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Category Archives: Europe
Another Tolkien Surprise
As a collector and bookseller, I’ve seen many versions and editions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novel The Hobbit over the years. However, it wasn’t until recently that I was aware of Swedish and Finnish language editions that were illustrated by the anti-Fascist … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Writing
Tagged Finland, J. R. R. Tolkien, Moomins, Sweden, the Hobbit, Tove Jansson
4 Comments
The one where I compare myself with Leo Tolstoy
You may be dubious that a humble blogger, bookseller, and failed author could possibly have anything in common with the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, but hear me out. Both Tolstoy and I have roots in Czarist Russia. The legenday … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Europe, History, Writing
Tagged cookbooks, Leo Tolstoy, Russia, Vegetarian
4 Comments
Six for Sunday
After reading Moby-Dick for the first time last year, Peter Gorman published a fascinating book called Kaleidoscope Brain that consists of 100 visualizations of Moby-Dick. The graphics, diagrams, and maps were his way of making sense of the iconic American … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Film, Hotels, Maps, Photography, Uncategorized, USA, Writing
Tagged Cartoons, Comics, James Baldwin, John Donne
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Five For Friday
I just discovered this never before published novel by Simone de Beauvoir. It seems that it was deemed “too intimate” to be published during her lifetime. Inseparable has been described as a story of the power of female friendship and … Continue reading
The Great Bibliohoax
I love a good prank, especially if it is at the expense of the pretentious. While bibliophiles and antiquarian booksellers are not known for their hijinks, back in 1840 an infamous bibliohoax was perpetrated on wealthy collectors, librarians and booksellers … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Europe, History, Libraries
Tagged Antiquarian Books, Belgium, Bibliophile, Binche
1 Comment
Book of Hours
In my ongoing deep-dive into obscure books, today we have the amazing 15th century Codex Rotundus.This medieval book of hour takes its contemporary name from its odd circular format. It was created in Flanders and is written in Latin as … Continue reading
A New Breath
I continue to be blown away by the magnificent “land art” created by French-Swiss innovator Guillaume Legros (aka Saype). His latest work, “Un Nouveau Souffle” (A New Breath) was completed above the village of Moleson-sur-Gruyeres, Switzerland, not far from Montreux … Continue reading
How Cool Is This
If you have ever visited southern Spain during warm weather months, you are well aware that the sun can be brutal and keeping cool can be a real challenge. Well, the pretty town of Alhaurin de la Torre near Torremolinos … Continue reading
How Travelers Can Help
This week has left many of us wondering how we can help folks caught up in the many current crises around the world. The wonderful organization Miles4Migrants, a non-profit founded back in 2016, has been using donated frequent flyer miles … Continue reading
Not the 36 Views of Mt. Fuji
I imagine that most folks are well acquainted with the iconic series of Japanese woodblock prints titled Thirty -Six Views of Mount Fuji. Even those who are unfamiliar with the work of Katsushika Hokusai who was a 19th century Japanese … Continue reading
