How to Shop a Library Sale

Hi! I’m Mary Jo, and I’m a book addict. Everyone: “Hi, Mary Jo!” Seven months ago I moved from Mississippi to Tennessee, and I still haven’t unpacked the last 20-30 boxes out of the 160 boxes of books I hauled across the state line. Even so, in addition to randomly buying a few books now … Read more

A Melville-Mitford Monday Mash-Up

Call me Bibliophile. Some hours ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and no patience left with the incompetent and oblivious people I encountered in a long day of shopping, I thought I would travel about a little and revisit Mitford. It is a way I have of driving off … Read more

Our Christmas Traditions

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is reading aloud in front of the fire and the Christmas tree lights each evening in December. This year we’re reading The Handel’s Messiah Family Advent Reader, which includes 28 nightly devotionals and an audio CD with related bits of The Messiah to accompany each reading. A “Read … Read more

What are your favorite Christmas books?

In honor of St. Nicholas Day, my boys and I are about to snuggle by the fire and read one of our favorite Christmas books: The Baker’s Dozen: A St. Nicholas Tale A fair but tight-fisted baker learns an important lesson about generosity. This new edition includes a recipe and pattern for St. Nicholas cookies. … Read more

Lesser Titles

Great titles are really important to the success of a book (or movie). A while back there was something called “Lesser Titles” on Twitter. Here are a few of my contributions: The Sun Also Peeps through the Clouds in the Rain The Cerulean Letter The Taming of the Meerkat Sleepless in Schenectady Lost: Pair o’ … Read more

The Experience of Reading Physical Books

John Evans of Lemuria Bookstore, a fabulous independent bookstore in Jackson, Mississippi, writes about the experience of holding and reading a physical book: “Finishing a book is special. It becomes part of your life as it rests on your bookshelf. It watches you as you live around it. It’s always waiting to be held and … Read more