Head to Calmgrove for the schedule. The theme this year is the wonderful works of Joan Aiken, in all their variety and splendor. I'll be contributing on Saturday (the Felix Brooke trilogy) and Monday (our discussion of The Serial Garden) and will remind you of those posts, but there's so much more. I hope you'll … Continue reading Witch Week is here
Richard Holmes, Falling Upwards Hello there! I've been on a bit of an unannounced blog break, as I was off visiting family and friends in the US (my first time back in 5 years) and didn't have time to do anything else. I did manage to fit in some reading: a book subtitled "How We … Continue reading Nonfiction Reader Challenge: Falling Upwards
Literature Lately I seem to alternate hard-hitting, emotionally wrenching reads with lighter, fantastical fare. This month was no exception, with two Oz books and a slew of stories by Joan Aiken filling in the latter role. On the heavier side, I was particularly impressed by Michele Filgate's collection and want to read more by every … Continue reading Month in Review: September 2024
Today is the release day for Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew's new book, The Release: Creativity and Freedom After the Writing Is Done. Yes, we're celebrating the release of a work that is about releasing work! Why is that topic necessary to write about? Well, as I have discovered myself, the process is not always easy, comfortable, … Continue reading New Book News: The Release
When I picked Savor as my book for the "Food" category of the Nonfiction Reader challenge, I thought I'd be reading mostly about food. I knew the author, a talented young chef, died far too early, but somehow I thought that before that point, the focus would be on more cheerful and tasty things. I … Continue reading Nonfiction Reader Challenge: Savor
Rinkitink in Oz, book 10 in the series, is a book I never read as a child. My library didn't have it, and I didn't make an effort to seek it out, since I'd heard it "wasn't really an Oz book." In fact, it's an unpublished, unrelated story that Baum wedged into the series by … Continue reading #Ozathon24: An Oz Appendage
For my birthday weekend it was my idea to visit St. Ursanne, a lovely town about a half hour drive away. We'd been there in our first year for the medieval festival that takes place every July, but not since then. The patron saint with his legendary bear, with view across the river Doubs to … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland: St Ursanne
In one month, I'll be in Chestnut Ridge, New York, where I will be giving a lecture and workshop based on my book, When Fragments Make a Whole. Please share this information with anyone who might be interested and able to come, and of course, consider yourself invited! Working with the Healing Power of the … Continue reading Coming Soon: Lecture and Workshop in Chestnut Ridge, NY
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
I am pleased to announce that my blogging friend Robin Bates has a new book available: Better Living Through Literature: How Books Change Lives and (Sometimes) History. Can books create such personal and social change, and is that in general a good thing? I think all of us here believe the answer is "yes", but … Continue reading Book Excerpt: Better Living Through Literature
