Take two novels and call me in the morning….

Without going into details, the last month has been… pretty stressful. And when I’m stressed, there are three things I reach for (well, after my husband; hugs are the best stress relief I know): gallons of chamomile tea, plenty of chocolate, and a comforting book. Now, by “comforting,” I don’t… Read more »

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“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (movie)

After waiting on tenterhooks since last summer and enduring Warner Brothers’ 8-month delay in releasing the film, my daughter and I finally saw “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” yesterday. I went in with high expectations, and came out with mixed feelings. I’ve tried to write this without including spoilers,… Read more »

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To e-book, or not to e-book?

I’ve been thinking a lot about e-books over the last six months: wondering when and whether I should give them a try, weighing their pros and cons. E-books do have some distinct advantages over bound books. They don’t use paper or ink, and the books themselves don’t take nearly as… Read more »

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Great Books for Ages 7-11 and Up

Great Books for Ages 7-11 and Up

Snow Treasure, by Marie McSwigan During World War II, Norway sought to protect its gold reserves from the threatened Nazi invasion by shipping millions of dollars’ worth of gold bars to Britain and America. After the invasion, the Norwegian freighter Bomma arrived in Baltimore carrying a cargo of Norwegian gold…. Read more »

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Great Books for Ages 5 and Up

Great Books for Ages 5 and Up

Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, by A.A. Milne, with original illustrations by E. H. SheperdIf your only exposure to Winnie the Pooh has been the Disney films, run right out to the library and borrow the books. Disney’s early adaptations are reasonably faithful to the stories,… Read more »

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Great Books for Ages 3 and Up

Great Books for Ages 3 and Up

Dr. Seuss is great fun, and Are You My Mother is a classic, but here are some books for little ones you may have missed. I’m of the firm opinion that really good children’s literature is enjoyable at any age; certainly my husband and I enjoyed reading all of the… Read more »

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Introduction; or, Why on Earth Am I Doing This?

I love books. My house is full of bookshelves, and the shelves are full of books: children’s books, YA, mysteries, fantasy and science fiction, history, reference books, textbooks… There are books in the bedrooms, books in the living room, books in the kitchen, books in the basement. I’ve made a… Read more »

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