dissolution by C.J. Sansom is a fiction novel set during the reign on Henry VIII in the year 1537. The author sets out to tell a tale of murder, and deceit