Monthly Archives: August 2010

Sunday Salon: Books, Friends, and Recommendations

Posted on August 22, 2010 by Teresa

This week, the Guardian books blog featured an amusing article called “When Book Recommendations Go Wrong.” Darragh McManus writes about having friends press books upon him, telling him that he’ll love them, but alas, he doesn’t. McManus writes, All of … Continue reading →

Posted in Sunday Salon | 38 Comments

War for the Oaks (re-read)

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Jenny

I was saying recently that I used to be a big re-reader. In fact, almost all my reading used to consist of re-reading old favorites over and over again. After college, and especially since I started blogging, however, I’ve had … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Speculative Fiction | 10 Comments

The Professor’s House

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Teresa

Sometimes events transpire that cause us to look back on our lives and think about what has been, what might have been, and what will be. For some, it’s a significant birthday that brings on those thoughts. For others, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics, Fiction | 20 Comments

100 Essential Modern Poems by Women

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Jenny

I’ve been without a bedside book of poetry for the past few months, for some reason. My normal habit is to read poetry at night, and take several months to finish an anthology or a book by a single author. … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry | 17 Comments

Manhood for Amateurs

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Jenny

What is it with me and Michael Chabon’s essays? I mulishly resisted reading Maps and Legends because I thought his essays about books would be self-indulgent and self-regarding; instead, they were bright, insightful, funny, and touching. I loved that book. Still, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Nonfiction | 25 Comments

A Moveable Feast

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Jenny

I’ll admit up front that I’ve never been a fan of Ernest Hemingway. Years ago, I read A Farewell to Arms and The Sun Also Rises, and while I could see the appeal of Hemingway’s terse, stripped-down style and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Nonfiction | 30 Comments

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them (audio)

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Teresa

I’m so glad I listened to this book in the car instead of reading it in print because I can’t imagine the havoc it would have wreaked on my TBR list if I could have made notes as I read! … Continue reading →

Posted in Audiobooks, Nonfiction | 28 Comments

Sunday Salon: Short Stuff

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Teresa

In 9th grade, I had a brief and intense love affair with the short story. The literature anthology my English class used had a great selection of stories—stories that would make anyone fall in love with the form. There was … Continue reading →

Posted in Sunday Salon | 30 Comments

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Jenny

When we last left the four extraordinary and brilliant children who make up the Mysterious Benedict Society (what now appears — hooray! — to be a series by Trenton Lee Stewart), they had just successfully completed a vital and dangerous … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's / YA Lit, Fiction | 14 Comments

Waiting for God

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Teresa

I’m not sure where I first learned about the early-20th-century French philosopher and Christian mystic Simone Weil, but I’ve been curious about her for years. Given my penchant for learning about great thinkers by reading their own words, rather than … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion | 10 Comments