Welcome to Litsy!

Ellen Jovin has taken her Grammar Table around the US, answering grammar questions. Here she compiles answers along with anecdotes of the times people asked. It‘s fun but information heavy, so even though Ellen is delightful in the audio, I think print would be a better way to go.

It was... okay I guess? I had been expecting a more detailed history from conception to the present, and this was more of a meditation once the author got past some 19 century warring grammar guide writers. Which isn't bad, but it also wasn't what I wanted to read.

Been prevented from reading by Adorable Kittens, but this one should be pretty fast.
(cortado with a pinch of brown sugar is my new best friend)

I don‘t know whether to be more surprised that this is on Litsy, or that it hasn‘t had a single post yet…

Pretty sure I owned an older version of this that I got from my grandmother. One of those cardboard(??) bound books from the ‘70s. I tried to find it for the pic but then I recalled that I might have thrown in out because it was in pieces (plus my Granny had filled a lot of it out anyway).

But now I‘m filling out my own. I sorta love words.

“It was raining cats and dogs, and the king was in the rain.”

Teachers can use "The King Who Rained" to introduce students to idioms and figurative language in a fun and engaging way. After reading, students can create their own playful interpretations of phrases, fostering creativity and deeper understanding of language.

This is a whimsical exploration of language and wordplay that delights young readers. Through clever illustrations and humorous scenarios, the book creatively plays with idioms and expressions, making it both entertaining and educational. Gwynne's unique approach encourages children to think about language in a fun way. It's a fantastic resource for fostering creativity and sparking discussions about the meanings of words.

I‘ve listened to a couple of McWhorter‘s Great Courses lectures on language and he‘s always informative and entertaining; like a a nerdy dad—smart but not exactly PC.

The book itself is a collection of theses about the origins of English. Tons of fascinating info but his arguments probably won‘t mean much to someone who isn‘t in or near his field. For me, I have found that I really enjoy things like etymology and other language-related topics.

I‘m posting one book a day from my massive collection. No description, no reason for why I want to read it (some I‘ve had so long I don‘t even remember why!). Feel free to join in!

#ABookADay2024

I have no idea why this sat on my shelf unread for 5 years, but once I picked it up it was a really fast read. It‘s a novel about identical twin sisters, both of whom are really into grammar/linguistics from a young age, and the family that surrounds them. I liked it. I kept thinking it was a true story, probably because the last book I read WAS a true story about identical twin sisters. But whether fiction or memoir, it was a solid story.