The weather outside is definitely not frightful, and for that, I feel very aggrieved. To help me deal with my weather-related disgruntlement, I have found some pleasingly frigid novels. Each is set in a miserably wintry clime and will suit anyone seeking vicarious coldness. Turn the heat way down at home and pile on the […]
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When Luke Hadler kills his family, then himself, it splits the small Australian town of Kiewarra apart. In The Dry, by Jane Harper, Luke’s boyhood friend, Aaron Falk, comes back for the funeral after twenty years, having left as a teenager under the weight of suspicion that he and Luke had had something to do […]
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“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” –Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Reading has the power to provide us with comfort and insight during difficult times. Re-reading beloved stories can conjure nostalgic feelings of contentment and happiness, providing emotional comfort and physical relief from stress. Immersing the […]
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The use of your five senses has confirmed it: Winter is, in fact, coming. The trees are bare and stripped of color. The air smells crisp and carries a lingering chill. Sneezes and nose sniffles can be heard resounding throughout the land. But fear not! There is a positive component amidst all this grey frigidity: […]
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If I’m going to enjoy reading a book, I need it to fit with my personal reading needs: I have a short attention span and an imperfect memory. This means that dense books written for adults aren’t my first choice. Instead, I prefer reading non-fiction picture books. I can spend 30 to 60 minutes with […]
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Is there a holiday road trip in your near future? Do you like to stay sane while driving around with your kids? Try these entertaining kids’ audio books, picked for their appeal to young-uns and parents alike: For young children: Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond How to Train […]
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Reading, when done right, is joyful. It opens up the world to all kinds of possibilities. When I was a kid, though, some of my relatives thought I read too much, and some of my teachers thought what I was reading was “trash.” I’m sure I’m not the only one who has had such experiences. […]
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What is magical realism? Born in Latin American fiction during the late 1940s and 1950s, it unites the real and the mythical to reveal the fantastical elements of everyday life. Sometimes it will leave you wondering if an event in the story could really have happened. While this ambiguity is not for everyone, magical realism […]
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Road trips are great-the open road, the junk food consumed while driving, the abundance of country music stations in this fine land of ours. Road trips are supposed to teach us something; what I learned was not to freak out when the tire pressure indicator comes on, if two gas stations have already told you […]
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Jalapeños in bagels? Yes, please! While the pairing might seem unlikely, it really is delicious. But who would’ve thought to make such a combination in the first place? In the heartwarming (and mouthwatering) Jalapeño Bagels, Pablo, whose mother is Mexican and whose father is Yiddish, […]
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