I picked up some books (way too many and I had to carry them home) during my travels in South Africa and Botswana. I was there to do academic research in several archives, and along the way, I spent time in several bookstores. Here are my thoughts on some of these books, now that I've... Continue Reading →
“All my life, I have fought against white domination and black domination, and cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society. It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” —Nelson Mandela, 20 April 1964 Today I visited the prison where Mandela was held until 1990. We were led in a tour... Continue Reading →
I’m headed to South Africa and Botswana in a week, and while I’ve been packing for this three-week-long research trip, I’m realizing that my biggest worry is what I will bring with me to read! I don’t like e-books, so I am planning to bring actual physical copies of books, but I also have to... Continue Reading →
Well, I'm reporting about a book I did not finish. I used to finish every. single. book. I ever read, but about 10 years ago I gave up on that. If the book doesn't speak to me after about 50 pages, I'm out. I gave this book 64 pages. And then I gave up. The... Continue Reading →
“People who buy books ... are of two kinds. There are those who buy because they love books and what they can get from them, and those to whom books are one form of entertainment among several. ... The second group has to be courted” (p. 117). . Which kind of book buyer are you?... Continue Reading →
I belong to five book clubs. I've become part of them all in the last year or so. Before that, I had tried a few book clubs, one at a time, but I never could find a group that wanted to read the serious literature that I wanted to read. I found that people don't... Continue Reading →
My February reading stack looks cute next to my kitty Julius. We recently got a new cat (named Bluebell) and they love each other, but if Bluebell sits on his pink chair, he chases her away. Here’s what I read in February, with some explanation of how or why I read them. The Map Of... Continue Reading →
My January reading wrap-up includes fewer books than I would have liked, but that’s what happens when a new semester begins! I'm teaching three new courses, so preparing for those has been time consuming. Here are my five-word reviews of what I read in January. They Were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple: adulting is hard; cruelty... Continue Reading →
I love reading Dorothy Whipple novels, and I wrote my Master's thesis on her book The Priory (1939), but for some reason, I didn't remember They Were Sisters (1945) even though I read it a few years ago. Rereading it was a pleasure, and it reminded me why I enjoy forgotten mid-century women's fiction. Luckily... Continue Reading →
It has been a rough week at my house, for several reasons, many of which I won't write about. But yesterday a lot of emotions overflowed when I received a letter from my piano teacher, Kris Davis, the one who guided me through my adolescent years. More accurately, I received a letter from her husband.... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 