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
Literature It was great this month to participate in a Zoom call with some bloggers from Paris in July, Emma's event celebrating all things French. It inspired me to start reading The Discovery of France, a fascinating look at how the country (made up of many small groups who didn't necessarily consider themselves French) came … Continue reading Month in Review: July 2024
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
Hello! In the midst of my blog break, I wanted to post a few photos from my amazing week in Chartres, France, before Paris in July (#2024parisinjuly) passes us by. We explored the beautiful gothic cathedral from top to bottom, taking all available tours including of the roof and the crypt, spent hours gazing at … Continue reading Near Paris in July – My trip to Chartres
Literature It's hard to believe the end of June is upon us already! I am going to take a break in July, as I have some exciting travel planned (see below) and just need unstructured time in the summer. But I'll be back in another month if not sooner. I enjoyed everything I read this … Continue reading Month in Review: June 2024
In The Patchwork Girl of Oz, another animated character is added to the roster of inanimate objects brought to life in Oz: the Patchwork Girl, created out of a crazy quilt to be a servant to a magician's wife. "Scraps" resists that dreary fate, though. Due to the intervention of a boy named Ojo, she's … Continue reading #Ozathon24: A colorful new character
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
