bookshelf

50 WAYS TO LOVE WINE MORE

Name: 50 WAYS TO LOVE WINE MORE
Author: Jim Laughren
ISBN: 978-0-9855336-3-2

ADVENTURES IN WINE APPRECIATION

by Jim Laughren ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2018

This book’s heft may intimidate novices, but these pieces of advice will be useful for anyone who’s ever wanted to know more...

bookshelf

Laughren (The Beer Drinker’s Guide to Knowing and Enjoying Fine Wine, 2012) offers a guide to getting more out of your wine-drinking experience.

The author writes that the “one constant” of wine appreciation is “realizing the impossibility of ever mastering this vast subject.” He’s no stranger to convincing readers that oenology is for everyone, and with this new book, he casts a very wide net, packing a great deal of history, geography, personal experience, and advice on refining one’s palate into short chapters. Laughren’s 50 suggestions include creating a country chart in order to keep track of all the wines one has tried (or wants to try); visiting a winery in person; and drinking with people from other countries. Along the way, he addresses the smallest associated details (“Stemless glasses? Get rid of them”) and introduces subjects that even self-proclaimed aficionados might not know about, such as the special kvevri wines of Georgia, which are made using ancient techniques. Along with the advice, Laughren takes every opportunity to share his vast knowledge about a subject that he obviously loves to study. For instance, the simple tip “Take Notes” is indeed a sound idea for novices, but the author uses it as a springboard to go further afield, addressing the different flavors and smells that one should attempt to identify during wine-tasting. As a result, the chapters can become dense; indeed, the work as a whole might have been more interesting if it were organized thematically or as an encyclopedia. Still, Laughren’s mastery of the subject is impressive, and it shines through on every page. Those who take the time to follow his fascinating digressions are sure to find something new and delicious.

This book’s heft may intimidate novices, but these pieces of advice will be useful for anyone who’s ever wanted to know more about wine.

Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-9855336-3-2

Page Count: 300

Publisher: Crosstown Publishing

Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2018

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

bookshelf

NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

bookshelf

This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

bookshelf

TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

bookshelf

An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.