bookish history

Review of the Month

This month, I had to pick a review that simply made me laugh: Jenny’s hilarious tear-down of The Little Paris Bookshop at Shelf Love. There’s no accounting for taste, as this has been an international bestseller with some rave reviews — but I think I’m going to trust Jenny’s opinion and stay far away.

Otherwise, here’s what I gathered this month — a pleasant miscellany for you to enjoy, I hope.

Reading New England

From Adventures of a Bibliophile, a review that might inspire me to finally read Walden.
At Relevant Obscurity, reading Little Women for the first time as an adult sparked some thoughtful commentary.
Penni of Penni’s Perceptions was enthralled by Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes, making me feel I really need to read something by this New Hampshire author.
Avid Series Reader reviewed two books that sound like perfect vacation reading: The Martha’s Vineyard mystery A Deadly Vineyard Holiday, and Newport, an intriguing historical mystery set in Rhode Island.
With his review of Presumed Puzzled, Carstairs Considers introduced me to another mystery series set in Connecticut. And he loved the start of a new series set in Vermont, Toasting Up Trouble.
WildMoo Books shared a review of Disappearance at Devils Rock, “a creepy novel that calls to mind the Puritan mythology of the devil living in the wilderness of New England’s forests.”
From Kissin’ Blue Karen, a Connecticut-based thriller that deals with memory and trauma, All Is Not Forgotten.

Blogging Matters

The Bookwyrm’s Hoard has tips for acquiring books on a budget.
Boats Against the Current asks “How did you choose your blog name?“
From the Worm Hole, thoughts on genre and translated fiction.
Between My Lines has some thoughts on how to give value with our posts.
Nose Graze points out the dangers of using a free blogging platform (and how to back up if you do).
Bookish Whimsy thinks it’s important to be kind when reviewing books. Do you agree?

Adventures Abroad

Jean of Howling Frog Books did a fabulous multi-part summary of her trip to the UK, but my favorite installment was this one about visiting the Manor at Hemingford Grey (the real house behind the Green Knowe books by Lucy Boston).
An interactive map of Hidden Iceland has some surprises in store.
Spend the night in a historic Welsh library for some sweet literary dreams.
Closer to home, how a writer’s reading formed her love of New England.
A New England landmark is Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, The Mount. Thanks to Bibliophile by the Sea for lovely pictures.

An animated overview of the history of the book.
How cover styles have changed over the years, through a gallery of Enid Blyton covers.
A list of books that explore some of the strange and unexpected incidents in the history of comic books.
Ursula K. LeGuin’s brother on “Sisters and Science Fiction,” and the imaginative fertilization of reality by fiction.