Book of the Month
As usual, whenever I make a list (in this case Top ten back to school books for Top Ten Tuesday), I end up having to do a lot of rereading — either to confirm titles I want on the list, or just because thinking about them makes me want to read them again. In this case it was the Deep Valley High School books by Maud Hart Lovelace, which remain a delight, especially in the new Harper Perennial editions that include fascinating information about the real-life characters and incidents behind the books. They’ve even published the long-out-of-print companion books Carney’s House Party and Winona’s Pony Cart, so I had the pleasure of finding something new among the rereads.
Meanwhile, I’ve been working my way through the new releases that have been piling up and waiting for review. There’s a definite historical theme to be seen here, as even the one fiction title is based on real people and events. All are highly recommended if you’re interested in visiting early-twentieth-century Berlin, Seattle, or Hoboken, as I hope you will be.
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Reviews
- Looking for Betty MacDonald illuminated the life and world of a favorite author.
- The House by the Lake was a fascinating tour of a century of German history, as seen by a single house.
- Lady Cop Makes Trouble was the eagerly anticipated second adventure of the Kopp Sisters.
Other Books Read
Swim That Rock by John Rocco and Jay Primiano – Reading New England, Review to come- Heaven to Betsy, Betsy in Spite of Herself, Betsy Was a Junior, Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace – Reread
- Carney’s House Party and Winona’s Pony Cart by Maud Hart Lovelace
- Well Wished by Frances Hardinge
- Marrow by Elizabeth Lesser – Review to come
- Unearthed by Alexandra Risen – Review to come
- The Plague and I by Betty MacDonald – Review to come
- Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury – Witch Week readalong
- The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike – Reading New England
- Anybody Can Do Anything – Betty MacDonald
Other Features and Events
- I was excited to announce that Witch Week is coming!
- There was lots of lively discussion around the question of How do you attract more followers?
- I asked fellow bloggers to recommend favorite Bookstores of New England, and they came through with some great suggestions.
- A fiber interlude gave me a chance to describe one of my other hobbies (and recommend some favorite books).
Shared in the Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer, the Month in Review linkup at The Book Date, and the Monthly Wrap-up Round-up hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The Emerald City Book Review Archive 
I did my first ‘Top Ten’ post a couple of weeks ago and it took a huge amount of work. I spent a couple of days narrowing my selections etc…
I must check what this week’s topic is!
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They can be a lot of work, especially if I include pictures, summaries, etc. — not to mention all the rereading. That’s why I don’t do them every week! I always enjoy looking at the topics and picking a few to participate in though.
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Loved your bookstores of New England feature!
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Me too – kudos to the bloggers who gave me such great comments to share.
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Looks like you had a great month! I only do Top Ten Tuesday if I a) remember and b) like the topic. lol
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Yes, there are many topics that do not inspire me at all, so I don’t feel obliged to do them.
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Even though there are only ten, it takes me a long time to complete a Top Ten post.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one!
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I don’t always participate in TTT posts, in fact I have skipped them more of ten than not lately. I do like the ones that talk about upcoming books, since that are the ones that I am excited to look at.
I am really excited for the read-a-long for WitchWeek. I have always wanted to read that book. Oh and The Witches of Eastwick as well.
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Oh good, I’m glad to hear that.
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I’ve never heard of the Deep Valley Books before, but they sound great! Happy September!
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I love Deep Valley! I always wished I could really have gone to high school there, so much better than mine.
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I’m sad that I still haven’t read the volume with Carney’s House Party! I put all those editions on my PaperbackSwap wish list a while ago, and I was thinking it would be a few months and then I would acquire copies and read them. But I fear it was a forlorn hope. Gotta add to my Christmas wish list, I think!
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I don’t know if you do ebooks, but I got it from the library via Overdrive. I’m waiting for Betsy and the Great World/Betsy’s Wedding to come in on hold, then my binge will be done — whew!
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Wow, you’re a much more dedicated TTTer than I am! I’ve never reread a book to confirm it should be on a top ten list before. That’s dedication! I LOVED the movie of Something Wicked This Way Comes when I was a kid, but I’ve never read the book—I need to change that! Looking forward to seeing your post about that.
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Well, it’s more like thinking of books I haven’t read in a long time makes me want to reread them. And I always love doing it, so it’s not a chore, only it pushes other things out of the way…oh well!
I’d be so interested to know how the book of SWTWC compares to the movie. I hope that will come up in our discussion.
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I’m currently not doing any rereading, but I wonder if I’d enjoy it. I recently read an article about how you can get more out of a book on a second reading and retain information better, which is definitely something I’d like to do!
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I do find rereading worthwhile, even though there are so many unread books demanding my attention. It’s a different experience every time for me.
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Witch Week sounds awesome! Kudos on a great idea; must remember to follow those posts…Best of everything, Kara S
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I hope you will join us for Witch Week, Kara! It’s going to be fantastic.
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