When I set out on this Lifetime Reading List challenge, I planned on reading every book, no matter how much it sucked, to completion. Then, William Goldman’s The Princess Bride was in my hands, and I quickly abandoned that plan (see here). I figured that out of 100 books, perhaps 3-4 would be ones I … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: 1984 by George Orwell
One of the recurrent discussions I’ve seen in the Writing Community on Twitter poses a simple question: Would you (a reader) marry a non-reader? I want to take some time today to explore my thoughts and answer. I met Nick just after my nineteenth birthday. At that point in my life, I didn’t have the … Continue reading “Would You Marry a Non-Reader?”
This weekend, my son turns three-years-old, and over the past couple of months, he has discovered books. I’ve kept books around the house in baskets, on shelves, casually stacked on tables, and pretty much anywhere I could since before he was born. Around the time he was six months old, I started mixing in some … Continue reading Sharing the Joy
I talk to one of my former teachers a lot, and as I’ve been making my way through this Lifetime Reading List (see post regarding To Kill a Mockingbird here), I’ve been talking to her about some of the “classics” that are typically assigned reading in high school/college. Yesterday, we were on the phone, and … Continue reading Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This year, many of the books on the Lifetime Reading List have included ones I was required to read in high school, such as The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, as well as one I chose to read in high school, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. After … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
If you know me, you know that I am a complete and total Tudorphile. Both of my kids are named after Tudor figures, and the person from history I’d most like to have a conversation with is Anne Boleyn. So, in a way, it’s only fitting that when I was dealing with a vexing situation … Continue reading “Let Them Grumble”
Charming. Warm fuzzies. Playful. Beautiful. These are just some of the words that come to mind as I try to describe and review Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure I’ve ever used the phrase “warm fuzzies” to describe a book, but I’m going to roll with it … Continue reading Book Review: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
It isn’t the easiest task for me to assess Hamlet as a book review because my theatrical background (more than ten of my twenty-four years) prohibits me from seeing any Shakespeare as a book. To me, Hamlet is a script that’s bound like a book, but isn’t one. So for that reason alone, I have … Continue reading Book Review: Hamlet by William Shakespeare
As I said in regard to the placement of Romeo and Juliet on the Amazon/Goodreads Lifetime Must-Read List (see thoughts here), I don’t believe Hamlet by William Shakespeare should be included. While the story is spectacular, the original intention was of a performance, not a reading experience. The most profound central theme is the dynamic … Continue reading Lifetime Reading List: Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Of all the books in Karen White’s Tradd Street series, book two, The Girl on Legare Street is by far my absolute favorite. Melanie Middleton is at it again with quirky bestie, Sophie, and the irresistibly handsome Jack by her side. This time, circumstances with the renovation of her house on Tradd Street have led … Continue reading Book Review: The Girl on Legare Street
The Pensive Bookworm 