Posted in Entries by Jackie, Non-fiction:art, tagged art, France, painting, Paris on May 12, 2008 | 1 Comment »
There have been dozens of books about The Impressionists, but none so vividly transports you to the France of the late 1800’s as Sue Roe’s masterpiece. Her rich tapestry dispels the stereotype of the isolated artist sitting at the café table before grabbing his smock and rushing to his easel in a frenzy. Instead, [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 11, 2008 | No Comments »
Well, usually we’d be putting up a nice “What’s Coming Up” post now, complete with picture of attentive-looking fox flicking eagerly through a dictionary…but there’s no point in repetition so I’m just going to direct you to the box on the right hand side of the screen under Bookfox (you might have to scroll down [...]
Posted in Entries by Mhairi, Non-fiction: history, Non-fiction: letters, Non-fiction: sociology, tagged Mass Observation, Nella Last, Sandra Koa Wing, Second World War, Tom Harrisson on May 9, 2008 | 6 Comments »
Looking back on anything from a distance - especially through the lens of ‘history’ - all too often gives us a false perspective. When, for instance, we read about the Second World War, we tend to think of it in terms of vignettes … critical moments that were the highs, lows and turning points: [...]
Posted in Thursday Soapbox, tagged Categorising books, literature and fiction, Rosy Thornton on May 8, 2008 | 21 Comments »
On the Soapbox this week, writer of the political romantic comedy More Than Love Letters and campus novel Hearts and Minds, Rosy Thornton, looks at the way we categorise books.
*Thanks to Natmandu on Flickr for this picture of a beautifully wrapped book, from the Slightly Foxed Bookshop in New Zealand.
Books Should Be Books! by [...]
Posted in Entries by Lisa, Fiction: children's, Fiction: literary, Fiction: young adult, tagged Here lies Arthur, King Arthur, Philip Reeve, Scholastic on May 7, 2008 | 6 Comments »
Adapted from my Chicklish review.
Here Lies Arthur is a look at the legendary Arthur, but not as we know him. Arthur is no king, instead he’s a sixth century leader of a rag tag band of fighters, all pretty merciless, with the exception of Arthur’s most loyal employee, the harp-twanging storyteller, Myrddin. Myrddin makes [...]
Posted in Entries by Mary, Fiction: historical, Fiction: literary, tagged Add new tag, American Civil War, Beloved, Edward P. Jones, slavery, The Known World, Toni Morrisson on May 6, 2008 | 4 Comments »
The Known World opens in the years before the American Civil War with the death of Henry Townsend, a freed slave who, at the time of his death at 31 years of age, was the owner of a significant landholding and 33 slaves. Henry is probably the book’s central character although the narrative rambles across [...]
Posted in Entries by Jackie, Non-fiction: history, Non-fiction: nature, Non-fiction: sociology, tagged cheese, cities, pests, pets, rodents, sewers on May 5, 2008 | 7 Comments »
A lot of people would be put off reading about the world’s most infamous rodent, but this book might turn your disgust into admiration. The author is genuinely fascinated by his subject and it’s contagious. His conversational style is a mix of anecdotes and facts, it feels like a friend is sharing [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Edward P. Jones, Here lies Arthur, Jerry Langton, Our Longest Days, Rosy Thornton on May 4, 2008 | 3 Comments »
We have a great mixed week coming up on Vulpes.
Monday
Jackie reviews Rat, wherein Jerry Langton answers the question of whether the ubiquitous rodents are cute or craven.
Tuesday
Mary looks at The Known World, the 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner by Edward P. Jones that “explores an oft-neglected chapter of American history, the world of blacks who [...]
Posted in Fiction: literary, Fiction: young adult, tagged Asboville, Danny Rhodes, Luisa Plaja, Split by a Kiss on May 3, 2008 | 9 Comments »
Guest Review by teen writer, Luisa Plaja, author of Split by a Kiss.
After sixteen-year-old Londoner JB is served with an Anti Social Behaviour Order, he’s sent away to live with his uncle. Under the conditions of the ASBO, he must spend the summer painting beach huts, one per day, and be back at his uncle’s [...]
Posted in Entries by Mhairi, Non-fiction: environment, Non-fiction: history, Non-fiction: nature, Non-fiction: travel, tagged botanists, John Gribbin, Kew Gardens, Mary Gribbin, Muncaster Castle, Royal Horticultural Society on May 2, 2008 | 5 Comments »
One evening, while dining with the Viceroy of Chile (as one does), Royal Navy surgeon Archibald Menzies spotted some unfamiliar nuts on top of his pudding. Instead of eating the nuts, he smuggled them out. That act of felony resulted in the introduction to the UK of a very familiar tree. If [...]
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