• Books Read

    My Life in France

    My Life in France by Julia Child Published: 2006 Narrated by: Kimberly Farr I grew up watching Julia Child with my parents. I had no interest in actually cooking at that age, but I loved how easy and fun she made it seem. She even used a sword to cut up a chicken that time. I want to cut up a chicken with a sword. Many of my culinary ambitions can probably be traced back to her in some way. I have yet to cut up anything with a sword, but it will happen. Julia Child led a more interesting life than many realize. She doesn’t go into World War…

  • Books Read

    Journey to the Center of the Earth

    Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne Published: 1864 Narrated by: Tim Curry I’ve been meaning to read Jules Verne for quite a while now, so when I saw that Audible had Journey to the Center of the Earth available, the movie adaptation of which I remember liking as a child, and it was narrated by the legendary Tim Curry, I knew I had to have it. At first the story was very reminiscent of The Lost World (or the other way around I supposed, but I read The Lost World first). They both begin with a slightly mad older scientist setting off on a journey and…

  • Books Read

    Toujours Provence

    Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle Published: 1992 I read Mayle’s A Year in Provence almost two years ago now and really enjoyed it. I’m not sure why it took me so long to read this follow-up book, as it’s really more of the same (in a good way). Toujours Provence begins just after A Year in Provence has been published. Peter and his wife are more situated in their home now and are continuing on with their lives in the south of France. The first book gave a month by month account of their first year as expats, and I found some topics would occasionally drag on a bit because…

  • Books Read

    Heart of Darkness

    Heart of Darkness (audio) by Joseph Conrad Published: 1899 Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh The story is framed by a group of men sitting in a boat on the River Thames, listening to Charles Marlow tell a story from his past. Our narrator is actually one of the unnamed men on the boat, but almost the entire novella is Marlowe telling his story. It’s a story of his time captaining a steamboat on the Congo River. I’m not sure they mention that he’s in The Congo Free State, as it was then called, but I knew this going in. When he first arrives, he stops briefly at a trading station and…

  • Literature

    Blank Spaces

    “Now when I was a little chap I had a passion for maps. I would look for hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia, and lose myself in all the glories of exploration. At that time there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting on a map (but they all look that) I would put my finger on it and say, `When I grow up I will go there.’ The North Pole was one of these places, I remember. Well, I haven’t been there yet, and shall not try now. The glamour’s off. Other places were scattered about the Equator,…