Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville I find it cunningly ironic when the entire review of a novel can be summed up in a quote from the same novel. So here it is: “the whale would be by all hands considered a noble dish, were there not so much of him; but when you …
Tag: 19th century
May 17
Book Review: At Home, A Short History of Private Life
At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson I have adored quite a few of Bill Bryson’s books, especially In a Sunburned Country and A Walk in the Woods, which I found both uproariously funny and full of fascinating anecdotes. I expected to like this one just as much, and got the …
Nov 18
Book Review: For All the Tea in China
For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World’s Favorite Drink and Changed History by Sarah Rose This isn’t quite a book like SALT or THE PERFECT RED that covers every possible aspect of a world-changing commodity. It’s kind of pick and choose about what aspects of the tea trade it covers closely …
Jul 01
Book Review: Waking Giant
Waking Giant: America in the Age of Jackson by David S. Reynolds If you want a general overview of life in the early 19th century in America, this is a good book for you. Comprehensive and informative, it covers a broad swath of subjects, from politics to religion to health and medicine. Reynolds also includes …
Mar 15
Book Review: The Poison Diaries
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood I chose this book because my 12-year-old daughter highly recommended it. It has a lot of elements that pre-teen girls and young teen girls will find desirable: young heroine, cute mysterious boy, darkness, supernatural powers, and death. It’s a unique spin on the “pretty young woman meets pretty supernatural …