A few weeks ago we found ourselves with some time on our hands in Fribourg, a largish city (for Switzerland) that's grown up around a well-preserved medieval center. The city is built upon both sides of the deep gorge cut by the river Saane; up on the cliffs still sit the ancient fortresses and monasteries, … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland: Fribourg
Here’s part three of my Summer in Other Languages readalong of Die Kleine Hexe by Otfried Preußler. Once again, I’ll give a short summary of this section in German, an English version of the summary, and some observations and questions. Die kleine Hexe sucht mehr Menschen zu helfen mit ihrer Verzauberung. Sie hilft Thomas und … Continue reading Die Kleine Hexe: Chapters 11-15
Now that they've published two titles by Diana Wynne Jones (see my post on the latest, Castle in the Air), the Folio Society has surely seen the wisdom of producing more. But which ones? House of Many Ways, which has been marketed as the third book in the "trilogy" that started with Howl's Moving Castle, … Continue reading What Diana Wynne Jones book should the Folio Society publish next?
Here's part two of my Summer in Other Languages readalong of Die Kleine Hexe by Otfried Preußler. As before, I'll give a short summary of this section in German, an English version of the summary, and some observations and questions. Die kleine Hexe sucht Wege eine gute Hexe zu sein. Sie trefft drei alte Weiber … Continue reading Die Kleine Hexe: Chapters 6-10
Last year, one of my bookish dreams came true when the Folio Society published Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. For existing fans of DWJ it was most gratifying to see one of our favorite books appear in a splendid illustrated edition, joining a list that includes many great authors of the past and … Continue reading A new Folio delight: Castle in the Air
This month, I'm reading Die Kleine Hexe (The Little Witch) by Otfried Preußler, a classic book by one of Germany's favorite children's authors. His books are popular in translation as well, so if you are not up to reading in German, it should be possible to find them in English or another language. Each week … Continue reading Die Kleine Hexe: Chapters 1-5
Since I stopped posting new content at my former blog, The Emerald City Book Review, I decided to stop paying for premium themes and hosting at the expiration of my current contract. That has now taken place, so ECBR in its former incarnation is no more. However, I wanted to keep at last some of … Continue reading Introducing the Emerald City Book Review Archive
I did not read a lot of books this month, but they were good ones! Otherwise, it's been a rather unsettling time, with me deciding to have surgery, bizarre summer hailstorms, and a flood that did a lot of damage in our town though it left our house untouched. Let's hope things are going to … Continue reading Month in Review: June 2021
It's July, and we've crossed into the true month of midsummer. If you've been participating in Summer in Other Languages, how have you been doing? I confess that my performance has not been at all impressive. I started L'étranger by Albert Camus, but I find it slow going; with its unsympathetic protagonist. Other distractions, such … Continue reading Summer in Other Languages: Readalong of Die Kleine Hexe
A couple of other places you can find posts by me this week: At Shiny New Books a review of a powerful new novel set in the brothels of ancient Pompeii, The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper. And my essay "Seeking the Honey of Life" was published in Kosmos Quarterly. I'm honored to be part … Continue reading Enchanted elsewhere
