4 Stars. This is one of the most realistic commencement addresses I’ve ever read or heard. These things are usually full of high flown language about changing the world and chasing your dreams. That’s all very inspirational. But how do you actually get to that point? You work and you work some more. Sometimes you get lucky [...]
Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl invited us to share ten authors I haven't read yet, a topic suggested by Deanna at A Novel Glimpse. I'm slowly weeding out my GoodReads TBR so this topic is fresh in my mind. The problem is narrowing the list down to ten! I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site. Angie Thomas--The Hate U Give has been on my radar since it started frequently making banned books lists. I had the opportunity to see Ms. Thomas speak at Yallfest and loved what she had to say. Laurie Frankel--After I read and loved Melissa (formerly published as George) by Alex Gino, a friend on Facebook recommended that I read This Is How It Always Is. Meg Medina--I don't remember why this exact book is on my TBR, but I was aware of this author after reading an interview with her in You Can't Say That!, edited by Leonard S. Marcus John Lewis--I have at least three books by Congressman John Lewis on my TBR so it's high time that I finally start reading this remarkable man's story. Kate Quinn--Everyone seems to be raving about The Rose Code lately! After reading and enjoying Code Girls by Liza Mundy, this sounds like something right up my alley. Deanna Raybourn--At least two of Ms. Raybourn's series are on my TBR. I need to get started. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni--A couple of Ms. Divakaruni's books are also on my TBR. Brandon Sanderson--I really don't know how I haven't read any of Brandon Sanderson's books. I haven't been reading as much fantasy lately but I've been a devoted fantasy reader all my life. Sanderson has become a…
4 Stars. I really enjoyed this book, especially as a woman with a degree in biology and a background in clinical research. Ignotofsky obviously made an effort to include women from many countries and across many races, which is lovely. Considering that the entry for Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space [...]
Welcome to my monthly wrap-up for March 2022! My posting fell off a lot in March because we had several visitors and we fit in a long weekend out of town. But it was nice to see so many friends and family members! Travels/Exploration: If you’re new here, you should know that my husband is a traveling healthcare professional and we travel the country in our RV. He works three months or more at one hospital and we have fun exploring the area on his days off. Our permanent home is in Asheville, NC. My husband is currently working in Charleston, SC. Here are the places we visited this month. Sullivan’s Island Beach--I love walking on this beach. You can see pictures from my Weekly Update for March 6. Charleston’s Hidden Alleys and Passages walking tour when my aunt and uncle visited us. We've done several walking tours in Charleston and this one is probably our favorite. You can see pictures from our tour in my Weekly Update for March 13. Riverbanks Zoo & Garden in Columbia, SC--It was a cool, cloudy day when we visited so the animals were pretty active. Congaree National Park near Columbia, SC--Not my favorite national park by any means but it's easily accessible and it was cool to explore such a swampy location--in the spring, before the mosquitos and gnats get too bad. You can see pictures from our visit in my Weekly Update for March 20. Sesquicentennial State Park in Columbia, SC--I wouldn't drive out of my way to visit this state park but it was a nice place stop while we were in the area. There was a nice walking path around a beautiful lake, where you can rent canoes and kayaks. There also seemed to be a nice playground and splash…
Welcome to my weekly update for April 3, 2022! We had a nice visit with my husband's parents last weekend and then my sister came down to visit this weekend. As I write this on Friday afternoon, she's working from our RV so we haven't gone out to explore yet. I have some ideas for things to do but the Cooper River Bridge Run is tomorrow, so we'll probably mostly try to avoid the crowds. Posted: Nothing. I love having so many visitors but I'm really off my blogging game. Read: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site. Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, created by Nikole Hannah-Jones Currently Reading: When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera, read by Frankie Corzo Toward a Better Life: America's New Immigrants in Their Own Words—From Ellis Island to the Present by Peter Morton Coan The Columbia Anthology of American Poetry, edited by Jay Parini Up Next: We have a lot of stuff to juggle over the next five weeks so my reading and blogging is going to get even more sporadic. I'll do what I can though. I miss checking in with all of you! What did your week look like? Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
Welcome to my weekly update for March 27, 2022! I didn't think I would read much this week since I was getting ready for my in-laws to visit but all that cleaning left me plenty of time to rip through audiobooks. Add in a couple of books that I was almost finished with last week, an unfinished novel, and a play, and I had a surprisingly impressive reading week. My in-laws arrived Thursday evening and they're leaving early Monday morning. They've never been to Charleston before so we've kept them busy with a food tour, a harbor cruise, and a horse-drawn carriage ride. I haven't taken many pictures since my husband and I have seen a lot of this before, but I do have some pictures from our visit to Angel Oak. It's a huge live oak tree that's estimated to be about 400 years old. It shades about 17,200 square feet (1,600 m2). Slideshow: 1-3: Angel Oak4: Grits from Another Broken Egg Cafe Posted: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë--Book Review Ten Books with an Adjective in the Title Read: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune 🌟🌟🌟🌟 The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré, read by Adjoa Andoh 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Sanditon by Jane Austen 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey, read by Romy Nordlinger 🌟🌟🌟🌟 The River of Silver (Daevabad #3.5) by S. A. Chakraborty, read by Soneela Nankani 🌟🌟🌟🌟 A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Currently Reading: Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, created by Nikole Hannah-Jones The Columbia Anthology of American…
4.5 Stars. Oh my goodness. Why do we pay less attention to Anne Brontë than the other sisters? I liked this book infinitely more than Wuthering Heights! I’ll still give Jane Eyre the edge as my favorite book by a Brontë, but it’s a closer thing than I expected. Anne wrote both a captivating story and a searing indictment of “bad boys” and [..
Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl invited us to share ten books with an adjective in the title this week. This one seems pretty easy, so let's get to it! I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site. Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann, read by Mark Deakins The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore Soulless by Gail Carriger The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Neilson Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis That's my list! It was a bit more difficult than I expected. Did anyone else get a little stressed about whether a word was actually an adjective? Link up every Tuesday at That Artsy Reader Girl!
Welcome to my weekly update for March 20, 2022! We decided to spend last weekend in Columbia, SC. It's the capital of the state, but--most appealing to me--it's also next door to Congaree National Park. We've visited national parks in Alaska and Hawaii but we've never visited this park, located only about three hours away from our home base in Asheville, NC. It wasn't my favorite park but it was still a nice place to hike. I'm glad we went in March; I can't imagine the heat and mosquitoes in this swampy area in the summer! Columbia is legendary in the Carolinas for its intense heat and humidity. We also went to the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, the State House grounds, and Sesquicentennial State Park while we were in the area. Slideshow: Congaree National Park. I think I took this picture at Wise Lake.The mosquito meter at the Congaree visitor center. I don't know if they actually change the meter with the weather, but it gives a taste of what this hot, wet, humid area can be like.The South Carolina State House Posted: Nothing posted this week but I'm getting back on track in the upcoming week. Read: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 🌟🌟🌟🌟 The Princess Beard (The Tales of Pell #3) by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne, read by Luke Daniels 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds: 100 New Ways to See the World by Ian Wright 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ’70s and ’80s Horror Fiction by Grady Hendrix 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Currently Reading: Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune The Girl with…
Welcome to my weekly update for March 13, 2022! My aunt and uncle visited us for three days last week and we had such a good time with them. We all love to travel so that's fun to discuss. But most importantly, we've barely seen them since 2019? Maybe late 2018? We had them all to ourselves last week and they were great sports to look at our travel pictures for what must have felt like eternity to them! We mostly just hung out at our camper and chatted because they've visited Charleston a few times before, but we did take a Hidden Alleys and Passages walking tour of downtown Charleston (If you ever visit Charleston, you have to take a walking tour. You simply can't see all the good stuff from a car, or even from a carriage). We all really enjoyed the tour. The verdant courtyards and lanes between the stately old homes contribute so much to the city's charm. I focused more on enjoying the moment than taking pictures that day, but here are a few. Slideshow: A carriage house in Charleston. I never get tired of looking at these beautiful old homes.Philadelphia AlleyOur guide told us these are handprints left by the enslaved children who turned the bricks as they were drying in the sun. I always wonder how many of the stories guides tell us are apocryphal and how much is true, but this sure looks convincing to me. They were scattered on bricks throughout Philadelphia Alley. It makes you sad, doesn't it? Posted: Nothing this week. Read: Nothing finished either. Currently Reading: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site. Eleanor…