Other books that might interest you

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  The Scorpion-Fish

  Nicolas Bouvier

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  On an unamed Island that can only be Ceylon, the traveller checks into his 117th rented room, abandoned by his lover, poor and feverish. A book on Indian insects deepens his morbid fascination with the crawling inhabitants of the room-'a pretty world of killers'- barely distinguishable from the insect like habitues of the local cafe, the charlatans and fake exorcists, the indolent landowners, merchants and priests. In this exhausted state, he grows antennae that are 'tensed between the real and the occult'. The distinction between fact and fiction is blurred, but in this world of the imagination truths are sometimes crystal clear. A long-dead, levitating priest and the beautiful but deadly scorpion-fish, symbol of Bouvier's ambivalent relationship with the Island, are but two of the specters which eventually lose their hold on the author, releasing him back to life. It is a classic tale of the mental breakdown of a western traveller in the feverish heat of the tropical East - but which yet offers precious insights into the world and the self.

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  Paladares - Recipes Inspired by...

  Anya von Bremzen

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  Discover the fresh flavors of contemporary Cuba in this gorgeously photographed volume of stories and recipes from the country’s enterprising restaurants. Over the past decades, paladares—or private restaurants—have led a cultural and culinary renaissance in Cuba. In Paladares, James Beard Award-winning food writer Anya von Bremzen shares a fascinating journey through the country’s new food scene. Born in Soviet Russia, Bremzen brings a unique perspective to the stories she hears from Cuba’s chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and food historians. She eavesdrops on passionate arguments about black beans and tamales; pries Daiquirí secrets from the legendary El Floridita (Hemingway’s watering hole); and guides us to vibrant markets and visionary organic farms.  Through Bremzen’s travels, we learn of Fidel’s obsession with dairy cows and hear wrenching memories of privation from the time after Soviet aid vanished. We meet colorful expats-turned-restaurateurs and local hipsters who obsess over global culture glimpsed in foreign movies and magazines.  The more than 100 recipes in Paladares are as intriguing as the characters behind them. And Fawn Schlow’s evocative photographs frame it all with the ramshackle glamour of old Havana, Cuba’s stunning countryside, dishes that are earthy and innovative, and Cuba’s incredible people.

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  A Louisiana Christmas - Heritage...

  Carol Stubbs, Nancy Rust

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  The holidays in Louisiana feature a stunning array of festivities and events. Good food, music, and camaraderie abound. This volume takes readers on a statewide tour of les fêtes de Noël and provides recipes and activities for the whole family. From the lighting of the bonfire at Oak Alley Plantation to Natchitoches’s Festival of Lights, experience the living culture that the Pelican State has to offer. After a tour of the local entertainment, gather up friends and family and enjoy some of the delicious appetizers, sweet and savory breads, entrées, and desserts included in this beautifully photographed collection.  Separated into geographical sections, this book takes readers on a tour of traditions and happenings in Cajun Country, Sportsman’s Paradise, the Crossroads, Plantation Country, and Greater New Orleans. Contact information is included, along with a description of each festivity. Featured are photographs of the exquisite Hanley-Gueno Neapolitan Presepio Nativity figures, crafted in the eighteenth century. More than one hundred fifty recipes cover every course for every get-together. Family-friendly crafts and activities will keep adults and children celebrating the season all winter long.

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  The Outermost House - A Year of...

  Henry Beston

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  The Outermost House is a classic of American nature literature. 
  In 1926, Henry Beston spent two weeks in a two-room cottage on the sand dunes of Cape Cod. He had not intended to stay longer, but, as he later wrote, "I lingered on, and as the year lengthened into autumn, the beauty and mystery of this earth and outer sea so possessed and held me that I could not go." 
  Beston stayed for a year, meditating on humanity and the natural world. In The Outermost House, originally published in 1928, he poetically chronicled the four seasons at the beach; the ebb and flow of the tides, the migration of birds, storms, stars, and solitude. The landscape was his major character, and his writing provides a snapshot of the Cape, a place physically changed yet as soulful a century later.  
  Like Henry D. Thoreau before him, and Rachel Carson after him, Beston was a writer of stunning beauty, importance and vision. Robert Finch once wrote of him, “His are burnished, polished sentences, richly metaphoric and musical, that beg to be read aloud.”  
  Henry Beston lived from 1888 to 1968. His Cape Cod house was declared a National Literary Landmark in 1964, but was destroyed by a winter storm in 1978.

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  Everything Is A Road

  Phil Cousineau

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  Noticing life out of the corner of our eye takes some attention. We are often dazzled by the spectacle of what is in front of us. However, there are precious treasures that may only be seen by a fleeting glance. From his extensive, world-circling travels Cousineau observes: “We’re going to be blinded by the glamour of the world, by what everybody else sees or what the Chamber of Commerce wants us to see. The real art, the real story takes place out of the corner of the eye.” He guides us superbly by demonstrating how to find moments of true depth and meaning. He emboldens us to be awake to the small details when “life leaps out at you.” His advice about writing is that if some small thing causes us to wonder and be amazed we should “take it out for a walk.” He says, “It’s the communication of a moment in which we glean meaning out of the vast meaningless.” As a writer we may start out telling some preconceived story, but if we allow ourselves the space and freedom, we may find that the best stories come from small moments that have grabbed our attention. Thus the personal becomes the universal. Travel with Phil from the cardboard rocket ship of his youth to the footprints on a 3 million year old road. You’ll be enthralled and inspirited by his many stories. (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)

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  Shut the Front Door - Make Any...

  Chelsey Brown

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  Nowadays, highly curated social media feeds can leave you feeling like you’ll need give up your life savings or knock down walls to have a home you love. But Chelsey Brown, owner of City Chic Decor, is here to show that with some creativity you can completely redesign any room in your house without declaring bankruptcy?and have fun while doing it. Shut the Front Door is filled with gorgeous rooms for inspiration, pro tips, easy DIYs, and more, so even if you’ve got Champagne tastes and a Diet Coke budget, you’ll be able to transform your house into the home of your dreams.

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