The end of December marked the 100th anniversary of the death of Rasputin, the “mad monk of Russia”, or “lover of the Russian queen” if you believe the Boney M song, though you probably shouldn’t. While the song is undoubtedly a floor-filler, unsurprisingly it is not exactly a reliable historical account of Rasputin’s life. Let's take a trip down memory lane... 16 years ago (Woah i am OLD!) when i was reading Nancy Drew and Malory Towers. I was looking for a change and came across A Series of Unfortunate Events. WHAT A DIFFERENT BOOK. Such a unique writing style and so gripping, i just knew i would love this author forever. So its no surprise that i loved this. All good writing is like this. It's why a favorite book feels like an old friend and a new acquaintance at the same time, amd the reason a favorite author can be a familiar figure and a mysterious stranger all at once." The organization's insignia appears to be an eye made up of the letters 'V', 'F', and 'D'. V.F.D. is the main international organization within the Series of Unfortunate Events books. Most of the recurring characters in said series are members.

This book is written by a bibliophile that's for sure. The references are so nerdy and reader-world-like. Q: Poison for Breakfast is a whimsical mystery at heart. What mystery books inspired or captivated you as a child? Maybe it's me? Maybe it's the fact that his style of writing is always the same? Maybe it's because quirky writing needs to be more of a surprise in the book, than having it all the time? I have no idea.

Remora - as he defends the Baudelaires during their trial, he could potentially be on the Fire-fighting side

The author has his usual breakfast. Then he finds a note. “You just had poison for breakfast” the note says. This is a true story about what the author did next.Q: Your books infuse fiction with what could be (or often is) fact — and your new novel, Poison for Breakfast, embodies that same storytelling style. I’d love to know the inspiration for this short, but highly philosophical and engaging, mystery. The V.F.D., or Volunteer Fire Department, is a secret and mysterious organization in A Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions, which Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire become increasingly more aware of and involved with after their first encounter with the villainous member Count Olaf. As the series continues, the reader learns that the organization, once whole and noble, has been divided by a schism between the followers of the organization's original principles, and those who follow principles completely opposed to the original V.F.D.

Unknown; Fire-Starting Side: Possibly Man with a Beard but No Hair and Woman with Hair but No Beard (books) Many brainy, geeky rabbit holes, including Zeno's Paradox, poetry, history, philosophy, and whatever else occurs to the narrator as he pursues his investigation. The author makes a lot of coy, cryptic references to history, literature, food, awful events, etc . -- but fills in all the details in a large reference section at the end of the book. The phrase is taken from the first line of the poem The Garden of Proserpine by Algernon Charles Swinburne. The first stanza goes as follows: The group finally emerged into a courtyard, where four more shots were fired into Rasputin’s body before he slumped to the ground. To make sure they wouldn’t be troubled again, the assassins wrapped and tied the body with a piece of heavy linen, bundled it into a car and drove to Petrovski Island, where it was dropped from a bridge into the frozen river below.Not really being interested in dying at that moment he begins retracing the ingredients of his meal for clues to his potential assassin. The beekeeper who provided the honey for his tea, the tree where his pear may have come from, the wheat in his toast.

Reading this little book feels like opening a window to let in air and light. It’s filled with curious information and powerful feelings, and is humorous, sad, meditative and rapturous by turns – with ambiguous questions to be mulled and savoured.’ I went into this (recommendation from my sister) thinking it’s going to be a little mystery, just like his A Series of Unfortunate Events, but boy was I wrong…. The eye symbol (rather infamously) does not have the acronym hidden inside. Instead, it heavily focuses on the eye aspect of the symbol, despite the fact that the symbol itself is supposed to represent the letters VFD. a genial, discursive ramble of a book… The tone throughout is Vonnegutian – bewildered, amused, quizzical – and if the book fails to deliver any startling philosophical breakthrough, that’s rather the point, since it’s more about the journey than the destination. A bit like life, then.’

Did we miss something on diversity?

Thank you W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for a review, A wittily macabre treatise about philosophy, creativity, connectivity, gratitude and bravely facing one’s demise while living as well as possible in the meantime.’ This faction is home to those V.F.D. Volunteers who favor arson, hoard money, and commit murder as they please. Since the schism, they appear to have more resources than the other half of V.F.D and to have more associates throughout the public (e.g. the police and the press). The majority of the members of this side have either been killed or have left the organization. The most well-known account of the events comes from Prince Yusupov himself in his memoirs Lost Splendour. This autobiography reads more like a boy’s own adventure story than a reliable historical document and many doubt the authenticity of what he wrote. According to Yusupov, when Rasputin arrived at the palace he was taken down to the cellar where he was given cake and madeira wine. Upstairs, a gramophone played Yankee Doodle Dandy to fool the monk in to believing there was a party in full swing. The whole account sounds fanciful from start to finish, but remarkable things do happen. Human beings have achieved incredible physical feats in spite of horrible injuries. During a duel in the sixteenth century one man received a stab wound directly to the heart but still managed to run 230 yards to chase down his opponent before collapsing. Maybe Rasputin really was still alive after the first shot and capable of a fight. But what about the poison? Surely no one could eat so much cyanide with so little effect?