Year: 2019
A Cup of Christmas Goodies
24 Festive Tasks: Door 3 – Melbourne Cup Day, Task 4: Prepare your favorite dessert – in a cup! Post a photo of it for us to enjoy vicariously. I’m clean out of energy to prepare any (even simple) desserts or other dishes, so here, in lieu of a New Year’s Eve toast, is the […]
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Creature Comforts
24 Festive Tasks: Door 9 – World Philosphy Day: Task 3 How do you stay zen / sane over the holidays or in other stressful periods? My only salvation in stressful times: Creature comforts. Lots of them. And BookLikes! 2019 was a hell of a year in virtually every respect, and I don’t mean that […]
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2020 Reading Plans / Expectations & 2019 in Review
24 Festive Tasks: Door 22 – New Year’s Eve / St. Sylvester’s Day, Tasks 1-3 & Door 18 – Hanukkah, Task 1: Door 22 Task 1: Tell us: What are your reading goals for the coming year? Task 2: The reading year in review: How did you fare – what was good, what wasn’t? Task […]
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Neighborhood Christmas Decorations
24 Festive Tasks: Door 13 – Advent, Task 2: Tell us: What is your favorite holiday tradition? I don’t know if I have one particular favorite holiday tradition, but one of my favorite moments occurs on Christmas Eve, when we walk through the silent, festively-decorated night-time streets of our neighborhood on our way to church. […]
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In Honour of Harriet Vane
24 Festive Tasks: Door 10 – Russian Mothers’ Day, Task 4 & Door 15 – International Human Rights Day, Tasks 3 & Door 16 – St. Lucia’s Day, Task 1: Door 10, Task 4: Forget-me-nots and handmade medals of honor are important Russian Mothers’ Day gifts. Create a medal of honor (with or without the […]
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My All-Time Favorite Gifts
24 Festive Tasks: Door 20 – Christmas, Task 4: What was the best Christmas / holiday present you ever received – the one that meant the most to you or gave you the greatest joy? (This can be anything; objects / material gifts as well as something someone did for you, or anything else – […]
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Storytelling
24 Festive Tasks: Door 17 – Winter Solstice, Task 4 (Soyal – Zuñi & Hopi / Native American): While systems of written symbols and communication already existed with the Pre-Columbian Native American cultures, to many tribes even today (including the Zuñi and Hopi) the oral tradition is still important. Have you ever had stories told […]
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Favorite Trolls and Gnomes
24 Festive Tasks: Door 16 – St. Lucia’s Day, Task 3: Trolls, gnomes, dwarves and similar beings (some evil, some less so, almost all of them mischievous) are a staple of Scandinavian mythology and folklore, as well as other folklores and mythologies around the world and, of course, fantasy and speculative fiction. Who is your […]
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Favorite Dragons from Fiction and Mythology
24 Festive Tasks: Door 5 – Bon Om Touk, Task 3: Dragons and dragon-like serpents (imugi) are important to Korean mythology (as they are to that of other Asian peoples). So – which are your favorite literary dragons (fictional, mythological, whatever)? First things first: shout-out to the resident Fierce and Friendly Dragon! And speaking […]
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My Lost pre-U.S.-Sojourn Library
24 Festive Tasks: Door 7 – International Day for Tolerance: Task 3 The French expression for tolerance towards others is “laisser faire, laisser aller” (roughly: “let them do as they want, let it go”). Have you ever “let go” a book (e.g., given it away or decided not to yield to the temptation to buy […]
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Favorite Tartans
24 Festive Tasks: Door 12 – St. Andrew’s Day: Task 4 If you could create your personal tartan, what would it look like? Or if you have a favorite existing tartan, which one is it? Black Watch tartan: modern (left), ancient (top right) and Gordon (bottom right) patterns. My favorite tartan already exists — […]
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Carnivals and Amusement Parks
24 Festive Tasks: Door 8 – International Children’s Day, Task 4: As a kid, did you enjoy visiting amusement parks and carnivals? Which were your favorite rides or shows? Do you still have any photos, or is there a memorable event you’re happy to share? – Alternatively, if you’re a parent now: Do you visit […]
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Chili con Carne & Fresh Pineapple
24 Festive Tasks: Door 1 – Día de los Muertos / All Saints’ Day, Task 2 & Door 13 – Advent, Task 3: If you like Mexican food, treat yourself to a favorite dish – and / or make yourself a margarita – and share a photo. AND: Prepare an apple cider wassail bowl or […]
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Books Read for School
24 Festive Tasks: Door 9 – World Philosophy Day, Task 4: Did you love or hate the books you had to read for school? Looking back, which ones (good or bad) stand out to you the most? By and large, I think it’s fairest to say “I didn’t mind” the books we read in […]
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2019 Airing of Grievances: Least Favorite Books of the Year
24 Festive Tasks: Door 19 – Festivus, Task 1: The airing of grievances: Which are the five books you liked least this year – and why? Overall, 2019 was a phantastic reading year for me with decidedly more highs than lows. Of the latter, my worst reading experiences were, in no particular order: Laura Restrepo, […]
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Bonn City Hall Window Lights Advent Calendar
24 Festive Tasks: Door 13 – Advent, Task 1: Share a picture of your advent calendar. I didn’t have an Advent calendar of my own this year, so I’m going to share a picture of my city’s traditional one, in the windows of the historic city hall: Original post: ThemisAthena.booklikes.com/post/2022197/24-festive-tasks-door-13-advent-task-1
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Christmas Book Gifts
24 Festive Tasks: Door 20 – Christmas, Task 3: Did your Christmas celebrations include books? Share your book haul pictures with us! Trust Gaby to raid my wishlist and add to my book collection come gift giving time! Original post: ThemisAthena.booklikes.com/post/2022193/24-festive-tasks-door-20-christmas-task-3
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Latkes: the Chinese Sweet Water Chestnut Version
24 Festive Tasks: Door 18 – Hanukkah, Task 2: Latkes or donuts are fried in oil to remind Jews of the oil that lasted for eight days: Fry yourself up some latkes or donuts. Share your recipe with us if they came out tasty. My BFF (Gaby) and I had our traditional post-Christmas gift […]
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Audre Lorde: Coal
24 Festive Tasks: Door 6 – St. Nicholas’ Day / Sinterklaas, Book: A Czech Republic tradition for St Nick’s Day is groups of three “people” – St Nick, Angel, and Devil – to roam the streets the night before St Nick’s Day and stop children to ask them if they have been good during the […]
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Books Shipped Long Distance
24 Festive Tasks: Door 16 – St. Lucia’s Day, Task 4: The historic (3d century AD) St. Lucia was Italian; yet, like those of many other saints (including, e.g., St. Andrew and St. Nicholas), the most important celebrations of her holiday don’t occur in her place of origin but somewhere else in the world. List […]
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