I haven’t been reading a whole lot in March. For various reasons, I have had trouble finding something that would keep my attention. On Saturday, though, I read Vintage Veronica, a new YA book that I enjoyed very much. Veronica is an overweight teenager who struggles with her relationship with her yoga-instructor mom and her [...]
Categories: Books
When it snowed last week (I am desperate for it to stop snowing), Mike took this picture of one of the first signs of spring covered in ice. To him, it was just a picture. I saw an image that represents so many of my own struggles: I begin to trust and allow my heart [...]
Categories: Books
Today at lunch, I finished this year’s Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Mare’s War. I received it from Random House a few months ago and thought that it looked interesting, but never got around to reading it (I know I read a lot, but I still don’t get to read everything I want to). I [...]
Categories: Books
Raskolnikov felt sick
But he couldn’t say why
When he saw his face reflected
In his victim’s twinkling eye
Some things you do for money
And some you’ll do for fun
But the things you do for love
Are gonna come back to you one by one -The Mountain Goats, “Love, Love, Love”
Fact: Everything I knew about Crime and Punishment before reading [...]
Categories: Books
After I saw the newer version of Pride and Prejudice, the one with Keira Knightley (also known as the one without Colin Firth), I remember reading a review that said that, after being used to the miniseries’ leisurely pace, this version felt as if Lydia had you by the hand and was pulling you through [...]
Categories: Books
-A friend of a friend has started a blog for girls to write their reviews of books that they read. If you love hearing what young people have to say about books as much as I do, give it a look (and give them some encouragement in the comments).
-Scott Westerfeld’s take on the Amazon/Macmillan showdown [...]
I feel compelled to write what is surely the obligatory J.D. Salinger post. (Not that that’s a bad thing.) I only read The Catcher in the Rye once. Just the one time, as a freshman in high school. My librarian gave it to me and said, “I think you would like this.” And I [...]
Categories: Books
I didn’t really care for Away by Amy Bloom, but I did like her writing. I don’t remember exactly what I didn’t like about the story, just that it was a long hard lot of work for something I didn’t care for. But I wanted to try her book of short stories. I have been [...]
Categories: Books
We’ve been very bookish here this week, which is kind of unusual. Next week, I expect things to settle back into a more normal routine. Blame the ALA awards plus me having a day off to get reading done plus the fact that I have discovered that I can totally read on the elliptical when [...]
Categories: Books
Three things about this picture:
1. Our sunroom is very bright! I am always surprised when I see the pictures.
2. My actual mug that I always use has been missing since last Monday. I might have left it in a teacher’s classroom? No one can find it. I bought a new one yesterday afternoon, but I [...]
Categories: Books
This morning the ALA awards came out. There has been much excitement at our house about them, and I have been placing books on hold all morning. I wanted to highlight a few of the winners that I read in the past year that I recommend as well.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead: This [...]
Categories: Books
Today’s post comes to you courtesy of Lauren Kate, the author of Fallen, which I reviewed here. It reminded me of a recent conversation I had about how good food, like good writing, takes both hard work and inspiration.
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There was a time in my life when I was an aspiring novelist. In my teens [...]
Categories: Books
I have mentioned Sara Zarr several times before – I was a huge fan of Story of a Girl, I liked her thoughts on Acedia and Me, and she was a contributor to Jesus Girls. Just to mention a few. I asked for her new book for Christmas, and I was excited to read it, [...]
Categories: Books
We have a lot of books at school with covers like this, and they check out, but I have to admit that it’s not my favorite sort of cover art. In this case, the cover art is also a little bit misleading, because this is not just a book about a small boy who [...]
Categories: Books
It’s that time again. Though everybody else has migrated to GoodReads, I continue to post my book list here. Y’all, I just can’t keep up with something else. Meaning a GoodReads account. And I will be honest, reading has always been a solitary sort of experience for me. Even when I post my reviews here, [...]
Categories: Books
I loved Robin Brande’s Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature, so I was excited to read her new book. Unfortunately, it came out the week of Alisa’s wedding, so I never actually got around to reading it until now (thank you, winter break, for all this time to read books and watch movies. I [...]
Categories: Books
“While some dismiss the Bible as a dusty old book, I view its pages as portals to adventure. Not only is the book chock-full of clever plots and compelling stories, but it’s laced with historical insights and literary beauty. When I open the Scripture, I imagine myself exploring an ancient kingdom . . . [...]
Categories: Books
If you see this cover with this title, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Fallen angels, angels and demons (not the Dan Brown book), right? Okay, so I am going to talk about this book with the assumption that the title alone is enough to give away that much.
Luce is the [...]
Categories: Books
A few years ago, I read a book called All This Heavenly Glory by Elizabeth Crane. The quote that the title comes from (from a Bruce Lee movie, of all places) has stayed with me: “If you gaze too hard at the finger pointing to the moon, you’ll miss all the heavenly glory.” I think [...]
Categories: Books, God, Introspection