A couple of years ago, when The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo was all the rage, I scoffed at it without having read it, largely because of what I thought was her impossible advice for tidying books (maintain a library of 30 books maximum, and keep them in a closet). However, now […]
If you’re looking for a really special gift for a book-lover in your life, the Folio Society has some fabulous offerings. Here’s a glimpse at some of my favorites from their newest list. East of Eden, the great American novel by John Steinbeck, is a marvelous evocation of a particular place (the Salinas Valley in […]
“Nonsense” is often used as a perjorative term, yet breaking out of our usual habits to use language and ideas in a fresh, imaginative way is so important for keeping us inwardly alive and creative. Nonsense stories and poems are wonderful to share with children, who love their wacky humor, but adults can benefit from […]
Back in June, I asked Why do I not read contemporary fiction? and invited you, dear readers, to recommend some books you thought I might enjoy. You came through with a plethora of suggestions, and I managed to read a good number of them over the summer. I didn’t love all of them, but some […]
I always find something I want to read in the Candlewick catalog, and among their spring/summer releases my eye was caught by three books that all turned out to have been previously published in the UK (Candlewick is part of the UK-based Walker Book Group). In other ways, though, they were quite different — not […]
Everyone has an individual way of dealing with all the bad things going on in the world. For me, it’s very important to stay connected to a spiritual point of view, which helps to restore perspective, awaken hope, and foster joy and gratitude in the face of darkness and despair. In fact, it’s been a […]
As I’ve said before, the wonderful memoirs reprinted as Slightly Foxed Editions make terrific gifts. And if you’re looking for something a little smaller and lighter to slip into a stocking, or into your own pocket or handbag, take a look at Slightly Foxed Paperbacks. They have the same classic, elegant design of the hardcover […]
Paris in July is an event hosted by Thyme for Tea that encourages us to enjoy and blog about all things French — books, movies, food, what have you. In a burst of synchronicity, when I learned of this event I already had not just one, but four books on my shelf to go with […]
Here are four new or reprinted works of fiction that caught my eye in the first half of the year — each offering something of interest, but none of which quite captured my heart. I can imagine other readers having a different response, though. Have you read any of these? What did you think? The […]
For Doing Dewey’s Reluctant Romantic challenge, I decided it was a good time to read some graphic…something. I don’t actually have a good name for this genre, because “graphic novels” doesn’t quite cut it. Many of the books that often get lumped into this category are memoirs or nonfiction, and even the fiction books are […]