Meaghan Walsh Gerard

REVIEW: APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA by John O’Hara

mwgerard — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:29 +0000

Flavorwire named it one of the ten books to read “While You’re Waiting for The Great Gatsby to Come Out.” Fran Lebowitz said John O’Hara is the “real F. Scott Fitzgerald.” So what’s with all the praise? This was O’Hara’s … Continue reading →

REVIEW: THE ACCURSED by Joyce Carol Oates

mwgerard — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:25:08 +0000

Joyce Carol Oates is often heralded as the Queen of American Gothic, at least of modern days writers. Recently she has focused her efforts on short stories and editing collections of others’ short stories. This offering is a hefty novel … Continue reading →

REVIEW: DEATH IN THE VINES by M. L. Longworth

mwgerard — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:29 +0000

Every summer reading list needs a cozy mystery. This one is nestled in the community of Aix-en-Provence. Magistrate Verlaque oversees Commissioner Paulik’s investigation of a possible wine theft. A local vineyard is stunned to discover a number of irreplaceable bottles … Continue reading →

GIVEAWAY: THE BOOKMAN’S TALE by Charlie Lovett

mwgerard — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:22:55 +0000

Hello Dear Readers! I have a great giveaway for you. Just leave a comment and be entered to win this new book. I just started reading it myself and am enjoying it quite at bit. Description: Hay-on-Wye, 1995. Peter … Continue reading →

REVIEW: THE HONEY THIEF

mwgerard — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:43:56 +0000

By Nasaf Mazari & Robert Hillman Hazarajat, a central area of Afghanistan, has remained rural for centuries. Though modernity has seeped through the cracks of this archaic land, traditions have remained. One of those customs is storytelling. The authors bring … Continue reading →

REVIEW: THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI by Helene Wecker

mwgerard — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:48:51 +0000

In the turn-of-the-century New York City, a Syrian tinsmith names Arbeely is repairing a copper flask, when he unwittingly releases a jinni. The spirit has been captive an untold number of decades, unable to enjoy the freedom he once enjoyed. … Continue reading →

Armchair BEA – 2013

mwgerard — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:08:59 +0000

I will once again be participating in Armchair BEA. I’ve had a great time these past 2 years and look forward to “meeting” even more fellow bloggers. Watch this space from May 28-June 2 for themed posts and giveaways! (Image … Continue reading →

Trouble Above – via Futility Closet

mwgerard — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:19:36 +0000

Trouble Above – Futility Closet. I have fully considered the project of these our modern Dædalists, and am resolved so far to discourage it, as to prevent any person from flying in my time. It would fill the world with … Continue reading →

REVIEW: THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN by Hallie Ephron

mwgerard — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:21:07 +0000

Perhaps what makes this novel so frightening is that it could happen to anyone. The devious plan is so deceptively simple that it barely registers as out of place. The narrative alternates between two feisty heroines — Mina, an … Continue reading →

New App — WifeBlocker

mwgerard — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:33:38 +0000

I have been working for several months on an app that I hope you will be the first to download. It is still new, so there may be some glitches, which I hope you will let me know about so … Continue reading →

App Page

mwgerard — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:32:44 +0000

Happy April Fools Day! (but if someone does make this app, and makes a bunch of money, they have to cut me in.)

REVIEW: OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (2013)

mwgerard — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:56:25 +0000

This movie makes me fear even more for the future of the Star Wars franchise. What has happened to Disney? Instead of inspiring wonder and amusement, they too seem to have gone the way of bland mediocrity, an opiate for … Continue reading →

Witley Wonder Underwater Ballroom | via Atlas Obscura

mwgerard — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:34:28 +0000

“The main house on the estate was a 32-room mansion, and Wright had three artificial lakes constructed, the 9,000+ acres lavishly landscaped and reeking of wealth and means. Perhaps the most famous addition to the palatial properties was the underground … Continue reading →

REVIEW: THE UNCHANGEABLE SPOTS OF LEOPARDS by Kristopher Jansma

mwgerard — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:00:22 +0000

This is the The Talented Mr. Ripley for the newest generation. It’s a twisting tale of identity and the search for true companionship. Each chapter marks another episode in the young protagonist’s life. The book opens with an “Author’s Note”, … Continue reading →

REVIEW: THE MAN FROM PRIMROSE LANE by James Renner

mwgerard — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:07:07 +0000

This book is a bizarre and twisted that deals with obsession. Told primarily in the third person but from the point-of-view of reporter and best-selling true crime author David Neff. With a nose for finding stories, David takes possession of … Continue reading →

REVIEW: THE DAMNATION OF JOHN DONELLAN by Elizabeth Cooke

mwgerard — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:00:11 +0000

It has all the makings of a Georgian era Agatha Christie novel — a house full of suspects, bizarre alibis, unsubstantiated timelines, inheritances, jealousy, and a bottle or two of poison. When young soon-to-be baronet Theodosius Boughton dies unexpectedly one … Continue reading →

REVIEW: THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ by L. Frank Baum

mwgerard — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:40:07 +0000

With Illustrations by Michael Sieben Just in time for the release of Oz: The Great and Powerful, comes an all new edition of the original classic children’s story. All the usual characters are there. Dorothy and Toto are swept up by … Continue reading →

Lawrence of Arabia – Animated GIF

mwgerard — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 02:04:54 +0000

Lawrence of Arabia (1964) http://thefilmfatale.me/post/43267492605

REVIEW: THE BURNING AIR by Erin Kelly

mwgerard — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:00:08 +0000

Erin Kelly’s third novel puts a modern twist on a classic archetype: The English country house mystery. This is a chilling psychological tale, told from a number increasingly unreliable narrators. The MacBride family is well-to-do and respectable. The patriarch is … Continue reading →

REVIEW: LADY AT THE O.K. CORRAL by Ann Kirschner

mwgerard — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:00:28 +0000

I must admit – I never knew that Wyatt Earp was married. He was, by most accounts, a dashing and magnetic man. But for every larger-than-life aspect of his legend, there was Josephine (Marcus) Earp. Daughter of a Jewish family, … Continue reading →

FOUND PHOTO: Man With Car

mwgerard — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:00:20 +0000

This is the third of the photos I found at Graveface Curiosities #2 on their opening night. I am guessing that this one is form the late 1930s, based on the car and his ill-fitting suit.

REVIEW: THE REAL JANE AUSTEN by Paula Byrne

mwgerard — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:00:16 +0000

Frustratingly little is known about Jane Austen. We don’t know what she looked like. There is only one drawing of her, as a youth, that is considered to be a portrait, but even some scholars don’t accept that. In time … Continue reading →

FOUND PHOTO: Woman in Car

mwgerard — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:00:14 +0000

I found this photo at Graveface Curiosities #2 as well. I am guessing it is from the late 1920s or early 1930s, based on the the car and the woman’s clothing.

FOUND PHOTO: Two ladies, 1920s

mwgerard — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:32:38 +0000

I found this photo at the new Graveface Records and Curiosities location. They had their opening a couple of nights ago. I am guessing this is te 1920s, based on their dress.

THE GREATCOAT by Helen Dunmore

mwgerard — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:17:55 +0000

This book would have done better as a short story. It has the makings of a good yarn, but it draws things out much too long. If kept clean and simple, it would have been much more effective. In 1952, … Continue reading →