Today is the birthday of the late great author, Terry Pratchett. If you’re not familiar with his writing, his work is best described as comedic fantasy, but it’s so much more than that. He had a way of saying things that would simultaneously make you laugh and make you say “Huh, I never thought of…
Author: Kristin
Friday Funnies
Today I’d like to introduce you to the wonderful Irish sketch comedy group, Foil Arms and Hog. Their sketches cover a wide range of topics, ranging from “slice of life” to wacky anthropomorphism. Last week’s sketch was book-related, and if the lads are to be believed, they may be doing a sequel to it sometime….
Bookish swag for Spring
Now that the weather is beginning to become more spring-like, it’s time to sport some flair! The website Geek and Artsy has some wonderful pins that celebrate all things bookish. See below for a few examples of the goodies on offer!
Notable and Quotable
“Books don’t change lives. They can change how you think, but it’s you that changed your life. You allowed the book to influence you, then you chose to change how you live. The power was always in you, the book just opened the door.” –from Landlines: The Remarkable Story of a Thousand-Mile Journey Across Britain…
Celebrate! World Poetry Day
In 1999, UNESCO proposed March 21 as World Poetry Day, recognizing the art form that can be found in every country in the world in one form or another. In doing so, UNESCO hoped to celebrate poetry and promote poetic expression. This year marks the 25th anniversary of this literary holiday, so today, I’d like…
Notable and Quotable
“The thing I like best about St. Patrick’s Day is how the Irish collectively concluded that God understands about it, so they’re allowed to break Lent.” –from Death in Irish Accents by Catie Murphy —Photo taken in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Ireland Happy St. Patrick’s Day! (A little early, but still…)
Friday funnies
Above two graphics taking from the Writing About Writing Facebook page. Love in a disco bathroom… Oh, the puns…
Notable and Quotable
“Books are everywhere; and always the same sense of adventure fills us. Second-hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack. Besides, in this random miscellaneous company we may rub against some complete stranger who…
Cozy mystery: Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy
Okay, I’ll admit it… I picked up this book because I’m a sucker for anything set in Ireland. I’ve only been reading cozy mysteries for a couple of years, so without that, I’m not sure that this book would have been on my radar. I am glad that I found it, though. A lot of the draw for me was the setting. I’ve spent some time in Dublin and found myself recognizing landmarks mentioned in the story. Obviously, that won’t be a factor for anybody unfamiliar with the city, but I do think that the author does a good job of painting a picture of Dublin and letting readers get a taste of what it’s like. In other respects, the book has a lot of the things that make a cozy mystery so engaging: a couple of adorable dogs; quirky characters; an intriguing mystery; and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. I do have to give a shout-out to the fact that the main character, Megan, is a female Army veteran with training as a medic. While a lot of cozy mysteries have a female main character, it’s nice to see one with a less-than-usual backstory. Think of this as a “comfort read” for the run-up to St. Patrick’s Day. Dead in Dublin is a fun read and it’s well worth investing your time in this series.
Celebrate! Read Across America Day/Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel’s birthday
March 2 is the birthday of popular childrens’ author Theodor Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss. On his birthday, we also celebrate Read Across America day, which was established in 1998 by the National Education Association to encourage kids to get excited about reading. While the reading program itself may seem more aimed at teachers…