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Books I Want for Hanukkah

Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This year, Hanukkah starts almost immediately after Thanksgiving, so that's why I'm moving this post up a bit :-)   Books I Want for Hanukkah 1. Dogs on the Trail: A Year in the Life by Blair Braverman and Quince Mountain 2. Book Lovers Medium Spiral Notebook 3. The Rabbi Who Prayed with Fire by Rachel Sharona Lewis 4. What to Miss When by Leigh Stein 5. The Corgi Chronicles by Laura Madsen

Books On my Summer 2021 TBR

 I am really not feeling planned reading lists these days, especially since I have 2 planned reads each month anyway, with my book clubs, so I really like to stay open outside of that. That said, the #Blackout reading post from last year came up as a memory on my Fb, so I was thinking I would like to maybe do that again--buy two books by Black authors from Black-owned bookstores. I wouldn't necessarily read the books in June, but at least buy them and then I might end up reading them too. So, here's a list of books that I know I'll read this summer (aka book club reads) and some I'm interested in reading, and we'll see if I feel like it. Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl! Books On My Summer 2021 TBR Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater (probably going to reread before Mister Impossible) Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare (book club for June; if I can ever get it out of the library) Big Summer by J...

Favorite Books Read in 2020

The books that sparked the most joy for me this year include a classic, a book published this year, two books in translation, and five works of nonfiction. It's been a year when I've sought diversion, too often in the form of Netflix, but when I have read, I've sometimes been fortunate enough to find escape and hope in stories both sprawling and small in scale. I don't think these books have anything in common except that they tell me that some people are who they are...and some people rise to the occasion.   Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl! My Favorite Books Read in 2020 1.  Middlemarch by George Eliot My first George Eliot but it won't be my last. Kept me busy for the first few months of quarantine, especially when I didn't know what was happening with my job. Immersive and satisfyingly realistic. 2. Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch Everyone should read this accessible fascinating book about how the Internet affects how we communicat...

Top Ten Books I'd Like for Hanukkah

Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Hanukkah starts next Thursday night, so I decided to put this list out to the powers that be this week. I'd been carefully cultivating this list for a while, and then I added the last half of it in one go, and discovered that all I really want right now is cookbooks, or more accurately, food history. That might not have been all I wanted in the past or all I want in the future, but hey, all we have is the present. We are who we are right now, and if we didn't already know that, many of us have had to learn this year. Top Ten Books I'd Like for Hanukkah Deacon King Kong by James McBride Man Fast by Natasha Scripture The Raven Boys box set by Maggie Stiefvater Walden by Henry David Thoreau, a trade paperback so I can write in the margins Devotions by Mary Oliver The Jewish Cookbook by Leah Koenig and Julia Turshen Vegetable Kingdom by Bryant Terry Zahav by Michael Solomonov Sababa by Adeena Sussman The Jemima Code by Toni Tipton-Martin

My Favorite Book to Screen Adaptations

Today's Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie topic, but I saw the Chocolate Lady doing book to movie adaptations, so I decided to list my favorite book to screen adaptations, which are often TV series. However, I won't get into the ones I hate, which my husband finds an endless source of amusement. Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl ! My Favorite Book to Screen Adaptations The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-Netflix's adaptation is quite true to the story, leaving out only some extraneous details and characters, and upping the gorgeous Guernsey scenery! Game of Thrones/A Song Ice and Fire-I know people are divided on this, especially since the book series isn't finished, but having read all of the books, I frankly thought the TV series was better and much less convoluted. The Witcher-I've only read one of the Witcher books, but I loved the Netflix adaptation and hope there's more. To All the Boys I've Loved Before-I LOVED ...

What I'm Reading Lately

Just Finished: I don't really know what this book is, but it's an adorable work of art. It's a slightly tongue-in-cheek but mostly earnest manifesto of a certain kind of white Southern womanhood: sweet, friendly, and blessedly frivolous. If you're interested in Reese Witherspoon, it's certainly insightful on her upbringing. However, this is definitely not a celebrity memoir. There's nothing (intentionally) controversial here, and while it feels restful, certain comments can be jarring without context (e.g. if you don't know Christmas carols, you live in a cave). Ummm. I don't know Christmas carols because I'm Jewish and have actively worked not to soak them up. I don't think it's meant to be offensive and I don't take it that way because this book is a very specific portrait of a white Christian Southern culture, but, in this day and age, it may make people feel a bit sensitive. All in all, this book is worth a literal look or two, fo...

Top Ten Favorite Book Blogs/Bookish Sites

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl ! Top Ten Favorite Book Blogs/Bookish Sites I'm excited to share my favorites and see all of yours too! There are so many great book blogs and bookish sites out there! 1. Tor.com Tor has my favorite bookish  newsletter . I love their book recs, articles on important SFF topics , and ongoing commentary on SFF TV and movies, like the new Picard Star Trek ! 2. JewishBookCouncil.org I subscribe to their newsletter and love their 'Visiting Scribes' articles , by authors with recently published books. They also introduce me to a lot of Jewish interest books I might never have found on my own. 3. Electric Literature I actually found Electric Literature on Facebook, mostly when they have grabby headlines like The Secret Origins of Amy March  or other bookish candy clickbait. They also publish some really hard-hitting and insightful looks at the literary zeitgeist, like We Need to Start Taking Young Women's Lov...

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts are hosted at Bookishly Boisterous ! 1. We bought a house! Taking care of the paperwork and scheduling and now packing has been a second job, although, imo, not as stressful as planning a wedding! So glad we waited a year after the wedding to do this. 2. Packing my books is an ongoing saga. I reduced my collection from approximately 700 to approximately 400 three years ago, and yet, it seems they've been reproducing! So far, I'm at 17 boxes with two and a third bookcases (of four) packed... 3. I'm not even counting my cookbooks, which got packed (generously, by my parents) with kitchen stuff. 4. Let me know if anybody wants these! I found the Dummies book helpful for understanding basics; I think the 100 Questions book would be useful for anyone who hasn't bought a home in several years, although of course, each market is individual, so for example, the negotiating advice isn't very helpful in a sellers' market! ...

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts are hosted at Bookishly Boisterous 1. Just when I was feeling like I couldn't get into anything, I read two amazing, mindblowing (for very different reasons) books right in a row: The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney and The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley. Random library browsing ftw. 2. When I read amazing books like that, I have an urge to dig deep and write a thoughtful review. However, I have another urge that I've been giving into more lately--read more, read more, don't stop. I was giving in because I didn't want to force myself to write reviews and take the fun out of it. But I'm missing out on reflection, and maybe relying too much on reading for stress relief (weirdly, I'm not stressed out about anything in my personal life so much as the state of the country/world in general). 3. On that note, I had a(n international) student tell me recently, "If we lose America, we don't have any more Ame...

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts are hosted at Bookishly Boisterous . 1. I fractured my foot a week or so ago and have to wear a boot for the next several weeks. The fracture isn't fun, however, as someone who is often in invisible pain, it's interesting to experience what it's like to have a visible disability. It's a topic of conversation that other people naturally bring up, which I actually like (re: part of the reason I dyed my hair purple in college), since I'm often at a loss as to how to start a conversation. However, I can certainly imagine other people in similar situations who don't appreciate it. 2. On the other hand, I should perhaps be more intentional about improving my social and conversational skills. It's something that's bothered me about myself for, well, most of my life, and when I was recently training to be a supervisor, I feel like I learned and started practicing all kinds of "common sense" emotional skills t...

Top Ten Books I Lost Interest In

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl ! Top Ten Books I Lost Interest In I already mentioned some in Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Read , but I've been keeping a TBR list for over a decade, so here are ten more! 1. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 2. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 3. On the Road by Jack Kerouac 4. Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie 5. The Ambassadors by Henry James 6. Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak 7. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 8. The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen 9. The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma 10. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Top Ten Books That Taught Me About Love

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl ! Top Ten Books That Taught Me About Love Books taught me a lot about love. As Cat Valente wrote "It is well known that reading quickens the growth of a heart like nothing else." 1. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle What saves Meg in A Wrinkle in Time is her love, and the love of those around her. Meg's love for her father starts her on a journey across the universe to save him. Mrs. Whatsit's and Mrs. Which and Mrs. Who's love for Meg helps her find her strength. Meg's love for Charles Wallace saves him from IT, in a scene that I replayed over and over in my head ( What have I got that IT hasn't got? Love!...She couldn't love IT, but she could love her brother ). 2. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle Similarly, A Swiftly Tilting Planet features Meg's love for Charles Wallace, and her mother-in-law, Mrs. O'Keefe's, love for her brother, and Mrs. O'K...

Top Ten Books That Have Been On My TBR the Longest and I Still Haven't Read

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl ! Top Ten Books That Have Been On My TBR the Longest and I Still Haven't Read I've kept a TBR list for a long time, longer than I've had this blog. And some of the books that I used to be interested in aren't my cup of tea right now. On the other hand, there are still books I've been kicking myself for decades for not reading. Here are ten: Books That Have Been On My TBR the Longest, But I'm Not Especially Interested In Anymore 1. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin 2. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle 3. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller 4. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk Books That Have Been On My TBR the Longest and I'm  Going to Get To, I Swear 5. Steles of the Sky by Elizabeth Bear 6. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin 7. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones 8. Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner 9. Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton 10. Killing Rage: Ending Racism by bell hooks

Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Read

Happy Top Ten Tuesday at That Artsy Reader Girl ! Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Read 1. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy I read War and Peace . I know I read it because it took me a whole summer. Darned if I can remember anything but sleigh rides, balls, and the fact that there was a general. 2. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers Urgh. It's been (12!) years since I read this, so maybe I'd think differently now, but I remember finding the narrator incredibly pretentious and condescending. I only finished it because I had to read it for a class (and got into a huge argument with my teacher about it). I met Dave Eggers once at a reading, and he came off as a really nice guy and his other books all sound better, but honestly, I haven't been able to bring myself to read any. 3. Pamela by Samuel Richardson WORST. BOOK. EVER. I literally threw this book across a room. The sexual consent issues in this book drive me batty. It...

2018 Bookish Resolutions and Goals

Top Ten Tuesdays are now hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl. 1. Read at least 54 books. 2. Read more books on Jewish themes and/or by Jewish authors. 3. Read more books on African American themes and/or by African American authors. 4. Read more books about other cultures, including majority cultures outside the U.S.A. and minority cultures within and without the U.S.A. 5. Write at least 50,000 words during the year (not including November). 6. Interview at least one person for my book. 7. Reach out to thank at least one author for their book. 8. Bake (and cook) more recipes from my cookbooks. And I'll leave a couple to grow on :-)

Top Ten Books I Meant to Read in 2017 But Didn't Get To/Want to Read in 2018

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at the Broke and the Bookish ! This week's topic is "Ten Books We Meant to Read in 2017 But Didn't Get To," however, since I can only think of a few, I'm also listing books I intend to read in 2018.  Books I Meant to Read in 2017 But Didn't Get To 1. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin 2. Steles of the Sky by Elizabeth Bear 3. Brave New Girls: Stories of Girls Who Science and Scheme ed. Paige Daniels and Mary Fan Books I Want to Read in 2018 1. L'Appart by David Lebovitz 2. If All the Seas Were Ink by Ilana Kurshan 3. America's First Daughter by Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray 4. Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman 5. The Tiger's Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera 6. The Gatekeepers by Jen Lancaster 7. He, She, It by Marge Piercy

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts are hosted at Bookishly Boisterous 1. Today is a snow day! Although I was expecting to face the polar vortex that is the East Coast right now, it wasn't certain if we would get snow, and I certainly didn't expect to have the day off, so this is nice! 2. So far, I've managed to take my dog out for a quick pit stop, and read some of Pie Love by Warren Brown, which I received as a gift. Baking may or may not ensue today. 3. I'm planning to visit Nora Roberts' Turn the Page bookstore this weekend. We'll see if the polar vortex obliges. 4. I'm thinking about reading and writing goals for this year, and I'm newly excited for blog posts in 2018. This time last year, I was all caught up with wedding planning, now I can focus on whatever I want!

Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2017

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at the Broke and the Bookish ! Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2017 1. Resistance, Rebellion, Life 50 Poems Now ed. Amit Majmudar 2. The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty 3. Fledgling by Octavia Butler 4. Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o 5. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 6. Victims and Neighbors by Frances Henry 7. Diving into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich 8. The Magician King and The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman 9. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 10. Small Changes by Marge Piercy 11. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren