This book made me think about the births of my children as well as family tales I've heard from my mother and grandmother about their very different birth experiences. The clash between midwifery and “modern” medical care is at the center of this engaging story. The author does a great job of weaving in historical events and of setting the story during the nineteen-teens in a remote Nova Scotia village.
It's been an awfully long time since Macca has been discussed on the Forbes Library staff picks blog. So, here I am to recommend a romantic offering from the melodious, ex-Beatle. Kisses on the Bottom, Paul's tribute to the music he heard around the house as a boy, is a marvelous collection of standards with two originals tacked on for good measure. Diana Krall, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Robert Hurst, John Pizzarelli and
Karriem Riggins are among the many fine musicians who make up
McCartney's backing band.
The title comes from a lyric from the opening tune, "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" by Fats Waller. The introduction's syncopated piano line, upright bass and brushes on the drum kit, set the tone for this swinging affair. Recorded at the famed Capitol Studios on Hollywood and Vine, Paul, singing with Nat King Cole's microphone, taps into the crooning spirit of yesteryear.
Highlights include "It's Only a Paper Moon", "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive", "My Valentine" (a Paul original), "The Inchworm"... well, I recommend 'em all!
Midnight In Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China by Paul French In 1937 foreigners and native Beijinger's alike were shocked when the mutilated body of a young woman was found just outside of of Beijing's Legation Quarter. Clearly, a terrible crime had been committed, but what had happened? The investigation was complicated by the bureaucratic system that made it difficult for law enforcement in the Legation Quarter and in Chinese Beijing to work together and the detectives in charge of the case struggled with a lack of information and communication—and what seemed all too often to be pure obstructionism from above. Paul French's Midnight in Peking offers a fascinating glimpse of China at beginning of the Second World War, a time when powerful Europeans were leaving China, and many refugees were arriving in Beijing and nearby cities, fleeing from the USSR and Nazi Germany, and from the increasingly hostile and militaristic presence of the Japanese within China.
French's narrative follows both the official investigations, and the unofficial investigation conducted by the victim's father. There are some surprising twists along the way, and French takes advantage of them to keep the reader on her toes. An engaging read, but not for the squeamish or those who prefer to read stories in which justice is fulfilled.
How To Sharpen Pencils by David Rees Humorist/artisanal pencil sharpener David Rees carefully guides us through the various #2 sharpening techniques and the history of the famed utilitarian instrument. The book, half manual/ half comedic piece, is both instructional and hilarious. Rees provides information on setting up a pencil sharpening workshop, pre-sharpening stretches, fancy pencil sharpening routines and of course, sharpening styles and techniques. Note: this volume is not recommended for fans of mechanical pencils or electric sharpeners!
