Books & Looks: Real Books for Real Readers was started as a podcast to supplement Blaine Desantis’ website, ViewsOnBooks.com, and expand into audio interviews with authors.
With Books & Looks, Blaine’s goal is to focus on real books that real people will read. At least half of the books he reviews are either new authors or unknown authors that many in the general public are unaware of. After a segment reviewing books or interviewing authors, Blaine ends each episode with a discussion of the movies and TV shows he is currently watching.
This Week’s Episode
In a break from our regular programming, we turn the spotlight on an extraordinary race that gripped the world in the late 1880s. Think you know competition? Meet Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland, two daring female journalists who embarked on a whirlwind journey inspired by Jules Verne’s fictional odyssey. With little time to prepare and the eyes of the media — and an entire nation — watching their every move, these women weren’t just challenging the clock; they were challenging societal norms.
But that’s not all. The tale takes a twist when Bly detours to meet none other than Jules Verne, adding a layer of meta to this already electrifying story. We also explore how these women’s contrasting backgrounds colored their experiences, right down to their interactions with the everyday people and elites they met along the way. Stay tuned until the end for a sneak peek into our next episode featuring Nev March and her globe-trotting mysteries. Don’t miss this ride; it’s one for the ages.
Check out the latest episode of Books & Looks:
About Blaine Desantis:
Blaine is an avid lifetime reader, a retired attorney, and has been a book club leader for the past seven years. He is an active teacher in senior education classes at Furman University. Blaine loves fiction, nonfiction, histories, mysteries and almost all genres of books.
