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
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
Over at A Gallimaufry, a Sylvia Townsend Warner Reading Week is happening from June 28 to July 4. I'm always up for investigating another blogger's enthusiasms, and I've been meaning to read something else by STW (I'd only read Lolly Willowes). So I checked out The Corner That Held Them from the library, and set … Continue reading “Lively and discursive as Chaucer’s pilgrims”: The Corner That Held Them
Stella Gibbons, The Swiss Summer (1951), A Pink Front Door (1959), The Weather at Tregulla (1962), The Snow-Woman (1969) Sometimes all I ask from a book is to transport me to someplace different so I can meet and live with another set of people for a while. If the scenery of that place is attractive, … Continue reading Beyond cold comfort: Four by Stella Gibbons
Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower, 1993 I read Parable of the Sower for my "Make me read it challenge" -- blog readers told me which of five choices on my TBR shelf to complete. I'm not sure I would have gotten through it without the challenge, because this is a helluva bleak dystopian vision … Continue reading You made me read it: Parable of the Sower
Last week I reviewed a new UK release over at Shiny New Books: Featherweight by Mick Kitson. It's a historical novel set in the 19th century British midlands, featuring a unique heroine and her unusual talents as a pugilist. It was her voice that really captured me, though ... find out more from my full … Continue reading Shiny Linkiness: Featherweight
