If you know me at all, you know I love Oxford. You also might recall that I adore the mysteries of Dorothy L. Sayers. While in Oxford this summer I was determined to put together my own literary walk to celebrate Sayers' Gaudy Night and its two main characters,...
Dear reader, I meant to offer a "Tea and a Book" recommendation for June, but there was just too much to do in preparation for travel. I will try again later this month. In the meantime I thought I'd start a new feature on the blog -- "Literary Walks." I love to...
I've made a resolution since returning from Brooklyn--when joining my husband on business trips I will endeavor to research, patronize, and publicize my favorite independent bookstores. (In case you missed it, you'll find some wonderful Brooklyn options in this post.)...
In the second post of my "Brooklyn travel trilogy" I'm featuring Brooklyn indie bookstores. Books are Magic is located in Cobble Hill on the corner of Smith and Butler. It is owned by author Emma Straub and her husband, Michael Fusco-Straub. I love this from the...
This post is a continuation of my Friday Favorites post on North & South (2004) and perhaps will only be interesting to those who are already fans of the mini-series. (Or maybe it will inspire potential new fans? One can hope.) In 2006 I read the novel and had...
This past Saturday we saw the OKC Ballet Company's production of La Sylphide! Principals Miki Kawamura and Alvin Tovstogray / Photo by Shevaun Williams The evening was particularly special because it was Miki Kawamura's final performance. Though she has retired from...
I'm introducing a new feature here on the blog in which I revisit my oldest blog posts from the archaic platform known as Livejournal. (Shout out if you started the whole blogging thing on LJ. I know you're out there! Do you ever miss those days?) Not so long ago, I...
I read 54 novels in 2018, five of them re-reads (which I count because my memory is terrible and subsequent readings still manage to surprise and delight). Last year I was determined to raise my overall count and I managed to do that by 6 books! Here are my favorites...
I come to you with tidings of tea and holiday reads! For young (and young-at-heart) readers: Christmas with the Savages, by Mary Clive: Seen through the eyes of a prim little eight-year-old, and based on real events and people, this novel perfectly recaptures a...
Quick take: Quirky and endearing. From the book jacket: Jessica Vye introduces herself with an enigmatic pronouncement: "I ought to tell at the beginning that I am not quite normal, having had a violent experience at the age of nine." A revered author has told Jessica...
It's mid-September and each day we draw closer to the season of ghosts, ghouls, and witches (not to mention sugar hangovers). I must confess, however, that I wrote this post not just to celebrate the season. I'm also hoping for a particular sort of redemption. Over...
Quick take: I was in the mood for something light and quirky, and Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce fit the bill perfectly. Goodreads synopsis: London, 1940. Emmeline Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire...
I recently finished Tatiana de Rosnay's Manderley Forever, a carefully researched and annotated biography of Daphne du Maurier that reads like a novel. Some of you might remember my scathing reaction to Rebecca back in 2012. In short, I despised the unnamed heroine of...
This past fall I decided to update the look of my website. As always I wanted something Gothic and a bit creepy, but I also yearned for warmth and color. Again and again I came back to this image: It struck me as both bleak and beautiful. Moreover it reminded me of...
Patrice Kindl's A School for Brides: A Story of Maidens, Mystery, and Matrimony is a delightful romp for fans of quirky characters and unusual conflicts, not to mention all things Regency. It's a companion to an earlier favorite of mine from Kindl, Keeping the Castle,...
