Sunday, June 22, 2025

Born on this day – H. Rider Haggard:


H. Rider Haggard


Writer

June 22, 1856 – May 14, 1925

Credits:

Books:

30 Occult & Supernatural Masterpieces You Have to Read Before You Die (2019); A Farmer's Year (1899); A Gardener's Year (1905); A Tale of Three Lions (1887); A Winter Pilgrimage (1901); Adventure Stories for Boys and Girls (1985); After the War Settlement and Employment of Ex-service Men (1916); Allan Quatermain (1887); Allan Quatermain and the Ice Gods (1927); Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1999); Allan Quatermain's Wife (1887); Allan's Wife (1887); Allan's Wife, with Hunter Quatermain's Story (1980); Ayesha (1905); Beatrice (1890); Belshazzar (1930); Benita / The Spirit of Bambatse (1906); Black Heart and White Heart (1900); Cetywayo and His White Neighbours (1882); Child of Storm (1913); Cleopatra (1889); Colonel Quaritch, V.C. (1888); Diary of an African Journey (1914); Doctor Therne (1898); Elissa (1900); Fair Margaret (1907); Finished (1917); Heart of the World (1895); Heu Heu (1924); Holy Flower (1915); Jess (1887); Joan Haste (1895); King Solomon's Mines (1885); Love Eternal (1918); Lysbeth (1901); Maiwa's Revenge (1888); Marie (1912); Mary of Marion Isle (1929); Montezuma's Daughter (1893); Moon of Israel (1918); Morning Star (1910); Mr. Meeson's Will (1888); Nada the Lily (1892); Pearl-Maiden (1903); Queen of the Dawn (1925); Queen Sheba's Ring (1910); Red Eve (1911); Regeneration (1910); Rural Denmark and Its Lessons (1911); Rural England (1902); Saga of Eric Brighteyes / Eric Brighteyes (1891); She (1886); She and Allan (1921); Smith and the Pharaohs (1920); Stella Fregelius (1903); Swallow (1898); Tales Before Tolkien (2003); Tales of Allan Quatermain and Others (2002); The Ancient Allan (1920); The Brethren (1904); The Days of My Life (1926); The Ghost Kings (1908); The Ivory Child (1916); The Lady of Blossholme (1909); The Last Boer War (1899); The Mahatma and the Hare (1911); The missionary and the witch-doctor (1920); The People of the Mist (1894); The Private Diaries of Sir H. Rider Haggard, 1914-1925 (1980); The Spring of a Lion (1899); The Virgin of the Sun (1922); The Wanderer's Necklace (1914); The Way of the Spirit (1906); The Witch's Head (1885); The Wizard (1896); The World's Desire (1890); The Yellow God (1908); Treasure of the Lake (1926); When the World Shook (1919); Wisdom's Daughter (1923).

Movies and television:

Allan Quatermain (1919); Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986); Allan Quatermain and the Spear of Destiny (2023); Allan Quatermain and the Temple of Skulls (2008); Cleopatra (1917); Dawn (1917); Haggard's She: The Pillar of Fire (1899); Heart and Soul (1917); High Adventure (2001); Jess (1912 / 1914); King Solomon's Mines (1919 / 1937 / 1950 / 1985 / 1986 / 2004); King Solomon's Treasure (1979); Mr. Meeson's Will (1915); O Trapalhão nas Minas do Rei Salomão (1977); She (1908 / 1911/ 1916 / 1917 / 1925 / 1935 / 1965 / 1984 / 2001); Stella (1921); Swallow (1922); The Grasp of Greed (1916); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003); The Moon of Israel (1924); The Mystical Flame (1903); The Stronger Passion (1921); The Vengeance of She (1968); Watusi (1959).

Recommended reading - Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, by Jim Lovell & Jeffrey Kluger (1994):


Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13

By Jim Lovell & Jeffrey Kluger.

Filmed as Apollo 13 (1995), directed by Ron Howard.

Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Published 1994
ISBN-10: 3445323232
ISBN-13: 9783445323231
ASIN: 0395670292

Description:

Out of the seven Apollo expeditions to land on the moon, six of the efforts succeeded outstandingly and one failed. Lost Moon is the story of the failure and the incredible heroism of the three astronauts who brought their crippled vehicle back to earth. This account – written by Jim Lovell, commander of the mission, and his talented coauthor, Jeffrey Kluger – captures the high drama of that unique event and is told in the vernacular of the men in the sky and on the ground who masterminded this triumph of heroism, intellectual brilliance, and raw courage. A thrilling story of a thrilling episode in the history of space exploration.

Recommended reading - The Mammoth Book of Great Detective Stories (2001):


The Mammoth Book of Great Detective Stories

Published 2001.
Edited by Herbert Van Thal.
Mammoth Books.

ISBN-10: 0786708867
ISBN-13: 978-0786708864

Anthology of short stories.

Description:

Murder, suspense, mystery – the biggest and best collection ever.

This huge and unique volume contains four anthologies by Herbert Van Thai featuring 35 of the best detective stories ever told. The stories range and style and setting from the mean streets of Raymond Chandler's New York to the classic English whodunnit by Agatha Christie and offer an unmissable treat for detective fans.

Ann Patchett, on imagination:


Using your imagination is the one time in life you can really go anywhere.

- Ann Patchett.

Saturday, June 21, 2025

On this day in music history - Blink the Brightest, by Tracy Bonham (2005):


Blink the Brightest

Album by Tracy Bonham,
released June 21, 2005.

Track list:

Something Beautiful; I Was Born Without You; And the World Has the Nerve to Keep Turning; Eyes; Take Your Love out on Me; Whether You Fall; Dumbo Sun; All Thumbs; Naked; Shine; Wilting Flower; Did I Sleep Through It All?

On this day in movie history - Minority Report (2002):


Minority Report

directed by Steven Spielberg,
written by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen,
based on the novella The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick,
was released in the United States on June 21, 2002.
Music by John Williams.


Cast:

Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Steve Harris, Neal McDonough, Patrick Kilpatrick, Jessica Capshaw, Richard Coca, Keith Campbell, Kirk B.R. Woller, Klea Scott, Frank Grillo, Anna Maria Horsford, Sarah Simmons, Eugene Osment, James Henderson, Vene L. Arcoraci, Erica Ford, Keith Flippen, Nathan Taylor, Radmar Agana Jao, Karina Logue, Elizabeth Anne Smith, Victoria Kelleher, Jim Rash, Colin Farrell, Stephen Ramsey, Tom Choi, Tom Whitenight, William Morts, Samantha Morton, Daniel London, Michael Dickman, Matthew Dickman, Lois Smith, Tim Blake Nelson, George D. Wallace, Ann Ryerson, Kathryn Morris, Tyler Patrick Jones, Dominic Scott Kay, Arye Gross, Ashley Crow, Mike Binder, Joel Gretsch, Jessica Harper, Bertell Lawrence, Jason Antoon, William Mesnik, Scott Frank, Severin Wunderman, Max Trumpower, Allie Raye, Rocael Leiva, Nicholas Edwin Barb, Catfish Bates, Peter Stormare, Caroline Lagerfelt, Danny Parker-Lopes, Vanessa Cedotal, Katy Boyer, Adrianna Kamosa, Kari Gordon, Elizabeth Kamosa, Raquel Gordon, Laurel Kamosa, Fiona Hale, Pamela Roberts, Clement Blake, Jerry Perchesky, Victor Raider-Wexler, Nancy Linehan Charles, Nadia Axakowsky, Dude Walker, Tony Hill, Drakeel Burns, William Mapother, Morgan Hasson, Andrew Sandler, Bonnie Morgan, Kathi Copeland, Ana Maria Quintana, Lucille M. Oliver, Gene Wheeler, Tonya Ivey, David Stifel, Kurt Sinclair, Rebecca Ritz, Beverly Morgan, John Bennett, Maureen Dunn, Ron Ulstad, Blake Bashoff, David Doty, Gina Gallego, David Hornsby, Anne Judson-Yager, Meredith Monroe, Benita Krista Nall, Shannon O’Hurley, Jorge-Luis Pallo, Elizabeth Payne, Ethan Sherman, Jarah Mariano, Miles Dinsmoor, Vanessa Asbert.

On this day in music history - Heart, by Heart (1985):


Heart

Album by Heart,
released June 21, 1985.

Track list:

If Looks Could Kill; What About Love; Never; These Dreams; The Wolf; All Eyes; Nobody Home; Nothin’ At All; What He Don’t Know; Shell Shock.