Readerbuzz

Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook by Dorie Greenspan

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I have a lot of cookbooks in my TBR, and there is nothing my husband loves more than for me to cook. To inspire me, I took photos with 24 cookbooks I have and I've prescheduled one post a month for the next two years. I'll plan to link up with In My Kitchen, hosted by Sherry's Pickings, and Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker). To further inspire me, I've created a Cooking/Baking Challenge for me for 2026 in which I read and bake from and post about one cookbook a month.

It's been about eight years since I first discovered Dorie Greenspan. Boy, she knows flavor. I bought her cookbook, Paris Sweets, and I made Sablés au Citron (French Lemon Shortbread) for a family gathering in 2019. I've never had such a positive reaction to anything I baked. Everyone who tried the sablés paused after the first bite of the cookie and took another bite and said, "This is delicious." I wrote about baking Sablés au Citron here. Later that summer, I tried Clafoutis aux Pêche (Peace Clafoutis) from the same cookbook. Here's where I wrote about that experience. In 2022, I bought Dorie's latest cookbook, Baking With Dorie: Sweet, Salty, & Simple. I tried making Cheese Puffers from that cookbook here.

I got a copy of Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook a few years ago. It's a cookbook that details the foods Dorie cooks on a regular basis. I've been meaning to try something from this book, and I finally decided to make my first galette this week. I am not exaggerating when I say that this galette might be the most delicious thing I've ever made.

Ingredients

Crust

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
¼ cup ice water

Filling

4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½ pound mushrooms, such as white, cremini, wild, or a mix, trimmed and coarsely chopped
2 leeks, white and light-green parts only, split, washed, and thinly sliced (or 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced, rinsed, and patted dry)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
Leaves from 2 thyme sprigs

Directions

Crust:
Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal and there are some small flake-size pieces and some larger pea-size pieces. Add a little of the ice water and pulse; add some more and pulse; continue until all the water is in. Now work in longer pulses, stopping to scrape sides and bottom of bowl if needed, until dough forms bumpy curds that hold together when pinched.
Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and gently knead to bring it together. Gather into a ball, flatten into a disk, and place between two large sheets of parchment. Roll out dough to a 12-inch circle. Slide dough, still between sheets of parchment, onto a baking sheet or cutting board and refrigerate at least 2 hours or, well wrapped, up to 3 days. (Dough can also be frozen, well wrapped, up to 2 months.)
When you're ready to use the dough, let stand on counter for a few minutes, until it's pliable enough to lift and fold without cracking.
Filling:
Place bacon in a heavy skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crispy and golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, pat dry with more paper towels, and let cool completely. Finely chop bacon or cut into slender strips. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet; set skillet aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center.
Pour oil into skillet with bacon fat and heat over medium. Add mushrooms, leeks or onion, and garlic; season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. (Mushrooms will release liquid, and then, as you continue to cook, take it up again.) Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet, until it evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in cream and cook, stirring, until mostly absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in bacon, pepper (to taste), walnuts, 2 tablespoons cheese, and thyme. (Filling can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days.)
Peel top sheet of parchment off dough; leave dough on bottom sheet of parchment and keep on baking sheet. Scrape filling onto dough; using a spatula, spread into a 9-inch circle. Lift the bare border of dough and fold over filling. As you fold, dough will pleat on itself (don't worry about being neat or getting everything even). (Galette can be made up to this point and refrigerated for a few hours before baking; bake straight from refrigerator.)
Bake until crust is deeply golden and filling is hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over the filling, and if desired, the crust. Drizzle with oil, if desired. Let cool about 10 minutes or let cool to room temperature, then cut with a pizza wheel and serve. Galette is best served within a few hours of baking.

Have you ever made a galette?

I am eager to make more from this cookbook.

Be a part of the friendly In My Kitchen (IMK) community by adding your post at Sherry's Pickings each month - everybody welcome! We'd love to have you visit. Tell us about your kitchen (and kitchen garden) happenings over the past month. Dishes you've cooked, preserves you've made, herbs and veg. in your garden, kitchen gadgets, and goings-on. And one curveball is welcome - whatever you fancy; no need to be kitchen-related. The link is open from the first of the month to midnight on the thirteenth of the month, every month.

Weekend Cooking was created by Beth Fish Reads and is now hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker). It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

For more photos, link up at Wordless Wednesday, Comedy Plus, Messymimi's Meanderings, Keith's Ramblings, Image-in-ing, Soul and Mind and So On, Wild Bird Wednesday, and My Corner of the World.

Book Titles That Describe My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Born Reading by Jason Boog

When I Was a Child I Read Books by Marilynne Robinson

The Spell of a Story by Mariajo Ilustrajo

I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan

Bookworm by Lucy Mangan

I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider

So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson

The Librarian by Salley Vickers

Wild About Books by Judy Sierra

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon: April 18-19, 2026: Preparations Made

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

PREP WORK

Snacks assembled.

Bingo card ready.

Ridiculously tall stack of books

prepared for possible reading.

SAVE THE DATE

Dewey and I go way back. Way, way back.

I became a blogger in June of 2008, and I participated in my first readathon later that month. I read eight books, all BookCrossing books, and then I gave them away after the readathon.

I participated every year, at least once a year, until 2021. I only participated one time, briefly, since then.

I think this will be my 30th readathon!

I learned this morning that the next readathon is next weekend, April 18-19, 2026. Yay! We will start reading at 7 am Central Time April 18th, and end at 7 am April 19th. The goal is to try to read for twenty-four hours straight.

I shall do Dewey's up big this year:

1. I will compile a stack of books to read for twenty-four hours (or as long as I can until I fall asleep).

2. I will stock up on some fun snacks and drinks for the 'thon.

3. I will create a template on Canva to keep track of the books I read.

4. I will use one of the two Bingo boards posted on FB for Dewey.

5. I will have fun reading!

Some memorable readathons from the past:

My First Readathon...Readathon Lite...A Readathon with a New York, New York Theme...Readathon with a Sidekick, My 18-Month Old Granddaughter, Annie

To inspire me:

So, what do you think?

Will you join in for the readathon this year?

The Sunday Salon: Spring Fling at Quintana Beach with Warblers and Tanagers and Orioles

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I am delighted that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Welcome!

What is the Sunday Salon?

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

I rested for a day after doing so much traveling in March, and then I got busy again attending a family reunion for my husband's family, going to our naturalist club meeting, volunteering at Spring Fling as a host for visitors coming to the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory to see migrating birds, and learning more about Emily Dickinson at my class.

Yes, it took me three months, but I finally finished The Brothers Karamazov this week.

What I Read Last Week:

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

What I'm Reading Now:

The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss

written by Robert Macfarlane and illustrated by Jackie Morris (Nature Nonfiction)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: The Black Death and the Tooth Fairy

Moving-and-Starting-Over Books

The 2026 Texas Library Association Conference: Photos of Authors, Books, and Things I'm Still Thinking About

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

I saw these beautiful birds at the bird sanctuary this week while I volunteered at the host station...

Good Thing #1:

Swainson's Warbler

Good Thing #2:

Prothonatary Warbler

Good Thing #3:

Scarlet Tanager

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter

by Heather Fawcett

Genre: Cozy Fantasy

Published: February 17, 2026

Page Count: 356 pages

Summary:

Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life, and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for stray cats.

Now it’s the shelter that needs a new home. And the only landlord who will rent a space to a cat rescue is a mysterious man called Havelock—who also happens to be the world’s most infamous magician, running an illegal magic shop out of his basement. Havelock is cantankerous and eccentric, but not not handsome, and no, Agnes absolutely does not feel anything but disdain for him. After all, rumors swirl about his shadowy past—including whispers that his dark magic once almost brought about the apocalypse.

Then one day a glamorous magician comes looking for Havelock, putting the magic shop—and the cat shelter—in jeopardy. To save the shelter, Agnes will have to team up with the magician who nearly ended the world . . . and may now be trying to steal her heart.

Havelock is everything Agnes thinks she doesn’t need in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers that he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue—and romance—in her life. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats. . . .

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

I paused on the threshold of the shop to stamp the frost from my boots. It settled on the sills and cobblestones at night now, a fine white fur, as if winter were a great beast who skulked through the city while we slept, leaving bits of pelt behind. At least the snows hadn't arrived yet, which was some relief.

THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by Anne of Head Full of Books. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up on Head Full of Books and visit others in the linky.

Of course, I soon realized there was no need for someone to break into the shop at night. Someone was already there.

The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.

If you could revisit one of your past reviews, what would you change, and why? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

I would not change any of my past reviews. I always tell myself that I'm just an ordinary person, sharing my thoughts about the books I read; I'm not a professional reviewer.

The 2026 Texas Library Association Conference: Photos of Authors, Books, and Things I'm Still Thinking About

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT...

The new Reading Rainbow guy

Why we love to read children's books

Bibliotherapy corner

Magnetic glasses and sparkly shoes

Team Gross

Adopt-a-dog or a cat

A book purse

Pop-up library

Make things things out of cardboard

Harris County Public Library's Curiosity Cruiser

National Wildlife Association education program

Quiet pods

Book vending machines

BOOKS I WANT TO READ

AUTHORS

Melissa Sweet; Chris Barton; Carole Boston Weatherford; Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

Kari Lavelle; Katherine Otoshi; Jashar Awan; Liz Garton Scanton

Leuyen Pham; Steve Metzger; Laurel Snyder

Julie Murphy; Brandon Mull; Kate Quinn

For more photos, link up at Wordless Wednesday, Comedy Plus, Messymimi's Meanderings, Keith's Ramblings, Create With Joy, Wild Bird Wednesday, and My Corner of the World.

Moving-and-Starting-Over Books

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Lately, I don't identify as American. I apologize to the world for the violence and greed and general nastiness that has been coming out of this country for some time now.

When I was young, I consumed every moving-and-starting-over book out there. Maybe it's time to revisit these.

MEXICO

Gringos in Paradise: An American Couple Builds Their Retirement Dream Home in a Seaside Village in Mexico by Barry Golson

SPAIN

Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía by Chris Stewart

Spanish Lessons: Beginning a New Life in Spain by Derek Lambert

ITALY

Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes

Extra Virgin: Amongst the Olive Groves of Liguria by Annie Hawes

GREECE

My Family and Other Animals: Corfu Trilogy #1 by Gerald Durrell

MOROCO

The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah

CHINA

River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler

FRANCE

Le Road Trip: A Traveler's Journal of Love and France by Vivian Swift

Dear Paris: The Paris Letters Collection by Janice Macleod

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir by David Coggins

My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life by Janine Marsh

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Olive Oil in the South of France by Carol Drinkwater

Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light by Amy Thomas

C'est la Vie: An American Woman Begins a New Life in Paris and---Voila!---Becomes Almost French by Suzy Gershman

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

Some other books I have not read, but want to read:

The Year of Living Danishly; Discovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell

Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools: Tuck into a Slice of Andalucían Life by Victoria Twead

A Year in Marrakesh by Peter Mayne

In the Village: A Year of Living in Rural Japan by Iain Maloney

Bombs and Bougainvillea: An Expat in Jerusalem by L. E. Decker

So Happiness to Meet You: Foolishly, Blissfully Stranded in Vietnam by Karin Esterhammer

A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco by Suzanne Clarke

Married to Bhutan: How One Woman Got Lost, Said 'I Do,' and Found Bliss by Linda Learning

Meander, Indirectly, East to West Along a Turkish River by Jeremy Seal

My Swiss Home: A Year of Living and Working in Switzerland by Wolfgang Koehler

Didgeridoos and Didgeridon'ts: A Brit's Guide to Moving Your Life Down Under by Vicky Gray

Margarita Wednesdays: Making a New Life by the Mexican Sea by Deborah Rodriguez

Do you have other recommendations for me?

The Sunday Salon: The Black Death and the Tooth Fairy

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome! It's lovely that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon.

What is the Sunday Salon?

The Sunday Salon is a spot to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It is also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

A cautionary tale about reading fiction: I read a historical fiction book about the Black Death with my seven-year-old grandson, Wyatt, a few weeks ago. Last week Wyatt lost his first tooth. His dad asked him if he wanted to put his tooth under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy. Wyatt said no. Since the Tooth Fairy was probably around at the time of the Black Death, he told his dad, the Tooth Fairy was probably killed with the rest of the people!

I must find a nonfiction book about the Black Death for Wyatt, I think.

Here I am inside one of the several sensory pods that were for sale at the conference.

I went to the Texas Library Association Conference this week (after I got home from a week in Central Texas antiquing and time with friends at the No Kings Rally). I will do a whole post soon on what I brought home with me from the conference.

What I Read Last Week:

Goldfinches written by Mary Oliver and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.

What I'm Reading Now:

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss

written by Robert Macfarlane and illustrated by Jackie Morris (Nature Nonfiction)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: A Holiday in Smithville

Goldfinches, written by Mary Oliver and illustrated by Melissa Sweet: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I started listing 3 Good Things each day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

Illustrator Melissa Sweet at TLA,

signing her new book, Goldfinches,

written by poet Mary Oliver.

Good Thing #2:

The Book of Birds:

A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss

written by Robert Macfarlane

and illustrated by Jackie Morris.

Thank you, thank you, thank you,

W. W. Norton, for this beautiful book.

I'm reading it slowly,

and I will post about it soon.

Good Thing #3:

I am eagerly reading Leyendas/Legends:

60 Latine People Who Changed the World,

another book I brought home from the library conference.

Thank you, Chronicle Books,

for this beautiful book.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Goldfinches, written by Mary Oliver and illustrated by Melissa Sweet: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

Goldfinches

written by poet Mary Oliver

illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Genre: Poetry; picture book

Published: March 3, 2026

Page Count: 40 pages

Summary:

Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet gorgeously illustrates the work of Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Mary Oliver for the first time in picture book form.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

One more thing

I want to mention

before the pages

actually begin.

Writing poems,

for me but not

necessarily for

others, is a way

of offering

praise to the

world.

Oliver, Mary. Goldfinches, page 1. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

And love the world.

Oliver, Mary. Goldfinches, 56%. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

Reason #1: I love birds.
Reason #2: I love poetry.
Reason #3: I love picture books.
Reason #4: I love poet Mary Oliver.
Reason #5: I love author/illustrator Melissa Sweet.

This is the book I wanted most to see at the Texas Library Association Conference this week.

I was first in line to get this book signed by the illustrator.

Guys, you need this book. Trust me on this. If you agree with me for even one of the reasons I gave (above) for reading this book, you need to find a copy and read it, too. I can't really tell you how wonderful it is.

3rd - Which book really showcases your favorite author’s style, and what makes it stand out? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White with text and illustrations by Melissa Sweet

You really won't believe me about how amazing this book is unless you find a copy and read it and look at the incredible illustrations for yourself. It is stunning. It's completely original. It is a book you want to read over and over.

The Sunday Salon: A Holiday in Smithville

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome! I am delighted that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon.

What is the Sunday Salon?

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

Lots of good news this week:

My dad's wife, Rosa, had surgery on her hip, and she is now in a rehab facility. My dad is able to stay with her there.

My allergies settled down.

My car has settled down and has given me no further trouble.

My husband and I were able to spend several days up in Smithville in Central Texas with my sister and her husband, Gary, on Gary's grandmother's farm. We went antiquing at the semi-annual antique show in Round Top and we spent lots of time catching up.

What I Read Last Week:

The Illustrated Emily Dickinson: 25 Essential Poems

Wildflower Emily: A Story About Young Emily Dickinson

What I'm Reading Now:

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations by Frederick Buechner (Spirituality)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

Hope is the Thing with Feathers: The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

Nine Newish Books I Hope to Read This Spring

The Sunday Salon: Home!

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

Central Texas is beautiful.

It's been dry, so

the bluebonnets were not

as abundant as in years past.

Good Thing #2:

I saw this fascinating hummingbird moth

near the pond on my brother-in-law's grandmother's farm.

Good Thing #3:

We saw this lovely Orange Sulphur

at the antique show.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Hope is the Thing with Feathers: The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

Hope is the Thing with Feathers:

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Genre: Poetry

Written: 1858 to 1865

First Published: 1890

Page Count: 328 pages

Summary:

From the Women's Voices series, a collection of classic poetry specifically curated to encourage, challenge, and motivate women.

One of American's most distinctive poets, Emily Dickinson scorned the conventions of her day in her approach to writing, religion, and society. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers is a collection of her vast archive of poetry to inspire the writers, creatives, and feminists of today.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

This is my letter to the world,

That never wrote to me, ---

The simple news that Nature told,

With tender majesty.

Her message is committed

To hands I cannot see;

For love of her, sweet countrymen,

Judge tenderly of me.

Apparently with no surprise

To any happy flower,

The frost beheads it at its play

In accidental power.

The blond assassin passes on,

The sun proceeds unmoved

To measure off another day

For an approving God.

I'm taking a class on Emily Dickinson that begins in Women's History Month (March) and runs through Poetry Month (April).

I am extending my enjoyment of the class by reading some books about her life and poetry myself, and by sitting in front of her statue in my home library as I recite her poems. lol

What’s your favorite bookish scent, and why does it appeal to you? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

I like all bookish scents---newly printed books, old bookstores, pens, paper. I do not know why these appeal to me. Perhaps it's buried in my DNA.

Nine Newish Books I Hope to Read This Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences by Neal Allen and Anne Lamott

The Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-fleecing Frauds by John Fugelsang

Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry by Ada Limón

The Shippers by Katherine Center

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

Moss'd in Space by Rebecca Thorne

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu

This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through US History by Beverly Gage

Here We Go: Lessons for Living Fearlessly from Two Traveling Nanas by Eleanor Hanby and Sandra Hazelip

Are any of these on your list?

What book are you most eager to read this spring?

The Sunday Salon: Home!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome! We are very glad that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon.

What is the Sunday Salon?

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

My return home from East Texas was trying. My car abruptly stopped running on the interstate highway, and I had to be towed to a repair shop. The kind tow truck driver took me to Walmart (the temps had dropped to freezing and I had no coat) and waited for me during my shopping to be sure I was okay. I met three lovely people while I waited for my car to be repaired in Whataburger and all three offered to help me any way they could. The repair shop had my car back on the road in time for me to return home that day. When I got home, I learned that my dad's 96-year-old wife had fallen and was in the hospital with a broken hip. She had surgery and she was standing on her feet the same afternoon. Rosa is going to an in-patient rehab next where my dad will be allowed to stay with her. I brought home allergies or a cold of some sort, so I'm trying to heal up from that, too.

What I Read Last Week:

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

Grimm's Fairy Tales

What I'm Reading Now:

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations by Frederick Buechner (Spirituality)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

Happy St. Patrick's Day: Green Book Covers

The Sunday Salon: Spring Break with Grandkids, Books, and Birds

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

We had an Art Day,

and drew and painted.

This is Annie's cardinal.

Good Thing #2:

The library had a Lego-a-Thon,

and the kids made things out of Legos.

Good Thing #3:

We visited the zoo,

went to a video game tournament at the library,

took a nature walk,

had a bonfire with S'mores,

read two books together,

played board games,

played soccer and football,

looked at the stars through a telescope borrowed from the library,

saw a new movie called Hoppers,

and hung out together for nine days.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

The Left Hand of Darkness

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Genre: Science Fiction

Published: 1970

Page Count: 367 pages

Summary:

A lone human ambassador is sent to the icebound planet of Winter, a world without sexual prejudice, where the inhabitants’ gender is fluid. His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the strange, intriguing culture he encounters...

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

I’ll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination.

Le Guin, Ursula K.. The Left Hand of Darkness: 50th Anniversary Edition, p. 1.

I came there at noon. That is, I came somewhere at noon, but I wasn’t sure where.

Le Guin, Ursula K.. The Left Hand of Darkness: 50th Anniversary Edition, p. 56.

I've just started this book, so I don't know enough yet to comment on the story. The Left Hand of Darkness is classic Le Guin, and it won both the Hugo and the Nebula Awards. I've wanted to read this book for years, and I'm finally getting around to it.

If you could write the sequel to a classic book, which one would it be? What new characters or plot twists would you bring in? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer).

I would not want to write a sequel to any book. I wish sequels were never written. I have not liked any sequel ever written for any book. Just let a story end where it ends and leave it alone. lol

Happy St. Patrick's Day: Green Book Covers

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Carry one of these around today. You'll be safe.

The Sunday Salon: Spring Break with Grandkids, Books, and Birds

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome! I am delighted that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon.

What is the Sunday Salon?

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

Spring is Migration Celebration and Spring Fling and Open House at the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. I will be volunteering at all of these for my Texas Master Naturalist group in March and April.

My grandkids are off for Spring Break and I am visiting them all. We hope to go on some nature walks and read some books together and have some picnics.

What I Read Last Week:

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Speculative Fiction)

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung (Memoir)

What I'm Reading Now:

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations by Frederick Buechner (Spirituality)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: Spring Break with Birds and Grandkids

Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers

The Art of Mindful Baking: Returning the Heart to the Hearth by Julia Ponsonby

Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Because I am off in East Texas with limited Internet, I shall share a few old Good Things from previous visits:

Good Thing #1:

G-kids Lucy and Bailey.

Good Thing #2:

G-kids Annie and Wyatt.

Good Thing #3:

The beauty of an East Texas morning.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present

by Ruth Ben-Ghiat

Genre: History

Published: November 10, 2020

Page Count: 384 pages

Summary:

Ruth Ben-Ghiat is the expert on the "strongman" playbook employed by authoritarian demagogues from Mussolini to Putin―enabling her to predict with uncanny accuracy the recent experience in America and Europe. In Strongmen, she lays bare the blueprint these leaders have followed over the past 100 years, and empowers us to recognize, resist, and prevent their disastrous rule in the future.
For ours is the age of authoritarian rulers: self-proclaimed saviors of the nation who evade accountability while robbing their people of truth, treasure, and the protections of democracy. They promise law and order, then legitimize lawbreaking by financial, sexual, and other predators.
They use masculinity as a symbol of strength and a political weapon. Taking what you want, and getting away with it, becomes proof of male authority. They use propaganda, corruption, and violence to stay in power.
Vladimir Putin and Mobutu Sese Seko’s kleptocracies, Augusto Pinochet’s torture sites, Benito Mussolini and Muammar Gaddafi’s systems of sexual exploitation, and Silvio Berlusconi and Donald Trump’s relentless misinformation: all show how authoritarian rule, far from ensuring stability, is marked by destructive chaos.
No other type of leader is so transparent about prioritizing self-interest over the public good. As one country after another has discovered, the strongman is at his worst when true guidance is most needed by his country.
Recounting the acts of solidarity and dignity that have undone strongmen over the past 100 years, Ben-Ghiat makes vividly clear that only by seeing the strongman for what he is―and by valuing one another as he is unable to do―can we stop him, now and in the future.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

From an early age, the first man to transform a democracy into a dictatorship showed the qualities that have marked strongmen of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries: a violent temperament, opportunism, and a way with words.

Ben-Ghiat, Ruth. Strongmen: Mussolini to the Presentm p. 1. Kindle Edition.

“Who did you say Putin was?” asked Zhenya Molchanova, a Moscow hot dog vendor, when told the news on August 9, 1999, a reaction shared by most Russians.

Ben-Ghiat, Ruth. Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, p. 56. Kindle Edition.

Are there genres you read that you feel a little shy about? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

There are genres I don't read, but anything I read, I share.

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen: A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship by Annabel Abbs: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen:

A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship

by Annabel Abbs

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: November 16, 2021

Page Count: 400 pages

Summary:

In Victorian England, 1835, London is awash with thrilling new ingredients, from rare spices to exotic fruits. But no one knows how to use them. When Eliza Acton is told by her publisher to write a cookery book instead of the poetry she loves, she refuses—until her bankrupt father is forced to flee the country. As a woman, Eliza has few options. Although she’s never set foot in a kitchen, she begins collecting recipes and teaching herself to cook. Much to her surprise she discovers a talent – and a passion – for the culinary arts.

Eliza hires young, destitute Ann Kirby to assist her. As they cook together, Ann learns about poetry, love and ambition. The two develop a radical female friendship, breaking the boundaries of class while creating new ways of writing recipes. But when Ann discovers a secret in Eliza’s past, and finds a voice of her own, their friendship starts to fray.
Based on the true story of the first modern cookery writer, Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen is a spellbinding work of culinary fiction about friendship, the struggle for independence, and the transcendent pleasures and solace of food.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

Midday in the City of London, the carts and carriages rattling over the cobbles, the screech of costermongers, the jostle of barrows and handcarts, the thin-ribbed boys who are shirtless and swooping like starved birds to shovel every steaming clod of dung. It is the hottest day of the year—or so it feels to me, burning and corseted inside my best silk dress. On Paternoster Row the heat radiates from every brick, every brass bellpull, every iron railing. Even the wooden scaffolding, which props up every half-built windowless property, is stubbornly lodged with heat and creaking with thirst.

It is the most important day of my life, so to calm my nerves that are all ajangle, I observe the scene and shape it into words: The crowds dripping along the side of the road where the taller buildings fling their shadows. The straining horses that are slick with sweat. The fans stitched from peacock feathers and fluttering from carriage windows. The wilting lash of the drivers’ whips. And the sun, like a vast golden orb in a dome of unbroken blue.

Abbs, Annabel. Miss Eliza's English Kitchen: A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship, p. 1, Kindle Edition.

“I made it myself this morning. I’ve been experimenting and this version includes a little crushed lavender.”

I don’t want her to think me rude, so I nod and whisper, “Yes, please, ma’am.” Just as Mrs. Thorpe told me.

She pours a tall glass. And then I realize she’s waiting for me to drink it. Mrs. Thorpe didn’t mention anything about drinks, so I’m unsure what to do.

“Drink!” Miss Acton commands.

I take a sip, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever tasted. Sweet and sour and sharp and blossomy all at once.

“What do you think?” she asks. I stare at her, forgetting that Mrs. Thorpe told me never to stare.

“Well, speak,” she says, but I don’t think she’s cross because there’s a little smile on her lips.

I don’t say that her question makes me tremble, that Mrs. Thorpe told me I must never have an opinion. And nor do I tell her that the lemonade tastes of something I can’t put into words, of Mam shredding lavender flowers and mixing them with the crushed leaves of verbena and lemon balm . . . Tears prick at the back of my eyes, and I reach for the table to steady myself.

“Are you unwell?” Miss Acton comes to my side and helps me into a low chair, where I sit, hot and ashamed.

“You need more lemonade,” she says, and pours another glass. Then she stoops beside me and holds the glass right by my face so I can see the pale cloudy liquid and smell the lemons and lavender all over again.

“Perhaps the heat has affected you, in that worsted dress.” She puts the glass on the floor and leaves the room.

And I know full well she’s gone to write a letter of complaint to Mrs. Thorpe, that I have done everything wrong—and shown myself to be puny and rude and a disgrace. No doubt my bad blood has shown itself.

I drink the lemonade, and it’s like coming from a gray dream and feeling the world lift and rise around me. Calming. So that when I hear her step in the hall, I jump up and stand very straight beside the sink. As if I’m ready for work.

“You’re better,” she declares.

“The l-lemonade, ma’am,” I stutter. I want to make amends by telling her how delicious it is but when I pause, Miss Acton leaps in. “It made you unwell? Oh, that is terrible!”

She frowns very severely and peers into the earthenware jug. “I think the lavender was a mistake. Perhaps cold milk and a dash of sherry would improve it . . .”

“No, ma’am,” I say, quite desperate now. “It is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted and brought back such memories I was quite overcome. I’m very sorry, ma’am. I’m normally strong as an ox, ma’am.”

Abbs, Annabel. Miss Eliza's English Kitchen: A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship, pp. 55-57. Kindle Edition.

Eliza Acton's father declares bankruptcy and the whole family is suffering. Eliza and her mother open up a boarding house and Eliza begins to make plans to write a cookery book. Ann Kirby, poor and without many options, comes to work with Eliza, first on her cooking and later collaborating with Eliza on her book.

Sometimes historical fiction irritates me with vocabulary that doesn't fit the times or with behavior that doesn't fit the times. This book felt well researched, with strong yet believable women characters. I enjoyed reading about all the foods Eliza and Ann prepared, and I loved watching the women cope with, and eventually thrive in, a world that would have preferred to put them on the sidelines.

I downloaded a copy of the women's cookbook, and I plan to prepare food from the cookbook sometime this month or next.

Which book really showcases your favorite author’s style, and what makes it stand out? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

The Art of Mindful Baking: Returning the Heart to the Hearth by Julia Ponsonby

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The Art of Mindful Baking:

Returning the Heart to the Hearth

by Julia Ponsonby

How long have I had this book in my TBR? Years and years and years, I know. The copyright is 2014, and it's entirely possible that I have had it since then. Where did I acquire it? I don't remember, but I'm sure it was a gift; I'm always asking for books about baking for my birthday.

Julia Ponsonby considers the topics of mindfulness and and simplicity and Slow Cooking and using our senses as each of these topics relates to baking, and she offers a dozen recipes to give us bakers a chance to consider all of these and apply them in our baking lives.

I tried a simple bread recipe. It's not wildly different from my go-to bread baking recipe. But this recipe notably slows me down, it encourages us to see and smell and taste what we are baking, and it involves a good bit of rigorous kneading.

Here's the recipe I tried:

LIGHT-BROWN BREAD OR ROLLS

Makes 1 round, oval, or rectangular loaf or 10 rolls

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes, plus about 2 hours rising

Baking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

10 oz. Strong White Bread Flour

10 oz. Warm Water

1 tsp. Sugar or Honey

6 oz. Whole Wheat Flour

1-1 1/2 tsp. Salt

A little beaten egg for brushing (optional)

1. Place the warm water in a measuring jug, then stir in the sugar and yeast. Leave to froth.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flours and salt.

3. Add the yeasty water and oil and mix until you have a soft dough and all the ingredients are evenly distributed. You are aiming for a soft, elastic dough that holds its shape. It may be slightly sticky on the surface, but it should not be sloppy.

Knead gently in the bowl for a few minutes until fairly smooth, then return to the bowl to rise. Spray the top of the dough with a little more water to prevent the surface from drying out or cover the bowl loosely with a lid or tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.

4. Tip the risen dough on to a clean and very lightly floured surface and 'knock back,' punching out the carbon dioxide. This is your chance to get the gluten working.

5. As you knead, stretch and push the dough away from you with your fists, then bring it back together. You will feel the gluten tightening and spring back. Do this for about 3-5 minutes. Then, let your dough rest for a few minutes so the gluten can relax making your dough easier to form into a loaf ready for its final proving.

6. For a single loaf, shape the dough into a long oval or round bread. Keep the joints at the bottom and make sure the top skin has not be over-stretched: loosen it with a little gentle rocking, if there is any sign of tightness or splitting.

7. Place the loaf in the prepared tin seam side down. Spray the top of the loaf with water and/or brush with beaten egg for a shiny finish. Leave the loaf to rise in a warm place for about 40-60 minutes.

8. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

9. When the bread is ready to go into the oven, it will usually have doubled in size. It is better to put your bread in the oven when still---just---on the rise, so that its last burst of rising is stimulated by the heat of the oven. Bake on the middle shelf for about 45 minutes. Turn out and leave to cool on wire racks.

Note: I had no brown flour so I used all white flour. Also, I used close to 3 cups of flour instead of the sixteen ounces the recipe suggests.

Ten ounces of warm water with sixteen ounces of flour? This was not bread; this was soup. I had to add and add and add flour until the dough was soft but not soupy. This recipe is from Great Britain, so maybe I am confused about the measurements?

This book deals with problems in baking in a section called Overcoming Attachment: "Do not mind too much when things go wrong and your food gets burnt, doesn't rise, or you accidentally add too much salt. In Buddhist teachings, attachment to anything represents one of the greatest obstacles to the development of your spiritual path...(T)he pitfalls of baking help you to practise the art of severing these attachments."

I baked. I was mindful. I overcame attachment. Perhaps I have traveled a little way on my spiritual path. Not bad for an afternoon of baking.

For more photos, link up at Wordless Wednesday, Comedy Plus, Messymimi's Meanderings, Keith's Ramblings, Image-in-ing, Soul and Mind and So On, Wild Bird Wednesday, and My Corner of the World.

Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Here are some great books (I've read and enjoyed them all) with ordinal numbers in the titles:

First. A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat.

Second. Second Reading: Notable and Neglected Books Revisited by Jonathan Yardley.

Third. Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty.

Fourth. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.

Fifth. Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis.

Sixth. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert.

Seventh. Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman.

Eighth. The Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder.

Ninth. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.

Tenth. Tenth of December by George Saunders.

Have you read any of these? I recommend all of these, especially if you are looking for a book with an ordinal number in the title.

The Sunday Salon: Off to Spring Break with Grandkids, Books, and Birds

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

We are very glad that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Welcome!

What is the Sunday Salon? The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

We would all love to have you link up and then visit others' blogs. Be sure to leave a comment when you visit others.

Spring is Migration Celebration and Spring Fling and Open House at the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. I will be volunteering at all of these for my Texas Master Naturalist group.

My grandkids are off for Spring Break and I will be visiting them all over the next two weeks. We will be reading and doing nature walks and playing board games and spending time together.

What I Read Last Week:

The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley (Liked)

A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration---Epic Journeys, Urgent Threats, and the Fight for Bird Conservation by Kenn Kaufman (Liked)

What I'm Reading Now:

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations by Frederick Buechner (Spirituality)

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Speculative Fiction)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: Drop Everything and Read on Monday

My Favorite Speculative Fiction Books

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

The garden is in the ground.

Good Thing #2:

Azaleas are blooming.

Good Thing #3:

Spring is here.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

The Astral Library

by Kate Quinn

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Published: February 17, 2026

Page Count: 304 pages

Summary:

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

I was doing poverty math the day my life fell apart.

...I was almost relieved to look up and see the Librarian standing there with her tablet and her glasses and her cardigan, not looking at all like the semi-ageless guardian of an astral-plane book sanctuary.

I'm halfway through the book, and it's all I hoped for. I like this speculative-fiction Kate Quinn better than historical-fiction Kate Quinn; the characters are jaunty and seriously flawed and fun in Astral Library, and I keep thinking of people I know to recommend it to.

If you had to, would you pass your book collection on to someone special? If not, what would you prefer your family or friends do with your books after you’re gone? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

When Grandpap Frankeny died, we grandkids were all allowed to choose three books from his collection. That's a nice tradition.

My Favorite Speculative Fiction Books

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

When I was eighteen, I discovered science fiction, and I read almost nothing else.

This went on for about ten years. Scifi, scifi, scifi. Lots and lots of science fiction.

And then I stopped.

I discovered literary fiction and nonfiction that reads like fiction, and I never went back.

But now, forty years later, I want to read the books I've missed. Science fiction. Fantasy. Speculative fiction.

Could you suggest some titles?

Here are some of my favorite science fiction and fantasy books. Maybe this will give you a good idea about what I have loved in the past.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Color of Magic (Discworld #1) by Terry Pratchett

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Animal Farm by George Orwell

1984 by George Orwell

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Babel by R. F. Kuang

A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

What speculative fiction have you loved?

What would you recommend to me?

The Sunday Salon: Drop Everything and Read on Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Welcome! We are happy that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon.

What is the Sunday Salon?

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there.

Three books of genre fiction? And three different genres!

What I Read Last Week:

Caraval by Stephanie Garber (Fantasy)

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (Book Club; Historical Fiction)

The Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton (Western; Book Club)

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations by Frederick Buechner (Spirituality)

The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley (Classic)

Twist by Colum McCann (Novel)

A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration by Kenn Kaufman (Nature)

Join the Virtual SBC Read-In

The Silent Reading Club is kicking off Read Across America Day with a special virtual edition. Come for the book recommendations, stay for the quiet camaraderie... and a chance to win a free copy of LAWS OF LOVE AND LOGIC, by Debra Curtis.

When: Monday, March 2nd
Time: 8:00-8:30 am PT / 11:00-11:30 am ET
Where: RSVP to receive a link via email to join

RSVP

RSVP to receive a link via email to join the Virtual SBC Read-In. Don’t forget to Bring Your Own Book… we can’t wait to see what you’re reading!

#DEARacrossAmerica

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, Early Voting, The Great Backyard Bird Count, and More

A Few Quotes from Books about Books and Libraries and Reading that I Like

Caraval by Stephanie Garber: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

Duolingo!

Good Thing #2:

We naturalists are learning about water today.

Good Thing #3:

Our group of friends enjoyed hearing

author George Saunders speak in Houston

this week.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Today's Featured Book:

Caraval

by Stephanie Garber

Genre: Fantasy

Published: January 31, 2017

Page Count: 450 pages

Summary:

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful and cruel father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett's long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to attend. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season's Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, and her sister disappears forever.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

It took seven years to get the letter right.

"Where's my sister?

Scarlett and her sister, Tella, live with their cruel and controlling father. For years, Scarlett has tried to obtain an invitation to join the game at Caraval, and, finally, this year, just before she is to be married off by her father to a man she has never met, finally, Scarlett receives an invitation.

And thus begins the game. But what is illusion and what is real? What will carry over into real life after the game ends? Will Scarlett win the game? Will she get her wish?

I had fun reading this book, seeing buildings transform and change, seeing people transform and change, magic everywhere, the unexpected everywhere.

When you spot giveaways, do you enter just for fun—even if you’re unsure you’ll read the book—or only when you truly want the title? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

I don't enter giveaways these days. I never entered giveaways in the past unless I was sure I wanted to read the book.