I was really looking forward to reading this book. I love classic Hollywood movies and I had seen movies with Hedy Lamarr when none of my friends even knew who she was. I was further thrilled several years ago, when I found out she was also an inventor. It was so cool! So, I thoughtContinue reading “The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict”
Author Archives: Robin Henry
Why Loose Leaf Tea Matters…
If you love tea, you might wonder, what’s the big deal? Here it is in a nutshell: Loose leaf tea is generally a higher quality–they save the bits and ends to put in bags, so using loose leaf gives you a better flavor. If you don’t want to use a strainer, try getting a teaContinue reading “Why Loose Leaf Tea Matters…”
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Basically, this is a love letter to librarians, so I was definitely in. Moyes tells the story of the pack horse librarians of the Depression through a set of brave and likable female protagonists. Alice married Bennett Van Cleve after whirlwind courtship in her native England while he was on holiday, only to come downContinue reading “The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes”
A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney
Full disclosure: I bought this book because of the subtitle: The Literary Friendships of Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot and Virginia Woolf. I should have known that I wouldn’t like it from the lack of an Oxford comma in the subtitle, but I pressed on. The authors are academics, and there are endnotes andContinue reading “A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney”
Need a tea time treat? Try this…
Tea Brack made from the recipe at King Arthur Flour, here. The only changes I made to the recipe were to add lemon zest from one lemon and use Jack Daniels Tennessee Apple Whiskey instead of Irish Whiskey. It’s delicious and a wonderful addition to your afternoon tea. The Harney & Sons Paris Tea fromContinue reading “Need a tea time treat? Try this…”
The Regency Years by Robert Morrison
The full title is The Regency Years: during which Jane Austen writes, Napoleon fights, Byron makes love, and Britain becomes modern. Morrison’s book is highly readable and engaging, while maintaining a level of scholarly rigor not often seen in works marketed to a lay audience. For those interested, there is a wealth of endnotes andContinue reading “The Regency Years by Robert Morrison”
Austen in Austin
Yesterday, we had our regional Jane Austen Society of North America regional meeting–it was a great way to start off the year. We heard a wonderful talk by the president of JASNA entitled, “Jane Austen, Working Woman,” followed by a visit to the Harry Ransom Center to view the “Austen in Austin” exhibit, a partContinue reading “Austen in Austin”
New Year, New Look…
Last year I began the Year of Reading Dangerously to celebrate the theme of the 2019 JASNA Annual General Meeting, which was focused on Northanger Abbey. It was great fun and I plan to continue reading and commenting on more Gothic fiction this year. However, it is a new year, and I have decided toContinue reading “New Year, New Look…”
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
First, a Shout-out to a local Austin writer–yay! This novel combines a few of my favorite things: spies, intrigue, and literature, oh my! I am sure other reviewers have pointed this out, but I would also like to make sure everyone notes the irony of the author’s first name being the name of the mainContinue reading “The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott”
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Once again I will be out of sync with the consensus. I really hated this book, in fact, I was angry when I finished it because I felt like I had wasted my time. I read it because my book group was reading it and because several people had told me it was wonderful–it alsoContinue reading “Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens”
