Dear readers, as usual I'm going to take a break from this blog until the second week in January. In my tradition, this is a special time that I try to keep a bit separate from ordinary life, using it to reflect on the past and prepare for the challenges to come in the New … Continue reading The birth of the light
I've been blogging like a maniac this week, trying to fit in a number of wrap-ups before I take my usual break over the Christmas holiday. I am planning to do a complete recap of my fiction and nonfiction reading for 2022 later in January, but I do want to join in the year-end "best … Continue reading Stars of 2022
When I chose the word "connect" as an intentional practice for the year, I didn't know what to expect or how to proceed. But through the months, it led me on an inner journey that accompanied my efforts to improve my physical health, and along the way I collected new and fascinating evidence for the … Continue reading #OneWord2022: Everything is connected
The Dark Is Rising series readalong has reached its end, with the final volume in the series, Silver on the Tree. Although the book takes place at midsummer, it seems strangely appropriate for me to finish reading it on the winter solstice, when The Dark Is Rising begins. (I can't help thinking of that as … Continue reading #TDiRS22: All shall find the light at last
Alison Uttley, The Country Child (1931) In my last Make me read it poll, The Country Child by Alison Uttley edged out David Copperfield and The Scarlet Letter for the win. I'd had a hard time getting into the first chapter of this fictionalized memoir of the author's childhood in early 20th century Derbyshire, and … Continue reading You made me read it: The Country Child
I'm honored to have my review of the new Folio Society edition of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere posted as the final post for 2022 at Shiny New Books. Please check it out to learn more about this delectable new edition. Here's the opening of my review: I wouldn’t normally expect much of a book created as … Continue reading Neverwhere at Shiny New Books
This month Liz of Adventures in reading, running, and working from home had a fun idea: to read books published by Dean Street Press in December. If you don't already know, DSP has been unearthing classic mid-century women's fiction, Golden Age detective novels, and other overlooked treasures and publishing them in attractive new paperback and … Continue reading Four for Dean Street December
This year I decided to explore functional medicine as a way to address chronic health issues. It's been a very interesting journey, but it didn't lead quite where I expected. I suppose I was hoping to find someone who would finally solve my problems, if I was willing to put enough time and resources into … Continue reading My Functional Medicine Journey, Part IV: Finished?
Literature November brings us two of my favorite blogging events, Witch Week (see our discussion of Black Water Sister, also counting for the Support Book Bloggers Challenge) and Nonfiction November (see my Year in Nonfiction, Book Pairings, and Worldview Changers posts). These kept me busy, along with the continued Dark Is Rising Readalong (see Death … Continue reading Month in Review: November 2022
I've always been uncomfortable with ad-driven social media, and left Facebook earlier this year, so the recent debacle with Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter led me to look for alternatives. I wasn't very active on the bird site, but I did enjoy having a way of connecting with other bookish types, so I wondered if … Continue reading I’m now on Mastodon
