Shepherds and Kings, warmth and light

December 25, 2021December 22, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 6 Comments

Retable of the life of the Virgin, anonymous, c. 1480 At the turning point of timethe spirit light of the worldentered the stream of earth-existence.Darkness of nighthad ceased its reign;day-radiant lightshone forth in human souls.LightThat gives warmthTo simple shepherds' hearts;lightthat enlightensthe wise heads of kings. Light divine,Christ-Sun,warm our hearts,enlighten our heads,that good may becomewhat from … Continue reading Shepherds and Kings, warmth and light

Through the wardrobe door: #Narniathon21

December 23, 2021December 22, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 11 Comments

For the next several months, I'm joining in a readalong of C.S. Lewis's Narnia series, hosted by Chris of Calmgrove - starting with this month's volume, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. As I mentioned earlier, while the Narnia books have many weaknesses, they were incredibly formative for me as a reader and thinker, … Continue reading Through the wardrobe door: #Narniathon21

Around the World reading in 2021

anonymous person magnifying view of coins shaped in world map

December 15, 2021December 15, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 8 Comments

While I'm rounding up my 2021 reading, I wanted to take a look at how I did with my goal of reading more books written or set in in different countries of the world (see my Around the World page for full details of what I've read so far). I was pleased to see that … Continue reading Around the World reading in 2021

My Year in Fiction

December 12, 2021December 22, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 15 Comments

After last month's My Year in Nonfiction post, I thought it would be fun to look back on my fiction reading this year and see what patterns or themes might emerge. The results were enlightening -- I see that I've done a lot of unchallenging comfort reading, including loads of light comedy and rereads of … Continue reading My Year in Fiction

Join us in a Narniathon?

December 8, 2021December 2, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 14 Comments

Some months ago Chris of Calmgrove announced plans for a Narniathon -- reading through the seven Chronicles of Narnia, one per month, starting in December with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I've been looking forward to this chance to revisit some of my childhood favorites together with other readers, and I'm so excited … Continue reading Join us in a Narniathon?

Nonfiction November: New to My TBR

December 1, 2021December 1, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 10 Comments

It's been another amazing Nonfiction November, and as usual, I've learned so much and gathered so many new reading ideas. The OC BookGirl is our host for this week's topic, which invites us to share all the books we've added to our TBR. Here are some of mine, with thanks to the bloggers who brought … Continue reading Nonfiction November: New to My TBR

Make me read it: Science Nonfiction edition

November 21, 2021November 21, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 7 Comments

In my last Make me read it post, I asked blog readers to help me choose from one of the classic books languishing on my e-reader. I actually ended up reading two of these while on vacation in October, but I find I do not have much to say about them. So I'll refer you … Continue reading Make me read it: Science Nonfiction edition

Throwback Thursday: Dark Money

November 18, 2021November 18, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 8 Comments

Today at the Emerald City Book Review Archive, I'm reposting one of my past nonfiction reviews in honor of Nonfiction November. Dark Money is a disturbing but essential read for anyone who wants to know what is going on behind the scenes of our public political discourse. Powerful forces are working to bend things in … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Dark Money

Nonfiction November: Be the expert

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 22 Comments

This week's prompt is hosted by The Thousand Book Project -- "Three ways to join in this week! You can either share 3 or more books on a single topic that you have read and can recommend (be the expert), you can put the call out for good nonfiction on a specific topic that you … Continue reading Nonfiction November: Be the expert

Nonfiction November review: In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

November 14, 2021November 16, 2021 ~ Lory ~ 8 Comments

In the last few years I've read a fair number of books that deal with the effects of trauma and long-term stress on our psychological and physical health, and how these negative effects can possibly be dismantled. I find this to be the most important challenge of our time, because traumatized, stressed people are damaged … Continue reading Nonfiction November review: In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts