Meanwhile in Jerusalem, John of Tatewic is accused of treason, and he's spared execution on the condition that he will serve King Amalric.Īt the court of this King Amalric, john will encounter court intrigue, where dark forces are conspiring to seize the throne. This story at the year AD 1164, and we find Saladin joining a Saracen army heading for Egypt, and what he will find there are riches in culture, but also secrets that will haunt him, until he settles some scores to be rid of these dangers to his life. Read this book in 2012, and its the 2nd wonderful volume of the amazing "Saladin" trilogy.
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His primary motivation in writing the novel was to subject his own highest ideal, that of true Christian love, to the crucible of contemporary Russian society. Joseph Frank describes The Idiot as "the most personal of all Dostoevsky's major works, the book in which he embodies his most intimate, cherished, and sacred convictions." It includes descriptions of some of his most intense personal ordeals, such as epilepsy and mock execution, and explores moral, spiritual and philosophical themes consequent upon them. In the character of Prince Myshkin, Dostoevsky set himself the task of depicting "the positively good and beautiful man." The novel examines the consequences of placing such a singular individual at the centre of the conflicts, desires, passions and egoism of worldly society, both for the man himself and for those with whom he becomes involved. The title is an ironic reference to the central character of the novel, Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, a young man whose goodness, open-hearted simplicity and guilelessness lead many of the more worldly characters he encounters to mistakenly assume that he lacks intelligence and insight. It was first published serially in the journal The Russian Messenger in 1868–69. Idiót) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. The Idiot ( pre-reform Russian: Идіотъ post-reform Russian: Идиот, tr. Drawing and handwritten text by Fyodor Dostoevsky true story has been revealed' - Daily Mirror'An impressive reminder of the tough, triumphalist Norma Jean. 'Not just sensational, but sensationally good' - Sunday Telegraph'At long last Marilyn Monroe has found her knight in shining armour. Moving, often shocking, always absorbing, Marilyn Monroe will stand as the ultimate and compulsively readable biography of the woman who continues to enthrall millions. He exposes the falsehoods and casts new light on every aspect of Marilyn Monroe's 36 years: her dramatic childhood her marriages her relationships with movie moguls politicians, poets, artists and statesmen.īut most astonishing of all, he presents the reality of her death - more horrifying than anything a Hollywood screenwriter could have devised. With access to more than 35,000 pages of formerly sealed documents and interviews with 150 people who have never spoken on record before, Spoto's definitive biography reveals the truth behind the myths and speculations surrounding Marilyn's life and death. Marilyn Monroe Spotos biography of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe makes use of over 150 interviews and more than 35000 pages of previously sealed files. MARILYN MONROE is the most celebrated and controversial female icon of the 20th century.Īt last, Donald Spoto has produced an acclaimed biography worthy of this extraordinary and unforgettable star. The incessant charm and unabashed joy should make this an easy sell. 'Undersea adventures have never been so darn cute. Peanut Butter! Ever-sensible Jelly isn't so sure that's the best idea, but is all for Narwhal trying new things (instead of just eating waffles all the time, no matter how delicious waffles are). peanut butter! He's so obsessed he even wants to change his name to. Narwhal and Jelly are back and Narwhal has a new obsession. The perfect first book for young readers, just moving on from picture books, discovering the joys of friendship, working together and the power of imagination. 'Hilarious and charming.' - Dav Pilkey, bestselling author of Dogman and Captain UnderpantsĪ wonderfully fun highly illustrated/ early graphic novel series for boys and girls of 5+ featuring three short stories about trying new things, favourite foods and accepting who we are. But in "Cold Comfort Farm," where the men are morose, the women are sullen and the local pub is called The Condemn'd Man, misery was never this funny. It's hard to imagine that life on a dismal, depressing farm in 1930s England could be hilarious. Joanna Lumley Kate Beckinsale Eileen Atkins Rufus Sewell Ian McKellen Mysterious event that apparently occurred between her late father and the Starkadders, causing theįamily to feel it owes Flora an enormous moral debt. "A radical and most welcome departure from polite, stodgy British aristocracy movies."įlora Poste, a society girl who has recently lost her mother and her lifestyle, opts to live with her dour cousin, Judith Starkadder, who lives with her family at Cold Comfort Farm in rural Sussex.įor Flora, an aspiring writer who intends to learn about "real life," this place "Get your feet muddy in this pit of despair and you'll never want to leave." Together they fight to keep kids out of jail while the streets of Sacramento threaten to explode. The case has a lot of moving parts, and Jackson and Ellery have to work fast to make sure the machinery of the mob doesn’t mow down everyone they care about-or rip them apart.Īfter a year of living together, Ellery is learning to accept that Jackson can’t let an injustice stand. Finally Ellery gives him a simple task: pick up a file on a kid who probably didn’t commit murder but who refuses to participate in his own defense.Ī horrifying game of connect-the-dots leads one case to another, to the mob, to the local high school… and a bottomless list of potential suspects and victims. Jackson Rivers has been learning how to take care of himself so he can be there for Ellery Cramer, but after eight weeks of healing, body and soul, he’s itching to get back to work. Live a life focused on the vital few things that matter rather than the trivial many.Achievers have an eye for the essential.You should have a “success” list, rather than a to-do list. You feel an obligation to do everything on the list, rather than the things that really matter. To-do lists can tyrannize your days with tasks if you don’t vet them.Equality is an idea, not a practical reality in the world of results.It’s your job to find and pursue your one thing. One thing is at the heart of every success. Above all else, you’ll walk away with greater clarity on how to create a life worth living.īuy this book on Amazon (Highly recommend)Īccess My Searchable Collection of 100+ Book Notes Key Takeaways The ONE thing He shows you how to leverage a powerful question to live a life of purpose, priority, and productivity. Business coach and author Gary Keller provides a simple and powerful framework for achieving extraordinary results in your personal and professional life. No problem, my Commander would fall in love with his food taster (yep, scene would be nailed). Then I changed my King to a Military Dictator because every fantasy novel had a monarchy and I wanted my story to be unique. Yeah, sounds cheesy, but I knew I could just nail that scene. And someone had poisoned his food and she HAD to taste it because of protocol and laws and he watched her bite into the food with his heart breaking in two. Yet, I insisted my book was pure fantasy even though when I sparked on the idea for Poison Study, I imagined a King had fallen in love with his food taster. Nope, not more than a distant love affair re: Lord of the Rings. At that time, fantasy novels had action, adventure, political intrigue, epic struggles of good vs. Or so I thought when writing my very first fantasy novel, Poison Study a number of years ago. I have to be a total fangirl for a moment and say that I always enjoy reading about Maria’s strong heroines and her interesting world building. Her most recent series is the Healer series, which includes Touch of Power, Scent of Magic, and Taste of Darkness. Maria is the author of the Study series, which includes Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study. Today, I’m pleased to welcome fantasy author Maria V. Posted in About Books, Guest blogs, On Writing. Roosevelt reluctantly accepted and was elected with McKinley in 1900. By 1900, Platt and the other Republicans wanted Roosevelt out of New York and maneuvered to have him nominated on the Republican national ticket as vice president, a position in which they believed he could do no harm. New York Republican Party boss Thomas Platt believed he could control the new governor's policy despite Roosevelt's reputation as an independent reformer. Roosevelt called this victory "the greatest day of my life." By the end of August, the regiment was home and its leader was hailed as a hero.Īlmost immediately following his return from the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt was nominated as the Republican candidate for governor of New York State and easily won the election in November, 1898. After weeks of waiting, Roosevelt and the Rough Riders finally had their first chance at battle when they took Kettle Hill from the Spanish. The Rough Riders thus became an infantry unit. Ironically, there was no room on the ship for the regiment’s horses. After training in Texas and Florida, the Rough Riders were finally ordered to Cuba. The bulk of the regiment was composed of Ivy League graduates, western ranchers, Native Americans, as well as New York City businessmen and policemen. The First Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, better known as the Rough Riders, was recruited from Roosevelt's own personal acquaintances. Sadly, the answer was (not so surprisingly) no. (This effect is much like the character Euny in that regard.) When I got to the end I was so engaged that I wished for an author's note shedding light on parts of the story. Rereading Juniper was a deliciously enjoyable experience, so much so that when I finished I immediately jumped online to see whether it was still in print (and whether I could recommend it to the new fantasy readers I encounter every day on the job). But there is a certain quality to the prose that I can't describe other than to say that it gets under your skin and lingers - that below the straightforward surface there is a layer of complexity that I appreciate more today than I perhaps realized as a child. Yes, the court politics run on a fairly standard king system. But I didn't mind picking it back up again, especially in the context of research.Īnd (to get to the point), I was so glad that I did. I remembered reading it more than once, but it had never become one of my constants in the same way Ella Enchanted did, for example. Indeed, when I got the suggestion on Twitter, I didn't remember much one way or the other about the book. First published in the early 1990s, Juniper has the hallmarks of many children's fantasy novels published around that time - there is a distinct good matched against a distinct evil, a straightforward plot with few detours, a certain clarity of focus leading to a conclusion that many readers of more recent fantasy may see as predictable. |