A beautiful stately home, but at what price?

I'm sure everyone who watches Downton Abbey dreams of living in such a beautiful and historic home (generally upstairs, rather than downstairs!).  As we know from countless television dramas, however, the beautiful stately home can hide terrible secrets.  The book Black Diamonds looks at the intriguing background of Wentworth House in South Yorkshire, the largest...

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That Jane Austen sure gets around

Poor Jane Austen never lived such an exciting life until after she'd been dead a few centuries!  The book First Impressions had a Jane-centered mystery at its heart, traveling back and forth in time between Jane's time and the present. A young Jane meets the 80 year old Rev. Richard Mansfield and delights to discover that he is someone she can discuss literary subjects...

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Bloom where you're planted

It's difficult to stay on a budget when every day we are bombarded with images of glamorous celebrities who are living fabulous lives.  We are encouraged to spend, spend, spend if we ever want to be as beautiful, happy and fulfilled as the celebrities would have us believe they are.  The author of Living Well, Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life, Ruth Soukup,...

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Don't let the number of forks perplex you

It used to be that you could consult Emily Post or your own grandmother on the ins and outs of manners.  But the Internet, social media and other aspects of modern life have opened up new areas where the old rules no longer apply.  The book Modern Manners gives advice on how to navigate your way properly through society -- both IRL and online.  The book is...

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Bad wives need not apply

The title of the book How to be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman comes from a book that Marta, the main character, was given by her mother-in-law upon her marriage.  Marta is a troubled and troublesome woman, highly strung and difficult to get along with.  Her behavior has been kept in check by an unnamed "medication" that her husband Hector administers...

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Turn your doodles into professional art

With the explosion in popularity of comics and graphic novels (not to mention the many books and films based on them), budding authors and artists are eager to break into the market.  While talented people have more opportunities today to get their work published than ever before, it still can be a daunting prospect to figure out out to translate ideas into a finished...

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Advice from the trenches

Adopting a child offers difficult but rewarding challenges. The book Forever Mom takes a look at some of the issues that surround adoption -- both in the processes that are required to adopt a child and also those that arise after bringing the child home. Mary Ostyn and her husband already had four birth children when they looked into adoption.  It was very interesting...

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