Category: Books/Museum Reviews
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Charlotte Bronte by Claire Harman
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline: Jane Eyre was way truer to life than I thought. Quick synopsis for Charlotte Bronte: The biography Charlotte Bronte, best known as the writer of Jane Eyre. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Charlotte’s sister, Emily, wrote Wuthering Heights, another book you probably dodged in high school unsuccessfully. Fun Fact for History…
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Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline Liar’s Poker: This has aged hilariously badly. Quick synopsis: The short career of author Michael Lewis as a bond salesman for the Salomon Brothers in the 1980s. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Most of the people in this book either went bankrupt, got fired, or went to jail. Good luck guessing…
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Terror to the Wicked by Tobey Pearl
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Terror to the Wicked: Seems like everyone wanted to kill each other all the time in early America. Quick synopsis: The story of the first jury trial in the American colonies. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Rockabye baby is actually based on an American Indian song. Fun Fact for History…
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Three Pianos by Andrew McMahon
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Three Pianos: Sex, drugs, rock and roll. A tale as old as time. Quick synopsis: A memoir of Andrew McMahon. He was the lead singer/songwriter of Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, and Andrews McMahon in the Wilderness (duh). Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Andrew drinks a lot and does a lot…
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Star Spangled Scandal by Chris DeRose
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Star Spangled Scandal: A famous dad does not make you bulletproof. Quick synopsis: The murder of Philip Baron Key by Daniel Sickles in 1859 right in front of the White House. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Philip Barton Key was the son of Francis Scott Key, the writer of the…
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The Taking of Jemima Boone by Matthew Pearl
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Taking of Jemima Boone: Daniel Boone, the original American badass. Quick synopsis of The Taking of Jemima Boone: The story of the kidnapping of Daniel Boone’s daughter and essentially the founding of Kentucky. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Kentucky was almost called Transylvania. Fun Fact for History Nerds: Daniel…
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Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Madhouse at the End of the Earth: Belgium tried to do what? Quick summary: The voyage of the Belgica, a ship from Belgium intent on Antarctic discovery in 1897. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: The Antarctic Giant Petrel’s defense mechanism is to puke on you. It smells really bad apparently.…
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Museum Review: Phoenix Art Museum
Phoenix Art Museum Focus: Art Museum in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It’s huge and it has a lot of different types of exhibits. Where is it: 1625 North Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004. What does it cost: $21 for adults and lower for kids and seniors. Military and Veterans get in free. It makes you feel…
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The Daughters of Yalta by Catherine Grace Katz
Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Daughters of Yalta: It all makes for very complicated dinner parties. Quick synopsis: The story of the Yalta Conference near the end of World War II through the eyes of Sarah Churchill, Anna Roosevelt, and Kathleen Harriman. Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like: Franklin D. Roosevelt never knew what he…