Since I’ve been mostly at home since mid-March, I’ve had time to read an awful lot, and one of the authors I’ve been reading lately is Gilbert K. Chesterton. 

*** NOVEL: Once on a Time AUTHOR: A.A. Milne YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1917 REVIEW: *** Trying to avoid US election and COVID-19 anxiety, I pulled Once on a Time off the shelf.  I only dimly remembered it (and in fact, had conflated it in my mind with The Ugly Duckling, a play by Milne along … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves: Once on a Time →

You’ve read (or seen) this story before.  In Maeve Binchy’s Evening Class (or the movie loosely based on it, Italian for Beginners), what does that collection of people need? 

For fans of Downton Abbey…Carols and Chaos is set in the same rose-tinted alternative time frame (albeit a hundred or so years earlier).

*** BOOK: This Organic Life–Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader AUTHOR: Joan Dye Gussow YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2001 REVIEW: *** This book was given to me by a dear friend recently.  She praised it highly, and as she is rather smart and has good taste, I had high expectations.  I wasn’t disappointed.   *** It’s not really … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves: This Organic Life — Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader →

There’s plenty to like and plenty to dislike about Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. 

Allie Brosh is finally back!

*** BOOK: The Cat Who Went to Heaven AUTHOR: Elizabeth Coatsworth YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1930  REVIEW: *** This fable concerning a cat, an impoverished artist, and an old housekeeper, which won the Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature in 1931, is not about the afterlife, or about comforting a child after the loss of … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves:
The Cat Who Went to Heaven →

*** NOVEL: The Truth About Unicorns AUTHOR: Bonnie Jones Reynolds YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1972  REVIEW: *** In these crazy times, I’ve been reading formulaic mystery novels for comfort.  There aren’t too many surprises to be found here: the attractive young people aren’t the guilty parties, and they will find love once all misunderstandings (personal and … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves: The Truth About Unicorns →

*** NOVELLA: The Strange Library AUTHOR: Haruki Murakami YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1983 REVIEW: *** This story first appeared in print in 1983, but I read it as a stand-alone and rather exquisite 2014 paperback.  It’s small, with a virtual flap cover, a font like a vintage typewriter, and fascinating and gorgeous illustrations (art direction and … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves: The Strange Library →