Agatha Christie’s Summer House Welcomes Visitors

Roadtrip!

Actually, it would be more of a canoe trip. A very looooong canoe trip.

Anyhoo, the grande dame of the mystery novel, Agatha Christie, spent her summers from 1938 to 1959 at Greenway, a history-rich manor near Dartmouth in southern England. She gave the home to her daughter and grandson, who donated it to the UK’s National Trust nine years ago.

And this Saturday for the first time ever, Greenway will open its doors to we peons of the reading public. The house has been completely restored to the pristine condition it was in when Christie summered there, and the rooms remain very similar to how they were when she was in residence–filled with books, papers, chocolates, flowers.

(Did someone say chocolate?!?!? What time do they open?!?!?)

Greenway opens its doors at 10:30 Saturday morning (oh, OK), and admission is £7.45. For more information, visit the The National Trust website.

 

Story Source  Yahoo  |  Image Source  BBC

February 24, 2009 | Filed Under Authors, Newsies | 2 Comments 

Crosswords for Your iPhone!

I’m a bit of a crossword puzzle fanatic, but I am so anti-newfangled technology that I greeted this news with mixed emotions. But it’s interesting nonetheless.

According to Publishers Weekly, Simon and Schuster has launched a new app (whatever the hell that is) that lets owners of the iPhone or iPod Touch play crossword puzzles for just a one-time payment of $4.95. Yup, that’s right, no subscription needed, and you get, like, a gazillion crosswords. Actually, I think you get 365 crosswords, which is good enough, since Simon and Schuster says they will update the puzzles regularly and also provide holiday and bonus crosswords.

You can download the feature at the iTunes store. The puzzles have appeared previously in Simon and Schuster-published crossword books and have been edited by John M. Samson, who created the series of Simon & Schuster Mega Crossword Puzzle Books. 

Crossword lovers more technologically-savvy than I will be able to choose puzzles by degrees of difficulty, title, or author. The iPhone/iPod “pen” or “pencil” mode (again, I have no clue, I just thought the story was cool) can be used, and players can check their answers.

Yay for digital crosswords! Woot-woot!

 

Story Source  Publishers Weekly  |  Image Source  The Daily Mac

February 23, 2009 | Filed Under Newsies | 3 Comments 

The New Yorker Hosts Online Book Club

The New Yorker, quite possibly the coolest magazine on the planet, launched their own book club yesterday. The mag promises “the book club will be an ongoing collaboration between our editors and writers and our audience.”

They also promise to choose works that will generate questions, discussion, and debate. According to The New Yorker website: “We plan to approach the books as landscapes for exploration, in which we are the park rangers, if you will, examining the flora and the fauna and fending off the occasional wild animal. (Every good book has one.)”

This month’s selection is Revolutionary Road, the brilliant 1961 novel by Richard Yates and the basis for the hit film (which was robbed of Best Actor and Actress nominations).

Pop on over to The New Yorker to register; then read and talk amongst yourselves!

 

 

Story Source  The New Yorker  |  Image Source  Team Sugar

February 18, 2009 | Filed Under Newsies | 6 Comments 

« Previous Page — Next Page »



      WHAT IS A SNARK?




      The Snark is a creature created by Lewis Carroll in his poem "The Hunting of the Snark". To give a proper description of Snarks, one must look no further than Carroll himself, who summed them up in one word: Unimaginable.

      But this much we do know: some have feathers, some have whiskers. Snarks sleep a lot, yet they are an ambitious lot -- with very little sense of humor. They love bathing-machines and tend to bring them wherever they go; they are also handy for striking a light. Snarks live on a far-off island, a place filled with chasms and crags, and are constantly on the lookout for Snark-hunters. Their mortal enemies are hope, care, thimbles and forks.

    • Archives

      • The Book Snark's Pick for Best Book of 2008




      Special web hosting offer - LIMITED TIME ONLY

      PerformancingAds


      Picnik: photo editing awesomeness