Every now and then I run across a book that makes me stop in the middle of reading to consider why, exactly, I am so entertained by things that could easily be seen at best as done in questionable taste. If pressed, I’d probably admit that’s the primary reason I avoid so-called reality television like the plague it is—too often...

Ghosts have an affinity for old buildings, it seems. Whether this is because the aging structures have had longer than their younger counterparts to gather spirits to them, or because books, films, and television shows have simply taught us to expect historic buildings to be haunted is almost beside the point. The fact is that where you find old buildings...

Lisa Chaney has written biographies of J. M. Barrie, of Peter Pan fame, and of food writer Elizabeth David.  Now she’s turned her attention to someone very different in Coco Chanel: An Intimate Biography. Although there are several biographies of Chanel, who was arguably the most influential designer of the 20th century, Chaney’s is the most thorough to date. Lisa,...