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

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…

What I’m Reading: Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach

This is the time of year when we may be looking to change our habits, become more productive, or try something new. Over the past year, I have read daily meditations from Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book. Her message of Simple Abundance is to cultivate joy, gratitude, creativity from our daily lives – doing what we…

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

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…

A Classic to Consider: The Birds’ Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin

While at the library looking for something else, I came across this thin Christmas novella. Kate Douglas Wiggin’s The Birds’ Christmas Carol is a charming and less popular holiday story that may be just what you are looking for. Wiggin, who also wrote the Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm series, tells the story of little Carol…

August Reads (a little late)

Still catching up from a fast-ending summer…In August I read two middle-grade novels and two adult novels. Ashes to Asheville by Sarah Dooley is a book I picked off the shelf at a bookshop/toy store in Waynesville, North Carolina, while on vacation, and I’m so glad I did. The story takes place in about 24…

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