While sorting through my bookcase of children’s books, I came across this gem that I used to read with my children. Every year we looked forward to certain holiday books, and this was one of them. The Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Natasha Wing has a humorous charm to which parents and children…
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On My Bookshelf: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth has, admittedly, sat on my bookshelf for several years, and only recently have I been able to read it. It may be several more years before I fully grasp his meaning. If you keep a journal, as I do, you may discover that Tolle offers several points to consider in…
On My Bookshelf: Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns is one of my favorite novels. It begins in July of 1906, three weeks after the main character’s grandmother has died. Grandpa has an announcement: he is engaged to another woman. The main character, Will Tweedy, is fourteen at the time, loves his grandfather, misses his grandmother, but…
On My Bookshelf: Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
I toured the New York Historical Society recently where they have a two-floor display of Tiffany stained glass lamps. Few things in life are more exquisite than a Tiffany lamp. The wisteria lamps were my personal favorite, although the daffodil, tulip, and dogwood were just as fabulous. If you’ve read Clara and Mr. Tiffany by…
On My Bookshelf: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in On My Bookshelf, What I'm Reading, Writing InspirationLeave a Reply
I’ve just finished reading Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth. Although it’s been on my bookshelf for awhile, I had not read it, and so while completing final edits for my own trilogy, I chose this volume for something different from my story, and something that I hoped would be engrossing. I was not…
On My Bookshelf: A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz
When decorating for the holidays, I savor the memories that each ornament or decoration holds. This slim paperback edition of Charlie Brown was a gift from my Aunt, who always made Christmas, and especially Christmas Eve, that much more exciting. The book is worn, and has a few scribbles in it, but it’s a word-for-word…
On My Bookshelf: The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Care Givers, Independent Reading, On My BookshelfLeave a Reply
Looking for a fun, seasonal, adventure story to read with your students, children, or grandchildren? Try JK Rowling’s The Christmas Pig for something different. Published in 2021, it’s not a new book, but it is a new take on a Christmas miracle story. It also touches a sensitive subject for many children: what happens when…
Cookbook Signing with Gina Homolka
Last night I got to meet the author of a series of cookbooks who has made my life easier and tastier since I discovered her during the Covid lockdown. Gina Homolka is the author of seven cookbooks, most recently of Skinnytaste Simple. Not only do her recipes taste good, they are easy to make, add…
On My Bookshelf: Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Monthly Reads, On My Bookshelf, Teacher InspirationLeave a Reply
Recently, I was reminded of Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, one of the first books I read for eighth grade English in grammar school. This picture is the exact one I read in eighth grade – my name and homeroom, “8A,” are written on the inside cover. I remember following Jonathan’s journey to get…
On My Bookshelf: books about mothers, motherhood, and mothering
I’ve been thinking about books that explore the relationship between mother and child. Pictured are volumes pulled at random from my own bookcase. Once I started pulling, I realized I had more than I thought – many more that are not in the picture. The mother-child relationship keeps readers engaged…do we see ourselves in the…
