Chatting Books Online Day 119. Today's recommended book is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. This novel is southern in all the best , and oddest, of ways. Set in the beautiful mansions of Savannah , the descriptions are as intriguing as the drama. As gunfire rings out the questions - and rumors- start flying. Was it murder? Was it self-defense? Why did it happen? Add in a foul-mouthed drag queen, a voodoo priestess, a few society ladies, a piano playing con-artist, an antiques dealer, and a red-neck gigolo and you will forget that this wildly entertaining book is actually about a true-crime. If you have never read it, or haven't read it in a while you owe yourself the favor of picking up a copy today. We offer this southern classic in both hardcover for $ 28.00 and in paperback for $16.95.
Day 118: Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Chatting Books Online Day 118. Another of my absolute favorites, today's recommended book is Brother Sun, Sister Moon: St Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures as reimagined by Katherine Paterson. This is a book that defies classification: is it a children's book or a book for adults? Is it a religious book or more inspirational? Or is it simply a work of art? Maybe even a coffee table book, certainly a lovely gift. St. Francis originally wrote a simple hymn of praise in 1224 in the plain Umbrian dialect of his homeland. Those words celebrate all of creation . Nearly 800 years later Katherine Paterson reimagined the hymn into poetic language and it was illustrated in stunning cut-paper designs by Pamela Dalton. The result is this lovely book that you really must see - once you do you will need to own a copy, and probably give a few to friends. Naturally, the book also includes the canticle in the words St. Francis originally chose as well (translated to English of course). It is bound in a 10" x 10" square storybook hardcover binding. The book sells for $17.99 a copy and has been a mainstay on our shelves since the very early days of the bookshop.
Day 117 : The Book of Orchids
Chatting Books Online Day 117. Today I am recommending The Book of Orchids by Mark Chase, Maarten Christenhusz, and Tom Mirenda. This absolutely beautiful hardcover book is a life-sized guide to 600 species of Orchid from around the world. After introductory sections on growing orchids, orchid evolution, pollination of orchids, their symbiotic relationships and threats to wild orchids it then goes into these beautiful pages that show a life-sized example of each orchid , and gives all information including where it lives, when it flowers , it's conservation status and in what medium it grows. I don't care if you never actually propagate a single orchid this book is just beautiful to look at even without all the useful information. It is an oversized hardcover so it makes a lovely gift for a friend - or maybe for you! The book measures : 10.9" L x 7.5" W x 1.9 thick , weighs in at a whopping 5.1 lbs and has 656 pages. It sells for $55 a copy
Day 116: The Unhuggables
Chatting Books Online Day 116. Today's recommended book comes to us from River Road Press. The Unhuggables by Kena Sosa and illustrated by Alexis Braud is the story of a young boy named Oliver who doesn't want him Mom to comfort him. In the words of the publisher:
Oliver is upset--very upset--and nothing his mother says makes him feel better. When she tries to give him a comforting hug, he rolls up into a tight ball like an armadillo and won't let his mother near. She tries to coax him out of his huddle but then his claws come out. Oliver pretends to be one ferocious animals after another--none of them very good at giving hugs. But it is hard work saying no to a mother's love. Through creativity, patience, andaffection (as well as a healthy dose of humor), Oliver's mother finds away to get through his imaginative defenses and give him the best hug ever.
Author Kena Sosa captures the delicate dance between mother and child in this fun story about love and the power of hugs. The charming and humorous illustrations of AlexisBraud bring to life the imagination of a child and touchingly depict how hugs can soothe even the most savage beast.
This hardcover Storybook sells for $ 17.99 a copy
Day 115 : Memere's Creole Country Cookbook
Chatting Books Online Day 115 . Today's recommended book Memere's Country Creole Cookbook, Recipes and Memories from Louisiana's German Coast by Nancy Tregre Wilson. We were first introduced to this cookbook back when it was introduced in 2018 when Mrs. Wilson joined us for a book signing and we featured her foods (pretty sure it was Polo's and Pearl's Weekend as I recall). So to try it out I made several of the recipes from the book. Among the recipes I prepared that weekend (and several times since) was the Easy Corn Pudding (so good I think I may need to make it one day this week) from page 118, The German Potato Salad from page 105 (an absolutely decadent warm potato salad with 10 strips of bacon crumbled into it!), and the hit of the night and many parties since was the Mam Papaul's Hot Crawfish Pie Dip from page 83 which looks like you worked all day but really takes just a few minutes since it so cleverly uses pre-mixed spices from the Mam Papaul's crawfish pie mix . Mam Papaul of the spices was actually Nancy Tregre Wilson's Grandmother so you see there is a wealth of family experience and cooking knowledge in this book. It has been a favorite at our bookshop , and in my kitchen, since its introductio This hardcover cookbook is 236 pages and sells for $27.00 a copy.
Day 114 : Small Town Dreams
Chatting Books Online Day 114. This is exciting, today for the first time since this series began I have a guest writer for the book recommendation. Today’s pick was selected and described by my husband Rob. For a bit of background Rob happens to be the majority shareholder and CEO of a British football team in High Wycombe a small town just outside of London . The team is called The Wycombe Wanderers . The Wanderers are playing today in the second game of the EFL playoffs with a hope of making it into the finals. So today is a big day full of dreams for Wanderers fans worldwide , and without further ado Rob recommends you read Small Town Dreams by J F Cumming and in Rob’s words here is why : Small Town Dreams is a book in which the author describes his personal journey toward understanding of the forces in life that make it worthwhile set against the events of our Wycombe Wanderers’s most successful FA Cup run, his job loss, love, and travel with its attendant pleasures and difficulties. If you want to learn how deeply connected the English are to their hometown football ( soccer ) clubs, this is a great start. Regardless, it’s a great introduction into why everyone should be a Wanderer fan.
Day 113 : The Week in Review June 29 - July 5, 2020
Chatting Books Online Day 113 . Is another week gone already ? I am afraid it is . And while it seems we packed a lot in like 6 great books , my birthday , leg one playoff game for The Wycombe Wanderers (we won, next game tomorrow), and Independence Day and also seems to have flown by too quickly . .
The books recommended this week were :
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
The Tragedy of Brady Simms by Ernest J. Gaines
I , John Kennedy Toole by Kent Carroll and Jodee Blanco
And The Beast , My Story by Adebayo Akinfenwa.
If you missed the review of any of these books you can read it at: http://www.conundrumbooks.com/chatting-books-online.
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Day 112: Proud to be an American by Lee Greenwood
Chatting Books Online Day 112. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ! In recogntioon of the holiday today's recommended book is none other than "Proud to be an American" by Lee Greenwood. And you guessed it the words of the book (to go along with lovely illustrations) are the words from the song by the same name. And the book includes a website where you can get a free download of my favorite 4th of July song.
