Category: Books/Museum Reviews
-
A Mystery of Mysteries by Mark Dawidziak
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Mystery of Mysteries: Poe was funnier than you think. Also, a bit of a jerk. Quick synopsis: A look at the life and death of Edgar Allan Poe. Fun Fact for Non-History People: Poe married his cousin when he was 26 and she was 13. Yeah, try and forget that…
-
Girls and Their Monsters by Audrey Clare Farley
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Girls and Their Monsters: They got four kids when they deserved none. Quick synopsis: The story of the Genain quadruplets and their horrible lives growing up. Fact for Non-History People: Numbers are fuzzy, but the Genain quadruplets birth (and survival) is about a one in 20 million chance. Fact for History…
-
Burn It Down by Maureen Ryan
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Burn It Down: Mo already lit the match. Quick synopsis: A look at the dysfunction of Hollywood and how to fix it. Fact for Non-History People: Female movie stars earnings increase until age 34 and then drop like a rock. Male movie stars peak around 51 and then stay steady after…
-
The Angel Makers by Patti McCracken
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Angel Makers: Don’t trust Auntie. Quick synopsis: A true crime story about a poisoning ring in 1920s Hungary. Fun Fact for Non-History People: An old test for finding out if someone was poisoned was combining copper, acid, and a sliver of organ tissue from the victim. If it turned black…
-
First Family by Cassandra Good
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for First Family: Riding on Georgie’s coattails. Quick synopsis: A look at the children (and their children) who were raised by George and Martha Washington. Fun Fact for Non-History People: In 1789, there were only 4,200 houses in New York City. In 1790, Philadelphia had 7,000 houses. Fun Fact for History Nerds:…
-
Highlight Real by Emily Lynn Paulson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Highlight Real: You definitely wouldn’t post these stories to your insta. Quick synopsis: The story of Emily Lynn Paulson’s journey to sobriety. Fact for Non-History People: Female alcohol use disorder increased by 83% from 2002 to 2013. Fact for History Nerds: The human brain fires off 20 million billion (not a…
-
Hey, Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Hey, Hun: Get in line to lose your money! Quick synopsis: The story of Emily Lynn Paulson’s journey through the world of MLMs. Fun Fact for Non-History People: Between 96 and 99.7% of people who buy into MLMs lose money. Fact for History Nerds: Studies have found about 90% of new…
-
The Watchmaker’s Daughter by Larry Loftis
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Watchmaker’s Daughter: She did more than make watches. Quick synopsis: The story of World War II heroine Corrie ten Boom. Fun Fact for Non-History People: Corrie ten Boom is credited with saving nearly 800 lives. Fact for History Nerds: She was also the first female licensed watchmaker in the Netherlands.…
-
A Brutal Reckoning by Peter Cozzens
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for A Brutal Reckoning: Andrew Jackson needed serious therapy. Quick synopsis: The story of the Creek War in the southern United States from 1813-1814. Fun Fact for Non-History People: The descendants of the Creek live in Eastern Oklahoma as part of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and number 86,000 members. Fact for History…