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 →
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 →
My top reads of 2018 include six books (well, eight of you count the three Kristin Lavransdatter books separately). I wanted to have a top ten or a top five, but this is how it turned out. Becoming (2018) by Michelle Obama Milk and Honey (2014) by Rupi Kaur The Star Side Of Bird Hill (2015) by Naomi... Continue Reading →
I experienced a few firsts on Christmas Eve. First Number One I read A Christmas Carol (1843) by Charles Dickens for the very first time. I had never read it because I kept telling myself that I already know the story, so what is the point? I have images of Donald Duck, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse... Continue Reading →
I've failed this month. I've probably failed at more important things than reading the Literary Wives book pick, Anita Shreve's The Stars Are Fire (2017), but I always feel particularly melancholy when I don't hit my reading goals. My reading for the past two months has been dominated by academic journal articles and books about... Continue Reading →
Here’s what I read last month in five-word reviews. I did a lot of academic reading in October for an upcoming research trip to South African and Botswana. Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne: cute poems for Pooh lovers This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga: after war woman wanders, falters Rubyfruit Jungle... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I posted about Pulitzer Prize winners. The post received attention from Lana Cole at https://colecampfireblog.com, who has decided to read all of the Newbery winners. (See her post about it here https://colecampfireblog.com/2018/07/21/my-new-reading-goal/) She has inspired me to see how many I’ve read. Here’s the list. The ones I have read are... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 