On Our Bookshelves: Ways to Make Sunshine

8 December 2022 by Laura LaVelle

Ways to Make Sunshine was the book selected for my daughter’s entire elementary school to read this past year.

On Our Bookshelves: The Rook

16 November 2022 by Laura LaVelle

*** NOVEL: The Rook AUTHOR: Daniel O’Malley YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2012 REVIEW: *** The Rook is a little bit Harry Potter, and a bit of James Bond, and a lot of Jason Bourne, with a female lead. Myfanwy Thomas is an operative in a secret supernatural agency in London, and also an amnesiac. Can she … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves: The Rook →

On Our Bookshelves: The Impossible Us

10 October 2022 by Laura LaVelle

*** NOVEL: The Impossible Us AUTHOR: Sarah Lotz YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2022 REVIEW: *** This book is an awful lot of fun. I happened upon a post about The Impossible Us on tor.com last year, and on the strength of the preview, pre-ordered it. *** Naturally, I forgot all about the matter, but was delighted … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves: The Impossible Us →

On Our Bookshelves: Silverlock

28 September 2022 by Laura LaVelle

*** NOVEL: Silverlock AUTHOR: John Myers Myers YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1949 REVIEW: *** Silverlock has a terrific opening line: “If I had cared to live, I would have died.” A. Clarence Shandon didn’t panic and exhaust himself during a shipwreck. Being depressed, isolated, and indifferent to his own life (and others’ lives), he survived–and was … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves: Silverlock →

On Our Bookshelves: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

20 September 2022 by Laura LaVelle

I enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society quite a bit, and should not have waited so long to read this charming novel.

On Our Bookshelves: Beezus and Ramona

22 July 2022 by Laura LaVelle

*** NOVEL: Beezus and Ramona AUTHOR: Beverly Cleary YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1955 REVIEW: *** My younger daughter is a big fan of the Junie B. Jones series of books. I don’t mind them, particularly, but they’re not my favorite, so I thought I’d introduce her to some older books about a difficult girl. As we … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves: Beezus and Ramona →

On Our Bookshelves: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

14 July 2022 by Laura LaVelle

This isn’t quite a picture book. It isn’t quite a chapter book for children. And it’s not quite a graphic novel, either.

On Our Bookshelves: The House in the Cerulean Sea

31 May 2022 by Laura LaVelle

A friend of mine said that The House in the Cerulean Sea was a hug in book form. And that is pretty much an accurate description of this sweet and comforting novel.

On Our Bookshelves: The Art of Eating

18 May 2022 by Laura LaVelle

*** BOOK: The Art of Eating AUTHOR: M.F.K. Fisher YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1954 REVIEW: *** I recently read M.F.K Fisher’s As They Were, a collection of essays written between 1935 and 1982, which at least purports to be an informal autobiography. It’s not: it’s a collection of disparate pieces, some excellent, some less so, and … Continue reading On Our Bookshelves: The Art of Eating →

On Our Bookshelves: Lives in Writing

20 April 2022 by Laura LaVelle

Lives in Writing is a rather good compendium of essays about authors and their work, written by David Lodge, a fine writer himself, with illuminating insight on biographies, autobiographies, biographical fiction, memoirs, correspondence, and diaries.

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