reviews

Caffeine, Cravings, and Culture Author: Michael Pollan When I saw Michael Pollan’s Audible Original Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World in my monthly free download queue, I knew that I absolutely had to listen to it. My interest is two part: since the age of five I’ve been drinking coffee. I kept up with this until into my late 20s when my daily six plus cups alongside a few sodas started causing me health issues. I still adore coffee and caffeine of any kind, yet as I age, I have discovered that my long-time comfort of caffeine-oriented drinks no [...]

Men are Dogs, and Ghosts Avenge Author: Marty Ross Not everything is all propriety in Victorian London. In the dim recesses of Darkwater Reach, pushed up against the Thames, pulling nearly mummified bodies from the water is hardly unusual. The story behind these grisly finds probably ties into the clientele that swarms the Reaches at night: prostitutes, businessmen looking for less savory means of entertainment, cutthroats and criminals, and, supposedly, the vengeful ghost of a woman who oversees it all. When a Scottish businessman is pulled out of the murky waters and the police trace his nearest relatives, young and [...]

Magic, Love, Longing, and Folklore Author: Laura Esquivel A decadent folk tale with the imagination of a fairy tale and the heart of a forbidden romance, Like Water for Chocolate follows Tita. Being born in a kitchen means that food, the cooking and serving of it, are more than the formal essentials of staying alive to her. They are the soul – the embodiment of passion and desire, the epitome of longing fulfilled, and love poured out. And for Tita, doomed by her strict Mama Elena to remain unwed, to be a good daughter and follow a family tradition and sacrifice her life to [...]