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Hamnet
A fever, the plague, and some terrible advice

A fever, the plague, and some terrible advice

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The new year started out with a light-hearted book, but quickly turned to darker tales. Book 1: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren I have such a clear recollection of Mom bringing Pippi Longstocking home to me from the library back in the mid-1960s. I’m pretty sure I read it in a day. When the Folio Society offered this volume with such delightful illustrations, it was time for a re-read. Pippi’s energy and strength are unmatched. And that hair! The re-read?…

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The Snow Queen
A giant, a queen, and a starling

A giant, a queen, and a starling

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As 2025 ends, the books of December are a mix of fable and fact. The first – a special treat – was read to me entirely by grandson Cam. He used a variety of excellent character voices, which never failed to delight me. He’s shares his thoughts in Book 1, below. Book 1: The BFG by Roald Dahl The BFG by Roald Dahl, in my opinion, is a great book to read. The story has Sophie, the main protagonist, and…

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An Elderly Lady is Up To No Good
Literary leftovers

Literary leftovers

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Leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving Dinner, right? Hope yours was grand! Book 1: The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh This book is downright nutty. Apparently the British author was not impressed with America as a whole and Hollywood in particular. It seems his novel Brideshead Revisited was to be made into a film and his presense was requested for negotiations. The best part of the trip, though, was Waugh’s visit to Forest Lawn cemetery. That passive-aggressive (and dare-I-say…

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Mom's 1952 cookbook
Mom’s cookbook

Mom’s cookbook

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It’s been sitting on a shelf in our house’s only walk-in closet. Ah, priorities. Family archives are far more important than clothes and shoes. When Gary and I packed up Mom and Dad’s kitchen in 2021, most of the cookbooks went to Becky, Dave’s culinary daughter supreme. But one cookbook I remembered well from childhood. It was in a large ziploc bag, as the cover was no longer attached. That one, I took home. Dad had filled me in that…

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Frankenstein title page
Monsters and a daemon

Monsters and a daemon

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Couldn’t resist using the archaic spelling of demon. My copy of Frankenstein used “daemon” and so shall I. October’s books were purposefully chosen with spookiness in mind. Book 1: Endless Night by Agatha Christie There’s definitely a monster in this murder mystery. Published in 1967, Endless Night took Dame Agatha only six weeks to write (usually it was twice that time or more). She was, in this case, a speed daemon. Book 2: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë This classic…

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Card to Mom from Madeleine L'Engle
Love & blessings, Madeleine L’Engle

Love & blessings, Madeleine L’Engle

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They were friends, Mom and Madeleine L’Engle. Dear friends. Sifting through the bulging folder of their correspondence, I can trace the history of their friendship. They met during the 1976 Midwest Writers Workshop, when Madeleine, author of A Wrinkle in Time, served on the conference faculty (Mom would go on to do the same a decade later). They became fast friends: She wrote, in part: I am very grateful that you were at the Writers’ Conference and that we spoke…

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Misery by Stephen King
A month of Misery

A month of Misery

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After A Month of Reading Rot in August, it seemed only natural to move on to “A Month of Misery” in September. Seven books this month, but don’t worry, not all were miserable. I’ll let you know this up front: got my jabs yesterday and so we’ll make this quick. (This is definitely the easiest time I’ve had following Covid and flu vaccines, but there is still a tad bit of … misery.) Book 1: The Sun Also Rises by…

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Rot, the story of the Irish potato famine
A month of reading Rot

A month of reading Rot

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Another month comes to a close, a month of Rot. By this I mean one book in particular was so disturbing, I had to keep putting it down during the month. Finished it a few days ago, thankfully, even though I knew what the ending would bring. Book 1: Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild I enjoyed this children’s novel as an adult, but would have loved it (and, apparently, the entire series) as a grade schooler. In short, three non-related…

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The Wizard of Oz
Liberty, loss, luck, and a wizard

Liberty, loss, luck, and a wizard

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Quite an array of topics this month. And a guest blogger: Grandson Cam writes his thoughts about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which he read aloud to me this summer, complete with an entertainingly dramatic voice for each character. Book 1: The Fire of Liberty This may well have been my favorite book this month. Esmond Wright compiled letters and other writings primarily from 1775 and 1776 to let the soldiers and townspersons tell the story of America’s Revolutionary War….

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newspaper masthead with 444 address for school
Her favorite number

Her favorite number

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Do you have a favorite number? (I don’t …) Mom sure did. She loved the number four. And so when I saw this was TooMuchBrudders Blog Post Number 444, it was time to pause. Mom was born in April, the fourth month. She married Dad on the fourth of November, 1952. She had four children. For the heck of it, I looked up the number 444. According to Dictionary.com, it’s an “angel number,” with lots of positive attributes attached. Checking…

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