There’s an episode of the podcast “Hidden Brain” about counterfactuals. Counterfactuals are basically a reimagining of past events, an answer to “what if?” and all of the events that cascade … Continue reading The Third Hotel by Laura van den Berg
Reading this novel, I asked myself, why would the Nazis ban this book? Because at first, it’s just a story of young men going to war narrated by Paul Bäumer. … Continue reading All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Perhaps as a mother I could read this as a story of children abandoned on an island and left to survive in any way they can. I could read it … Continue reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding
A bit of background: The Epic of Gilgamesh is old. It’s very, very old. So old, it’s more than a little amazing that any of it has survived, let alone … Continue reading The Epic of Gilgamesh
This book was incredible. I listened to it on audio, and there were so many points at which I exclaimed audibly about an insight Baldwin had shared. I’m not sure … Continue reading The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
October brought cooler weather and a much-needed readathon, which helped me make a good dent in my Cavalcade of Classics list. My goal was to read at least one title … Continue reading Bookends: October 2018
I listened to this on audio, and I have to admit, the first few hours were pretty brutal. I listened to the first three hours while taking a long walk … Continue reading Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
A letter from an old friend and the opportunity for a road trip leads Mr. Stevens, a career butler of the Downton Abbey era, to reflect about his life and … Continue reading The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
One of the things lost in the whirlwind of my cross-country move early this year is my monthly Bookends post. This post, a recap of March through September (in reverse … Continue reading Bookends: March to September 2018
We started January with a cross-country road trip, and ended February with the sale of our house in Massachusetts and are only a few days away from closing on a … Continue reading Bookends: January and February 2018
Here at the end of 2017, I’m in the midst of my 17th relocation since I graduated high school (and my 23rd move since birth (not including the relocation from … Continue reading 2017: My Year in Books
November. Holy moly. November. It was fun, but oh, so tiring. My family traveled 15 out of 30 days, were in the capitals of three nations, and I lost ten … Continue reading Bookends: November 2017
Imperfect Happiness 