tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500Wed, 06 Aug 2025 15:54:18 +0000fictionnovelcrime fictionfree booksjason goodwinbookschristian moerkinnocentscott turowAppalachiaalice blissayelet waldmanbook giveawaybook reviewcaleb's crossingcarey wallacedaniel silvaedmund de waalenglandgabriel allongeraldine brooksholiday giftslaura harringtonlouise pennyluanne ricenew novelreviewsrobert hicksscott simonsujata masseythe blind contessa's writing machineAndrew JacksonAppalachian MountainsCherokeeDebut novelFirst LadiesGeorgiaJewish fictionMexican-AmericansNew York CityPerson of colorScotch-Irish AmericanSouthern AppalachiaUnited StatesWWIa separate countrya separate peaceadam nicolsonadoptionalan furstalfredo molinaamy stewartannouncementanthologyargentinaargentine clubarlidgebabybad motherbake-offbar kochbabest giftsbeth kendrickbiographybird bookbird soundsbirdsbourbon kingsbrando skyhorsebraziliancatherine hallchandler burrcharlotte brontecrime fiction.holiday giftscrime fiction.poetrycrime noirdays of gracedeborah hardknessevil eyefiona bartonfree books.fusion musicgarcia rozageneral john bell hoodgory fictiongretchen primackhhadrianhaicaishelen sionson. the summer before the warhemingway prizehermeshistorical fiction vikingshistoryholiday greetingshothouse flower and nine plants of desireinspector espinosainterviewsisraelj.r.wardjane greenjapanjim powelljudeajudy schachnerjulia amantejulia robertskeanu reeveslaura joh rowlandlegionnaireslegionsliterary crime fictionlittle nightlosing melouise oennym.jmadonnas odf echo parkman booker prize longlistmarcus ayreliusmargot berwinmary suttermatt beynon reesmatthew niederhausermediocre writingmiyoko chumossadmozart's last ariamurder mysteriesmusiciannatalie portmannetsukenew orleansnovelsnovelunprnyt bestsellersoprahottoman historypenguin 75penguin bookspenguin bookshpercussionistpoetpoetrypresumed innocentpromises to keeppulitzer prizereadingrecipesred hook roadrei shimura mysteriesrenoirreviewrichtextsrobin oliveiraromanceromesano ichirosanzio de azevedosarah jessica parkershadow of the nightsissinghurstskippyjon jonessound kapitalspiea of the balkanssue argolisten best booksthe age of desirethe breaking of eggsthe janissary treethe new york times bestseller listthe new york times style magazinethe rembrandt affairthe silver boatthrillertitustribuneturkkish cuisinevalentine's giftswicked plantsww ii mysteriesyashim novelsyashim seriesyo vikingsyou or someone like youBOOK REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWShttp://richtexts.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-4178091657235978492Sun, 08 Dec 2024 21:13:00 +00002024-12-09T08:37:18.896-08:00booksinterviewsreviews  CABIN is a St. Martin's Press title        At the center of Patrick Hutchinson’s Cabin, are his hunger to live meaningfully and his need to exchange a dreary, soul-killing job in the city for physically and intellectually satisfying work. This he found the process of rehabbing a decrepit cabin in the heart of a forest. At the time,  Hutchinson worked as ahttp://richtexts.blogspot.com/2024/12/building.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-5256149041616485108Sat, 04 Nov 2023 17:38:00 +00002024-11-17T11:35:43.927-08:00anthologyJewish fictionAlthough the themes of these stories are timeless and universal, this book is eminently suited for Hannukah gift lists.  Dr. Nora Gold, Founder and Editor of the literary journal Jewish Fiction.net, has assembled an impressive collection of stories beautifully translated into English from 18 languages. First among these is the eerely prescient ''Hostage,'' excerpted  from a novel http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-treasure-trove-of-jewish-fiction.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)085GJW6H2+R840.929595 -107.799229512.891296291585228 -142.9554795 68.967893708414778 -72.6429795tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-7424504491583348991Wed, 01 Nov 2023 22:23:00 +00002023-11-01T15:27:14.520-07:00book reviewbooksreading   Van Gogh's Weeping Woman sitting on a Basket, Van Gogh Museum      VINCENT’S WOMEN: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE LOVES OF VINCENT VAN GOGH BY DONNA RUSSO, MARCH, 2024   Bestselling author Donna Russo researched the life, letters, and work of Vincent Van Gogh for three years. While her 423-page novel, Vincent's Women: The Untold Story of the Loves of http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2023/11/cherchez-momzilla.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)048R8+29 Negebare, Papua New Guinea-6.8599688 144.315875-35.170202636178843 109.159625 21.450265036178845 179.472125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-7802383423396618592Tue, 22 Aug 2023 00:58:00 +00002023-08-21T18:37:22.226-07:00announcementbooksreviewsrichtextsArt by Adrien  Jean Madiol           After a long hiatus, richtexts will return by Halloween 2023. http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2023/08/richtexts-revival.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-2941829900448387119Thu, 10 Jun 2021 18:15:00 +00002021-06-10T11:17:16.020-07:00  Espresso Shot A Coffeehouse Mystery, Book 7 By: Cleo Coyle Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-unpalatable-mix-of-silliness-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-6220490014592467716Fri, 14 Sep 2018 21:10:00 +00002018-09-14T14:10:00.917-07:00         Author Walter Echo-Hawk, Fulcrum Press.        Q. If you could, would you change in the history of the Pawnee Nation?         A. If a change in Pawnee history were possible, my wish would be: That the Pawnee were able          to remain in http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2018/09/interview-with-author-walter-echo-hawk_14.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-3462194531882113934Sun, 02 Sep 2018 18:58:00 +00002018-09-02T11:58:35.500-07:00Interview with author Walter Echo-Hawk. Review of RIOT DAYS, by Maria Alyohina http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2018/09/coming-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-8018744512430289183Sat, 01 Sep 2018 20:01:00 +00002018-09-01T13:09:51.138-07:00 I confess that, much to my shame, I knew zero about the Pawnee Nation until I came across Walter Echo-Hawk's THE SEA OF GRASS: A FAMILY TALE FROM THE AMERICA HEARTLAND. An attorney, writer, and activist, Echo-Hawk is one of the rare Americans who can rightly claim that his ancestral roots in the New World reach back to 1250. The fictionalized history of http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2018/09/children-of-stars.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-8315657478354486986Tue, 31 Jul 2018 19:19:00 +00002018-07-31T12:43:54.437-07:00 After a long pause, Rich Text returns to exciting work of reviewing books and interviewing authors and artists. Please stay tuned. Albert Camus,  Leon Wirth, Sujata Massey, and Khaled Husseini are the authors whose works are on this blogger's bedside table, at the moment. COMING UP--A review of THE SEA OF GRASS,  by Walter R. Echo-Hawk, a book  ''Inspired by real people and http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2018/07/a-new-beginning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-9036563508726056345Thu, 17 Nov 2016 22:42:00 +00002016-11-17T14:42:32.184-08:00 Jason Goodwin, author of the delightful series that features Ottoman detectiveYashim, has published COOKING ISTANBUL, a collection of recipes from the Yashim novels. It is a beautifully designed  volume with such lush photographs it could become a coffee table book if it were not for its clearly written recipes for delicious dishes. Please click on the link below for NPR's http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/11/cooking-istanbul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-8578839888420064704Sat, 15 Oct 2016 20:01:00 +00002016-10-15T13:01:57.653-07:00I am reposting Jason Goodwin's announcement of his Yashim cookbook. I have pre-ordered my copy. I recommend that readers consider it as a magnificennt Holiday--or any time--present.    Dear Yashimite (if I may), Last week we took delivery of the first copies of Yashim Cooks Istanbul, the book designed to take you deeper into the world of Yashim's Ottoman adventureshttp://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/10/jason-goodwins-yashim-cooks-istanbul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-7637381876591901216Sat, 02 Jul 2016 01:34:00 +00002016-07-01T18:34:08.566-07:00Click on the link to read the compelling first chapter of Daniel Silva's new novel, THE BLACK WIDOW. The book will be out on 12 July 2016. Mark your calendars. This promises to be an amazing read. Daniel's Silva's new novel http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/07/daniel-silva-shares-first-chapter-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-4513537551683606768Wed, 23 Mar 2016 00:29:00 +00002016-03-22T17:29:39.396-07:00 If I boil down my list of what makes a good book, I am left with the following: clear, precise language, a well-designed plot, a memorable sense of place, engaging characters. Alan Furst’s A HERO OF FRANCE meets these standards. It is a story of French Resistance agents who help downed British pilots to return to Britain. That the salient characters are ordinary people whose bravery is devoid ofhttp://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/03/love-and-war.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-1552367448562170463Fri, 11 Mar 2016 20:15:00 +00002016-03-11T12:17:21.377-08:00englandfictionhelen sionson. the summer before the warWWI THE SUMMER BEFORE THE WAR begins gently, the way good stories and good music do. Its opening paragraph situates young doctor Hugh Grange, one of its main characters, in the lovely English landscape, “The town of Rye rose from the flat marshes like an island, its tumbled pyramids of red-tiled roofs glowing in the slanting evening light.” Such an introduction is at odds with rules designed to http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/03/e-summer-before-war-begins-gently-way.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-8656321046978451350Sat, 05 Mar 2016 21:01:00 +00002016-03-05T13:01:52.777-08:00arlidgecrime fictionfiona bartongory fictionm.j In my opinion,  fiction writers rarely choose stories.  I believe that more often than not, stories that demand to be told choose someone to  tell them.  Surely neither Andrew Vachs,  Patricia Cornwell, nor other novelists whose works ooze blood and gore derive much pleasure from imagining vicious killers and their deeds. Publishers do derive pleasure from http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-unreadable.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-192415021864843717Sun, 14 Feb 2016 23:54:00 +00002016-02-14T15:54:09.383-08:00fusion musicmusicianpercussionist Kobi Hagoel is a percussionist  I hope to interview on this blog. Listen to his music and I think you will agree that it is lovely. Click on the link hear samples from  Kobi's album.  KOBI HAGOEL & KAV HATEFERhttp://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/02/make-passionate-your-sense-of-hearing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-8945449480853686725Thu, 11 Feb 2016 16:47:00 +00002016-02-11T08:47:40.126-08:00 1.Which of the characters in LUCKY SOUTHERN WOMEN resembles you most? There are elements of myself in both Phoebe and Sophie. Like Sophie, I'm a writer but I'm definitely not the crafty daredevil she is. Phoebe's thoughtful level-headedness is really more like me. At least I hope it is! When I was younger I was a little afraid to be alone, like Sophie, and I tended to think I needed ahttp://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/02/ten-questions-for-susannah-eanes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-5777060554299476224Thu, 11 Feb 2016 16:43:00 +00002016-02-11T08:47:11.142-08:00 To say that the main characters and narrators in LUCKY SOUTHERN WOMEN, by Susannah Eannes, are aspects of the same a duality is to risk stripping the story from its rich complexity. Yet it is difficult to see Phoebe and Sophie as irreducibly distinct. Friends since pre-adolescence, these two Alabama natives evoke light and shade, fire and water, yin and ying. They are, http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/02/ecstasy-in-spite-of-it-all.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-4171776461267252493Wed, 10 Feb 2016 22:42:00 +00002016-02-10T14:42:02.568-08:00 Picsso's Tete d'unefemme lisent. Review of Susannah Eanes's  LUCKY SOUTHERN WOMEN and interview with the author. Interview with Jason Goodwin, author of the Yashim crime novels.We will be talking about his new book, YASHIM'S ISTANBUL COOKBOOK.http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/02/upcoming-events.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-6182864013999739415Mon, 08 Feb 2016 20:22:00 +00002016-02-08T12:25:32.655-08:00 Please click on link for sound clip. Test 2 http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/02/blog-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-860698264640195972Tue, 26 Jan 2016 22:49:00 +00002016-01-26T16:18:15.772-08:00 A good friend who spent time in Sicily led me to Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano crime novels. As she had promised, I found THE SHAPE OF THE WATER, THE TERRACOTTA DOG, and THE SNACK THIEF delightful. These are cozies with an edge. Montalbano comes through crisply and clearly as a hero focused on solving crimes despite the paralysing rules of Italian bureaucracy. Neither http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/01/writing-is-not-cooking.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-6120342455047874559Thu, 21 Jan 2016 19:50:00 +00002016-01-21T11:50:11.738-08:00 When I got a copy of  Mary Ellen Taylor's THE VIEW FROM PRINCE  I thought it would transport me to Alexandra, Virginia, a place not too far from where I live. It is alovely section of Virginia and it has a longand rich history. surely that history included fascinating people. It was that place I hoped to see and those people I wanted to meet in tis novel. I read several chapters http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2016/01/when-i-got-copy-of-ellen-taylors-view.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-5779393287182882944Sun, 20 Dec 2015 20:46:00 +00002015-12-20T12:59:39.352-08:00 History was unkind to Marguerite de Valois, daughter of France's queen Catherine de Medicis. It condemned her along with her  violent  family for the Saint Bartholomew Massacre. That event, which took place five days after Marguerite's wedding to King Henri of Navarre, in August of 1572, precipitated France's Wars of Religion during which Catholics slaughtered thousands http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2015/12/a-renaissance-star-shines-brightly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-7774984791135851503Tue, 20 Oct 2015 17:34:00 +00002015-10-20T10:40:10.182-07:00 Please click on on the link to learn more about this novel. THE AMBASSADOR, by Yehuda Avner and Matt Rees Anyone who is familiar with Matt's fiction and nonfiction books knows that he writes with rare elegance. THE AMBASSADOR, the counterhistoric thriller he wrote  with the late Yehuda Avner, reaffirms these qualitiesMatt Rees talks about THE AMBASSADOR in The Huffington Post, once http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-ambassador-by-yehyda-avner-and-matt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304460664310436500.post-9090818921855529375Wed, 19 Aug 2015 20:30:00 +00002015-08-19T13:33:39.460-07:00bourbon kingsj.r.wardmediocre writing I could not get past page five in J.R. Ward's THE BOURBON KINGS without wanting to toss it  into a shredder. Clearly, I am in the minority. Some of her novels have made the bestseller list of The New York Times. According to her bio-blurb, there are more than fifteen million copies of her books in twenty-five countries. Be that as it may, my reaction to every http://richtexts.blogspot.com/2015/08/bloated-saga.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0