This article was originally published on Hubpages in March 2019. What's It About? Born in 1784, Minguillo Fasan is a vile child. Everyone dislikes him, even his own parents. By the age of twelve he has developed a cruel, sadistic temperament which defies any attempt to curb it. Then a sister is born. Beautiful, kind and gentle, Marcella is everything which Minguillo is not. She is loved by all, including the household servants who become deeply loyal to her cause, especially after her brother deliberately cripples her leg. Minguillo finds his father's legal Will, and he learns the family's luxurious Venetian villa is to be inherited by Marcella instead of himself. Furious, he schemes to have her removed from obstructing his ambitions. Meanwhile, their father spends most of his time on the other side of the world, in Arequipa, Peru. He is there to oversee the family's silver mines, which are the source of their wealth. But he also has another life there which his Veneti...

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in February 2019. What's It About? Breathe  is a young adult novel published by Bloomsbury in 2012. It describes a desolate world devoid of trees, plants and air. Survival means submitting to the regime that rules the Pod, where air consumption is carefully monitored to the extent that people are scared to walk at anything more than a stroll. Kissing uses too much oxygen, so it is frowned upon. Adults have to work long hours in tedious jobs just to pay for the oxygen they need to stay alive, and having children is a luxury that some people simply can't afford. Retirement is not an option. Some people in the Pod live like this, anyway. Poor people, called Auxiliaries, live these dull lives of drudgery. If you're a Premium, however, then life is wonderful. You can have as much oxygen as you wish and squander it how you wish. For you, life is a cushy pleasure trip of lovely homes and meaningful occupations. Survival Beyond the...

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in January 2019. What's It About? Over 200 quality reproductions of Claude Monet's world-famous Impressionist paintings illustrate this large book. A choice selection of private letters allows the reader a fascinating insight into the artist's life. These letters describe Monet's early experiments with drawing and painting. The book also contains the blossoming of what were to become life-long friendships with fellow artists such as Cezanne, Manet and Degas, Monet's decades of financial struggles, and his personal life as a husband, father and step-father. Monet toured widely through Italy, Brittany and Norway in search of new vistas to paint, while struggling with very little money and encountering crushing disinterest from art dealers and critics. Monet experienced occasional bouts of ill health and sometimes dismal temporary housing while searching for scenes to paint. He determinedly refused to admit defeat in t...

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in January 2019. What's it About? Just as the title implies, this book brings together a large collection of Joseph Mallord William Turner's sketches. William Turner is famed the world over for his oil and watercolour paintings, many of which feature stormy seas and mountainous landscapes. More than anything he is renowned for his paintings of light - light bouncing off water, off clouds, off buildings - so that specific architectural or geographic details are veiled by his determination to capture the every-shifting qualities of light and shadow. Turner was born in 1775 in London, England, and entered the Royal Academy of Arts when aged only 14. He also studied architectural drawing, which served him well later when he was able to earn a steady living from illustrating travel books, for example those by Sir Walter Scot. He never married but had two daughters by his housekeeper. He was reputed to be an astute businessman, and i...

 This article was originally published on Hubpages in January 2019. What's It About? This heavily illustrated book aims to be a helpful guide for painting realistic watercolour paintings for beginners and more experienced painters alike. The text offers clear step-by-step instructions which are easy to follow, and each exercise has plenty of photographs to show the reader how to proceed, and is written in a cheery, affable manner meant to encourage people to have a go. The book is presented in four sections: trees; flowers; mountains, valleys and streams; then sea and sky. These were originally available as separate books. About the Author Terry Harrison was born in 1951 in Norfolk, England. He studied at Farnham Art School and then began a career in graphic design. He never lost his love of painting, and in 1985, after a stint working for the  Yellow Pages  telephone directory, he chose to become a full-time self-employed artist. He founded his own publishing company in ...

This article was originally published on Hubpages in March 2018.  1. What is the best type of grain used in brewing beer?  Barley. 2. What species of fish are also known as kippers?  Herring . 3. Name the French region famed for making claret.  Bordeaux. 4. How many British monarchs have there been since 1900?  Six. 5. The Scottish Grand National is held at which racecourse?  Ayr. 6. Made from soya, TVP is an acronym for what?  Textured vegetable protein. 7. Harlequin loved which pantomime character?  Columbine. 8. Name the pop group that reached Number One in the UK music charts in 1972 with "Son Of My Father".  Chicory Tip. 9. What is scampi made from?   Prawns. 10. In place of milk, what is added to Russian tea?  A slice of lemon. 11. What distinctive feature does a Manx cat have?  It has no tail . 12. Name the poet whose love was like a red, red rose.  Robert "Robbie" Burns . 13. The national holiday of Waitangi Day is...