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Creativity, maple syrup, and mysteries
Mar. 24th, 2014 03:15 pmCreativity: The Perfect Crime by Philippe Petit. Audacious is the word for this book. It is such a different approach to explaining and encouraging the creative process. I love the drawings he uses to illustrate his ideas. I love the way he embraces contradictions. He has such a distinctive writing style. It was a pleasure to read. He's the tightrope artist who specializes in difficult (not to say insane) locations.
Queen Victoria, a life of contradictions by Matthew Dennison. I am not really sure who the audience is for this book or its goal. It presents Victoria's life in a superficial way. It focuses on family and a few other people but it is too short to do them justice. It's not even a good introduction for those seeking to learn more about the woman who gave the name to an age and style. Disappointing.
The Sugar Season: A Year in the Life of Maple Syrup, and One Family's Quest for the Sweetest Harvest by Douglas Whynott. A surprisingly interesting book about maple syrup - its roots in American history, family involvement in a multibillion dollar industry, and how even maple syrup can be involved in an international theft. It was interesting to learn that while the techniques of harvesting sap have advanced, it's still highly dependent on Mother Nature. Global warming and man's effect on the environment is playing a part in the shifting industry.
Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson. It's been a few years since I read any books by this author. I like the Yorkshire setting. The characters are fairly interesting. I just didn't find it that engaging. The mystery wasn't that interesting and the victim was unlikeable. Still it was a pretty good read.
The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby. I have read others in this series, so was pleased to find this first one. Very enjoyable. She got the descriptions of Virginia wine country right. Her details about wine making were fascinating. Likeable characters, even knowing what comes next. A good read.
Queen Victoria, a life of contradictions by Matthew Dennison. I am not really sure who the audience is for this book or its goal. It presents Victoria's life in a superficial way. It focuses on family and a few other people but it is too short to do them justice. It's not even a good introduction for those seeking to learn more about the woman who gave the name to an age and style. Disappointing.
The Sugar Season: A Year in the Life of Maple Syrup, and One Family's Quest for the Sweetest Harvest by Douglas Whynott. A surprisingly interesting book about maple syrup - its roots in American history, family involvement in a multibillion dollar industry, and how even maple syrup can be involved in an international theft. It was interesting to learn that while the techniques of harvesting sap have advanced, it's still highly dependent on Mother Nature. Global warming and man's effect on the environment is playing a part in the shifting industry.
Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson. It's been a few years since I read any books by this author. I like the Yorkshire setting. The characters are fairly interesting. I just didn't find it that engaging. The mystery wasn't that interesting and the victim was unlikeable. Still it was a pretty good read.
The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby. I have read others in this series, so was pleased to find this first one. Very enjoyable. She got the descriptions of Virginia wine country right. Her details about wine making were fascinating. Likeable characters, even knowing what comes next. A good read.
