I'm a Prepared Juggler-Sipper-Hoarder. Sometimes a Snuggler. How about you?
I'm a Prepared Juggler-Sipper-Hoarder. Sometimes a Snuggler. How about you?
“For of us is required a blind trust, and a hope without assurance, knowing not what lies before us... And yet we also love the Earth and would not lose it.”
“…the Valar bid you earnestly not to withhold the trust to which you are called…Hope rather that in the end even the least of your desires shall have fruit. The love of Arda was set in your hearts by Iluvatar, and he does not plant to no purpose.”
#FellowshipofTolkien #Silmarillion ⬇️
I enjoy coming across and learning new-to-me words, especially when they‘re as cozy and tasty as this one. Although I also have to admit: at first I read that it was “made with oatmeal and madness,” which would be a very different kind of dark gingerbread indeed.
Way to lay on the guilt, StoryGraph. Yes, I‘m aware it‘s been on my To-Read since December 2007 when I purchased a copy for 50p on a snowy evening in Edinburgh. What StoryGraph doesn‘t know is that this isn‘t the book that‘s been on my TBR the longest, it‘s just the one that goes farthest back in my Goodreads TBR. Someday. Someday it will be read!
Another belated review from January!
I have been blown away by the depth of psychological insight in each of the Mary Westmacott novels. This was excellent as well, but also at times excruciating to read—mainly because of that depth of insight. Christie gives such a clear view of each character, and the motivations behind their actions, while simultaneously showing their inability or refusal to see others with the clarity needed. ⬇️
SUPER belated review—this was my book club pick in January. 😆
I LOVED this. It checked so many boxes for me: court intrigue, a mysterious curse, an intriguing & thought-provoking magic/religious system, and a humble & clever protagonist who‘s more than he seems. I loved the main characters & was infuriated by others. I‘d heard Bujold was good, but somehow missed reading her until now—this will definitely not be the last book of hers that I read!
I appreciate a good map, and it‘s especially appropriate for this book focusing on the workers shaping and caring for the land and ecosystem on the planet Sask-E. But I‘m also loving that there is a “Tooth Ferry” on this map. And a city named Tustin… since there‘s a Tustin here in Southern California just down the freeway from me! 😂
This is my copy of Heidi—it‘s my mother‘s childhood copy, published in 1945. She wrote her name and address on the front endpapers! Some of the illustrations are lovely, although I never picture Heidi with such short hair (even though this is the same copy I read as a child). #ChildrensClassicRead2024
And, here we come to Eol and Aredhel:
“It is not said that Aredhel was wholly unwilling, nor that her life in Nan Elmoth was hateful to her for many years.”
Not a rousing recommendation of their relationship…😬😆
#FellowshipofTolkien #Silmarillion
Another belated review! Thank you to @TheAromaofBooks for hosting this #RandomClassic buddy read & prompting me to finally pick this up. It‘s been on my shelf so long I don‘t remember when or where I originally got the book.😆
This was fascinating—it‘s basically an extended anti-slavery tract wrapped up in an engaging story. Stowe is clear about her purpose, directly addressing the reader, blatantly appealing to their sympathies, and making ⬇️
I managed a #BookSpinBingo for February! 🎉🎉 I still need to finish my #DoubleSpin, but still: it was a great reading month.
Favorites:
📚Hijab Butch Blues
📚The Lathe of Heaven
📚The Nine Tailors (technically this goes for March, since I finished it yesterday, but #BookSpin starts on the 2nd so I‘m counting it on the bingo board!)
I just pulled out my copy of Heidi for the March #ChildrensClassicRead2024 and found this. I didn‘t realize I had my mother‘s childhood copy! 🥹 A gift for her 10th birthday from her lifelong friend Alison.
This is such a powerful memoir—written under a pseudonym, Lamya narrates her experiences as a queer Muslim woman, from her childhood in the Middle East to her life as a student and young adult in New York City. She recontextualizes stories from the Quran, finding strength and hope in her faith as well as in the queer community around her. So many of her readings & interpretations resonated with me in my own journey with Christian scripture. ⬇️
A very belated review, assembled from my notes & comments for our #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead discussion…last month!😬
“There are questions and emotional realities of Maud‘s life that remain a mystery. That is the space where fiction can enter.” (from the Author‘s Note)
To a certain extent, I agree. But I‘m also torn about this specific flavor of historical fiction. It seems presumptuous—and intrusive? sensationalist?—to speculate on ⬇️
“Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it.”
I really liked this, and would have loved it if I‘d read it as a kid. It‘s definitely historical fiction from a bygone era of children‘s literature: no overwrought emotional drama, no fraught explorations of human suffering, just a matter-of-fact focus on overcoming loss and moving forward by doing the best you can with what you have.
#BookSpin list for March! I‘ve got a lot of picks in there for #MiddleGradeMarch: books I haven‘t yet read from favorite childhood authors. I couldn‘t pick just one author! I perused my shelves for unread MG books by childhood favorites, including: Katherine Paterson, E.L. Konigsburg, Joan Aiken, Ellen Raskin, and Lynne Reid Banks. Looking forward to a great reading month!
This was a rough read. It‘s brutally sad, and never really lets up. While the structure of the novel was a bit confusing at times (and felt uneven towards the end), I think overall it was well-executed—intricately mapped out. It offers narrative frame within narrative frame, circling around the stories of a daughter and a mother. I expected more of a focus on the main character, in the present, but the novel lives primarily in the past, ⬇️
I finished this one for the #AuldLangSpine readathon, just under the wire on January 31. It gets full marks for concept—a travelogue of one woman‘s solo journey following the Monarch migration by bicycle—but in the end I just didn‘t resonate with it. Some of my issues were purely personal—I can‘t even begin tell you how Dykman‘s lack of advance planning stressed me out. 😆 While I found her determination and adaptability admirable ⬇️
I‘m so far behind on reviews that my “need to write a Litsy review” list goes back to mid-January. 😬 This seemed like an apt title to start with, since apparently my review-writing has been mislaid in parts half-known…
I loved this most recent installment in the Wayward Children series. I‘ve seen others criticize it for being a bit uneven—which is fair. It feels like it hasn‘t decided whether to be an ensemble quest story ⬇️
I‘m catching up on my Silmarillion reading tonight, finally starting the Quenta Silmarillion. As before, I‘m having a hard time keeping the names straight, but I DO remember the love story of Elwe/Thingol and Melian. Because of this meme I made upon our last reading of The Silmarillion. 😁 #FellowshipofTolkien
I saw this a couple of weeks ago and am only just getting around to posting it. I thought the #FellowshipofTolkien might enjoy this “Spell in the Library” with a delightful poet, scholar, and priest, reading from and chatting about “The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.” Malcolm Guite is an absolute treasure… and he reminds me of a hobbit. 😁
https://youtu.be/d6P01SDkN1E?feature=shared
Calling all Kindred Spirits! Fragrance of Sweet-Grass is the last book in this round of the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead. I‘d like to take a little break, but I‘ve been thinking about some options for continuing the buddy read later on. So, my question is this: would anyone be interested in joining in with some Kindred Spirits goodness in a couple of months? And if so: which of the below ideas most appeals to you? All are welcome to join in!
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - Fragrance of Sweet-Grass discussion (4/4)
Were there new insights or perspectives that you gained through this reading?
Did this reading cause you to notice anything about LMM‘s work that you hadn‘t noticed before?
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - Fragrance of Sweet-Grass discussion (3/4)
What significant points do you think Epperly really got right?
Were there any significant points you disagreed with?
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - Fragrance of Sweet-Grass discussion (2/4)
What would you say is Epperly‘s overall thesis about LMM‘s heroines and their quest for romance?
Is it clear throughout the book?
Do you agree with her conclusions?
I am behind and haven‘t finished the last two chapters yet! But I thought I‘d go ahead and put some questions out there and then go finish my reading 😆
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - Fragrance of Sweet-Grass discussion (1/4)
Have you read much literary analysis/literary criticism before?
What was it like reading this type of analysis of beloved, well-known favorites like the Anne and Emily books?
So apparently the 24th is next Saturday—who knew? 😆 I‘m not as far into this as I‘d like, but am hoping to catch up and get some questions posted next weekend! All are welcome to join in—let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be. #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead
@TheAromaofBooks - I‘m on the Anne of Avonlea essay and am arguing with the author in the margins. 😒 So far, I‘m finding her analysis to be a lot better supported than Magic Island, though. I‘m appreciating a lot of the details she points out—even if I‘m disagreeing with a lot of her conclusions! #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead
I didn‘t realize National Read in the Bathtub Day was a thing, but now that I know, I have definite plans for tonight. 🛁📚🎉
Good job, LA County Libraries. We‘re onto our third day of steady rain—and I haven‘t left the house! The past two nights we‘ve had flood warnings and I‘ve shifted activities onto Zoom instead of in person. Unfortunately today I have to venture out—to the chiropractor and the dentist. Praying for safe roads and sane drivers!
February BookSpin! My #BookSpin landed on one of my #192025 categories: a book from the 1920s-40s. I decided on The Door in the Wall, published in 1949 (which has been on my shelf for so long I don‘t remember when I bought it!). And my #DoubleSpin landed on Unraveling, from my #AuldLangSpine list. Looking forward to both of these!
#AuldLangSpine wrap-up! I thoroughly enjoyed reading from @monalyisha ‘s list in January. I read three—all new to me—and I‘m glad to have discovered them! Lost & Found was hands-down my favorite: gorgeous writing, beautifully structured, meaningful and thought-provoking. And I still feel so privileged to have my list hand-picked—I‘m looking forward to reading more from your list in the coming months (currently in the middle of Hijab Butch Blues)!
I read this with my Education for Ministry group in December, and it was SUCH a rich book for discussion. The author presents her work as an intro to trans theology, but takes care to note that she‘s writing from outside—as an ally (and mother of a trans son) rather than as a trans person. This was a great introduction to the ways non-binary thinking can open up our perspective of who God is: “the God who is one and three, but never two.”
This quote made me laugh, nod my head, and think of Don Quixote.😂 I hurried to finish this at the beginning of January, but have definitely not hurried in posting a review.🤦🏻♀️
I first read Don Quixote in grad school & thought it was fascinating: Cervantes uses very modern/postmodern techniques & themes—in a 16th-century text! I also remember it being hilarious. When I saw it on @TheAromaofBooks #RandomClassic list, I was in for a re-read.⤵️
(Posting some belated reviews today!)
I‘ve really enjoyed the poetry of Scott Cairns and Luci Shaw, who are both contributors to this Advent devotional—and when you throw in Kathleen Norris and Eugene Peterson? I was sold. I tried reading a digital copy last year, but couldn‘t get into it. This year, the physical copy made all the difference. The artwork included and the overall design is just lovely. With readings for each day of Advent ⤵️
I‘m super excited about February‘s #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead pick! Examining LMM‘s heroines‘ pursuit of romance is perfect for February. I‘m hoping we fare better with this critical study of LMM‘s work than we did with Magic Island. 😏
Discussion will be on Saturday, Feb. 24th—all are welcome! Let me know if you‘d like to be added to the tag list.
This year, I planned to focus my #BookSpin lists on books from my own shelves. But after January because travel and #AuldLangSpine. Well. Maybe I‘ll start that in March…😆
Here we have several more AuldLangSpine picks, book club/buddy read picks, and library books I haven‘t gotten to yet. And placeholders for #192025, the library holds I keep postponing, and those Christmas gifts I feel guilty about reading before I get through some older TBRs.😁
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - After Anne discussion part 3
“There are questions and emotional realities of Maud‘s life that remain a mystery. That is the space where fiction can enter.” (from the Author‘s Note)
What is the value for you of historical fiction like this, that speculates on the “questions and emotional realities” of a person‘s life?
Did you enjoy this story as historical fiction?
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - After Anne discussion part 2
What did you think of the narrative devices the author uses?
📚The characters in Maud‘s thoughts: the Fox and Hen, the Reader, Anne
📚The two framing stories: the bonfire and the birthday weekend
📚Non-linear structure
Did you find them effective? What did they add to the narrative?
#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead - After Anne discussion part 1
Going into this book, what other biographical material had you read about L.M. Montgomery (biographies, journals, letters, etc.)?
Does the character of Maud in this story feel plausible to you as L.M. Montgomery? Why or why not?
“…what serves us best, in the face of inexorable loss, is not our grief or our acquiescence but our attention.”
“I, too, feel that way: that my days are exceptional even when they are ordinary, that existence does not need to show us any of its more famous or spectacular wonders to fill us with amazement. We live remarkable lives because life itself is remarkable, a fact that is impossible not to notice if only suffering leaves us alone for long enough.”
“What an astonishing thing it is to find someone. Loss may alter our sense of scale, reminding us that the world is overwhelmingly large while we are incredibly tiny. But finding does the same; the only difference is that it makes us marvel rather than despair.”
“Other than the internet, is there any richer source of potential embarrassment than a pack-rat parent and a childhood home?”
😂
“…there is a limit to how close you can get to people who do not care about the same questions you do, not through any failure on their part but simply because their minds orient along different meridians than yours. Conversely, the wonderful lesson I learned from falling in love with C. is that if you do care about the same questions, it doesn‘t necessarily matter if you arrive at the same answers.”
This Internet Archive version of A Daughter‘s a Daughter (a 1982 edition) has ads interspersed throughout, like a couple of other books I‘ve read via the same platform. I think this one is my favorite! 😆 Although I was tempted to post the cigarette ad (remember those?!) that proclaimed its brand had “only 8 mg tar”—lower than a whole list of 30+ other brands. 😳
#LMWBR #westmakittens
“One of my pet theories... is that everybody should spend one month a year in the middle of a desert... No books. Books are a habit-forming drug. With enough to eat and drink, and nothing—absolutely nothing—to do, you'd have, at last, a fairly good chance to make acquaintance with yourself.“
Wow—such a clear callback to Absent in the Spring!
#LMWBR #westmakittens
“How unfair it was, reflected Dame Laura, that women in love looked their best and men in love looked like depressed sheep.”
😂😂
#LMWBR #westmakittens
“One must accept the fact that we have only one companion in this world, a companion who accompanies us from the cradle to the grave—our own self. Get on good terms with that companion—learn to live with yourself. That‘s the answer. It‘s not always easy.”
#LMWBR #westmakittens
I can‘t get over how gorgeous this cover is, with its swoopy ampersand of stars against that dark blue. And the writing is equally gorgeous: from sentences to pacing—and the overall construction of the book—it‘s impeccable. Schulz reflects on losing her father and finding her partner, offering a beautiful meditation on grief and loss, love and finding, and how both are inextricably linked. #AuldLangSpine