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May Reading Challenge: Love and Freindship (and other early works)
First of all, I can’t tell you how excited I am to see the movie adaptation of Jane Austen’s Love and Freindship. If it is playing in a city near you, please go see it. It may come to a movie theater near me in 6 months if it does at all, so hopefully it goes to DVD or Netflix. Although, does it bother anyone else that “Friendship” is spelled correctly in the movie title? Usually, a spelling correction would bring me extreme delight, but here, it rubs me slightly the wrong way. While I continue to turn that over in my mind, I’ll share with you my thoughts and…
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May Reading Challenge: An Introduction
Happy May Day! Whether you’re celebrating with baskets or treating this as just another day, thank you for taking some time to find out what I’ll be reading this month. The first book is one of short stories by Ron Rash entitled Nothing Gold Can Stay. Ron Rash’s stories have appeared in The New Yorker, the Washington Post, in Slate magazine, and other publications. I chose these short stories because 1. Short stories are my favorite medium to read, and 2. Because they will nicely complement my additional Reading Challenge selections. This year, the literary and writing communities have been celebrating Charlotte Brontë’s 200th birthday. Most know her as the…
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Carlson Turner Books and Bookbindery
There’s Something About Carlson Turner Books and Bookbindery Most of the time, I shop exclusively at one local bookstore (that has multiple locations here in Maine), primarily because once I find a shop/restaurant/bar/hiking spot that I love, I don’t feel an overwhelming pressure to stray. I also frequent a handful of the bookstores in Portland, Maine – one conveniently sits next to the library and its sidewalk used book sale always draws me over. However, one bookstore I hadn’t yet visited is now one that sits on top of my list of favorites. This bookstore is Carlson Turner Books and Bookbindery. Turn westward where Congress St. meets Washington Ave. and…
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Day 1/366
That’s right, 2016 is a Leap Year! So no, that’s not a typo and I didn’t forget how many days are in a “normal” year. Thanks Greg, whoever you are (apparently he is Pope Gregory XIII respectfully; my apologies) for the extra day. I spent my first 2016 morning the way I wish I could spend all my mornings: with new books, fancy coffee, an overwhelming blanket, and writing materials. I had a wonderful evening celebrating (mourning?) the end of 2015, but since that was so last year I won’t go too much into it.* December 31st usually takes the brunt of any distaste or dissatisfaction for the entire 364 day…
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A Guide to Gifts
I am hopping on this particular blog article bandwagon, primarily as a reaction to many years of experiencing skepticism over my desire for receiving books and book-related items as gifts. Here are the most frequent reactions to wishlists I am asked to create: You just want books? Yeah, but what do you really want? I don’t want to skimp on you this season/for your birthday.* Don’t you already have one/hundreds of those? My answers include: Yes. I always want books. Books are one of the very few items I purchase or ask for that are “wants” and not “needs.” LOL you’re right, that wishlist I poured over and meticulously chose items for is my…
A blog about books and miscellany
