Bolt by Dick Francis is a thriller set in the horseracing world of England. Kit Fielding, the main character, works as a jockey who races for a wealthy couple. Without wanting to, he turned into a detective, to help them escape a business partner. On the other hand, somebody is killing their horses “humanely,” with a bolt-gun.
Another horseracing thriller
Over these two plot lines, we also read about a love story. Kit and the niece of the wealthy couple, in fact, are engaged. Continue reading
Driving Force is a Dick Francis novel, i.e. a thriller from the world of horse racing. Queen Elizabeth II loved these novels and Mr. Francis wrote about 40. His son continued the legacy with more titles in the same vein, after they co-authored a few titles.
I read Driving Force by Dick Francis on Libby, the library app, on my phone, in dark mode to protect my eyes
A few years ago, I read a Dick Francis novel and liked it, so I decided to try a few more. Well, I could not stop until I read four of them in row. Driving Force was the first in my little Francis cavalcade. Continue reading
One book leads to another. As I read Angela Gheorghiu’s autobiography, she mentioned the most famous cake in the world: the Sacher torte from Vienna. This lead me to discover a whole series of books about rich desserts and wealthy people. Talk about a unit study. That is how I discovered a historical novel titled The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe.
I read it from READS, Tennessee’s electronic library
Have you ever wondered who the richest man on the Titanic was and if he made it out alive? The answer is John Jacob Astor IV (net worth $2.6 billion in today’s money) and no, he did not. He put his wife on Lifeboat #4. Continue reading
O Viata pentru Arta (A Life for Art) by Angela Gheorghiu and Jon Tolanski is the autobiography of Angela Gheorghiu, as dictated to Tolanski. He wrote it in English but I read the Romanian translation. I wanted to hear the diva’s own words in her native Romanian.
My copy of “O Viata pentru Arta”
Angela Gheorghiu, many people say, is the best operatic soprano in the world. She has been compared to Maria Callas and has been dubbed “the last diva.” The last because the younger sopranos do not behave like divas. And diva because, well, she misses rehearsals and performances for reasons like “I don’t like this wig.” Continue reading
Primii Pasi in Sah (The First Steps in Chess) by Elisabeta Polihroniade would help any Romanian child learn how to play chess. We used to own this book and I remember reading the first few chapters.
My copy of “Primii Pasi in Sah”
When my sister came to visit a few months ago, I asked her to procure a copy from a used book store, if at all possible. Well, she found it and a couple other titles by Polihroniade, the best woman chess player of Romania. Continue reading
The Battle in Gatlinburg by Bill Morris is a very small booklet about a Civil War skirmish which happened in Gatlinburg, about Light #3 and Anakeesta. The Cherokee Confederates were having breakfast one morning when two columns of Union soldiers surprised them.
The Roaring Fork River at Zoder’s Inn and Suites in Gatlinburg
Leaving their corncakes in the skillet over the fire, the Cherokees retreated into the forest. The Union soldiers ate the corncakes and then pursued the Cherokees up the hill, in a tree-by-tree skirmish. Eventually, the Cherokees ran away and disappeared into the Smoky Mountains. Continue reading
Paul et Virginie by Bernardin de Saint-Pierre is a classic French novel of the 18th century. I bought my copy a long time ago, in 1992, in Romania, but never read it.
My copy of “Paul et Virginie”
The story fits the century in which de Saint-Pierre lived. On Mauritius, a French colony at the time, two single mothers (one widowed and the other never wed) raise a daughter and a son almost as siblings. When puberty kicks in and the platonic feelings turn to romantic, Paul and Virginie face some choices. Continue reading
Learn Chess by John Nunn gave me great insight into the game of chess. Written for absolute beginners, the book provides the rules and all the strategies needed to become proficient in chess and go to the next level.
This book will take you from absolute beginner to worthy opponent
I thought I knew how to play chess and taught my children the way the pieces moved when they were very little. My father had taught me how to play when I was a child. We even had a book about it (Primii Pasi in Sah by Elisabeta Polihroniade). I never finished that book as a child though. Continue reading
When I read Digital Minimalism last summer and blogged about it, I knew I wanted to read more books by Cal Newport. As a computer scientist, he thinks very logically and presents information in a way that makes sense. Maybe I have missed my profession. Maybe I should have been a computer science major in college, because, I tell you, Newport’s mind presents information just the way I like to receive it.
Deep Work Paperback Cover
Deep Work by Cal Newport is tremendous. If you do not read any other book this year, read Deep Work. It is not just about productivity. It is about changing who you are by the activities you engage in. Stop the shallow habits of thought and become intentional about the way you interact with the technology available to us today. Continue reading
Have you ever wondered where the phrase “WWJD” came from? Wonder no more. It came from In His Steps by Charles Sheldon.
In His Steps cover
In all honesty, I had a hard time reading this book because Sheldon preaches a sermon over and over again. As he advances the story, he slides in a sermon. Continue reading