Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

I’m an open book

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

 

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A Modern Fairytale

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

If you visit TBTP on a regular basis, you are likely aware that I am a big fan on cartoonist Tom Gauld. Now he has published a wonderful children’s book just in time for the holiday season. The Little Wooden Robot … Continue reading →

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Not Dracula

Posted on October 25, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I am embarrassed to admit that I never read this Bram Stoker fantasy/horror collection. Under the Sunset is a collection of short stories by Bram Stoker (the author of Dracula), first published in 1881. It was illustrated by W. V. Cockburn and William FitzGerald. The stories … Continue reading →

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Moving Light

Posted on October 24, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Many years ago when I was writing a travel guide for Washington D.C., I discovered that one of its least visited sites was also one of its most beautiful. Overlooking the nation’s capital, the Washington National Cathedral is one of … Continue reading →

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Magical Mystery Tours

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Japan is famous for its proliferation of gachapon, or capsule vending machines, which sell everything from exotic beverages to underwear. This summer, Peach Aviation, a Japanese airline that mainly flies domestic routes, began installing special vending machines that offer discounted airfares. … Continue reading →

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Don’t Judge This Book By Its Covers

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I’ve been looking forward to Dave Eggers’ follow-up to his best-selling tech novel The Circle and now its been released with an added surprise. His new book , The Every , is a sequel to his previous novel which skewered … Continue reading →

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Bibliotherapy, Journaling, and Some Bloodletting

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Early in the 17th century,Oxford University scholar Robert Burton published what is now considered to be the first English language self-help manual, The Anatomy of Melancholy. The book offers Burton’s ideas on the nature and symptoms of melancholy or depression, … Continue reading →

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Graphic Lessons on the Twentieth Century

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

When Dr. Timothy Snyder’s powerful book  On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century was published in 2017, I was a vocal evangelist for the book and its message. Now, the Yale history professor has released an updated and illustrated … Continue reading →

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The Great American Novel ?

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

During this week in 1851, Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick was first published as The Whale in three volumes by Richard Bentley in London. Almost one month later in November, the first American edition was published in New York by Harper & Brothers. Although many think of … Continue reading →

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A Perfect Time To Visit The Haunted Bookshop

Posted on October 18, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

  What better time of the year to visited The Haunted Bookshop than at the Halloween season. Located in Cambridge, England and fittingly found down a dark, spooky alleyway, the diminutive bookstore more than lives up to its name. Packed … Continue reading →

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