Tag Archive for: books

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And now a major motion picture – Madame Bovary

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Soon to be a major motion picture starring Mia Wasikowska, Ezra Miller, and Laura Carmichael!

 

"For her, life was as cold as an attic with a window looking to the north, and ennui, like a spider, was silently spinning its shadowy web in every cranny of her heart."

Married to Charles, a provincial doctor, Emma Bovary yearns for a more glamorous life. Disenchanted with her husband and seeking an escape from their dull marriage she is soon tempted into a brief romantic liaison with another man. Although short-lived, she remains desirous of passion and the finer things in life and embarks on another affair, destroying her reputation.

Considered scandalous at the time, Emma Bovary's superficial and immoral behaviour shocked readers and caused moral outcry. Flaubert holds up to ridicule not only Madame Bovary herself, but the society that dares to judge her.

The publication of this masterpiece of realism gave rise to an obscenity trial in 1857, which earned Flaubert an acquittal, and established Emma Bovary as one of literature's greatest characters. The eponymous Emma is a victim of the smug, self-deluding French bourgeoisie that Flaubert despised.

For Flaubert's contemporaries, the fascination came from the novelist's meticulous account of provincial matters.

For the writer, subject matter was subordinate to his anguished quest for aesthetic perfection.

For his twentieth-century successors the formal experiments that underpin Madame Bovary look forward to the innovations of contemporary fiction. Flaubert's protagonist in particular has never ceased to fascinate.

Romantic heroine or middle-class neurotic, flawed wife and mother or passionate protester against the conventions of bourgeois society, simultaneously the subject of Flaubert's admiration and the butt of his irony - Emma Bovary remains one of the most enigmatic of fictional creations. Flaubert's meticulous approach to the craft of fiction, his portrayal of contemporary reality, his representation of an unforgettable cast of characters make Madame Bovary one of the major landmarks of modern fiction.

 

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You can BUY THE BOOK  from  Book Depository, The Nile, Fishpond, Amazon

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IBM’s cognitive computing system is set to release its first cookbook

IBM’s game show-winning computer Watson turns its hand to helping chefs generate startling taste sensations ‘man alone might never imagine’

Touting such eyebrow-raising combinations as an Indian turmeric paella, a Turkish-Korean anchovy Caesar salad and a Creole shrimp-lamb dumpling, a new contender for hottest cookery writer of 2015 is preparing to elbow aside the likes of Jamie Oliver, Mary Berry and Nigella Lawson: IBM’s supercomputer Watson.

Four years after beating two human champions to win the US game show Jeopardy!, IBM’s cognitive computing system is set to release its first cookbook - with the help of a few human specialists. Out in April from independent American publisher Sourcebooks, Cognitive Cooking with Chef Watson uses the supercomputer to generate exotic ingredient combinations from the “trillions” of potential groupings out there, with chefs from the Institute of Culinary Education then designing recipes based on Watson’s suggestions. The book will feature, promises its publisher, “unusual ingredient combinations that man alone might never imagine”.  Read more from the Guardian  =>  http://bit.ly/1C0bkfh

The Epic Conclusion to Bloodlines

 

LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL

 

 The Ruby Circle ...

 

 

 

  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
  • Format: Paperback | 368 pages
  • Publication date: 10 February 2015
  • Publication City/Country: London
  • ISBN 10: 014136131X
  • ISBN 13: 9780141361314

 

 

The Ruby Circle is the epic conclusion to Richelle Mead's bestselling Bloodlines series , set in the world of Vampire Academy - NOW A MAJOR FILM.

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series.

When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world...

About the Author:  Richelle Mead is the bestselling author of the Vampire Academy, Bloodlines and Age of X series. Her love of fantasy and science-fiction began at an early age when her father read her Greek mythology and her brothers made her watch Flash Gordon. She went on to study folklore and religion at the University of Michigan, and, when not writing, Richelle spends her time drinking lots of coffee, keeping up with reality TV, and collecting 1980s T-shirts. Richelle lives with her family in Seattle in the USA. www.richellemead.com

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BUY THE BOOK from The Book Depository;  Fishpond;  Amazon UK, Kindle 

 

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Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel in nearly a decade

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Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
ISBN: 030727103X
Published: 3 March 2015

This is an extraordinary new novel from the author of "Never Let Me Go" and the Booker Prize-winning "The Remains of the Day.

"You've long set your heart against it, Axl, I know. But it's time now to think on it anew. There's a journey we must go on, and no more delay . . ."

"The Buried Giant" begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years. Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro's first novel in nearly a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge, and war.

"Kazuo Ishiguro is an original and remarkable genius". (The New York Times).
"A master craftsman". (Margaret Atwood, Slate).
"The best and most original writer of his generation". (Susan Hill, Mail on Sunday).

About the Author
KAZUO ISHIGURO's seven previous books have won him wide renown and numerous honors. His work has been translated into more than forty languages. Both "The Remains of the Day" and "Never Let Me Go "have more than 1,000,000 copies in print across platforms, and both were adapted into highly acclaimed films.

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Your master class in the art of persuasion, taught by professors ranging from Bart Simpson to Winston Churchill.

 

 

Whether you’re an inveterate lover of language books or just want to win a lot more anger-free arguments on the page, at the podium, or over a beer, Thank You for Arguing is for you ... and I featured it at Pivotal Public Speaking >> here

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The latest from George R.R. Martin

dangerous_women This first volume features an original 35,000 word novella by George R.R. Martin.'The Princess and the Queen' reveals the origins of the civil war in Westeros (before the events in A Game of Thrones), which is known as the Dance of the Dragons, pitting Targaryen against Targaryen and dragon against dragon. Other authors in this volume of warriors, bad girls and dragonriders include worldwide bestselling authors Brandon Sanderson, Lawrence Block and Nancy Kress. Read more here >>> http://bit.ly/1v2v027









More from George R.R. Martin ...

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Presenting with Power … powerful public speaking tips

I had the pleasure of contributing to this compilation. And I have to say I love the format which makes it so easy for you to pick up tips on speaking... particularly now that I have remembered to click on full screen rather than squinting at it!!

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A multidimensional hero in this multi-layered mystery thriller

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Refuse Generation
By David Palmer

This book is a mystery thriller – on two levels - gripping thriller on the surface, intellectual challenge underneath.

New Zealand garbage collector, Farrari Auva’a, is drawn by a letter uncovered in rubbish, into a mystery full of suspense and intrigue. There are murderers and manipulators, professors and businessmen, and it takes him across the world through plane rides and peaceful countryside, car chases and awe-inspiring historical sites. On the surface.

Underneath, though, is the mystery of personal identity in a time of change. This is highlighted in several of the characters but particularly Ferrari, as they search themselves and their family relationships, their cultural ties, career paths and spirituality.

Author, David Palmer, has used his other interests - in war and history - to tie all of these together with the thriller narrative, and maintain the thread of refuse.

The combination of Stranger in a Strange Land and Hero’s journey works well, though I occasionally felt the need for an easier transition from high drama to contemplation. While I’m sure the details of the ancient codex were vital to the narrative, I have to admit to skipping a few pages in my urge to see what the thrilling outcome would be. It’s as if Palmer invited his readers onto the journey with him and stands beside them as reader and writer. Some of his descriptions are incredibly evocative …”A scalloping of wastewater stain rosettes on the carpet pile failed to conceal a floral design evoking a more gracious age”, for example…but this one went a bit beyond that “They followed a haze-abraded plain chitinous with industrial pullulations.” I must say it got my attention!

This sort of language, though, becomes part of the mysterious undercurrent -which in turn highlights the intuitive problem-solving amid rationality in the upper level of mystery.

I just hope there is a sequel where we see more of the mystery that is the multidimensional Ferrari, and of the beautiful culture and countryside that is his New Zealand.

Bronwyn Ritchie
Your Story Matters at PivotalBookClub.com

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Ten guideposts on the power of Wholehearted living from Brene Brown

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I love Brene Brown - her presentation style, her meticulous research, and her constant reassurance.

I featured this, her book, as the Pivotal Thought for the Day >>>> here

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For when you really have to get your point across…

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Thank You for Arguing is your master class in the art of persuasion, taught by professors ranging from Bart Simpson to Winston Churchill.

The time-tested secrets this book discloses include Cicero’s three-step strategy for moving an audience to action—as well as Honest Abe’s Shameless Trick of lowering an audience’s expectations by pretending to be unpolished. But it’s also replete with contemporary techniques such as politicians’ use of “code” language to appeal to specific groups and an eye-opening assortment of popular-culture dodges—including The Yoda Technique, The Belushi Paradigm, and The Eddie Haskell Ploy.

Whether you’re an inveterate lover of language books or just want to win a lot more anger-free arguments on the page, at the podium, or over a beer, Thank You for Arguing is for you. Written by one of today’s most popular language mavens, it’s warm, witty, erudite, and truly enlightening. It not only teaches you how to recognize a paralipsis and a chiasmus when you hear them, but also how to wield such handy and persuasive weapons the next time you really, really want to get your own way.

JAY HEINRICHS spent 25 years as a journalist and publishing executive before becoming a fulltime advocate for the lost art of rhetoric. Since then he's taught persuasion to Fortune 500 companies, Ivy League universities, NASA, and the Pentagon. He is also the author of "Word Hero: A Fiendishly Clever Guide to Crafting the Lines that Get Laughs, Go Viral, and Live Forever."

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