As I've mentioned before, I spent the summer reading Madame Bovary in French, trying to make up for not reading it when I was supposed to in college, along with boosting my language skills. I was very happy to have some company on this challenge, notably Emma of Words and Peace, a native speaker and … Continue reading How To Be Unhappy: Madame Bovary
We've crossed over into September, so it's time to check on how I did with my 10 Books of Summer list (Challenge hosted by Cathy of 746 Books). I think of this as a way to knock off some books from other challenges and reading projects, and it worked pretty well for that, although I … Continue reading 10 Books of Summer 2024
Well, I thought I might read a Moomin book or two for Moomin week but ended up going on an absolute binge where I finished reading all the novels -- six of them this summer in addition to the two I'd read previously. I did it in a completely mixed up order, thus: Finn Family … Continue reading The marvelous Moomins for #Moominweek #WITMonth
As I make my way through the latter books of the Oz series, I notice how Baum kept trying to get outside the confines of Oz. Perhaps he realized that giving it an all-powerful and all-knowing ruler put something of a damper on conflict and adventure, or perhaps the land had been circumscribed in a … Continue reading #Ozathon24: More adventures outside Oz
I'm doing a combined post with shorter reviews here, because in the summer my attention span for blogging has gone out the window. Plus, these books happen to go together well, as I hope you'll agree... In early June I read All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by … Continue reading Nonfiction Reader: Culture, Architecture, and Science
I'm back from break with a fun event from It Starts at Midnight - the Olympic Book Tag! Though personally I would be more into a Bookolympics, it's hard to avoid getting somewhat excited about the Games, especially when they are happening in the country next door. And it was irresistible to take on the … Continue reading Olympic Book Tag
Mallika of Literary Potpourri invites us to read and discuss books with cats in them this week, and after some unsuccessful attempts to find one -- disappointed by books with not enough feline presence or too dull or unpleasant to make me want to finish or share them with you -- I came across this … Continue reading #ReadingTheMeow2024: Dewey, the Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
What causes the United States of America to be so internally fractious and thoroughly disunited? The federal government is grinding to a halt, as opposing factions battle to wrest control of it for their own, deeply opposite agendas. Why is no one interested in getting along so that things can work better? Well, now I … Continue reading Nonfiction Reader: American Nations
We've had six months of the Ozathon so far, and I've had a wonderful time revisiting these childhood favorites and reading your thoughts. I'd like to thank all who have participated so far, particularly my co-host, Deb of The Book Stop. Others include: Howling Frog Books Staircase Wit Puss Reboots The Book Stop Rosie Amber … Continue reading #Ozathon24: The story continues
With the sixth Oz book, The Emerald City of Oz, L. Frank Baum did several things. He brought Dorothy, along with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, to live permanently in Oz. This opened the way for him to close the Oz saga permanently, leaving all the characters we'd met so far happily ensconced there. To … Continue reading #Ozathon24: Farewell to Oz?
