Avid Reader's Musings

Reading the States: Nonfiction Complete!

2024-04-29T22:11:00.009-04:00

In 2014 I decided to read one work of fiction and nonfiction for every state in the nation. I created lists of possible reads for myself (and others) to help. And now, just shy of my 40^th birthday and 10 years after starting the project, I’m done! I just finished my Missouri read and below are the nonfictions books I read for each state.

I tried to always choose books that describes the state or deal with an essential piece of the state’s history. I feel like I’ve learned so much about the country that I didn’t know before I began this.

For some of the states I've read multiple books set there and I included a few of my favorites in this list. If you want to see a more complete list of both fiction and nonfiction books set in the state (plus bookstores and authors who live there) check out the complete list here.

Alabama: All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg, The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

Alaska: Into the Wild* by Jon Krakauer
Arizona: Half Broke Horses* by Jeannette Walls
Arkansas: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
California: Freedom Writers* by Erin Gruell, The Soloist by Steve Lopez, A Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester
Colorado: Columbine* by Dave Cullen
Connecticut: Me: Stories of my Life by Katharine Hepburn, Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman
Delaware: Promises to Keep by Joe Biden
Florida: The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean, Marley and Me by John Grogan
Georgia: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr by MLKJ
Hawaii: Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
Idaho: Educated by Tara Westover, The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
Illinois: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, The Girls of Murder City by Douglas Perry
Indiana: A Fever in the Heartland Timothy Egan, A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
Iowa: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron, The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow
Kansas: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Kentucky: Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
Louisiana: Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum, Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
Maine: Elsewhere by Richard Russo
Maryland: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
Massachusetts: Walden by Henry David Thoreau, The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
Michigan: Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
Minnesota: Under a Flaming Sky by Daniel James Brown
Mississippi: Black Boy by Richard Wright
Missouri: Jesse James, Last Rebel of the Civil War by T. J. Stiles
Montana: Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean
Nebraska: I Am a Man by Joe Starita
Nevada: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
New Hampshire: I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson
New Jersey: The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

New Mexico: American Prometheus by Kai Bird
New York: Tis by Frank McCourt, Here is New York by E.B. White, 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff, The Great Bridge by David McCullough, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, Just Kids by Patti Smith
North Carolina: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
North Dakota: Grand Forks by Marilyn Hagerty
Ohio: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan
Oklahoma: The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan, The Innocent Man by John Grisham, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Oregon: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, Blue Moon Over Thurman Street by Ursula K. LeGuin
Pennsylvania: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Rhode Island: Gilded by Deborah Davis
South Carolina: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
South Dakota: The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin

Tennessee: American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham, Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett
Texas: The Liar's Club by Mary Karr, Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Utah: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer, Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
Vermont: Wandering Home by Bill McKibben
Virginia: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Washington: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule
Washington DC: Inventing a Nation by Gore Vidal, All the President's Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
West Virginia: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Wisconsin: Blankets by Craig Thompson
Wyoming: American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee
Road Trips: Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck, April 1865 by Jay Winik, The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson, Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon, Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose, Roughing It by Mark Twain

2023 End of the Year Book Survey

2023-12-21T13:57:00.001-05:00

I was such a mood reader this year. Instead of sticking to a list I read whatever sounded good or was available at the library. I ran one read along on Litsy for The Once and Future King, but other than that I didn’t tackle nearly as many classics as I normally do. I reread things when I felt like it. I read lots of fantasy novels and books based in areas we traveled to, especially Maine.

Number of Books You Read: 143

Number of Rereads: So many! To Kill a Mockingbird in honor of our new pup, Scout. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Bel Canto, Matilda, Station Eleven, and Our Town were all memorable.

1. Best Books You Read In 2023
Classics — The Once and Future King, Silmarillion, and Jayber Crow
Mystery — The Late Mrs. Willoughby, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
Literary Fiction — Go As a River, Tom Lake, Hello Beautiful, and Shark Heart
Nonfiction — A Book of Bees, A Fever in the Heartland, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Do Nothing, and Notes on Grief
Fantasy — Starling House, Divine Rivals, Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass series, Ten Thousand Doors of January, and Legends & Lattes
Play/Essay — Our Town, The Book of Delights, The Wickhams
YA — Where the Rhythm Takes You
Children’s — Hello Lighthouse and All-of-a-Kind Family

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn’t?
Somebody’s Fool, The Last Ranger, and The Daughter of Time

3. Most surprising (in a good way) book you read?
Legends & Lattes and The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
OMG WTF Does the Constitution Actually Say?

5. Best series you started in 2023?
Throne of Glass and Empyrean

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2023?
Alix E. Harrow, I read both The Ten Thousand Doors of January and Starling House

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
The Book of Delights, I don’t often read essay collections, but I loved this one so much I just bought his new collection.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Fourth Wing and The Lioness

9. Book You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Tom Lake, I’d love to listen to the audio the second time around.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2023?
The Measure, Fairy Tale, The Ladies of Grace Adieu

11. Most memorable character of 2023?
Manon in the Throne of Glass series and Satchel from Bookshops & Bonedust

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2023?
Go as a River

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2023?
Do Nothing, Chain Gang All Stars

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2023 to finally read?
Silmarillion

15. Best memoir?
Patrick Stewart’s Making It So

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2023?
The Greatest Gift - 65 pages
The Running Grave - 960 pages

17. Book That Shocked You The Most?
Mad Honey and A Fever in the Heartland

18. Favorite Couple?
Iris and Roman Divine Rivals; William and Sylvie in Hello Beautiful

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of The Year?
Violet and Tairn in Fourth Wing; Polly and Agnes’ friendship in Fellowship Point

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2023 From an Author You’ve Read Previously?
Tom Lake

21. Best Book You Read In 2023 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else?
Foster

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2023?
Xaden

23. Best debut you read?
Go As A River

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Fourth Wing and Piranesi

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting and The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America

26. Book That Made You Cry in 2023?
A Heart That Works

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
A Book of Bees

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Women Talking

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2023?
The Shark Heart and Leave the World Behind

30. Book That Made You the Maddest?
Marmee & Louisa, Bronson Alcott was just such a selfish jerk. It Ends with Us, I wanted to know what the hype was about, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

31. Best Audiobook?
Congratulations, The Best Is Over! I will listen to anything R. Eric Thomas reads! Spare was excellent on audio as well.

32. Best Book to Film Adaptation?
Women Talking

33. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2023?

"In the end, it's not the changes that will break your heart; it's that tug of familiarity." - The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

“The laughing snort: among the most emphatic evidences of delight.” - The Book of Delights

"At Auschwitz dying was so easy. Surviving was a full-time job." - Surviving the Angel of Death

“Perhaps a series of small satisfaction scattered like sequins over the texture of everyday life was of greater worth than the academic satisfaction of owning a collection of fine objects at the back of a drawer.” - The Daughter of Time

“I want my life to be like making pottery. I want to enjoy it while it’s happening, not just for where it might get me eventually.” - Happy Place

“I love to watch how the day, tired as it is, lags away reluctantly and hates to be called yesterday so soon.” -
The House of the Seven Gables

“The idea is not that everything should be slower, but that not everything needs to be fast.” - Do Nothing

“Grief is a cruel kind of education. You learn how ungentle mourning can be, how full of anger. You learn how glib condolences can feel. You learn how much grief is about language, the failure of language and the grasping for language” - Notes on Grief

Thanks to Perpetual Page Turner for originating this survey! It’s always so much fun to look at everything I read throughout the year and think about what I loved/hated.

2022 End of the Year Book Survey

2022-12-16T12:22:00.004-05:00

This year was interesting because we spent a lot of it doing major house projects, house hunting, and then moving! After 13 years in our house, it felt like a big undertaking. I found myself drawn to rereading some of my favorites in the midst of the chaos.

Number of Books You Read: 148

Number of Rereads: LOTS! I reread almost all of Neil Gaiman's books before seeing him speak in May. I also reread a few of my favorites like Lord of the Rings and The Count of Monte Cristo.

1. Best Books You Read In 2022

Classics — The Count of Monte Cristo (reread)
Historical Fiction — The Rose Code, Lessons in Chemistry, and Love & Saffron

Mystery — The Maid, The Club, The Murder of Mr. Wickham

Literary Fiction — The Shell Seekers and Oh William!

Nonfiction — Essentialism, These Precious Days, The Johnstown Flood, The Good Nurse

Fantasy — Lord of the Rings (reread)

Play — I and You, Poor Clare
Detective Story — The Maisie Dobbs series, Ink Black Heart and A World of Curiosities

Science Fiction — Sea of Tranquility, Annihilation

YA — A Place to Hang the Moon

Romance — Book Lovers

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Upgrade, I loved his previous two books, but this one was just meh.

3. Most surprising (in a good way) book you read?

A Christmas ornament of my fav 2022 books from my bestie.

Remarkably Bright Creatures, one of the main POV characters is an octopus, and it was wonderful.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

The Snow Child (one of my favorites last year)

5. Best series you started in 2022?

The Maisie Dobbs series, I read the first seven books this year and they are excellent!

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2022?
Rosamund Pilcher, I read both The Shell Seekers and Coming Home and loved them both.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Laundry Love, it's literally about doing your laundry, and I enjoyed every second of it!

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

A World of Curiosities, it had me on the edge of my seat.

9. Book You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Essentialism, so many great tips for prioritizing and learning how to say no.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2022?

The Cartographers and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

11. Most memorable character of 2022?

Maisie Dobbs, Six Thirty the dog from Lessons in Chemistry, and Lucy from Oh William! and Lucy by the Sea

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2022?
The Sea of Tranquility, I loved it so much I read it twice.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2022?
24/6 made me infinitely more aware of our dependence on being available at any moment and our obsession with our phones.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2022 to finally read?

The Shell Seekers

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2022?

“I believe that calling myself a Christian means living up to Christ’s example of brave, sometimes shocking love.” - Shauna Niequist

“This had often broken my heart, to realize that you never know the last time you pick up a child.” - Lucy by the Sea

"One must always have adventure in life, or the promise of it, at least." - Last Christmas in Paris

“The work is the pleasure but then always the judgment that can strip the pleasure like turpentine.” - Madly, Deeply

"This is a strange lesson of living in a pandemic: life can be tranquil in the face of death." - Sea of Tranquility

“It’s really something to return home after a month away. It would seem that the world should have changed in someway, as it to say, out of courtesy, we understand your journey was illuminating insignificant, and because it affected you so, the universe, two, is making a slight but noticeable shift.” - Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2022?

A Short Guide to a Happy Life - 64 pages

The Count of Monte Cristo - 1,276 pages

17. Book That Shocked You The Most?
A World of Curiosities and Sea of Tranquility

18. Favorite Couple?

Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache and Fern and "Wally" from The Good Sister

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of The Year?

Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott (do they count as romantic or non-romantic?) and Alice and her father from This Time Tomorrow

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2022 From an Author You’ve Read Previously?

Troy by Stephen Fry and These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

21. Best Book You Read In 2022 That You Read Based SOLELY On A

Recommendation From Somebody Else?

The Swimmers, it was lovely. Fair Play was packed with tips for balancing the workload in a marriage.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2022?

Charlie from Book Lovers

23. Best debut you read?

Becoming Duchess Goldblatt, was just lovely and Lessons in Chemistry was excellent.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Annihilation

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Shit, Actually (pardon the title), this was a hilarious review of classic movies.

26. Book That Made You Cry in 2022?

Joan and Imogen's friendship in Love and Saffron

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Dear Fahrenheit 451, a librarian wrote letters to her favorite and least favorite books and the result was too funny.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

The Rose Code

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2022?

Comfort Me with Apples, this story is inspired by a well-known story, but you don't know that until the end. It was so strange, but I'm still thinking about it.

30. Book That Made You the Maddest?

99 Days, every character made such stupid selfish choices. Ugh.

31. Best Audiobook?
Happy-Go-Lucky, no one can make me laugh out loud like Sedaris reading his own work.

32. Best Book to Film Adaptation?

Where the Crawdads Sing, the set of that film was just incredible!

Thanks to Perpetual Page Turner for originating this survey! It’s always so much fun to look at everything I read throughout the year and think about what I loved/hated.

Photos by me.

2021 End of the Year Book Survey

2021-12-30T19:26:00.005-05:00

Number of Books You Read: 162

Number of Rereads: 19

Fiction: 125

Nonfiction: 37

1. Best Books You Read In 2021

Classics — Passing, Address Unknown, and Anna Karenina (reread)
Historical Fiction — Code Name Hélène

Mystery — Double Indemnity, Rock Paper Scissors, and Eight Perfect Murders

Literary Fiction — The Madness of Crowds, Beartown

Nonfiction — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Taste, The Lazy Genius Way, Much Ado, These Precious Days

Fantasy — The Stormlight Archive

Play — The Book of Will, I Love to Eat, Outside Mullingar
Science Fiction — Before the Coffee Gets Cold

YA — Instructions for Dancing

Children’s — The 13 Clocks and The Magician's Nephew (reread), Look Up!

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Early Morning Riser, I just kept expecting the characters to do something to change their circumstances, but they never did.

3. Most surprising (in a good way) book you read?

The American Royals series, just fun and with a bit more politics than just fluff, which I liked!

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

The Anthropocene Reviewed

5. Best series you started in 2021?

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2021?
Emily Henry is just delightful! I read two of her books, Beach Read and People You Meet on Vacation.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

French Kids Eat Everything, such helpful tips in teaching your children to eat slowly and diversely.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Annapurna: A Woman's Place

9. Book You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Anthropocene Reviewed

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2021?
Good Company and Elevation

11. Most memorable character of 2021?

The cast of the Stormlight Archives, especially Kaladin and Shallan

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2021?
The Snow Child

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2021?
Everybody Fights by Kim and Penn Holderness, great tips for the inevitable fights that happen in marriage. I also liked Our Souls at Night, a quiet, short book that made me think about how we live with our past mistakes and how family or societal expectations can often dictate our choices.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2021 to finally read?

Parable of the Sower, it felt like it was written for what we're going through right now!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2021?

“In my old age, I see that life itself is often more fantastic and terrible than the stories we believed as children, and that perhaps there is no harm in finding magic among the trees.” - The Snow Child

“Being a parent makes you feel like a blanket that’s always too small. No matter how hard you try to cover everyone, there’s always someone who’s freezing.” - Beartown

“The posture most natural to him is not a pointed finger but open arms.” - Gentle and Lowly

"There’s something about the absence of light mixed with near exhaustion that loosens tongues and strengthens relationships." - Amelia Unabridged

"Mine is a level of fury that requires two coats of lipstick and a fully loaded revolver." Code Name Hélène

“Too much self-sufficiency was sort of mean to the people who loved you,” Kit thought. “You robbed them of how good it feels to give, of their sense of value.” - Malibu Rising

“Jasnah had once defined a fool as a person who ignored the information because it disagreed with desired results.” - Words of Radiance

“Food is one of the best things about being alive. Not just food. Good food. There is a chasm between sustenance and satisfaction, and while she spent the better part of three hundred years eating to stay off the pains of hunger, she has spent the last fifty delighting in the discovery of flavor. So much of life becomes routine, but food is like music, art, replete with the promise of something new.” - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2021?

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - 32 pages

The Stormlight Archive - 4,574 pages

17. Book That Shocked You The Most?
Passing by Nella Larsen and the true events in Across that Bridge by John Lewis

18. Favorite Couple?

Vivian and Malcolm in Royal Holiday and X's grandparents in Instructions for Dancing

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of The Year?

Evelyn Couch and Ruth in The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop and Shallan and her two other personalities, Radiant and Veil, in the Stormlight Archives

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2021 From an Author You’ve Read Previously?

The Survivors by Jane Harper and Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith (Rowling)

21. Best Book You Read In 2021 That You Read Based SOLELY On A

Recommendation From Somebody Else?

The Murderbot Diaries, so entertaining!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2021?

The husband from The Code Name Hélène

23. Best 2021 debut you read?

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Definitely the Stormlight Archives

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal, I've never felt so connected to a community of readers!

26. Book That Made You Cry in 2021?

Beartown

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Amelia Unabridged and Much Ado (a behind the scenes look at my favorite theatre)

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

The Snow Child, it just broke my heart!

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2021?

Before the Coffee Gets Cold, between the time travel and the translation from Japanese, it's such a unique book.

30. Book That Made You the Maddest?

Beartown and In Defense of Food (It's insane that our food industry has gotten to the point where we are undernourished and overfed.)

31. Best Audiobook?
Taste read by the author Stanley Tucci, what a delight!

32. Best Book to Film Adaptation?

In the Heights, technically the book is about the making of the musical, but I loved seeing it become a film this year!

Thanks to Perpetual Page Turner for originating this survey! It’s always so much fun to look at everything I read throughout the year and think about what I loved/hated.

Photo by me.

My 20th Dewey 24-Hour Readathon!

2021-10-21T13:47:00.007-04:00

******** UPDATED HOUR 13********

I can't believe this my 20th readathon (see links below). My 20th!!! I'm doing things differently this year. I'll be at a lake house all weekend and I'm tackling some cleaning projects and chasing kids, so in the true spirit of the readathon I'll be attempting to fit in lots of reading, but I'll be spreading it out over 48 hours instead of 24.

Here's a link for more info about the Dewey Readathon. Today you can find me posting on Litsy and Instagram as @avidreader25 as well as here. I love being able to participate, even in an unconventional way.

Reading Stats

Pages Read: 367
Currently Reading: Address Unknown
Books Finished: 3, Elevation, The Book of Will, Nathan

Introduction Quiz:
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? A lake house in Southern Indiana

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Address Unknown

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Coconut cashews

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! We just got back from a trip to Texas. We've had a fun week enjoying fall break with lots of reading, a zoo trip, and building forts.

5) If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll
do differently today? I'm spreading my reading out over the weekend since much of the day on Saturday I will be cleaning and spending time with family.

PAST READATHON POSTS:

April and October 2011 / April and October 2012 / April and October 2013 / April 2014 / April and October 2015 /April and October 2016 / April and October 2017 / April and October 2018. April and October 2019. April and October 2020. April 2021.

The Green Mile Readalong Wrap Up

2021-04-27T15:44:00.002-04:00

We may it down the long mile! Care and I had so much fun reading this together with you guys. Thanks to Care for her check-in posts for each section and fun part favors she sent out!

Well, the ending certainly made me cry, even though I read it years ago and knew what was coming. I was struck this time by the guilt that Paul must have struggled with for the rest of his long life. I wonder if it's similar to people who must kill someone in a war. You are taking a life, regardless of whether it is sanctioned and justified.

I also wondered about the "Magical Negro" trope in reference to this book. I think the story would have been just as powerful if Coffey was white. The only major thing I could think of that would be changed by that are the argument about an appeal being unlikely for Coffey, despite new evidence, because of his race. I didn't think about it the first time I read it, but I'll be honest that the past year has changed my lens for processing some things like that.

One thing that really blew me away was the patience required to read just one section a month when it was first realized. The serialized novel used to be so common, but nowadays we throw a fit if we can't binge a show as soon as it's released. I loved reading this with a group and trying to stop at the end of each section. There are cliffhangers, so it wasn't easy!

What did you guys think? Anything stand out to you about the plot that you weren't expecting or loved?

Here's my full review from the first time I read it:

There are books that put you into reading slumps and there are those that get you out of them. This is the latter. I couldn’t put it down, I didn’t want it to end and I was thinking about the characters long after I was done with it. There’s not much more you can ask from a book.

Our narrator Paul Edgecombe introduces us to the green mile and its 1932 residents. The “Green Mile” is a death row penitentiary, nicknamed for its long hallway paved with green linoleum. It’s full of the worst dredges of humanity and some of the kindest. Paul runs the mile with his fellow guards, keeping the prisoners in check and running an occasional execution via electric chair whenever someone’s time is up.

The convicts include William "Billy the Kid" Wharton, one of the most twisted individuals I’ve encountered in a novel. Then there’s Eduard Delacroix, who has made his mistakes, but now spends his time training his sweet pet mouse, Mr. Jingles, to do tricks. John Coffey is the other notable inmate. He’s a huge black man with a gentle spirit and an odd gift.

In addition to the criminals, there are a handful of guards, only one of which truly instills fear in the reader. Percy Wetmore is the nephew of a high-up politician and has wormed his way into this job. I don’t think I’ve ever despised a character more than I did with Percy. He is a cruel coward. Paul is reflecting on this eventful year decades later and he sees Percy’s malice mirrored in Brad Dolan, an employee of the nursing home where he now lives. It’s such a powerful reminder that those kinds of people are everywhere, in all works of life. They thrive on manipulation and intimidation.

One interesting aspect of this novel is the format in which it was written. King decided to try writing a serialized novel. This is how many books were written during the 19th century (Dickens, Thackeray, etc.) and so King split the book into six sections. Each one was published as a paperback with a different title. He published one each month for six months in 1996. The only drawback to this method is that some elements feel repetitive when read as one consecutive novel. King reiterates some plot points as reminders of what happened in the last installment, but it’s not too distracting when taking in context of the original format.

BOTTOM LINE: If The Stand made me second guess my preconceived notions about King’s talent as a writer, this novel solidified him as a brilliant storyteller in my mind. I was so invested in the story and it broke my heart over and over again. I loved reading this and I highly recommend the audiobook version read by Frank Mueller.

“What I didn’t realize was how many doors the act of writing unlocks, as if my Dad’s old fountain pen wasn’t really a pen at all, but some strange variety of skeleton key.”

"Although I know that no one under the age of, say, fifty would believe this, sometimes the embers are better than the campfire."

Dewey 24 Hour Readathon!

2021-04-24T07:00:00.013-04:00

******** UPDATED HOUR 17********

*Taking a break to go to Viking fest during House 7!*

This is my 19th readathon (see links below). Today you can find me posting on Litsy and as @avidreader25.

After the strangeness of the past year, it's a joy to return to something familiar. Dewey Readathons have been a staple in my house for a decade now! Now I always make sure I have a selection of shorter books, plays, and graphic novels to choose from each April and October. Here's to a day spent reading and snacking!

Reading Stats:
Pages Read: 706
Currently Reading: A Pocketful of Hope for Mothers

Books Finished: Our Souls at Night, The Bear, Shortcomings and I Love to Eat

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? Our Souls at Night

2. How many books have you read so far? 3

3. What book are you most looking forward to? The Book of Will

4. Have you had many interruptions? I took a break to attend a fun Viking Fest event for a few hours. Other than that (and my kids) it has been a good reading day!

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? My book selection. So many good ones this time!

Introduction Quiz:
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Indianapolis

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Shortcomings

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Chips and guacamole!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I've read all the works of Shakespeare. My pup Ollie has participated in every Dewey readathon with me. And we just had a Dragons Love Tacos party to celebrate my youngest kiddo's birthday!

5) If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? I might read with my kids a little more this time. My kids are 2 and 5 and it will be fun to read to them and get them excited about the readathon too! We're also going to swing by a fun local Viking Fest later. It's always entertaining.

PAST READATHON POSTS:

The Green Mile Readalong Halfway Point

2021-04-16T17:17:00.005-04:00

Welcome to the halfway point in our Green Mile readalong! Care and have been having a blast reading all your thoughts and theories on the book so far. King's tone can be cheesy at times, but it's his characters that pull me in. Even the side stories are powerful. Paul's time in the nursing home making him feel weak and helpless, the warden's raw grief over his wife's diagnosis, the reporter's cold reaction to the realities of the world after his dog turns on his children, each moment stays with you.

I also loved this quote. It's from a moment when Paul is pouring out his memories in a journal in the nursing home and realizing how powerful the act of writing is.

“What I didn’t realize was how many doors the act of writing unlocks,

as if my Dad’s old fountain pen wasn’t really a pen at all, but some

strange variety of skeleton key.”

What are your thoughts so far? Feel free to post here, on Care's blog or on Litsy or Twitter or Instagram, wherever you prefer! The hashtag is #GreenMileAlong and you can find both of us at the following spots:

Litsy: @BKClubCare and @Avidreader25

Instagram: @BKClubCare and @Avidreader25

Twitter: @BKClubCare and @MelissaAvidLife

The Green Mile Readalong

2021-03-23T11:15:00.000-04:00

It's been years since I read The Green Mile. It was one of the first Stephen King books I ever read and it made me realize the depth of his stories. Care of Care's Books & Pie and I decided to host a little readalong of The Green Mile for anyone who is interested. Join us in April as we delve into this story.

No need to create big posts or anything else. Just post on my blog or her blog. Or on Litsy or Twitter or Instagram, wherever you prefer! The hashtag is #GreenMileAlong and you can find both of us at the following spots:

Litsy: @BKClubCare and @Avidreader25

Instagram: @BKClubCare and @Avidreader25

Twitter: @BKClubCare and @MelissaAvidLife

2020 End of the Year Book Survey

2020-12-30T20:33:00.002-05:00

Quarantine is the perfect time to reorganize your bookshelves!

This year was surreal for a lot of reasons. All of the exterior circumstances had a huge impact on my choices in reading material. I read Biden and Harris’ memoirs before the election. I read many books on social justice to push myself to a deeper understanding of diversity issues. I started a virtual book club, Pandemic Pages, with a few of my closest friends and we had a blast connecting on zoom. And then, when it all became too much, I signed up for Audible Escapes for a month and sunk into some mindless clean YA romances to give my brain a break.

Quarantine for me meant life at home with two kids (ages 1 and 4) while trying to work. It’s been hard. It also included a LOT of books! I read plays for the American Theatre Critics Association’s new play award. I listened to tons of audiobooks to keep my sanity while at home. I reread many old favorites and returned to authors I hadn’t read in years. And I curled up with my kindle or a real book when I needed a moment's respite from the stress of this year. Here are some of my favorites from 2020.

Number of Books You Read: 212

Number of Re-Reads: 12

Fiction: 115

Nonfiction: 48

Plays: 33

Graphic Novels: 4

1. Best Books You Read In 2020

Classics — If Beale Street Could Talk, Death on the Nile, and Go Tell It on The Mountain
Historical Fiction — Lovely War

Mystery — A Madness of Sunshine, Little Secrets, The Guest List

Literary Fiction — Anxious People, Nothing to See Here

Nonfiction — Talking to Strangers, The Body, Furious Hours, The Hiding Place, and I'm Still Here

Fantasy — The City We Became

Play — Every Brilliant Thing, Silent Sky, and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley

YA — Clap When You Land and Piecing Me Together

Science Fiction — This Is How You Lose the Time War

Children’s — Ramona Quimby series and Gooseberry Park

Graphic Novel — Pumpkinheads

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and The Glass Hotel

3. Most surprising (in a good way) book you read?

I Love You, But I Hate Your Politics

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Clap When You Land and The Hiding Place

5. Best series you started in 2020?

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2020?
Elizabeth Acevedo and Georgette Heyer

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Untamed, I'm not a big self-help fan, but I got a lot out of this one!

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Wylding Hall, an unputdownable, gothic gem for sure.

9. Book You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, I learned so much. I know I'll return to it to refresh my cooking skills in the future.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2020?

With the Fire on High, Shadow and Light, Twisted, and The Vanishing Half

11. Most memorable character of 2020?

Sheba from South of Broad, Emoni from With the Fire on Hire

Scenes from a quarantine life of reading in 2020.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2020?
This Is How You Lose the Time War and If Beale Street Could Talk

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2020?
So You Want to Talk About Race and I'm Still Here

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2020 to finally read?

Go Tell It On the Mountain and The Hiding Place

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2020?

“The world changes, the ground shifts. We still make plans. We still find gifts.” - Gmorning, Gnight!

“I think that control might actually be the opposite of love because control leaves no room for trust. And love without trust is not love at all.” - Untamed

“It’s true that we haven’t done very much recently other than keep two small people alive.” - The Guest List

“Traveling changes you. It open to up to in ways you never imagined and makes you appreciate home.” - Piecing Me Together

“One of the benefits of being a journalist is that I get to be nosy for a living.” - The Year of Living Danishly

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” - Atomic Habits

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2020?

Silent Sky - 64 pages

Angle of Repose - 569 pages

17. Book That Shocked You The Most?

Talking to Strangers, the way he unfolds how the training of police officers has led to our current situation was enlightening and heartbreaking.

18. Favorite Couple?

Dash and Lily

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of The Year?

Everyone in Anxious People and Hig and his dog Jasper in The Dog Stars

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2020 From an Author You’ve Read Previously?

How the Light Gets In and the rest of the Inspector Gamache novels

21. Best Book You Read In 2020 That You Read Based SOLELY On A

Recommendation From Somebody Else?

The Soul of the Octopus

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2020?

Peter Kavinsky and Dash

23. Best 2020 debut you read?

The Jane Austen Society

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
The City We Became, The Searcher, and House of Salt and Sorrows

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

The House in the Cerulean Sea and the Christy Miller marriage and baby series.

26. Book That Made You Cry in 2020?

Lovely War

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I loved Mythos and Heroes by Stephen Fry, but I've heard almost nothing about them. They retell the Greek myths with famous art, illustrations, and Fry's clever commentary.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

If Beale Street Could Talk and Every Brilliant Thing

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2020?

Endurance, a nonfiction book that is set in space!

30. Book That Made You the Maddest?

The Great Alone, that ending, ugh.

31. Best Audiobook?
Arabian Nights and the Inspector Gamache series

32. Best Book to Film Adaptation?
Dash and Lily

Thanks to Perpetual Page Turner for once again hosting this survey! It’s always so much fun to look at everything I read throughout the year and think about what I loved/hated.

Photo by me.

Dewey 24 Hour Readathon!

2020-10-24T13:08:00.006-04:00

******** UPDATED HOUR 8********

This is my 18th readathon (see links below). Today you can find me posting on Litsy and as @avidreader25.

My first readathon was in April 2011, when my dog Ollie (pictured) was just a tiny pup. I wasn't planning on reading today, because we've been going through a hard health situation with him for the past month. After nine vet visits, a trip to an orthopedic surgeon, a neurologist, and a CT scan, we still didn't have an answer about what was wrong. Last night we got the results and it looks like an infection possibly caused by a tick or spider bite. It's been a crazy stressful process and honestly, I couldn't face a readathon without my favorite reading buddy.

I'll be reading just a bit today. I couldn't miss out on one of my favorite events!

Reading Stats:
Pages Read: 413
Currently Reading: The Book of Will
Books Finished: The Great Gatsby graphic novel, A Promise is Forever

Snacks Eaten: Lots of coffee

Introduction Quiz:
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Indianapolis

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
The Great Gatsby graphic novel

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
S'mores tonight while we have a fire pit and the kids paint pumpkins.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! Quarantine with two kiddos and an introvert husband has been HARD! Looking forward to a week at a beach house in Alabama next month.

5) If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? We have a full day planned to celebrate Halloween with our kids and friends. I'll be reading less because of that.

PAST READATHON POSTS:

Dewey 24 Hour Readathon!

2020-04-25T01:00:00.000-04:00

******** UPDATED HOUR 16 ********

This is my 17th readathon (see links below). Here's a link for more info about the Dewey Readathon. Today you can find me posting on Litsy and Instagram as @avidreader25 as well as here. For years Heather and Andi have hosted this amazing event. This is their very last time as the hosts. The readathon will continue, but they will be missed!

My first readathon was in April 2011, when my dog Ollie (pictured) was just a tiny pup! Since then I've met friends and read thousands of pages during the readathons. I've read while hugely pregnant, while sitting next to someone I love in a hospital room, on road trips, and more. It's become something I look forward to. Throughout the year I set aside books I know would be perfect for the readathon. In short, it is a community that I love and means the world to me.

Reading Stats:
Pages Read: 683
Currently Reading: Farewell Summer and Everything, Everything
Books Finished: Every Brilliant Thing, How to Be a Good Creature, Fox 8, The Princess Diarist
Snacks Eaten: Spinach eggs, mint chocolate almonds, pickles, chips & salsa

Mini-Challenge
My Readathon Memories

Introduction Quiz:
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Indianapolis

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Every Brilliant Thing

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Dark chocolate mint almonds

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! My second kiddo just celebrated her 1st birthday this week! I also love to travel and see live theatre.

5) If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? I usually leave the house to get a cup of coffee and read somewhere else for awhile. Since we are still quarantined I will be at home the whole time. We'll see how that goes.

PAST READATHON POSTS:

Photos by me.

2019 End of the Year Book Survey

2019-12-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

Such a weird reading year. For the first time, I took part in a committee which selects a new play to win a big grant. That added about 30 new plays to my regular reading list. Plus, I had a baby in April, which had a big impact on my choice of books. I read a lot fewer classics and a lot more YA, "chick lit", and mysteries. I also tried to binge through more new releases than normal because of the publisher rules with libraries that might be changing and restricting use of ebooks soon.

All that being said, it was a good reading year. I made a goal to read more from my shelves (at least 30 books) and to quit reading books that weren't working for me. I did both! I also FINALLY completed the last two Shakespeare plays I hadn't read. Now I just need to see more of them performed live.

Any books I reread this year are not eligible for this list. I also didn’t count the piles upon piles of children’s books I read, except to list a couple new favorites. I also don’t limit myself to one book per answer if there are two or three that are a perfect fit.

Number of Books You Read: 187

Number of Re-Reads: 13

Genre You Read The Most From: Literary fiction and mysteries

1. Best Books You Read In 2019?

Classics — North and South
Historical Fiction — Daisy Jones and the Six and Where the Crawdads Sing

Mystery — The ABC Murders and The Inspector Gamache series

Literary Fiction — Once Upon a River, The Dutch House, and The River

Nonfiction — Educated, I'd Rather Be Reading, Just Mercy, From Scratch, Becoming, Garlic and Sapphires, and Being Mortal

Fantasy — The Starless Sea

Play — Pericles, Witch, and Cambodian Rock Band

YA — Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, The Royal We, The Sun is Also a Star

Science Fiction — Recursion and The Testaments

Children’s — The Little House on the Prairie series, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Graphic Novel — Kid Gloves, Here and March

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Here and Now and Then and A Court of Thorns and Roses, Chances Are...

3. Most surprising (in a good way) book you read?

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

From Scratch and The River

5. Best series you started in 2019?

Little House on the Prairie and the Inspector Gamache series

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?

Peter Heller and Ruth Reichl, I read two books from each author this year and loved them all!

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Royal We

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Recursion, The River, and The Turn of the Key

9. Book You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Starless Sea, without a doubt!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?

The Lager Queen of Minnesota, The Immortalists, Time After Time, and The Dutch House

11. Most memorable character of 2019?

- Inspector Gamache

- Maeve from The Dutch House

- Kaz from Six of Crows

- Kya from Where the Crawdads Sing
- Sunja from Pachinko

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2019?
The Starless Sea

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2019?
Being Mortal

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2019 to finally read?

The Earthsea books by Ursula LeGuin

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?

“The day had stretched her thin, to the point where she felt the boundary of herself dissolving into the atmosphere.” – Once Upon a River

“The last time always seems sad, but it isn’t really. The end of one thing is only the beginning of another.” – These Happy Golden Years

“Married love is in the details — The purloined plums, the casual kiss on the way out the door, the midday phone call just to say hi, the arm wrapped around your shoulders through a winter’s night. It’s not exactly happily ever after, but it’s the only place I know to find fireflies in March.” – Pitching My Tent

“Humility is a most excellent barometer,” he said, “and ought to be looked for in all those we are made to look up to.” – The Golden Tresses of the Dead

“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” – Just Mercy

“Singing a new song is like making the audience eat their spinach.” - A Dream About Lightning Bugs

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?

- Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics & Pesky Poltergeist: 64 pgs

- The Unexpected Everything: 560 pgs

17. Book That Shocked You The Most?

The Lost Man (the ending) and Just Mercy (our broken legal system)

18. Favorite Couple?

- Leon and Tiffy in The Flatshare
- Inspector Gamache and his wife
- Celine and her husband in Celine

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of The Year?

- Meredith and her step-grandpa in The Honey Bus

- Holling and his teacher in The Wednesday Wars

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2019 From an Author You’ve Read Previously?

Once Upon a River and The Lager Queen of Minnesota

21. Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A

Recommendation From Somebody Else?

The Unhoneymooners

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?

Sam from One True Loves

23. Best 2019 debut you read?

The Silent Patient

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
The Starless Sea

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

#IMomSoHard

26. Book That Made You Cry in 2019?

Lift, a letter from a mother to her two daughters... can you blame me?

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

The Honey Bus and Dear Mrs. Bird

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

The Big Burn, two pieces of that book really got to me. First, that Teddy Roosevelt's mother and wife died within a few hours of each other. Second, that Pulaski, a man who worked for the forest service and saved many during a forest fire, was treated horribly by the government and left destitute and dying.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?

My Lady Jane

30. Book That Made You the Maddest?

One Day in December and Normal People

31. Best Audiobook?
Daisy Jones and The Six

32. Best Book to Film Adaptation?
The Sun is Also a Star and Little Women

Thanks to Perpetual Page Turner for once again hosting this survey! It’s always so much fun to look at everything I read throughout the year and think about what I loved/hated.

Photo by me.

Little Free Library

2019-12-12T11:37:00.002-05:00

For my birthday this year my best friend and husband surprised me with my very own Little Free Library. I was over the moon! I’ve always loved them and I was so excited to be able to share books with our community in this way.

It was such an incredible gift and one that will continue to bless others with books for years to come!

My library and my kiddos and best friend's kids.

He took the very first book (The Giver)!

After ton of phone calls and even a parks meeting where I was asked to bring the actual little library, I finally got approval to install it in a local park. My husband dug a post hole and together we set it up. My best friend and her kiddos were there, along with my two kids, to commemorate the occasion.

I filled the library with some of my favorite books. I wanted a mix of classics, YA, children's books, nonfiction, and literary fiction. In the month since we installed it I've already restocked it and it seems popular despite the cold! I love the location, right near the town hall and the water on a well-used walking path.

My best friend wrapped the present in paper and covered the paper with beautiful quotes about reading (above left). It was just perfect. My husband engraved a brass plaque for the library dedicating it to my mom. She passed away from Leukemia when I was a teenager, but throughout her life, she never tired of reading.

Dewey 24 Hour Readathon!

2019-10-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

******** UPDATED HOUR 16********

This will be my very first readathon with two kiddos. My infant was born in April and I have a toddler, so this should be interesting. This is my 16th readathon (see links below). Here's a link for more info about the Dewey Readathon. Today you can find me posting on Litsy and Instagram as @avidreader25 as well as here.

Reading Stats

Pages Read: 1,147

Currently Reading: At Large and At Small, The Bookshop, James Herriot's Treasures for Children

Books Finished: 5, Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland, Jack of Fables Vol. 1, Cat & Nat's Mom Truths, Red at the Bone, and The Sandman Vol. 6

Snacks: Blueberry scone, yogurt pretzels, mushroom tarte (thanks Trader Joe's!), baked potato, chips and salsa

Introduction:

1) What part of the world are you reading from? Indianapolis, IN

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Dark chocolate almonds and yogurt covered pretzels and maybe a Starbucks flat white.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I've got a six-month-old baby, so I'm running on very little sleep. I'm also a Director of Communications and an editor of a magazine in my day job.

5) If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? Last readathon I was pregnant and had a baby just a couple weeks later, so this readathon will feel very different. Less waddling around!

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? Red at the Bone
2. How many books have you read so far? 3
3. What book are you most looking forward to? Finishing Sandman
4. Have you had many interruptions? I have two little kids... so yes.
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? That I was able to get away to a coffee shop by myself this morning. Perfect way to start the readathon!

PAST READATHON POSTS:

April and October 2011 / April and October 2012 / April and October 2013 / April 2014 / April and October 2015 /April and October 2016 / April and October 2017 / April and October 2018. April 2019.

Photos by me.

The Little House on the Prairie Series

2019-09-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

This year I decided to read the Little House on the Prairie series for the first time. My three-year-old daughter and I listened to all nine books over the course of the last seven months. I've loved every minute of it and I know we will both miss the series. Each day she asks if I can "Turn Laura on." while we drive or clean the house.

For some reason I thought the books would be boring. I have no idea why. Frontier life was incredibly hard and the Ingalls family was brave and determined. We follow them on their travels west from Wisconsin to Kansas to Minnesota to South Dakota. The forge rivers, survive blizzards and locust, and exist on almost nothing at times. Throughout all of it they have hope and faith and encourage each other.

This will be a reading experience I won't ever forget. This was the first series I read with my daughter and it was a wonderful one. I can't wait to read them again when my youngest daughter is old enough. Below are my brief thoughts on each of the books in the series.

The Little House in the Big Woods

I love the detailed descriptions of their life in Wisconsin. Hunting, household chores, dangerous animals in the woods, all told from a child’s point of view. Even simple life becomes fascinating. Cherry Jones narrates the books and she’s just perfect!

Farmer Boy

In this book we meet Almanzo and hear about his time as a child on his family’s farm. They raised sheep, planted crops, and learned about life. Each chapter covers a fun vignette, from a prize-winning pumpkin to a week without their parents at home, the adventures are sweet. I loved the scene where his father gives him money and encourages him to make a smart decision about how to spend it. It showed trust and gave Almanzo a responsibility that he did not squander.

The Little House on the Prairie

This series is such a delight. Each of their adventures and struggles is seen through the eyes of young Laura. I love the honesty and innocence that comes from that. I love her Pa's strength and character. Laura's parents are a team and despite their hardships, they never stop supporting and loving each other. This book covers their time in Indian country. There's a scene where they cross the river in their covered wagon that was particularly harrowing.

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Each book in the series is a blend of sweet moments and heartbreak. For every Christmas morning filled with joy, there is a blizzard, or leeches, wild fires, or a plague of grasshoppers. The things they survived are incredible. Yet despite the traumatic events in their lives, it’s often the relatable moments that are the most memorable. Going to school for the first time, longing for a fur cape on the church Christmas tree, snobby Nellie who picks on Laura, a small child who takes Laura‘s doll Charlotte, etc. You feel like you are experiencing each moment alongside the Ingalls family.

By the Shores of Silver Lake

This might be my favorite of the series so far. From the start of the book we know this is a time of change. Mary has gone blind from scarlet fever, the family rides a train for the first time, they move into a shanty in a railroad town, etc. I love Laura's adventurous spirit. Even when her path crosses with wolves, she's almost more concerned with their welfare than her own.

There are some intense parts in this book as well (SPOILERS). The death of their sweet dog Jack, the confrontation of Pa on payday by angry workers, the moment when the youngest Ingalls daughter, Grace, goes missing, and a scuffle when Pa fights to place his claim for their homestead plot. Life on the prairie was not for the faint of heart.

I'm continually impressed with Pa's moral compass and the way he treated his wife and daughters. Even though Ma is quiet, he looks to her before making big decisions. They do not allow themselves to go into debt or take charity, but when an opportunity presents itself, like the chance to stay in the surveyor's house for the winter, they aren't too prideful to take it. I've grown to love the Ingalls family.

The Long Winter

This one was intense! The small community where the Ingalls live is stranded in a seven month blizzard. No trains with supplies are coming and everyone is beginning to starve. I know I’ll remember the vivid picture of Pa twisting hay to make logs for the fire and the girls using the coffee grinder on the wheat. The scene where the students head from school into town in the midst of a blizzard was terrifying. I loved getting to know Almanzo better and seeing his braver.

Little Town on the Prairie

A lot of this book focused on Laura’s time in school. Thanks to Nellie, who somehow ended up moving to the same town as Laura, the teacher hates Laura. Luckily she has sweet friends who stand by her. Laura also gets her first job, sewing shirts in town. She and her parents are saving money to send Mary to college and she is thrilled to be able to do her part.

It’s important to note that Ma’s hatred of the Indians and a black face musical show are unfortunate parts of the book. I know that those things were accepted in that time. I’ve use them to open conversations about prejudice with my kiddo. No matter when it’s written, it’s still not ok.

These Happy Golden Years

Laura is now working as a teacher and making money for her family. It’s been such a joy to watch her grow up and it’s hard to believe she’s a woman now. Almanzo courts her with buggy rides and I loved watching her show her strength and fearless nature as she becomes more comfortable around him. Definitely one of my favorites in the series.

“The last time always seems sad, but it isn’t really. The end of one thing is only the beginning of another.”

The First Four Years

The final book in the series is very short and covers only a brief glimpse into Laura’s new life with Manly and her daughter Rose. Their struggles to get a successful crop, avoid storms, and survive blizzards makes this book a bit bleaker than the others. I missed scenes with Pa and Ma. The pace also felt rushed, like she was skimming over their lives. There were memorable scenes, like Rose’s birth, a visit from a group a Indians, etc. As always, her simple descriptions of their life were my favorite parts. The book feels a bit like an afterthought and I almost wish the series had ended with These Happy Golden Years.

*After doing a bit of research, I found that this final book was published almost 30 years after the rest of the series.

*Photos by me

Madeline Miller Talk

2019-09-10T12:04:00.000-04:00

This week I attended an author event and got a chance to meet Madeline Miller. She was brilliant. Funny, clever, engaging, the best-selling author knew how to speak to a crowd with ease. You could tell she’d taught for years and had the ability to make complicated discussions about women in Greek mythology feel relevant and accessible. I adored both of her books, Circe and The Song of Achilles, and can’t wait to see what she writes next.

I loved that she answered questions about her writing process and provided details about her research. She talked about how women are frequently made small in mythology and just used to further men’s stories. They are either the wife/mother/daughter of someone or they are a villain. It’s rare to find more meat to a female’s story.

She mentioned two poems, Ulysses by Tennyson and Penelope by Dorothy Parker (below) showing two very different views of their story.

In the pathway of the sun,
In the footsteps of the breeze,
Where the world and sky are one,
He shall ride the silver seas,
He shall cut the glittering wave.
I shall sit at home, and rock;
Rise, to heed a neighbor's knock;
Brew my tea, and snip my thread;
Bleach the linen for my bed.
They will call him brave.

- Dorothy Parker

In Circe she gave voice to a character that was skated over in The Odyssey. She allowed her a messy life with complicated family relationships and a deep empathy toward humans. Miller shared that she directed Shakespeare’s plays in her free time and it took her five years to find each of her main characters’ voices while writing her novels. It was an incredible talk and one that gave an added depth to her work.

One side note: this was my first night out after having my second kiddo. I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to make it. Sitting there in that beautiful amphitheater and feeling my brain hum as I listened to her fascinating talk gave me so much satisfaction. After you have kids you can often feel like you are missing a piece of yourself. You are exhausted and rarely have time for intellectually stimulating pursuits. I just want to say that it does get better. Making time for the things that are important to you is just crucial. It is NOT easy, but it is so rewarding.

*Photos property of Avid Reader's Musings

If I Should Have TWO Daughters

2019-05-15T09:01:00.000-04:00

In April we welcomed our second daughter into the world. Grace Josephine was tiny, but strong! The name Josephine is in honor of Jo March. We are so happy and so sleep-deprived.

If I Should Have a Daughter

By Sarah Kay

If I should have a daughter, instead of Mom, she's gonna call me Point B,

because that way she knows that no matter what happens,

at least she can always find her way to me.

And I'm going to paint solar systems on the backs of her hands,

so she has to learn the entire universe before she can say,

"Oh, I know that like the back of my hand."

And she's going to learn that this life will hit you hard in the face,

wait for you to get back up just so it can kick you in the stomach.

But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

There is hurt here that cannot be fixed by Band-Aids or poetry.

So the first time she realizes that Wonder Woman isn't coming,

I'll make sure she knows she doesn't have to wear the cape all by herself.

Because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers,

your hands will always be too small to catch all the pain you want to heal. Believe me, I've tried.

"And, baby," I'll tell her, "don't keep your nose up in the air like that.

I know that trick; I've done it a million times.

You're just smelling for smoke so you can follow the trail back to a burning house,

so you can find the boy who lost everything in the fire to see if you can save him.

Or else find the boy who lit the fire in the first place,

to see if you can change him."

But I know she will anyway, so instead I'll always keep an extra supply of chocolate and rain boots nearby,

because there is no heartbreak that chocolate can't fix.

Okay, there's a few heartbreaks that chocolate can't fix.

But that's what the rain boots are for.

Because rain will wash away everything, if you let it.

I want her to look at the world through the underside of a glass-bottom boat, to look through a microscope at the galaxies that exist on the pinpoint of a human mind, because that's the way my mom taught me.

That there'll be days like this.

♫ There'll be days like this, my momma said. ♫

When you open your hands to catch and wind up with only blisters and bruises;

when you step out of the phone booth and try to fly and the very people you want to save are the ones standing on your cape;

when your boots will fill with rain,

and you'll be up to your knees in disappointment.

And those are the very days you have all the more reason to say thank you.

Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away.

You will put the wind in winsome, lose some.

You will put the star in starting over, and over.

And no matter how many land mines erupt in a minute, be sure your mind lands on the beauty of this funny place called life.

And yes, on a scale from one to over-trusting, I am pretty damn naive.

But I want her to know that this world is made out of sugar.

It can crumble so easily,

but don't be afraid to stick your tongue out and taste it.

"Baby," I'll tell her, "remember, your momma is a worrier, and your poppa is a warrior, and you are the girl with small hands and big eyes who never stops asking for more."

Remember that good things come in threes and so do bad things.

And always apologize when you've done something wrong.

But don't you ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining.

Your voice is small, but don't ever stop singing.

And when they finally hand you heartache,

when they slip war and hatred under your door and offer you handouts on street-corners of cynicism and defeat,

you tell them that they really ought to meet your mother.

Dewey 24 Hour Readathon!

2019-04-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

******** UPDATED HOUR 23 ********
I made it to hour 16 and then fell asleep.
I'm up reading a little more before the readathon ends.

This will be my very last readathon while pregnant. Yay! Unfortunately I'm on bedrest this weekend. I'm 35 weeks pregnant and have had a few preterm labor scares so far. I will be putting my feet up and reading today, but might not be updating as frequently as I normally do. I'll also be helping my husband with my 3-year-old, so we'll see how this goes.

This is my 15th readathon (see links below). Here's a link for more info about the Dewey Readathon. Today you can find me posting on Litsy and Instagram as @avidreader25 as well as here.

Reading Stats

Pages Read: 885

Currently Reading: #IMomSoHard

Books Finished: 6: Lift, The Night of the Iguana, If This Isn't Nice, What Is?, The Handmaid's Tale (graphic novel), Leaf by Niggle, and A Delicate Balance

Snacks Eaten: Cinnamon raisin English muffin, ice cream bar, chicken tacos

Introduction:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Indianapolis, IN

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? The brand new graphic novel of The Handmaid's Tale and Lift by Kelly Corrigan.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? I'm pregnant... so all of them! Definitely dark chocolate pretzels and maybe a Starbucks flat white.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! My second kiddo is due in exactly one month! I also love to travel, have been to 16 countries, and I review live theatre in the Midwest.

5) If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? I will be resting a lot more. Being pregnant means my energy level is a lot lower than normal.

Mini Challenges:
1) Book and a Snack at The Book Monsters.

2) Literary Clue

3) Book Cover Puzzle

Mid-Event Survey:
1) What are you reading right now? #IMomSoHard, I love the authors' web series and so I knew this one would be hilarious!
2) How many books have you read so far? Finished 4

3) What book are you most looking forward to? I'm rereading the Harry Potter series right now and I'm on book 6. I'll dive back in that if I finish my current read.

4) Have you had many interruptions? I have a toddler... so yes.

5) What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How beautiful the weather had been! Lots of outdoor reading.

PAST READATHON POSTS:

April and October 2011 / April and October 2012 / April and October 2013 / April 2014 / April and October 2015 /April and October 2016 / April and October 2017 / April and October 2018.

Photos by me.

2019 First Quarter Reading

2019-03-28T12:01:00.002-04:00

The first three months of 2019 have been unusual for me for a couple reasons. I was asked to join a national committee that selects new plays to receive $40,000 in award money. As part of my role of the committee I read 26 plays, way more than I would normally read in a few months.

The other thing that affected my reading is pregnancy. I'm pregnant with my second kiddo and a few preterm labor scares have led to partial bedrest, which has led to more reading. Fatigue, because of said pregnancy, has led me to reread old favorites instead of new books for most of the past month. Sometimes you just need comfort reads, so Jane Austen's Persuasion, The Night Circus, and the Harry Potter series have all made their way into my hands recently.

I also managed to reorganize and streamline my home library (see above) before getting too far into this pregnancy. That was a huge goal of mine since the room also doubles as a play room. We got rid of a big bookcase (and lots of books!) and I'm continuing to prioritize reading and getting rid of my own books this year.

Total Read: 62

Fiction: 27

Nonfiction: 9

Plays: 23

Graphic Novels: 3

My Favorites So Far:

Where the Crawdads Sing: Loved this one. Set in the marshland of North Carolina, the story is part coming-of-age, part murder mystery, and part romance. From the age of 6, Kya raises herself almost completely alone in the marshes. Her love of nature and fear of the often cruel towns people isolated her. The writing is beautiful and characters like Jumpin’ and Tate give an added richness. The book is less about plot and more about Kya's journey. It reminded me of The Girl of the Limberlost.

Once Upon a River: An English pub, a bedraggled man, a storyteller, a photographer, a village nurse, a parson’s housekeeper, a couple whose toddler was kidnapped, a farmer with clever pigs, and a river; layer upon layer is added as the story unfolds. Though there seemed like a lot of disconnected threads at first, the author brings them together in the end. The characters are so well drawn. Armstrong the farmer and the nurse Rita were two of my favorites. I’d highly recommend taking time to sink in and enjoy this one. Its beautifully crafted and a wonderful yarn.

“The day had stretched her thin, to the point where she felt the boundary of herself dissolving into the atmosphere.”

Educated: This memoir has been so hyped over the past year, but it lived up to everything I heard. It reminded me of The Glass Castle, but the author's story is a unique one. She was raised by Mormon survivalists on a mountain in Idaho. I was so impressed with the way she tells her story. Despite shocking details and abuse, she's able to unfold a story that felt so visceral and real. It's easy to lose the humanity of the oppressors in a telling like that, but as a reader, I always felt that she didn't hate and resent her family in a way that would have been understandable. It's a heartbreaking story, but one that is beautifully written and so compelling.

“My life was narrated for me by others. Their voices were forceful, emphatic, absolute. It had never occurred to me that my voice might be as strong as theirs.”

“Everything I had worked for, all my years of study, had been to purchase for myself this one privilege: to see and experience more truths than those given to me by my father, and to use those truths to construct my own mind."

I'd Rather Be Reading: I adored this! It was just like chatting with a good friend about our mutual love of books. Almost everything she said reminded me of my own bookish habits and struggles. She talks about falling in love with the library, rereading old favorites, and not pushing books on others just because you think they SHOULD read them. So many of the books she cites are my favorites as well. It was short and sweet and I know I’ll read it again.

“If my real life reminds me of something I’ve read in a book, I’m reading well and I’m probably living well.”

Kid Gloves: I’ve loved following Knisley’s career in her wonderful graphic memoirs. Since I’m currently pregnant, this one was particularly perfect timing. She blends historical facts about pregnancy and childbirth with her own difficult experience. She’s honest and open about her pain and doubt. Her birth experience might have been extreme, but her pregnancy and miscarriages are all too relatable. I loved it.

“I don’t feel good. Can I have some nachos, please?”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've also had a few really good books that haven't quite been "favorites" but were excellent. Those include: The Word is Murder, The Dreamers, Belles on Their Toes, The Sun Is Also a Star and The Golden Tresses of the Dead (Flavia de Luce forever!)

I'm guessing the rest of the year will have a big dip in reading. That tends to happen when you have a newborn and are sleep deprived. So I'm pretty happy that this first quarter contained so many great books!

Photos by me.

New Orleans Literary Tourism

2019-02-13T11:24:00.001-05:00

In May 2018 I finally got to visit New Orleans. I'd been dying to explore it for years and was thrilled to get to take a short girls trip there. The city's literary history is rich and I had a few must see spots on my list.

Faulkner Books was the one I was the most excited about. It's a perfect little bookstore located down a quiet side street near Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter. William Faulkner lived in the home in 1925 and it is filled with gems from his life. After exploring the stacks for awhile I purchased a copy of Faulkner's "New Orleans Sketches" and the short story, "A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin for myself and Mary Poppins for my daughter. Books are always my favorite souvenirs from a trip.

In addition to an excellent selection of books, there are framed letters from famous writers like Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, and Tennessee Williams. There were first editions of Faulkner's books (including the ones above). They were locked in a glass case, but the man working there let me look at them. They were worth thousands! The bookstore was completely charming and I'm so glad we made it there.

The other literary highlight of the trip was the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone. It's literally a carousel that rotates very slowly in the hotel lobby. It was a popular hangout for authors like Truman Capote, Fitzgerald, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, and others. We got there early enough to grab a seat on the carousel and I sipped on my sazerac while we slowly turned. I loved it! There's a display in the lobby featuring books and photos of the famous authors who have been guests at the hotel.

All-in-all New Orleans was wonderful. Filled to the brim with delicious food, great music, a cemetery tour, and time to wander the unique streets. Highly recommended!

Henry VIII and Pericles

2019-02-05T10:46:00.004-05:00

Henry VIII

by William Shakespeare

★★★☆

Henry VIII is the final play in the histories series. Although it’s frequently challenged as being written solely by Shakespeare, I'm accepting it as part of the canon. The histories begin, chronologically, with Richard II and take us all the way through the Wars of the Roses.

The plot covers the execution of Buckingham, the rise and fall of Cardinal Wolsey, the divorce of Henry VIII and Queen Katherine, his marriage to Anne Boleyn, the birth of Elizabeth, and more. The play itself is rarely produces and not well known, but pieces of it will be familiar to anyone who has read Wolf Hall or The Other Boleyn Girl.

There's a lot crammed into this one, but a few of the characters truly shine. Your heart breaks for the neglected Katherine. She’s tossed aside by her husband of 20 years when someone younger catches his eye. She has some fantastic moments when she challenges Cardinal Wolsey.

“Y’ are meek and humble-mouth’d,

You sign your place and calling, in full seeming, with meekness and humility;

but your heart is cramm’d with arrogance, spleen, and pride.”

Buckingham is also a sympathetic character with some great speeches. Overall the play doesn't flow as well as many of his others. It's too scattered, too many moving pieces, but it's still got some beautiful language.

“Yet I am richer than my base accusers,

That never knew what truth meant.”

“Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot

That it do singe yourself.”

“Love thyself last: cherish those hearts that hate thee;

Corruption wins not more than honesty.

Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace,

To silence envious tongues. Be just, and fear not:

Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's,

Thy God's, and truth's.”

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

by William Shakespeare

★★★☆

In only a few minutes we’re in the midst of incest and attempted murder. There’s soap opera level drama from the start. There’s a storm at sea, shipwreck, a lost infant, lost wife, prostitutes, pirates, and so much more. Pericles escapes a dangerous situation, on the run for his life. He ends up in a new kingdom and falls in love with a princess there. In a plot straight out of The Tempest, Shakespeare has the princess’ father pretends to be against the pairing to encourage the two to fall even faster in love. There is a narrator who helps the reader navigate the many location and time changes in each act. Pericles’ lost wife plot is reminiscent of Winter’s Tale.

This is one of Shakespeare’s “romance” plays. Though the ending might be happy, the story is full of tragedy. Redemption doesn’t come until the characters are heartbroken by loss. The play is interesting, but it does feel like a pieced together effort that combines some of his better work. It was the very last of his plays that I read and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment that I've finally read ALL of his plays!

“Few love to hear the sins they love to act.”

“Tis time to fear when tyrants seem to kiss.”

2018 End of the Year Book Survey

2018-12-27T13:50:00.001-05:00

It was an interesting year for reading for me. I found some absolute gems, but read some forgettable ones too. For the first time in quite a while I was lacking in the classics department, though I did finally conquer Ulysses! This was also a banner year for new releases from favorite authors of mine. Some were beautiful (Bridge of Clay), some were disappointing (Nine Perfect Strangers and The Clockmaker’s Daughter), and The Labyrinth of Spirits provided closure to one of my favorite series (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books).

Audiobooks have continued to be a lifesaver for me as I balance life with a toddler. We’re expecting a new kiddo in the Spring and so I’m sure that side of things will be even trickier next year. I maintain that even when life is crazy and you’re exhausted by work/kids/pregnancy/life you can still find time to read if it’s important to you. During my most hectic times I’ve learned that sometimes a comfort reread is just what I need. Other times it’s a brainless fiction story that won’t ask me to think too much. That’s ok! As long as I’m still reading, I’m happy.

Any books I reread this year are not eligible for this list. I also didn’t count the piles upon piles of children’s books I read, except to list a couple favorites. I also don’t limit myself to one book per answer if there are two or three that are a perfect fit.

Number of Books You Read: 142

Number of Re-Reads: 9

Genre You Read The Most From: Total mix of genres this year: classics, YA, fantasy, nonfiction, etc.

1. Best Books You Read In 2018?

Classics — The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Island of Dr. Moreau

Historical Fiction — Love and Ruin

Mystery — Lethal White (A Cormoran Strike Novel)

Literary Fiction — Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

Nonfiction — All the President's Men, American Wolf, The Day the World Came to Town, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake

Fantasy — Circe, the Grisha trilogy

Play — Henry IV, Part 1 and Birthday Candles

Poetry — Milk and Honey

YA — If You Come Softly, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Science Fiction — Sleeping Giants (The Themis Files), the Red Rising series

Children’s — Anatole, Where Is the Green Sheep? and Little Owl's Night

Graphic Novel — Displacement, Bones

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

How to Stop Time, Nine Perfect Strangers, and Crazy Rich Asians (loved the movie version of this one though!)

3. Most surprising (in a good way) book you read?

The Rules of Magic, I had very low expectations for this Practical Magic prequel, but I was pleasantly surprised to find wonderfully drawn characters.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Sleeping Giants

5. Best series you started in 2018?

Grisha Trilogy and Red Rising

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Leigh Bardugo

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Reading People, a fascinating look at how personality types can impact the way we approach things.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Bird Box and the Red Rising Trilogy

9. Book You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Red Rising trilogy (are you seeing a trend? It was SO good!)

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

Uncommon Type and Loving vs. Virginia

11. Most memorable character of 2018?

Sevro from the Red Rising trilogy and Uncle Hal in The Witch Elm

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

Circe and Bridge of Clay

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, so many incredible women that I hadn’t heard of! I had so much fun reading it to my daughter.

Ulysses, this one was a struggle for me. But I got a lot out of it and I loved seeing the impact it had on censorship and literature.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?

A Wizard of Earthsea, planning to continue reading this quartet in 2019.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2018?

“I still find a long walk through an unfamiliar neighborhood teaches me more about what’s new and exciting than any number of hours of television can.” -Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

“Really, every time a person said good-bye to another person, they should pay attention, just in case it was the last time.”- When Will There Be Good News?

“What I really love about travel is that it takes us outside ourselves... it unhomes you. And allows you to see possibilities for change, growth, a new life.”- An Age of License

“At the time I was just a kid and life was still a few sizes too big for me.” The Labyrinth of Spirits

“It’s silence was something awesome—an enormous playground for the guilt to wreak havoc, to work him over.” - Bridge of Clay

“A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. That’s why there are so few good conversations: due to scarcity, two intelligent talkers seldom meet.” - Music for Chameleons

“I don’t believe that blood makes a family; kin is the circle you create, hands held tight.” - An American Marriage

“I suppose that is what every man must tell himself in war. That there will be an end, and when it is done, enough of himself will remain. Enough to be a father. A brother. A lover. But we know it isn’t true. Don’t we, Darrow? War eats the victors last.” - Iron Gold

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Kindred Spirits: 41 pages & Ulysses: 816 pages

17. Book That Shocked You The Most?

Bridge of Clay and Morning Sun

18. Favorite Couple?

- Nate and Bronwyn in One of Us Is Lying

- Max and Ory in The Book of M

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of The Year?

- Auggie and Jake in Wonder

- Flavia and Dogger in The Grave's a Fine and Private Place

- Fermin and Daniel in The Labyrinth of Spirits

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From an Author You’ve Read Previously?

Force of Nature and Circe

21. Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A

Recommendation From Somebody Else?

If You Come Softly and The Music Shop

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

Jesse from Out of the Easy

23. Best 2018 debut you read?

The Book of M

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Circe

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Smile: The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland. This one just gave me hope. On such a dark day, the world was still full of selfless people willing to help complete strangers.

Most Fun: The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay & Diaries, Emma Thompson is hilarious and I wish we were friends.

26. Book That Made You Cry in 2018?

- American Wolf, I don’t handle animal deaths in books very well.

- One True Thing, a Mom dying of cancer hits a bit close to home for me.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I Am, I Am, I Am

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Under the Banner of Heaven, the book is well written, but the real events are just awful.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?

Sleeping Giants, loved this one! Even the way the author approached the story telling was unique. We see it all happen through interviews conducted by a nameless man. I would highly recommend the audio version of this one.

30. Book That Made You the Maddest?

All the President’s Men, excellent book, just a little too close to our current situation.

Thanks to Perpetual Page Turner for once again hosting this survey! It’s always so much fun to look at everything I read throughout the year and think about what I loved/hated.

Photo by me.

The Classics Club Challenge Part 2

2018-12-18T11:45:00.001-05:00

I had so much fun completing my original list of 100 books for The Classics Club that I've decided to dive in again. Though I finished my list last year, I obviously never stopped reading classics, so I'm making my "start" date April 2017, since I completed my first list in March 2017.

I am giving myself a little grace here and instead of reviewing each one with a post, I may just mark it as complete when I am done. I am also allowed to swap books on or off if I find something else I'd prefer to read.

I will be tracking my progress on my original list page here. For more information or to join the fun, you can visit The Classics Club here.

1) Little Men by Louisa May Alcott

2) The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

3) Foundation by Isaac Asimov

4) Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood

5) Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin

6) The Professor by Charlotte Bronte

7) Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

8) The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré

9) Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

10) Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

11) Hard Times by Charles Dickens

12) Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

13) The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas

14) The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

15) Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison

16) Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner

17) The Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney

18) The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy

19) North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

20) Neuromancer by William Gibson

21) The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

22) Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

23) The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

24) Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway

25) Ulysses by James Joyce

26) Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey

27) Independent People by Halldor Laxness

28) The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula K. Le Guin

29) Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

30) Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

31) Love by Toni Morrison

32) Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven

33) The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine

34) Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon

35) The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

36) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

37) Henry IV part 1 & 2 by William Shakespeare

38) King John by William Shakespeare

39) Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

40) Sophie's Choice by William Clark Styron

41) The Death of Ivan Ilych and other Stories by Leo Tolstoy

42) A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain

43) God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut

44) The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

45) The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells

46) The Once and Future King by T. H. White

47) Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

48) Black Boy by Richard Wright

49) The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

50) We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

The Mark Twain House & Museum

2018-12-13T10:44:00.000-05:00

As you might have guessed, I love visiting literary spots while traveling. A recent work trip took me to Massachusetts via the airport in Hartford, Connecticut and I couldn't resist taking a quick side trip to the Mark Twain House & Museum.

The gorgeous home is huge! No pictures are allowed inside, but an extensive guided tour gives you time to enjoy everything while learning about the famed author's life. I loved hearing more about his family life. There's also a separate museum with exhibits and a gift shop. You can see things like his desk (pictured above) and artifacts from his travels.

I always assumed he build this home after becoming famous and wealthy, but it was his wife's family fortune that funded the home. He loved to entertain and the place is clearly designed for that. There are so many gorgeous details that have been preserved in the three-story mansion. Honestly, it's worth visiting for the home alone, even if you aren't a fan of the author! There's a little garden conservatory, a carriage house, huge winding staircases, and the author's study which has so many detailed elements dripping with his personality.

Just across the lawn is the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (pictured above). Although Twain is the more famous of the two now, at the time, the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was a household name. Make sure to save time to visit both places if you can.

If you fly into the Hartford airport you can also check out the impressive Lego creation of Twain's home (above). It was amazing!

Photos by me.