First a stop at Books Are Magic and now some ice cream. Love visiting a new-to-me bookstore on a trip! #BooksAreMagic
First a stop at Books Are Magic and now some ice cream. Love visiting a new-to-me bookstore on a trip! #BooksAreMagic
Happy Shakespeare's birthday to all who celebrate! I'll be spending my evening finishing Harold Bloom's treatise on Falstaff, the second volume I'm reading in his Shakespeare's Personalities series after picking up his book on Lear late last year. Next up- Cleopatra! #Shakespeare
I love an epistolary novel, and this one is a killer. A short, gut-punch of a story, written in 1938, about two friends whose relationship unravels as the Nazis rise to power. There's an abrupt shift in the tone and subject of the letters near the end, but the payoff is swift and mighty. I was taken by the story as whole, and even more so by the afterward which posits the idea of "using a letter as a weapon." Chilling and, unfortunately, timely.
Babe, wake up, new Walsh Sisters novel just dropped! #CurrentlyReading
I mean, I'd pay cash money to read "too many beds". ?? #Tropes
Very much same. Long live those white covers and the six stock stories we got for every girl. (No, genuinely, it was the greatest setup!) Any other AG OGs hanging around? #AmericanGirl
Been in my audiomemoir era this week and have finally finished these titles. Some I started ages ago (Herzog, I love you, but not for extended periods) and some I blazed through (Born a Crime for the third time, can never seem to turn it off once I start). But I liked all of them in different ways and recommend each one!
Used bookstore treasure- a very early edition of Daddy Long Legs. I know there are many reasons for this story to give modern audiences the Weirds, but I love it without reserve. Judy Abbott forever and ever, amen.
What a beautiful, unsettling cacophony of a novel. Told in prose, poetry, letters, and journal entries, chronology all out of whack, it mirrors the sleepless, disorienting, disjointed experience of early motherhood, specifically ruminating on art and motherhood; work and motherhood; and the work of motherhood. Also featured: loss of self, shifts in relationships, pain, both physical and emotional, isolation, and brutal honesty. A masterpiece, tbh.
I intended to get caught up on a few chapters for the #PemberLittens on today's solo cafe date, but I got so sucked in that I finished the book completely. This has to be one of my favorite Austen adaptations. I love that this Emma fights back when Knightley lectures, and I love the career trajectory the authors set her on. The epilogue sets up the sequel (or companion?) novel really nicely, too, so I'm definitely going to have to check that out.
#PemberLittens, go and read the comments. You will not be sorry.
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Tonight's chapters show us one of my very favorite moments in Emma- her dance with Knightley. It's a beautiful moment in Austen's prose, and I absolutely die for it in the 2009 mini-series (the version to beat all versions, 2020 adaptation GTFO). But it's very sweet here, too, with Emma dancing barefoot and Knightley internally acknowledging his undeniable feelings. A little over halfway through this book and I am fully bought in! #PemberLittens
Last time I dipped into Austen's unfinished works, I skipped The Watsons, so time to right that wrong! I'm addicted to these gorgeous editions, can't stop won't stop (collecting books I don't need). #PemberLittens
Today we meet our Frank Churchill stand-in, the improbably named Montgomery Knox. He rolls into town like 2024's version of Christopher Hayden, all charming unreliability and aggressive flirtation, and - of course - with a motorcycle. Emma wants to know him better, but she abruptly stops their after-dinner makeout session at the thought of Knightley. I WONDER WHY, EMMA! #JaneAdjacent #PemberLittens
Cue "Supermodel"! Emma properly meets Nadine, and after swiftly judging her clothes, boyfriend, and prospective job, drags her around NYC for expensive haircuts, Loewe boots, and a dinner with Emma's loved ones. Knightley turns on the charm for Nadine, much to Emma's disbelief, and is dismissive of her work "transforming" Nadine. Still, he and Emma settle in for a cozy movie together at the end of the night- feelings are growing! #PemberLittens
We get some real My Best Friend's Wedding vibes in today's first chapter, with Emma taking the stage to belt out a terrible (drunken) number in front of a crowd. And much like Dermot Mulroney in the movie, Knightley is sold on the woman brashly owning her subpar performance. Their coffee not-date in the following chapter shows us some solid banter and the beginning of real sparks. And by the chapter's end? Enter Harriet! Or in this story, Nadine.
I was excited to start this today! It's been a couple of years since I've read an Austen adaptation and this one seems really cute. I have a notoriously hard time with Emma's self-centered snobbery, but I'm attempting to suspend all of my judgement and just enjoy this new version. It's off to a good start so far- I like the amalgamation of Isabella and Mrs. Weston, and Knightley has already caught my interest! #PemberLittens #JaneAdjacent
Approaching Jane Eyre as a sacred text? Sign me up! Fitting reading for a contemplative Sunday. #CurrentlyReading
I'm all in on the spirit of this book, as I love to see folks shout from the rooftops about reading for pure enjoyment and pleasure. That said- I'm also a buzzkill pedant and the many mistakes throughout got on my last nerve: the author's name is not Frank L. Baum; the book series about Rose Wilder's childhood was not written by her; there is no book called Ramona and Beezus; and good God, no part of P&P was set in Bath! Where was the editor??
Sometimes this book truly hits the spot. To me, Northanger is the most outright funny of Austen's works, and certainly the most overtly satiric. Even though I've read it several times, I still found myself cracking up at the way she affectionately mocks literary convention, style, and characters. I love the early scenes in Bath being kind of a boring let-down, and I love Eleanor's actual Gothic heroine arc happening entirely off the page. 😂
A short but sweet exploration of the power of comedy via thousands-year-old dirty jokes. Along the way we get meditations on power, patriarchy, suppression, subversion, and the beef between Aristophanes (lauded ancient playwright known as the Father of Comedy) and Ariphrades (writer referenced in Aristotle‘s Poetics, but with no surviving works and now best remembered for his fondness for cunnilingus). Ancient theatre stays teaching us, folks.
Attempting to make my way back to a monthly #PersephonePick with the tagged book. It seems like a good one to draw me back in, hitting a number of topics that I love in Persephone's catalogue - social history, domestic portraits, and London life. Here's to a great read! #CurrentlyReading
"Emma's very good opinion of Frank Churchill was a little shaken the following day, by hearing that he was gone off to London, merely to have his hair cut... There was an air of foppery and nonsense in it which she could not approve." Reading Emma is always a mixed bag for me, as I detest her snobbery and conceit, but you have to hand it to her on this one! Frank Churchill, fuck alllllll the way off; foppery and nonsense indeed. #PemberLittens
This is such a a lovely and interesting biography! Light on the personal details of the life of Frances Hodgson Burnett but heavy on her relationship with the gardens she tended throughout her life, in England, New York, and Bermuda. Naturally it also focuses quite a bit on The Secret Garden and includes three other examples of her "garden writing" that were such a treat to read. Fellow Mary Lennox girls, you should definitely pick this one up!
It just doesn't get old. It never stops being timeless and iconic. Emma is perhaps sharper, Persuasion more mature, S&S more deeply personal to me...but P&P is the gold standard, the objective best, sparkling, vibrant, emotional, surprising. I just finished it and I already want to read it 50 more times. #PemberLittens
I liked this one more than I didn't, but in taking aim at "boring" theatre, the author comes off as supercilious, as if his tastes, ideas, and aesthetics are superior to all else. I agree that we need more boldness in theatre, that there need to be new approaches to the development of new plays and the structures of arts institutions, that artists need more freedom to fail- but I also wish we could be more "Yes, and..." in our thinking. ???
This breezy, chill sapphic romance is a perfect read if you're looking for something straightforward and low on angst. Our two protagonists are so much fun to spend time with - Phoebe's blunt extrovert tendencies are completely endearing, and I love stoic, no-nonsense Grace. The soccer aspect was very accessible for a total sports outsider like me, and it kept me engaged while also allowing space to just enjoy the characters and the romance.
Listen up, #BetsyTacy fans! The next B-T Convention is coming for us! Mankato 2025, will I see you there? #MaudHartLovelace #BetsyTacyAndTib #BetsyTacyTib #EmilyOfDeepValley #DeepValley
Enjoying the Sunday Special, aka an hour alone at a cafe with a book and a coffee. I'm loving this one so far (had me teary in the first chapter) and I imagine I'll tear through the rest pretty quickly. Hope everyone out there found a moment of rest today! #CurrentlyReading
Been spending the week re-watching this old fave, and rediscovering my deep love for the Hot Priest. Wish we saw more evidence of his bookishness, but I'm gonna take his word for it. 😜 #CurrentlyWatching
S&S is the first Austen book I fell in love with, and the one I've returned to the most throughout my life. My relationship with the characters has changed so much as I've aged, and it makes me deeply appreciate Jane's staggering skill. To see myself in a work at 14, at 26, at 35, and at 40, and to laugh and cringe and think back fondly is such a gift. On top of that, to continually take away new discoveries is a rare thing. #PemberLittens
Unfortunately I just don't find much to enjoy in this underwhelming little story, but again, shout out to Pauline Baynes for the most charming illustrations. On the whole, I've enjoyed digging into these Tolkien minor works even if some of the individual stories and poems don't thrill me, and it was lovely spending January in the Professor's weird, whimsical, and singular worlds. #FellowshipOfTolkien
I really enjoyed revisiting this fun short story, and love how it subverts the usual "slaying the dragon" tale. Our hero is not a knight, but a farmer, and the dragon isn't slain, but does return (some of) his treasure. The illustrations in my old late '60s edition were a huge part of the charm; I hope more modern reprints haven't lost them! #FellowshipOfTolkien
Farmer Giles does his best impersonation of a knight as he attempts to thwart the dragon, one Chrysophylax Dives. I think at this point we can all agree on three things: one, that Chrysophylax, Greek for "gold guard", is the best-named dragon out there; two, that Pauline Baynes killed it with these illustrations; and three, that Garm is the real hero of this story. "What about dogs?' he asks the dragon. "You've left dogs out again." #Justice4Garm
Kicked off the tale of Farmer Giles today. I'm glad to have the chance to go back and re-read the two stories in this collection, as I've only ever read them once. Today I got as far as the business with the giant, and a cliffhanger - there be dragons?! We'll see what the next few days bring! #FellowshipOfTolkien
Amy Colleen asking the important questions! #PemberLittens #AnneOfGreenGables #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead
A snowstorm in Detroit knocked out our power, which also means we have no heat. 😳 At times likes these, I know I'm beyond lucky to have a working fireplace and a house full of books. Curling up with a blanket and this comfort read, and hoping we get power back soon! How are my fellow #MittenLittens doing? #CurrentlyReading
It was really fun to revisit this little collection of Tolkien's poems. They're a mixed bag for me, but where he's good, he's really, really good. My own reading buddy #TomKitten kept me company most nights, so here he is, pictured with his namesake. #FellowshipOfTolkien #CatsOfLitsy
Reading "Cat" with my cat! This is a poem Tolkien wrote for his granddaughter, and I can't help but think of all of the other poems about cats that I've loved, from Bukowski to Baudelaire to Atwood. And of course, first in my mind is T.S. Eliot's cat poetry for his godchildren. Anyone out there have a favorite cat poem? #FellowshipOfTolkien #CatsOfLitsy #ColeCat
The Mewlips is a Tolkien poem I love, a departure from the bright, comic pieces elsewhere in this collection. I love that we get almost no physical description of the Mewlips themselves - we are told they have feet and "feeling" fingers - but the danger and fear are still so strongly communicated. It's just atmosphere and setting, and it's all the better for not knowing who or what exactly lives beyond the "slime", the "rotting river-strand".
Today's #FellowshipOfTolkien poem selections include one of my very favorites among his work: Errantry. The wordplay is delicious- dexterous and charming, telling a whimsical adventure story in a meter of Tolkien's own invention. I dare you to read it and not want to hear it spoken; the language is its own music. Plus it can be sung to the tune of G&S's "Modern Major-General" and that's always a good thing!
All right, nerds, let's do this!
When I first read LOTR (so many years ago now, good Lord!), I didn't get Tom Bombadil- who was he? Why the heck was this twee little thing intruding on what I thought would be a cool, dark adventure story? I have to say I've never quite warmed to Tom over the years, but here's hoping that this re-read of his adventures shows me something new! #FellowshipOfTolkien #TolkienBirthdayToast
Anyone else partaking in the #TolkienBirthdayToast? At 9 pm, I'll have the tagged book in one hand and a whisky in the other! #TheProfessor #BooksAndBooze
Returning to work after the holidays is a total bummer, but a thoughtful gift from a colleague was an unexpected bright spot! I'm very much looking forward to this one.
Bringing in this new year with a much-anticipated book and my buddy #TomKitten next to me. I loved Melinda Lo's Last Night at the Telegraph Club and this one is a lovely companion novel, unafraid to lean into uncertainty, melancholy, and a little bit of mess as the young characters grapple with identities and relationships changing and growing. I'm a Lo fan for life now; excited to seek out her other titles!
The number of books I read per year has gone down significantly recently, but I did achieve a goal in 2023: more than 50% were new-to-me titles. As a BIG re-reader, I'm going to count it as a win- and still celebrate that I exceeded 100 books this year. My 4 faves of '23 are pictured here; predictably, two YAs topped the list, but I'm very surprised that the other two took war as a central theme. Here's to all the titles ahead in '24!
Both #TomKitten and #ColeCat are doing their best to thwart my year-end reading. Really trying to knock out a few more titles over here, but cats are gonna be cats, eh? #CatsOfLitsy #BlackCats
Straight up, these three are my favorite versions of A Christmas Carol and I've consumed them all in the last 24 hours. Tim Curry's narration is unbeatable but Hugh Grant has his moments. And for pure, sweet nostalgia (with a dash of childhood terror, because my GOD, I should not have watched a cartoon character descend into a fiery grave at the age of 4!), I'm going for Mickey every time. Do you have a favorite Christmas Carol, fellow Littens?
Happy Persuasion Day! Brandon's whole thread on The Letter is a killer, forget Darcy, it's Wentworth FTW! ❤️
Read it here:
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