Continuing with our focus on early 20th century female writers, May’s “Tea and a Book” features two cosy mysteries (yay!) by E.C.R. Lorac (1894-1958). Lorac wrote quite prolifically under three pseudonyms, so check out her impressive catalog on Wikipedia.
April’s “Tea and a Book” continues its focus on the early 20th century by recommending Rachel Ferguson’s THE BRONTES WENT TO WOOLWORTHS. Rachel Ferguson (1892-1957 — not to be confused with last month’s author, RUBY Ferguson) was a journalist, author, biographer,...
During our many summers in Oxford, I spent a lot of time in Blackwell's Bookshop -- browsing, reading, drinking tea, and sometimes even writing. It's probably my favorite bookstore in the world because it is enormous, exhaustively stocked, and yet somehow intimate and...
I've seen The Green Knight. It's a dark film, often bizarre and at times inscrutable. You'll find little of the pageantry or romance we often associate with Arthurian films. You'll also find little in the way of schmaltz or Hollywood sparkle. This adaptation is gritty...
Recently I read When the War is Over, by Barbara Fox. This memoir of the author's mother, Gwenda Brady Gofton, focuses on her childhood years as a WWII evacuee in Cumbria. After a couple of false starts in other evacuation areas, Gwenda and her older brother Doug...
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...
For our London stay, a friend recommended The Wolseley, and we were quite pleased with our experience. First of all, it's not a stuffy sort of place in the least. It was very busy, with lots of chatter and laughter, plus great people-watching (& eavesdropping)...
A field overrun with wildflowers near Moreton-in-MarshAfter our Scotland adventures, it was time to move on to Oxford. We decided to spend our only free day visiting Chastleton House, which involved a train to Moreton-in-Marsh and lots of walking through the...
July evening sky -- no filter!We just returned from a two week trip to England and Scotland. Steve did not direct the law program in Oxford this summer, but he was asked to plan and be present for some special events for the students. Since the trip would take place...
Yes, I'm very much behind. This trip was two weeks ago! Above you see a view of the beach at Lyme Regis, taken from the Langmoor and Lister gardens. I took this on our first night, when the weather was mild and lovely, and the town seemed to glow with magic. The next...
Tea and a Book is back!(I have to admit, however, that this installment is a bit of a cheat. You'll see what I mean later.)My favorite read of the summer (so far) is Kimberly Brusker Bradley's The War that Saved My Life.The story features many of my favorite things:...
Catching up on postcards today with some shots from our July 16-19 trip!Before I talk about the photos, I should mention that we first went to the Lake District many years ago -- to Bowness, in fact, near Windermere -- and it was one of the HOTTEST weekends I've ever...
Steve and I have always loved the Oxford Botanic Garden, and I've subjected you to many photos of it over the years. Can you bear with me once again? And perhaps help me with flower names? Above you see beautiful pinky purple flowers (I never pay attention to labels,...
We are back in Oxford for another summer law program at Brasenose College, and I intend to carry on last year's tradition of "postcards." This edition focuses on Cornwall, where Steve and I recently spent time with friends. Above you see a photo of the beach somewhere...
