Month: November 2020
2020: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
We’re still a month away from the end of the year, but my reading will probably consist mainly of Christmas books in December, and I hope and pray that life won’t come up and throw anything else at me in the final month of the year, either. So I might as well post my “Year […]
Read MoreArthur Conan Doyle: Tales for a Winter’s Night
This is a group of stories originally published individually in Strand Magazine (and other magazines), and in book form, together with nine other tales, first as as a 1908 collection named Round the Fire Stories. Conan Doyle’s preface reads: “In a previous volume, ‘The Green Flag,’ I have assembled a number of my stories which […]
Read MoreA Short Book List for Jonathan Harker
24 Festive Tasks: Door 6 – St. Nicholas’ Day / Sinterklaas, Task 1: Create a book wish list for one of your favorite book characters, or pick 3 books for that character to receive from St. Nick. Here’s a list of books that Jonathan Harker might have found useful before embarking on his trip to […]
Read MorePaul Doherty: The Nightingale Gallery
24 Festive Tasks: Door 2 – Guy Fawkes Night, Book: Read a book set in the UK, a political thriller, a book involving any monarchy or revolution, a book about arson or related to fires and burning, or a book that is self-published. As my book for Guy Fawkes Night I’m claiming the one […]
Read MoreDeborah Crombie: Dreaming of the Bones
24 Festive Tasks: Door 4 – Japanese Culture Day, Book: Read a book that is set in Japan or featuring Japanese characters; or read a graphic novel or a book set in a school or academic setting. I’m claiming the audiobook I listened to yesterday and the day before, Deborah Crombie’s Dreaming of the […]
Read MoreTo my American friends …
… and to everyone who celebrates: It’s been a difficult year for many of us, but I hope you all still have things to be thankful for! And for being my friends and for making a difference in my life, this year perhaps more than ever.
Read MoreHygge!
24 Festive Tasks: Door 8 – St. Lucia’s Day, Task 1: Get your Hygge on — light a few candles if you’ve got them, pour yourself a glass of wine or hot chocolate / toddy, roast a marshmallow or toast a crumpet, and take a picture of your coziest reading place. Post a picture. […]
Read MoreReading by Flashlight … with Feline Accompaniment
24 Festive Tasks: Door 19 – Hanukkah, Task 2: Read by flashlight or candlelight. Post a picture. Reading by flashlight was the plan for last night — but I had barely gotten comfortable with Paul Doherty’s first Friar Athelstan mystery … … when Charlie showed up, sat down on my book and made it clear […]
Read MoreRed Thai Curry
24 Festive Tasks: Door 7 – International Human Rights Day, Task 2: Cook a dish from a culture other than your own or something involving apples (NYC = Big Apple) or oranges (for the Netherlands, seat of the International Court of Justice & International Criminal Court). Dinner tonight was red Thai curry. Curry and coconut […]
Read MoreThree Wishes (Again)
24 Festive Tasks: Door 6 – St. Nicholas’ Day / Sinterklaas, Bonus Task: You are King / Queen for the day and can have 3 wishes (not book related): one for yourself, one for your community (any version) and one for the world: What are they? I recently refurbished the WP blog version of my […]
Read MoreBook Characters Turning Over a New Leaf
24 Festive Tasks: Door 4 – Japanese Culture Day, Task 2: Japanese Culture Day was first held in 1948, to commemorate the announcement of the country’s post-war constitution on November 3, 1946, which was to make a new start for Japan. Which book did you read this year where someone was searching for or starting […]
Read MoreBattle of the Books Goes Feline: Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management vs. Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace
24 Festive Tasks: Door 20 – Festivus, Bonus Task #2: Battle of the Books: pick two books off your shelf (randomly or with purpose); in a fair fight, which book would come out on top? The fight can be based on the merits of the books themselves, their writing, or full-on mano a mano between […]
Read MoreIan Rankin: A Song for the Dark Times
24 Festive Tasks: Door 5 – Bon Om Touk, Book: Read a book that has the moon, or an ocean, river, lake, or other body of water (larger than a puddle) on the cover, read a manga, or read a book set anywhere in Asia. As my book for this square, I’m claiming Ian […]
Read MoreThe Medieval Murderers: The Deadliest Sin
24 Festive Tasks: Door 6 – St. Nicholas’ Day / Sinterklaas, Book: Read a story involving children or a young adult book, or set in the Middle Ages, or a book whose cover is primarily orange (for the Dutch House of Orange) or red (for St. Nick’s robes / cloak), or a book with oranges, […]
Read MoreThe Gifts of the Magi, Modernized
24 Festive Tasks: Door 21 – Christmas, Task 2: Modernize the three gifts given to Baby Jesus by the Magi. Instead of myrrh, frankincense, and gold – what would the Magi give as baby shower gifts in 2020-21? Well, if the Magi were counseled by a mother, they just might go the sensible / practical […]
Read MoreHeinzelmännchen
24 Festive Tasks: Door 23 – Hogswatch, Task 2: A Cologne legend dating all the way back to the Middle Ages has it that once upon a time, there was a race of busy little household gnomes called Heinzelmännchen who would come at night and secretly do all your work: If there ever has been […]
Read MoreJulian Symons: The Progress of a Crime
24 Festive Tasks: Door 11 – International Children’s Day, Book: Read a middle grade book (any genre), a book written by an author under 18 years old at the time of publication, or a book prominently featuring a child, juvenile, or young adult character. I had been planning to use Julian Symons’s Progress of […]
Read MoreThe Belgian Flag, from Book Spines
24 Festive Tasks: Door 17 – Armistice / Veterans’ Day, Task 2: Create the flag of one of the countries that fought in either World War out of book covers. If your country was one of the participants, make it the flag of a country other than your own. Not the German but the […]
Read MoreFirst Day of Carnival in the Rhine Valley: Dinner
24 Festive Tasks: Door 10 – First Day of Carnival, Task 1: Carnival – including its first day in the Rhine Valley (Nov. 11; officially beginning at 11:11 AM sharp) – is essentially one big party; fuelled, wherever in the world it is celebrated, by traditional local food / snacks and drinks. In the Rhineland, […]
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