To conclude my year in review, here are all of my favorite fiction and poetry books that I read during 2020. I had a chance to reread several longtime faves as well as encounter new books that I adored. Books were a welcome form of escape during so many months spent in isolation. What […]

by Horace Walpole Genres: Gothic, Fiction, 18th-Century Classic Literature, Fantasy  Publisher: Oxford University Press  Length: 125 pages  Published: Reprinted 2008 (originally published 1764)  Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble “First published pseudonymously in 1764, The Castle of Otranto purported to be a translation of an Italian story of the time of the crusades. In it […]

I need to take a minute to emphasize a truth that in my experience teachers stopped preaching after elementary school, but which is nevertheless still true: being a “good” reader takes lifelong practice. It’s not once and done. I feel actual crushing pain inside when someone says they hate reading or that they’re no good […]

by Adam Rubin illustrated by Daniel Salmieri “Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The way to a dragon’s heart is through his stomach, or so says Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri’s sixth picture-book partnership […]

by Herman Melville “I would prefer not to.” Melville’s 1853 short story is a social critique of labor, commercialization, industry, and the relationship between work and the human spirit. Subtitled “A Story of Wall Street,” the story centers on a Manhattan-based lawyer who hires several scriveners (legal secretaries) to work for him, including a man […]

by Andy Weir “Every human being has a basic instinct to help each other out. It might not seem that way sometimes, but it’s true.” I know I’m a bit late posting on this one, but wow! It is so entertaining! In The Martian, Andy Weir tells the story of botanist/engineer/astronaut Mark Whatney and his […]

As promised, I’m continuing to share scholarly volumes that have been published where I worked as a contributing author. Here’s the next book to check out! Edited by Sarah Cheney Watson and Ann Moseley Genres: Academic, 20th-Century, History, Nonfiction, American Literature, Willa Cather Publisher: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press Length: 256 pages Published: June 14, 2012 […]

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  Few things are as innocent and lovely as a good children’s picture book. I was lucky enough to read many wonderful ones during 2020 and thought I would share my top picks. I might do more detailed reviews of some of these later, but I wanted to share a quick list featuring all of […]

Yesterday was L. Frank Baum’s birthday. Here is my copy of The Wizard of Oz with my absolute favorite bookmark that I bought from the Etsy store Oops, I Craft My Pants (great name, right?). Did you know that Baum wrote fifteen Oz books? 1. Wonderful Wizard of Oz 2. Marvelous Land of Oz 3. […]

Continuing on with my series, here are my favorite children’s and middle grade books that I read during 2020. It was fun to reread some old favorites as well as reading some more recent and just-released titles. What were your favorite children’s books that you read last year? Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie Farmer […]

by Ted Kooser illustrated by Barry Root “It was a bag for carrying groceries, just the color of the skin of a yellow onion, and it had two holes for handles. It was a perfectly good bag, but someone had thrown it away.” In our modern-day, throwaway culture, consumers often give little thought to the […]

When Google Reader ended (R.I.P.), Bloglovin’ became the primary internet platform for following your favorite blogs and websites. In August, Bloglovin’ is hosting a follower challenge and the beginning user (like me) with the largest follower increase will be featured on their frontpage to receive greater exposure. Are you on Bloglovin’? If so, please follow […]

Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea’s Elite by Suki Kim “Time there seemed to pass differently, when you are shut off from the world, every day is exactly the same as the one before. This sameness has a way of wearing down your soul until you become […]