Accolades for Arthur Conan Doyle

“How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?”

6815345113_e3ee5dc18e_bConan Doyle is most famous as the inventor of Sherlock Holmes, but he had a varied career as a writer, journalist and public figure.
Born Today on May 22nd 1859 in Edinburgh into a prosperous Irish family. He trained as a doctor, gaining his degree from Edinburgh University in 1881. He worked as a surgeon on a whaling boat and also as a medical officer on a steamer travelling between Liverpool and West Africa. He then settled in Portsmouth on the English south coast and divided his time between medicine and writing.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The most recognized detective in all of literature, Sherlock Holmes emerged on the crime scene in A Study in Scarlet in 1887. His deductive reasoning, keen insight, skillful observations, and investigative tactics became the tools necessary to solve riveting and intriguing crimes that continue to delight generations of readers. Discover or rediscover the joys of these fascinating mysteries.

Rated 4.5 on amazon.com

Vampire Stories
Who would suspect that the same mind that created the most famous literary detective of all time also took on the eternally popular genre of vampires? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a contemporary of Bram Stoker, gave us some fascinating works of vampire fiction. From the bloodsucking plant in “The American’s Tale” to the bloodsucking wife in “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire,” he reveled in the horror created by creatures who survived on the blood of men and women.

Rated 4.1 on amazon.com
The Lost World
Talented and extremely ambitious reporter Edward Malone received a humiliating refusal from a beloved girl to marry him only on the grounds that he is too mediocre. The offended young man rushes to the editorial office and begs the authorities to send him to the most dangerous corner of the Earth, so that he can make a report there.

An experienced editor gives the young man a difficult task: at any cost to get an interview with the scandalously dangerous, impulsive Professor Challenger, glorious for his hatred of journalists. After a small but very colorful fight, the professor invites the young man to a conference where Challenger will make a statement that will shock the whole scientific world. It says that dinosaurs and other relic living creatures have been preserved on the inaccessible South American plateau. To support this statement the professor assembles an expedition in which the reporter Malone will become a representative of the press.
Rated 4.5 on amazon.com

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”

What are you favorite Doyle delights, please share!

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Wake-up Wednesday: Cocoaccino

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This weeks Café concoction The Cocoaccino!

Book Bean: Cocoaccinno

2-3 espresso shots pulled over 1 tbs cocoa powder, powdered sugar (1tbs or to taste,) and 1 tsp vanilla extract powder. Add frothed milk and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

 

 


A very decadent drink; The perfect stress reliever and pick me up!

This indulgent delight pairs sweetly with a book of verse

 

I recommend Shakespeare’s Sonnets:

The title of a collection of 154 sonnets by William Shakespeare, which covers themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty and mortality.

Rated 4.4 on amazon.com

Wake-up Wednesday: Tango Latte

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This is my newest Café concoction and obsession The Tango Latte!

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Book Bean: Tango Latte

1 espresso shot pulled over 1 tsp of orange infused powdered sugar, 1 pinch cinnamon and 1 pinch vanilla extract powder (I pre-mix mine and do approx. .5 tsp,) approx. 1/3 cup steamed (or heated and frothed) milk of choice (I use 1%,) topped with orange zest and lightly dusted with cinnamon sugar.

This drink is spectacular, Orange Mochas have always been a favorite of mine, but this latte has surpassed that love. It’s smooth yet zesty and bold. I perfect drink for those who like things interesting and flavorful, but without too much sweetness

This exotic latte would pair beautifully with

Evita: The Real Lives of Eva Peron.
by Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarro
This is a fascinating biography of the legendary Argentinian whose is regarded as one of the strongest, most idolized female icons of the last century. Evita tells the real story of this enigmatic popular heroine, a village girl who rose to stardom first as an actress, then as the mistress of Colonel Peron and finally as the world’s most powerful presidential wife.
Rated 4.3 on amazon.com

In Evita, the authors ask: Was Eva a saint or a sinner?

What do you think?

Remembering Browning

“Love, hope, fear, faith – these make humanity;
These are its sign and note and character.”

collection_5295_RobertBrowningRobert Browning was born in Camberwell on May 7th 1812 and educated by private tutors. His parents were wealthy enough to allow him to travel and to be a poet as if it were a profession. He came known by literary figures such s Wordsworth and Landor after the publication of “Paracelsus” in 1835, but he was unrecognized by the public until “Men an Women” appeared twenty years later. He was therefore almost unknown when in 1846 he eloped with Elizabeth Barrett.

He is now widely recognized as a master of dramatic monologue and psychological portraiture. Browning is perhaps best-known for a poem he didn’t value highly, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, a children’s poem that is quite different from his other work. He is also known for his long form blank poem The Ring and the Book, the story of a Roman murder trial in 12 books.

A long dramatic narrative poem, and, more specifically, a verse novel, of 21,000 lines. It was published in four volumes from 1868 to 1869 by Smith, Elder & Co.

The book tells the story of a murder trial in Rome in 1698, where an impoverished nobleman, Count Guido Franceschini, is found guilty of the murders of his wife Pompilia Comparini and her parents, having suspected his wife was having an affair with a young cleric.

“No, when the fight begins within himself, A man’s worth something.”

“One who never turned his back but marched breast forward, never doubted clouds would break, Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph, Held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better, sleep to wake.”


The love affair between two of the Victorian era’s most famous poets is one of passion, tragedy, illness, and ultimately, endurance. Collected here are their 573 love letters, which capture their courtship, their blossoming love, and their forbidden marriage.


Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.

 

Star Wars Fan Book Guide

131005-F-NZ143-040In a Galaxy not so far away Jedi fans of all varieties are celebrating Star Wars day.
So of course I’ve decided to come out of hiding and do a special Star Wars themed Mini Bean. This is for all those Science Fiction lovers of Galaxy Warfare and Stellar Adventures!  It just so happens that I have quite a cache of these books in my to-read list at the moment, so that works out nicely.

Star Wars worthy books and stellar sips, May the 4th be with you:

Foundation
by Isaac Asimov
For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Sheldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future–to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years.

Rated 4.4 on amazon.com

There are 2 preludes to this series:
Prelude to Foundation and Forward to Foundation

rebel boostBook Bean: Rebel Booster
Brewed strong tea of choice (I prefer white tea) and red bull (can do sugar free red bull with 1 serving of grenadine) with a tish of grenadine (optional for the sweet tooth.) Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
AKA “Blade Runner”
by Philip K. Dick
Although I admit I was not a fan of the movie I have still always wanted to read this classic novel.
Driven into hiding, unauthorized androids live among human beings, undetected. Rick Deckard, an officially sanctioned bounty hunter, is commissioned to find rogue androids and “retire” them. But when cornered, androids fight back, with lethal force.

Rated 4.3 on amazon.com

moonmochaBook Bean: Moon Mocha
Steamed or heated milk of choice (good with coconut milk), espresso shot, white chocolate syrup to taste (or can temper white chocolate chips and add to hot milk first, if syrup is unavailable, or use powder), top with whip cream (optional) and finish with a tsp of vanilla extract powder.

Battlefield Earth
by L. Ron Hubbard
From the ashes of humanity rises a young hero, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler. Setting off on an initial quest to discover a hidden evil, Jonnie unlocks the mystery of humanity’s demise and unearths a crucial weakness in their oppressors.

Rated 4.6 on audible.com

Best of 2016 Science Fiction Audiobook
A very long book (1k pages depending on the version) so opting for the Audiobook may not be such a bad idea. 

jedi-juice.jpgBook Bean: Jedi Juice
1 cup pineapple, 1 large beetroot, 1 green apple, 1 cucumber, ½ lemon, and 1-inch fresh ginger. For those without a juicer use fresh and/or 100% juice alternatives with squeezed lemon and zest of ginger. This combination of juices is full of energy, super healthy, and tastes great too!

Ready Player One
by Ernest Cline
A world at stake – A quest for the ultimate prize – Are you ready?
This cult classic is all the rave right now because of the new movie. I haven’t seen the movie, so feel free to weigh in on which one is better. No spoilers though! I have it on good authority that the audible books is quite good on this one as well. If you haven’t read this yet and are a fan of the Genre, it is a classic and a must read.

Rated 4.6 on amazon.com

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

chewbaccachino

Book Bean: Chaibaccaccino
Frothy steamed milk, strong brewed coffee or espresso shot, with cinnamon (to taste,) sugar
(to taste,) a dash of clove and nutmeg stirred in, and lavishly topped with cocoa.

This is the story of a book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

-not an Earth book, never published on Earth, and, until the terrible catastrophe occurred, never seen or even heard of by any Earthman.

Nevertheless, a wholly remarkable book!

Another classic by Douglas Adams
Read the original or go for the
all-in-one trilogy.

Rated 4.5 on amazon.com

Also nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by The Great American Read

yodas-tea-e1525496072156.jpgBook Bean: Yoda’s Tea
Brewed Green tea (or matcha if preferred) with muddled mint leaves and honey to taste, garnish with lime (optional.) Good hot or cold it is.

We Are Legion
(We Are Bob)
by Dennis E. Taylor
Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it’s a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.
Also another great audiobook choice as it was named Audible’s Best Sci-Fi Book of 2016

Rated 4.6 on amazon.com

images-e1525496694837.jpgBook Bean: The Dark Side Decaf 
Espresso roast coffee pulled or brewed  with a dash of cocoa powder (in the brew), pinch of salt and 2 tsp of sugar (optional and/or to taste.) Try sipping on this while nibbling some chocolate, Dark and Delectable!

Ender’s Game
by Orson Scott Card
Once again, Earth is under attack. An alien species is poised for a final assault. The survival of humanity depends on a military genius who can defeat the aliens. But who?
Ender Wiggin. Brilliant. Ruthless. Cunning. A tactical and strategic master. And a child.

Of course I couldn’t leave out my favorite; this book is short and sweet, but amazing!

Rated 4.5 on amazon.com

Ender’s Game is an affecting novel.”―New York Times Book Review

full throttle


Book Bean: T
he Force Full Throttle
Medium roast coffee, with added espresso shot, a pinch of salt, 1-2 tsp of sugar, and 1-2 tbls of half n half (or to taste.)


I’ll end with a few books that are officially Star Wars.

D1nhxfncvcS._SL250_FMpng_Star Wars: Old Republic Trilogy 
Read by Marc Thompson
Written by varied authors
A trilogy basedon a popular video game; the best rated Trilogy out there (and the audible books are raved about!)

Revan
by Drew Karpyshyn
There’s something out there: a juggernaut of evil bearing down to crush the Republic – unless one lone Jedi, shunned and reviled, can stop it.
Rated 4.1 on audible.com
Deceived
by Paul S. Kemp
The Old Republic ramps up the action and brings listeners “face-to-face” for the first time with a Sith warrior to rival the most sinister of the Order’s Dark Lords: Darth Malgus, the mysterious, masked Sith
Rated 4.1 on audible.com

and Fatal Alliance
by Sean Williams
Number-one New York Times best-selling author Sean Williams brings the world of the game to life in his latest novel, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance.
Rated 4.1 on audible.com

Darth Plagueis
by James Luceno
At long last, the Star Wars story of the mysterious Sith Lord Darth Plagueis and his apprentice, Darth Sidious, is revealed!
“Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? It’s a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.”
—Supreme Chancellor Palpatine,
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Rated 4.5 on amazon.com

Arguably the best star wars book written, but please weigh in!

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Latte au Leia:
Choice brewed coffee with cinnamon, steamed milk (if you don’t have a way to steam then heat and froth as best you can,) a tiny bit of caramel sauce stirred in, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. R.I.P Princess

379b9c7b7e9d5516362aed3512de5f14Well that’s it Star Wars fans, I hope you found it enjoyable and/or enlightening. Please share your relative favorites!