Sunday, March 26, 2023

BW13: Happy Birthday Joseph Cambell



Courtesy of the Joseph Campbell Foundation



Happy Sunday! Today marks the anniversary of the birth of Joseph Campbell who is best known for introducing the concept of the Hero's Journey in The Hero With a Thousand Faces.  Campbell has written numerous books on comparative mythology and his entire booklist can be found on the Joseph Campbell Foundation as well as the list of required reading for the mythology course taught at Sarah Lawrence college. 

"The basic story of the hero journey involves giving up where you are, going into the realm of adventure, coming to some kind of symbolically rendered realization, and then returning to the field of normal life."  Pathways to Bliss

"My feeling is that mythic forms reveal themselves gradually in the course of your life if you know what they are and how to pay attention to their emergence. My own initiation into the mythic depths of the unconscious has been through the mind, through the books that surround me in this library. I have recognized in my quest all the stages of the hero’s journey. I had my calls to adventure, my guides, demons, and illuminations."  Man and Myth

"It would not be too much to say that myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human cultural manifestation. Religion, philosophies, arts, the social forms of primitive and historic man, prime discoveries in science and technology, the very dreams that blister sleep, boil up from the basic, magic ring of myth."   Hero with a Thousand Faces

"For the symbols of mythology are not manufactured; they cannot be ordered, invented, or permanently suppressed. They are the spontaneous productions of the psyche, and each bears within it, undamaged, the germ power of its source."  Hero with a Thousand Faces

"Blunders are not the merest chance. They are the results of suppressed desires and conflicts. They are ripples on the surface of life, produced by unsuspected springs. And these may be very deep—as deep as the soul itself. The blunder may amount to the opening of a destiny."  Hero with a Thousand Faces

"I didn’t write my books for critics and scholars. I wrote them for students and artists. When I hear how much my work has meant to them––well, I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. That means that this great stuff of myth, which I have been so privileged to work with, will be kept alive for a whole new generation. That’s the function of the artists, you know, to reinterpret the old stories and make them come alive again, in poetry, painting, and now in movies."  Hero's Journey

"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived."  Hero's Journey

Have fun delving to the world of mythology with Joseph Campbell.

Our post is sponsored by the letter M which stands for myth, meaning, and man. 

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Sunday, March 19, 2023

BW12: March Equinox

 


Happy Sunday! This week we celebrate the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.  It seems Spring has sprung already in our neck of the world. The temps are rising and it was a balmy 70 degrees yesterday while I was running here, there, and everywhere. Today is also Let's Laugh Day, the 20th is not only the March  Equinox, but International Day of Happiness as well. The 21st is  World Poetry Day, the 22nd is As Young as You Feel Day, the 23rd is not only my dad's 92nd birthday, but also National Chip and Dip Day. The 24th is National Cheesecake day, and the 25th is International Waffle Day. I think the person who makes up the calendar was hungry.  LOL! 

Let's dive into spring (or autumn reads, depending on where you are)  with Beyond the Bookends list of 107 Sensational New Spring 2023 releases or She Reads Most Anticipated Books of Spring 

In the Southern Hemisphere, dip into the Republic's list of 23 African Books to Expect in 2023 or Australian Fiction authors new releases through March 2023

Read a book with Spring or Autumn in the title or Spring or Autumn flowers on the cover. 

Read a book that takes place during Spring or Autumn.

Join your local libraries Spring or Autumn 2023 reading challenge. 

Our post is brought to you by the letter L this week which means loads and loads of love, laughter and life to explore. 

Have fun following rabbit trails! 

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Sunday, March 12, 2023

BW11: St. Patrick's Day

 


Happy Sunday! St Patrick's Day is officially March 17th, however, we're going to celebrate St. Patrick's Day all week long.   My father's side of the family came from Cork county, Ireland which is known as the food capital of Ireland. Plus it's northwest of the  Blarney castle where my grandparents have kissed the blarney stone a few times.  We have a plaque in our home my grandmother gave us that says "Fluent Blarney spoken here."  

Instead of loading our wish lists down with more books, let's find a book on our shelves about Ireland, with Irish characters, or with green on the cover or in the title. 

St. Patrick’s Day

BY 

Jean Blewett

There’s an Isle, a green Isle, set in the sea,

     Here’s to the Saint that blessed it!

And here’s to the billows wild and free

     That for centuries have caressed it!


Here’s to the day when the men that roam

     Send longing eyes o’er the water!

Here’s to the land that still spells home

     To each loyal son and daughter!


Here’s to old Ireland—fair, I ween,

     With the blue skies stretched above her!

Here’s to her shamrock warm and green,

     And here’s to the hearts that love her!



Our post is sponsored by the letter K which stands for kiss, kind, knight, kneel, kittens, and kites. 

Please share your thoughts and reviews. Link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week. 

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Sunday, March 5, 2023

BW10: 52 Books Bingo - Fifteen


 

Happy Sunday! Since this is our 15th year of 52 Books, our next bingo category is Fifteen. Read a book with fifteen or 15 in the title or the 15th book in a series or about a 15 year old character or written by a 15 year old author. Read a book written in the 1500's, written 150 years ago, or written 15 years ago.  

15 Books Chris Pine Thinks Everyone Should Read

Books for fifteen years old recommended by Kidsbookfort.com

The Atlantic's 15 books You Won't Regret Rereading

Goodread's Fantastic Fifteen 

Infographic: 15 Books with More Characters than You Can Keep Track Of!

I currently have the time traveling adventure Fifteen Postcards by  Kirsten McKenzie as well as another science fi fantasy tale the First Fifteen Lives of Henry August by Claire North,  pus Cleo Coyle's 15th book Dead to the Last Drop in her Coffeehouse Mystery series in my stacks. 

 Have fun, be creative, and enjoy!

Our post is brought to us by the letter J this week.  J is busy journaling about juicy journeys,  judicious jargon and jealous judgements. Forget the jacket and join J in the jet to jaw about the jelly. 

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Sunday, February 26, 2023

BW9: March Author of the Month - Douglas Adams

 


Happy Sunday!  It's time to say goodbye to February and hello to March. March is Irish American Heritage month, as well as Nation Peanut Month, National Craft Month, and National Women's History Month.  Hmm, let's see. Read something historical by an Irish American Woman while knitting and eating peanuts. *grin* 

This week we have February 26th which is Carpe Diem day, the 27th is No Brainer Day, the 28th is National Chili Day,  March 1st  is World Compliment Day, the 2nd is Old Stuff Day, the 3rd is I want You to be Happy Day, and the 4th is Huge a GI Day.  So be sure to seize the day, eat chili, compliment at least three people, do something different, make someone happy, and show some appreciation for the men and women in our armed forces.  

Plus our March author of the month is Douglas Adams, whose birthday is March 11, 1952.  He is best known for his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.  My brother introduced me to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy way back in the 1980's and once I read it, went on to consume The Restaurant at the End of the Universe;  Life, The Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish; and Mostly Harmless.  Plus his other books Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, and Douglas Adam's Starship Titanic by Terry Jones.  I'm looking forward to reading them all over again. 

This week our post is sponsored by the Letter I.  How fortuitous as I stands for Irish, industrious, Iambic, Innuendo,  Irony, and Imagination. 

Happy reading! 


 Please share your thoughts and reviews. Link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week. 

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Sunday, February 19, 2023

BW8: Storytelling

 



Happy Sunday!  Growing up, my brother was the one who told the most magnificent stories, whether he was retelling a Monty Python skit, relating an event that happened, or telling us about a book he'd read. We would hang on his words, groaning or laughing as he told a tale, astonished by the details, even if he'd only read or heard something once. I was never great at oral storytelling, maybe because it was difficult to get an word in edgewise with my large talkative family.  Today, the role has been taken over by my husband and son, both who have Eidetic memories,  remembering everything that's ever happened in their lives. Which can be great, unless it's something stupid you wish they'd forget. LOL!    I prefer writing, taking my time to remember, exploring thoughts and phrases, seeing the words on the page. 

Who is or was the Storyteller in your family?
 
Which brings us to our 52 Books Bingo quest for this week - Storyteller and all those lovely books they have created for our pleasure: narratives, myths, memoirs, drama, poetry as well as the world of fiction. From the classics to the contemporary writers of today there is a wide variety to choose from.  

Who do you think are the best storytellers of the past and present?   

50 Greatest Storytellers Of All Time

Masterful Storytelling: 10 Novels Worth Savoring

20 Best Storytelling Books of All Time

The Best Books On Storytelling


This week, our post is brought to you by the letter H.  Big h, little h, what begins with H. Why Homer and Horatio and Heyer as well as  Hemingway and Hosseini and Herbert to name a few. 

Happy reading! 

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Sunday, February 12, 2023

BW7: Ode to Common Things to Pablo Neruda




Wishing you the happiest of days, the happiest of weeks as we celebrate Super Bowl Sunday, Galentine's Day, Valentine's Day, Singles Awareness Day, Do a Grouch a Favor day, Random Acts of Kindness Day, and of course, National Drink Wine day. 

As I was meandering about the internet I came across Meanderings and Muses (Don't you love that name) Odes to Common things. And wouldn't you just know it, I fell down a rabbit hole.  Found The Examined Life's article on Pablo Neruda's Sublime Poetic Wonder at Meaning and Utility in Everyday Things.   Then stumbled upon Interludes where his poetry inspired  The Music of Poetry - Pablo Neruda: Odes to Common Things.   Yes, he even penned An Ode to a Book, but I liked his Common Things better.  

Shall we should all write an ode to our books, our lives, our loves?   Have an adventure and read a book of Odes, offbeat odes, an ode to stardust, or An Ode to Snow



Ode to Common Things 

By 

Pablo  Neruda

I have a crazy,
crazy love of things.
I like pliers,
and scissors.
I love
cups,
rings,
and bowls –
not to speak, of course,
of hats.
I love
all things,
not just
the grandest,
also
the
infinite-
ly
small –
thimbles,
spurs,
plates,
and flower vases.

 Oh yes,
the planet
is sublime!
It’s full of
pipes
weaving
hand-held
through tobacco smoke,
and keys
and salt shakers –
everything,
I mean,
that is made
by the hand of man, every little thing :
shapely shoes,
and fabric,
and each new
bloodless birth
of gold,
eyeglasses,
carpenter’s nails,
brushes,
clocks, compasses,
coins, and the so-soft
softness of chairs.

 Mankind has
built
oh so many
perfect
things!
Built them of wool
and of wood,
of glass and
of rope :
remarkable
tables,
ships, and stairways.
 

I love
all
things,
not because they are
passionate
or sweet smelling
but because,
I don’t know,
because
this ocean is yours,
and mine :
these buttons
and wheels
and little
forgotten
treasures,
fans upon
whose feathers
love has scattered
its blossoms,
glasses, knives and
scissors –
all bear
the trace
of someone’s fingers
on their handle or surface,
the trace of a distant hand
lost
in the depths of forgetfulness.

 I pause in houses,
streets and
elevators,
touching things,
identifying objects
that I secretly covet :
this one because it rings,
that one because
it’s as soft
as the softness of a woman’s hip,
that one there for its deep-sea color,
and that one for its velvet feel.
 

O irrevocable
river
of things :
no one can say
that I loved
only
fish,
or the plants of the jungle and the field,
that I loved
only
those things that leap and climb, desire, and survive.
It’s not true :
many things conspired
to tell me the whole story.
Not only did they touch me,
or my hand touched them :
they were
so close
that they were a part
of my being,
they were so alive with me
that they lived half my life
and will die half my death.

Our post is sponsored by the letter G this week: Genres full of gorgeous, gregarious, generous, or gallant characters who gadabout.

Happy Reading!  

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Sunday, February 5, 2023

BW6: 52 Books Bingo - Sleuths


 

Happy Sunday! Our next 52 Books Bingo category - sleuths - fits in nicely with our Agatha Christie read this month.  We have different varieties of sleuths from the amateur sleuth, to the hardboiled private eye to the religious investigator, to the kid, teen, and female sleuths to the cozy amateur or police detectives.  Below are just a few links for your perusal. 

Top 12 New Best Cozy Mysteries Featuring Amateur Sleuths

A Recipe for Hard Boiled Fiction

Divine Mysteries: 10 Great Clerical Sleuths

Middle Grade Mystery and Detective books 

10 YA Books That Prove That Teens Are the Best Detectives

Classic Teen Detectives

The Best Female Detectives in Fiction Written by Women

Tap Into Your Inner Sleuth With These Dazzling Detective Novels


Our post is brought to you by the letter F this week. From the feisty fiends to the felonious forger to the foxy fed, follow the footprints to find the facts. 

Have fun! 

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Sunday, January 29, 2023

BW5: February Author of the Month: Agatha Christie

 


Happy Sunday! February is upon us which begs the questions -  will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow and we'll have six more weeks of Winter?  Most likely.   But did you know, before the ground hog, there was a hedgehog. Poor guy was usurped by the ground hog in 1887 in America.

Ireland folklorist Kevin Danaher says that "To see a hedgehog was a good weather sign, for the hedgehog comes out of the hole in which he has spent the winter, looks about to judge the weather, and returns to his burrow if bad weather is going to continue. If he stays out, it means that he knows that mild weather is coming.”  The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs.

February is also Black History Month, Creative Romance Month, and An Affair to Remember Month.   

AND our Bookish Bookology Author of the month is Agatha Christie.  

Dame Agatha Christie was born September 15, 1890 in Torquay, Devon. She began writing poems when she was a child and short stories by the age of 18. During the first world war, she started writing detective stories.  In 1919, her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published and she went on to publish 66 detective novels, 14 short story collections as well as plays, plus 6 romances under the pseudonym of Mary Westmacott.   She created numerous characters including Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence as well as Ariadne Oliver, Harley Quin and Parkey Pyne. 

She loved archaeology and traveling. She traveled on the Orient Express in 1928, then in 1930 went on to an archaeological site in UR, Nineveh in the Middle East  where she met Max who become her second husband. She accompanied him on many digs and her stories were inspired by all her true life experiences.  In 1955, She was the first to receive the Grand Master Award, the highest honor by the Mystery Writers of America's.  In 1971, she was granted female knighthood as Dame Commander of the British Empire for her literary work.  She passed away at the age of 85 on January 12, 1976.


Agatha Christie is also one of our 52 Books bingo categories as well as the subject of one of our Perpetual Reading challenges. I've been bouncing around the list, instead of reading chronologically, and currently have Why didn't they ask Evans?, Mystery of the Blue Train, and Sad Cypress in my reading stacks. 

 If you've been following the Read Agatha Christie 2023 Motive and Methods readalong challenge, February's read is Partners in Crime, from one of her Tommy and Tuppence short story collections.   

And the Royal Reading Room recently covered Agatha Christie during their Christmas Interlude which including a video discussion between Vaseem Khan, Dreda Say Mitchell, Robert Thorogood, and James Prichard on the Legacy and Life of Agatha Christie.  

Enjoy exploring through the creative mind of Agatha Christie.


Our post is sponsored by the letter E. Big E, little e, what begins with E.  Earl and Edward, everyman and everywhere, earnestly earning enlightenment and erudition. 

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Sunday, January 22, 2023

BW4: 2023 Chinese Lunar New Year: Year of the Rabbit

 


Happy Sunday! Today is the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year which is the Year of the Rabbit.  

"Rabbits are known to be incredibly witty, outgoing, well-spoken, creative, empathetic, thoughtful and meditative; the water element of 2023 means this year will bring even more introspection, peace and hope... It’s a season to hone into your imagination, intuition and instincts. With artistic inspiration as a focal point, the rabbit encourages you to fill your heart and soul with hobbies and crafts. Poetry, painting, making music—any activity that instills inner harmony will reign supreme."  Stylecaster - Cam Zhang

Good thing I'm in a creative mood this year.   

I love following rabbit trails and have been following a lot of rabbit trails lately on Instagram, posts about books and bullet journaling and writing and books, books, and more books, with a little bit of self help thrown in, along with a smattering of celebrities. Which brings me to the point of this post - we're going to dive down a rabbit hole this week and read something with or about or symbolizes rabbits this week.  No, it doesn't have to be an actual rabbit. 

While reading Julia Cameron's Write for Life this week,  I was reminded of the story, The Tortoise and the Hare when Cameron reminds writers to take it slow and easy and not race ahead. "Slow and steady wins the race." 

I'm suddenly reminded of The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown which we used to read way back when James was a toddler. And of course, Goodnight Moon, both which hold a special place in our hearts. 

Read a books with rabbits or bunnies or other animals on the cover, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. 

Read a book with an animal protagonist, maybe rabbit detective's like Mr. and Mrs. Bunny — Detectives Extraordinaire!

Read about an Anthromorphic animal, like Watership Down by Richard Adams, or Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. 

Read a book about a character with the nickname rabbit like John Updike's Rabbit, Run. 

Read about the joys of rabbits, the care and feeding, the raising of rabbits.


Who is your favorite rabbit character?  

Have fun! 

This post was brought to you by the letter D! Big D, little d, what begins with D. Dutch rabbits, deer, dingo or dragonflies. Donuts, dragon fruits, drumsticks or dandelions.  Dickens, Dumas, Dorothy or Daniel. Whether they are dangerous, dandy, or down right dastardly, don't deny you like to read about stories with a begin or end with a D.

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Sunday, January 15, 2023

BW3: Blue

 


Happy Sunday!  I follow different publishers and different book bloggers, and I keep seeing all these bookshelves that are categorized by books of the same color.  Some of the pictures are kind of pretty and others, truth be told, look garish and unsightly. There are even companies,  like Juniper Books, who curates books by color.  

Is it the color that matters, or the content of the book that matters?  To me, it's more the content. The color coding would drive me crazy, because I like to categorize, then alphabetize my books. All my Nora Roberts books take up one whole bookcase, while Robert Jordan's may take up a shelf as well as Faith Hunter and few others.  And some of the authors do make some kind of attempt to color coordinate their covers. Take for example, James Rollin's Sigma Force series or J.D. Robb's In Death series.  Yes, they are double parked, at least until our new shelves come in. And that's another story. 




Hmm? Robb's name seems to have gotten larger over the years.  


But,  I do have some bookshelves which I'll arrange the books by height:


Yes, I'll admit it's a thing, probably as much as someone else arranging their shelves by color is a thing. Everyone has their own ways of shelving books, whether it's pleasing to the eye, organized by category or alphabetical or chronologically, artfully or willy nilly.   How do you like to arrange your bookshelves?  

And you're probably wondering why I named this week's post Blue.  That's because I'm reading The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau which is a historical novel about finding the secrets of porcelain and the color blue and it gave me the idea for the post.  

Your mission this week is the read a book with a blue cover or with blue in the title or about the subject blue, whatever that may be. 

Our post is sponsored by the letter C this week.  Big C, little c, what begins with C.  Color, coins, capital or class. Clarke or Cruickshank's, Cooper or Cox,  Conrad or Child, what a conundrum. Find a  character that's canny or cagey or cunning. 

Happy Reading! 

 

Please share your thoughts and reviews. Link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week. 

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Sunday, January 8, 2023

BW2: 52 Books Bingo - Eastern



"East of the sun and west of the moon.' As unfathomable as the words were, I realized I must figure them out, reason it through. For I would go to this impossible land that lay east of the sun and west of the moon. From the moment the sleigh had vanished from sight and I could no longer hear the silver bells I knew that I would go after the stranger that had been the white bear to make right the terrible wrong I had done him.... All that mattered was to make things right. And I would do whatever it took, journey to wherever I must, to reach that goal.” ~ Edith Pattou, East


Happy Sunday!  Our first 52 Books Bingo category is Eastern which means our reading journey is taking us east.  But where in the east? We could go to the Far East, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, East of the Mississippi, or maybe the East coast.  Turn towards the east and read a book from whichever town, city, state, or country is in that direction.  Find a a book with East in the title or a character, or even a dog named East. Ask a family member to blindly pick a point on the map located in the east and read a book by an author closest to that point. How you interpret it is up to you.

11 Fantastic Books set in Asia

15 Must Read Books by Middle Eastern Authors

50 Must Reads of Slavic Literature 

53 Books Directly Related to Mississippi

Books with East in the Title 

Authors with East in their name




Our post is brought to you this week by the letter B.  Big b, little b, what begins with B?   Read a book by Babbage or Baker or Bruce.  Read a book about a Beatrice or Betty or a Ben. Read a book about a Bee or a Bat or a Badger. Read a book set in Baton Rouge, Bangladesh, or Bangor, or Botswana. Read a book about Badminton, or baseball, or barrel racing. Whether they are beguiling or baffling, beautiful or bossy, every book begins with a b. *wink*


What book did you read this week that was better than a bag of chips? 

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Please share your thoughts and reviews. Link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week. 

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Sunday, January 1, 2023

BW1: Welcome to another bookish adventure around the world

 


"A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, 
leading out into  the expanding universe" ~ Madeleine L'Engle


Happy New Year and welcome to our 15th year of Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks. If you are new to our reading quest, the official goal is 52 books. How you get there is up to you.  But I'll tell you a secret. Shh, I'll whisper, but don't tell anyone.  For those who hate setting goals, we have an unofficial goal which is to set your own goal.  Read what you want, explore and dive into those longer books, engage your mind and soul and don't worry.  Have fun. Follow as many rabbit trails as you like and see where they lead. 

To help us have fun, there are a number of mini, monthly, annual, and perpetual challenges to choose from.  For 2023 we have an updated Bookish Bookology which is our author of the month. There are a number of ways to complete the challenge, including but not limited to:  

  • Spell out the author's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.
  • Read one or more books written by the author. 
  • Read a book written in the country or time period of the author.
We traditionally start our year with Haruki Murakami, our January author the month, so we are going to dive right in and head to East Asia. Which coincidently fills our Eastern Bingo category.  Nudge nudge wink wink!!

I couldn't wait so I already started After Dark which is all about the magical hours between midnight to dawn. Standing by to reread almost immediately is 1Q84 which I think is one of Murakami's best stories ever.  According to Murakami it is a mind bending ode to George Orwell's 1984.  Also on my shelves are Novelist as a Vocation and his short story collection Men Without Women.  And if you like comparing books to film, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car was adapted from the short story Drive My Car in Men Without Women.  

We also have an updated Bingo which is taking us around the world, from the north to the south, from the east to the west as well as taking us through the libraries of Agatha Christie, Neal Peart, Jorge Luis Borges and Mind Voyages Science Fiction / Fantasy adventure.  And if you're working your way through Well Educated Mind, the list is available in the menu bar.   

We'll be working our way through the alphabet again with A to Z and Back Again. There are a variety of ways to complete the project and you don't have to stick with authors or titles only.  Check out the link on the menu bar for more information. 

Our A to Z and Back Again letter of the week is A.

Are you ready? Great! It's time to put on your hat and walking shoes, strap on your backpack, grab that walking stick and start our reading adventure. 

Happy reading and cheers to a wonderful, enlightening, fun reading new year! 

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