Hi friends! I haven‘t posted any reviews because I haven‘t been able to read as much lately. I‘ve been struggling with more frequent bouts of migraines and my son keeps getting sick. Anyway, these are the books I‘m currently reading. Braiding Sweetgrass is an audible book which is great. I‘ve just missed sharing with this community, but am still frequently checking out everyone‘s posts and I‘m still stacking more books to read!

Whew, this book made me feel a bit emotional. I got really attached to Franny and Jet and it‘s a bit sad to see this series come to a close. I‘m glad I recently read The Rules of Magic and Magic Lessons last year as this book wouldn‘t make much sense otherwise. There is just a wonderful homecoming about these books with family, doing no harm, love, and the magic we may not be born to, but that we make for ourselves.

I loved this anthology of Japanese poetry ranging from the 7th to 13th centuries. The tanka use wordplay and are about nature, seasons, and the time of day. Each poem includes an English translation, original Japanese, pronunciation, and literal translation and notes for each of the 100 poems. It also includes a woodblock print on each page, but there isn‘t any info about the prints which I would have liked too. I really enjoyed this!

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year as it was described as being like Crimson Peak, but it was the most disappointing book I‘ve read this year instead. I would have bailed if I hadn‘t bought it. It didn‘t need to be speculative or set in an “other” place IMO. That made no sense to me. I couldn‘t understand the main character‘s motive it wasn‘t strong enough to endure what she had to. The “magic” involved felt more like occult 👇

I read this a few weeks ago and am behind with Litsy reviews, so I also don‘t remember exactly what I was going to say about it as it was a library book I‘ve taken back. The sections the author wrote about being in nature and animals resonated with me a bit more than the more memoir ish sections, but I did like confirming that it‘s okay not to be okay all of the time as we all have highs and lows with physical and mental health.

This is a book I would like to own as the illustrations are gorgeous and it is something I would like to keep as a reference book as a could not remember pairing of flowers for every occasion. The flower arrangements with a more sinister meaning were laid against a black background, which I preferred and would have liked the entire book rather than some arrangements against cream. Lovely book for someone interested in the Victorian period/ flowers

I read books written for all ages because a story can be fantastic whether it‘s a picture book or a classic tome. I usually like MG scary books because adult horror is usually too scary for me, but I think love this one like I did the author‘s other book, Scritch Scratch. Again, a title should set the tone of a poem or book and this really wasn‘t about anything in the woods, but rather what was haunting a mansion built in the 1930s👇

I loved this story about Frances, Jet, and Vincent growing up in N.Y.C. on the cusp of the 1960s and spending time in Massachusetts with an aunt whose presence would help to alter their lives and become who they were really meant to be. This book made me feel a bit melancholic and thoughtful, but in a good way knowing that life is short and how even small decisions can change lives. A really beautiful story that I can tell will linger for awhile.

I adore everything Victorian so this book was great for me set in 1893. The story begins with a seamstress and mysterious death. Gideon Bliss arrives in London at his uncle‘s request only to get involved with acerbic Sgt. Cutter as he investigates missing working class girls. Octavia H. is reporter who is investigating Spiriters. There are fantastical elements. I really enjoyed this mystery, but I did find fault with a few things:the title, as👇

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are on their third adventure trying to escape the smiling man and his schemes. This time they go sailing with Ollie‘s dad and Coco‘s mom as well as another friend where they end up on a maybe? deserted island beyond the mist where they are hunted by a sea creature as well. This was not as riveting as the first two IMO. It was fun, but it just didn‘t have the same gripping elements and so I was a little bit disappointed.

📕 I stacked this book thanks to @LeahBergen 😊
🍊 Clementines
🤩 The Death of Jane Lawrence
💞I‘m thankful my son recovered quickly from being sick and the lovely walk I got to take with my husband today.
Thank you so much @Eggs for the tag! #wondrouswednesday Would you like to share? @JacqMac
@Blueberry and anyone else who would like to join in.

As always I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of scenery and the nostalgic feeling of time and memory. The narrator returns to seaside Balbec where he spends time with Albertine and the Verdurins (horrible people) at the house they are renting from the Cambremers, La Raspelière. This volume discusses a lot of homo-erotic relationships, hence the title, but all is not equal when it came to the view of the sapphic. Great, but some problems with ?

I‘m not doing any swaps this year, but I‘ve enjoyed seeing everyone‘s fall aesthetic/ #basicwitch collages. This is just a portion of the types of Halloween aesthetic I like.

My only child is starting 5K today and I‘m full of emotions. He‘s been home with me all these years as he did 4K from home last year. We recently discovered the Mr. Putter series at the library and we love these books. Fun book about wishing you could go back to school years later with new pencils, erasers, and globes.

It‘s been so fun joining in with the #pemberlittens to read Austen‘s novels over the past year. A special thanks to @sprainedbrain for leading the group and all of you who posted along and added funny quips. This was a re-read for me and I really loved it this time around! At times I wish Ann had stood up for herself more, but I also respect her duty to her family and graceful etiquette for the time this was written. Loved it!

I loved Clash if the Titans (Harryhausen) from a small age and have always had admiration and a soft spot for Medusa. I really enjoyed this one!

Started off strong and then as I continued to read I really didn‘t care and almost bailed. I wonder if I would have liked it if I had read Shakespeare‘s All‘s Well that Ends Well, if I was missing something because I don‘t know that story, but as much as I love allusion I think a book should stand alone. The main character was manic and I didn‘t care about her. I like books that skew magic with psychology, but this wasn‘t for me “am I right?”

Ha! I put this book on hold at my library and think I was fourth in line for it. However, I went into my library today and it was on the new release shelf and patrons of their home library get first dibs before they send new books out for holds at other libraries within the system, so I lucked out! I‘m about fifty pages into it and it reminds me of the style of Bunny which I really liked. So far so good! 😁

Like so many of us I am enamored with myths and the stories of the labyrinth is among my favorites. This is a great recounting of the Greek myths. At 81 pages it spans the rivalry between Ariadne and Phaedra, to the evil of Minos, the genius of Daedalus, to the cunning of Theseus, of course all a spectacle for the gods. I got this to read with my son, but felt its target audience was for older children, so Iread it myself instead!Beautifully told

My favorite thing about this epistolary novel is Youngson‘s descriptions of what the characters see and how they see. So richly detailed and I appreciate this way of truly looking and seeing the world. Tina writes to an author of a book about the Tollund man and receives a response from the curator, Anders instead. Sometimes it may be easier to get to be ourselves and say what we need to say to find out about ourselves to strangers. Pick

I just love these color books by Pastoureau. There is a little bit of overlap in the books, but that is to be expected when comparing one color to another. This book talks about the history of red from being the first color found on cave walls, to the whore of Babylon wearing red, red in Greek pottery, red worn by church fathers, the devil, St. Nicholas, to make-up, and emblems, to the theater. It‘s really cool to see the social aspect of color.

P&P and Emma are my two favorite Austen novels. Sadly, the joy of rereading it with the pemberlittens was eclipsed by negative comments, mostly stating that Emma is an insufferable snob, which I disagree with by doing a close reading of her situation of being motherless and remembering her class. I still love Emma and the 2020 film. It was the last movie I saw in the theater on 3/9/2020 and has a special place in my heart, as does this novel.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction fantasy set in 1868 Prague. The lamplighters do more than just light the lamps that illuminate the city, but also fight against what lurks in the darkness. Domek must figure out what is so special about the jar that accidentally comes to him and who he can trust with his secrets in a time when it appears that everyone is hungry for power. Loved this original take on one of my favorite monsters.

I just love these Everyman pocket poems which I can just pick up and leisurely read. Another solid collection of some beautiful, inspiring, and reflective poems that made me feel close to nature.

The 2nd book of this series, this time Kara and her brother Taff escape into the Thickety, but escape is hardly the right word as they come across one terrifying creature after another. The biggest challenge is learning who they can trust… if anyone at all. Once again some pretty dark things described and I‘m not referring to the forest demon, Sordyr, but a fence called the Divide which was very disturbing. Surprised they are kids books.

Kara Westfall lives in a puritanical village on an island that thinks nothing is worse than magic. Her mother was convicted as a witch when she was five and she was left to care for her baby brother and broken father while the village shunned them. This book is pretty dark to be labeled middle grade with some pretty disturbing and dark magic. It reminded me of the movie The Village in some ways, but a lot scarier including bodily control and death

I think I prefer the alternate title, In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower, not only because that appears to be the more literal translation (from my poor French) but the subjects both of observing Gilberte in the first half of the book and later the young women at Balbec feels more accurate. I love that the protagonist always seems to be longing, but if given his wish like going to the theater that his idea of it is more grandiose than 👇

My son who is five filled out a paper for Mother‘s Day for me with mom‘s favorite things and under favorite book he said All the Books! I think he knows me! Happy Mother‘s Day to all of you mothers and mother figures! 💐📚

The first time I heard of this book I was a kid in the 80s watching the 1984 version of Footloose with my older sister where Ren says it‘s a great book and says it‘s a classic. I agree. It took until this weekend to finally read it. I‘m glad it is non-linear because even though Vonnegut is brilliant at only giving snapshots of the horrors of war and allowing the reader to fill in the blanks I needed to move around in time because it‘s a difficult

Happy to be joining the #pemberlittens again for Emma.

I‘ve wanted to have blue hair since I was 18. Twenty-six years later and I‘ve finally did it, at least this once. Better late than never! Also, still plugging away at Proust. Some passages are so lovely I just want to be immersed in them. ☺️

This is an excellent set of lectures about intolerance in society written in 2007 which unfortunately is all too relevant today. He uses films and stories like The Epic of Gilgamesh to draw parallels between what‘s happening today and stories of the past. I read this awhile ago and have forgotten a lot of what I wanted to talk about, but especially loved ‘The Screen of Hal‘. Manguel is a always a Must Read from me. Five stars.

This book feels like a different genre. Sort of a non-fiction/ memoir where the author uses female monsters from Greek mythology as a lens to show how women are treated as monsters (mostly by men) and how women should embrace these monstrosities within us. I mostly found myself nodding in agreement with the author especially as the book moved into subjects such as angry women and domestic details. I only questioned the women getting 👇

Cover love and my cat, Annabelle. #catsoflitsy #coverlove

How many books have I only discovered, stacked, and read thanks to this wonderful community of book lovers! I can‘t believe I‘ve been a part of Litsy for five years! I‘ve commented on many of your posts and come to recognize a lot of names and favorite genres of individuals even if I‘ve not made any close friendships here. I do appreciate you all so much! I‘m truly grateful for this wonderful group! ☺️🥳

Schwab‘s Cassidy Blake books are my favorite books by her, well that and The Near Witch, so when I saw this Owl Crate junior box I had to get it and it‘s so cool! All of the contents fit with the story which follows Cassidy, her parents, and her best ghost friend Jacob to New Orleans where she tries to solve who the skeleton man is that is following her and why; all while her parents visit the most haunted places for their paranormal show. 👇

Sticking with the Everyman‘s Library Pocket Poetry and I loved this one. Some of my favorites were from Baudelaire and Apollinaire. I‘d like it if for poetry in translation that they would include the French text parallel to the English translation.

I was drawn to this book because of the gorgeous cover art, the title, and Renaissance time frame. It is a fictionalized story of Marlowe getting caught up in a political scheme because of his brilliance while attending Cambridge where he is asked to be a codebreaker and spy on Mary, Queen of Scots. I enjoyed the beginning and tender romance throughout, but it wasn‘t as exciting as I felt it should be. I had this out of the library for three 👇

1. Yes, my spouse does which is great!
2. My mom although we read completely different kinds of books. Trying to get my son to love reading which we do daily.
3. The Odyssey and Don Quixote. Goal is to read Odyssey this year sometime.
@ Eggs #wondrouswednesday

I got some money for my birthday today and it didn‘t take me very long to spend it. I haven‘t been out much in a year, but made a stop into a shop that carries limited edition small press books. I‘ve had my eye on these from their online store for awhile. Happy vernal equinox, friends! 🌷

A sweet children‘s story that takes place in the Middle Ages during the plague. Robin, a ten-year-old, is supposed to train to become a knight when he suddenly loses the use of his legs. Robin spends time with Friar Luke who teaches him many skills, but ultimately that there is more than one path in life for us if we look for it. Quaint with lovely illustrations, it has a good message. I‘m not sure how today‘s kids like it, but think I would have

It turns out I love this book! Yes, I wish the source notes were included, but it turns out they on on his website at least. The beginning was similar about the origin of books and paper as a few other books, but then he talks about everything from St. Gall to the Folger Shakespeare library, ruthless collectors, disasters in libraries, libraries in fiction and even pests like the bookworm. A wealth of information about historical libraries. ❤️

So a few weeks ago here on Litsy I was talking about some of my favorite literary t-shirts. I haven‘t been wearing them as much because it‘s been freezing, but I put on my Frankenstein shirt today from Out of Print and thought I‘d share.

I just read that Ferlinghetti has passed away at the age of 101. https://apple.news/AspSgvg-_TIy8U2IJDtdUxw

This extended essay is based on two lectures given at Newnham college and Girton college in 1928. Woolf posits that an educated woman needs a place of her own to write and an independent income. She asks, what brilliant women writers might have been passed over throughout history because of women‘s lack of freedom, responsibility to family, and utter lack of opportunity; also in having every door shut to her in pursuit of education as to not 👇

Okay, I actually don‘t eat while I read because I don‘t like getting gunk on my books, but I was reading this right before dinner and wanted to share the delicious Sabich sandwich my husband made. Enjoying the book so far, but because I‘ve read The Book by Hudson and The Book on the Bookshelf by Petroski, a lot of info is repeated , but I have learned some new and interesting things. Wish he had included a reference section though. So far so good.

I read this book of poetry in honor of St. Valentine‘s Day. This wasn‘t my favorite Everyman‘s Pocket Poetry book as a whole, but I always find poems that speak to me, so a pick. I enjoyed Edna St. Vincent Millay & Shakespeare‘s sonnets, (as always) and Donne. Several of the poems are by Pasternak and Akhmatova, a few are ancient by Horace as well as Li Shang-Yin. Dickinson, Roethke, Larkin, and C. Rossetti are an example of the poets throughout.

Not sure how to categorize this novel besides calling it absurd. In fact, 32-year-old Malcolm appears so indifferent that he reminds me of Meursault from Camus‘ The Stranger only with a mama‘s boy touch. His 65-year-old mother Frances is like a fading actress performing her swan song as they lose all of their money and have to move to Paris. I laughed out loud at the dark comedy that reminds me of old school plays like Wilde et al. What a riot!

This book spans Paleolithic paintings and veneration of this totemic animal, leading to the church eradicating celebrations to the bear and changed those days into saints days because they saw it as a threat. The bear was replaced by the lion, forced into bear-baiting, debased by jongleurs to do circus tricks, and later forced out existence by deforestation and hunting. Heavy historical content and focus on etymology of ursine words/ ar etc.

In short, this book follows Violette, a woman raised in foster care who wants to find where she belong, & ends up as a caretaker at a cemetery, but the heart of this story is do we act on love when we truly find it, what do we do when the ones we love best are wrested away, and ultimately what is hidden in the heart that makes us act the way we do? The characters feel really unique. I wish I had a friend like Sasha. Hauntingly beautiful.