From Vonnegut to Dr. Jekyll to a Covid housemate, this month’s reads told stories of war, both external and internal. Book 1: The Marmalade Diaries by Ben Aitken February started out with a gift from Gary. He’d picked up this delightful diary that was published just last year. Subtitled The True Story of an Odd Couple. The author is a young man in London, looking for a place to live. He found an ad for room and board in a…
Not sure what it means when the first book you read in the new year is Jaws. Here’s a look a January’s tasty morsels: Book 1: Jaws by Peter Benchley Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the library … it was a pun-filled Jaws Christmas. Me: Can’t wait to sink my teeth into this book. Farmer Gary: Wow. You’re really chewing through that one. Although the “thrillers” genre is never my first pick (or second,…
Most of this month’s reads fall under the category of “books of Christmas past.” With snow swirling and wind howling, I settled into a comfy chair each evening and cracked open collection after collection of themed short stories. Have I mentioned I’m not crazy about short stories? Several dozen of the Folio Society books we inherited from Mom and Dad are collections of short stories. They’re just not as satisfying to me, but I’ll keep trying in 2023. Book 1:…
So, before the snickers begin, I’ll be clear: we’re talking about the 19th century novelist, Anthony Trollope. As part of the Folio Society collection of books we inherited from Dad and Mom, there are 49 volumes by Anthony Trollope waiting to be read (48 novels plus a collection of short stories). The Folio Fans group on Facebook came through for me when I asked for advice regarding where to start. Does each book stand on its own, or is there…
I may not be using the term “spoopy” exactly right, but looking through the list of five books from October, it sort of fits. “Spoopy” originated as a typo on a dime-store Halloween decoration. It went viral online (thanks to those who love to sneer at misspellings). And now it’s part of our lexicon. It means somewhat scary, but not terrifying. Maybe even Halloween cute sometimes, but never full-out shiver-inducing spooky. Book 1: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath This…
Upon learning, last month, that my DNA blesses me with 17 percent Scottish heritage, it was time to do a wee bit of reading from the land of haggis and bagpipes. Book 1: The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey This was not the first – nor will it be the last – Josephine Tey mystery to grace the shelves of our Folio Society library. Discovered after Tey passed away in 1952, the manuscript was published that same year. It is…
Back to four volumes this month, my minimal commitment for retirement-era book consumption. Three of the four came from our collection of Folio Society books (which has grown past 700 titles this month, thanks to eBay). But first, a just-released heart-wrenching memoir caught my eye. The title is so disturbing I can’t even bring myself to type the words. Book 1: a memoir by Jennette McCurdy I remember so well watching iCarly on TV with James. The character of Sam,…
Since retirement three years ago, it’s been fun to dabble in genealogy on Ancestry.com. Our family tree, at this point, looks much wider than tall. Geez, there were some huge families just a few generations back! The DNA tests that Farmer Gary and I took some years ago involved spitting into small tubes and mailing them off to Ancestry. My saliva was bubbly while Gary’s was flat. (I still wonder what that means.) Every so often, Ancestry emails with the…
“Gary Werne! Not again!” My husband got a nervous look on his face, but quickly replied: “Those boxes aren’t for me. They’re for Mr. Wense.” Several boxes had arrived that day from multiple mail-order book clubs. Another batch of books we had not ordered, from book clubs of which Gary was already a member. Gary, who never before nor since has shown the least sign of sneakiness, was simply the victim of a mailing-list typo. Flash back to 41 years…
There’s something very gratifying about reading Oscar Wilde’s children’s stories with your grandchild. I agreed heartily when Cameron, 10, pronounced one of the characters (the Miller) to be a “schnook”! Although I didn’t take a photo of him with the book, here he is a few months ago during a visit to a wonderful Vincent van Gogh exhibit in Indianapolis: This month’s books included several novels with strong female protagonists from over the centuries. From Mother Courage to Miss Pym…