May’s Mutterings: Rants and Ramblings
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Book review: The Battle of Midway by Craig Symonds
The Battle of Midway by Craig L. Symonds My rating: 4 of 5 stars Unlike many other books on this battle, which tend to attribute the American victory in this pivotal battle to luck or good fortune, this author’s premise is that the outcome of the Battle of Midway was a direct result of the…
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Book review: The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters
The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters My rating: 3 of 5 stars I love Elizabeth Peter’s Amelia Peabody series. This was my first foray into the Jacqueline Kirby series, and the book just didn’t resonate with me. It’s a fine line that an author walks: I adore Amelia Peabody–she’s smart, opinionated, stubborn, and…
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Restaurant review: Nobu (Waikiki)
I am always amused by our Japanese friends who completely disclaim any relationship between Japanese cuisine and the restaurant (“Nobu isn’t a real Japanese restaurant”). Whatever the truth of the statement, it is an excellent restaurant, whether truly Japanese or not. We went with some friends and three out of the four of us picked…
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Book review: Pirate King by Laurie King
Pirate King by Laurie R. King My rating: 3 of 5 stars I have really loved this series, whose premise is centered on Sherlock Holmes coming out of retirement and marrying a young woman very much his intellectual equal, named Mary Russell. Unfortunately, as of late, the series has gotten a bit inconsistent. The eleventh…
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Restaurant review: A Tasting of Town
One of favorite restaurants in Honolulu is Town, a restaurant nestled in an interesting part of town with a hipster vibe and some of the best food on the island. The emphasis is on local and organic ingredients, and the kitchen’s passion for quality ingredients is equally reflected in the care of its cooking. Town…
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Book review: Smoker by Greg Rucka
Smoker by Greg Rucka My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Smoker” is the third book in the Atticus Kodiak series by Greg Rucka. The author has become my favorite author in the thriller genre for his clever plots, well-rounded characters, and lack of overly gratuitous violence (although violence there is–it is the thriller genre, after…
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Sips & Suppers 2015
Sips & Suppers is an annual fundraising event in Washington, DC held to raise money for DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table. Both organizations have missions to eliminate hunger and poverty in Washington, DC, especially for children and families. We love this event where various generous folks open their homes to guests and to well-known…
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Book review: Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith
Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Achilles’ heel of biographers are those who fall in love with their subject and fail to be objective about the subject’s failings (an excellent example of this is David McCullough’s biography of John Adams). In general, the author of…
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Book review: Monk’s Hood by Ellis Peters (Brother Cadfael #3)
Monk’s Hood by Ellis Peters My rating: 4 of 5 stars This third installment in the Brother Cadfael mysteries lives up to its predecessors. A man is poisoned with one of Brother Cadfael’s concoctions, and his stepson is suspected of his death. Brother Cadfael is the only one who believes in the stepson’s innocence, and…
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Restaurant review: China Chilcano
The latest restaurant in Jose Andres’s empire is China Chilcano (pronounced cheena, Spanish style). This restaurant has occasionally been described as a Peruvian-Asian fusion restaurant, but that is not quite accurate. Peru is home to large Chinese and Japanese immigrant communities, and there is a melding of food that is indigenous to Peru. That melding…
Got any book recommendations?