Tag Archives: Books
Author Spotlight: Kate DiCamillo
This week, I’ll be posting a lot about children’s books. It’s summer time, and if your kids are home from school you might be looking for something to keep them entertained. On a rainy day like today, there’s nothing better than curling up with a good book. My goal for the next few posts is to share […]
Reconsidering Required Reading
It’s the end of the school year, which means pool parties, vacation, and…summer reading? If you’re like me, you had to complete summer reading projects each year, and often they were just chores to check off the list. I remember plenty of last-minute-reading sessions during the day or two before school started. Well, today I’ve […]
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by L…
The year is 1915. Mary Russell, a brilliant and feisty young woman, takes a walk on the Sussex Downs and bumps into Sherlock Holmes, the great consulting detective. The Holmes of 1915 is older, semi-retired, and amazed at Mary Russell’s powers of deduction. The two strike up a friendship, Holmes mentors his new pupil, and they […]
One Summer by Bill Bryson
A lot happened in the summer of 1927: Charles Lindbergh made his historic flight across the Atlantic, Babe Ruth was closing in on his home run record, and President Coolidge took a three month vacation in South Dakota, to name a few things. Bill Bryson’s book One Summer is an in-depth look at just about everything that […]
Why Shakespeare?
If you click over to Google today, you’ll see that their logo commemorates William Shakespeare, who was born (according to our best guess) on April 23, 1564, and died on April 23, 1616. Today marks the 400th anniversary of his death, and if you’re like me, that’s cause for celebration. But why? To modern readers, […]
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Sometimes I think the authors we read in school deserve a second chance outside the classroom. Today’s example: John Steinbeck. I read Of Mice and Men and The Pearl while I was in school, and I did not enjoy either of them. So when I started East of Eden I had to try and forget those negative experiences. I’m so glad I did, because this novel was, for me, another Tess experience. The book is so full of symbolism and Biblical references that I know I will be thinking about it for a long time.
1946 Special Edition of Alice in Wonderland
A few weeks ago I went to two different library book sales, and by far the greatest deal I found was this special edition of Alice in Wonderland. I paid a whopping $1.50 for this 70 year old find, and it is in excellent condition. A note in the back of the book says that the […]
Making the Most of a Used Book Sale
After shopping for about an hour, I had more than filled my bag, spent my budget, and realized that used book sales can be pretty overwhelming if you don’t come in with a strategy. And so, without further introduction, here are my top tips for winning the used book sale.
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
A bildungsroman is a type of novel that tells a coming-of-age story, a story of education or growth. There are many, many examples of this type of novel, from the Harry Potter books to The Kite Runner. Brooklyn is a beautiful coming-of-age story about a young Irish immigrant who moves to New York. Eilis Lacey, the protagonist, leaves […]
Pride and Prejudice
There isn’t much that can be done to improve Jane Austen’s best known novel; it is perfectly charming and funny on its own. That being said, this audiobook version, performed by Rosamind Pike, somehow manages to make Pride and Prejudice come to life in a remarkable way. Sometimes audiobooks are questionable because they involve the […]
Book Fifty 