I'm part Irish.
I've never been kissed for it, but then again, I've never sported the shirt (or anything green, for that matter) on St. Patrick's Day requesting a kiss for being Irish so the onus is on me. 100%.
Even though I'm part Irish, I can't say I'm well-read when it comes to Irish authors, Irish settings, or Irish books. I don't know why, but there it is. Again, the onus is on me. 100%.
That's why this year I decided to rectify my reading faux pas and this blog is the result of my research.
If you're looking to add a little Irish to your TBR, here are a few of my own Irish Book Recs to Read this St. Patrick's Day.
If you love the Emerald Isle (or just the idea of it), here is a list of books set in Ireland that might scratch an itch.
1. Dubliners by James Joyce, a collection of short stories capturing the everyday life of Dubliners in the early 20th century. (One of the few I have read, you can learn more about my thoughts here.)
2. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt is a Pulitzer Prize winning memoir depicting the author's impoverished childhood in Limerick during the 1930s and 1940s. (Another one I've read and recommend. I shared my thoughts in detail here.)
3. Trinity by Leon Uris is a sweeping historical novel set against the backdrop of Ireland's tumultuous history, particularly focusing on the Irish struggle for independence. This subject interests me greatly, so it is toward the top of my TBR.
4. Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy is set in a small Irish town and the novel follows the lives and friendships of a group of young women coming of age in the 1950s.
5. Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín, set in the 1950s, is a post-WW2 novel that tells the story of a young Irish woman who emigrates to Brooklyn, New York, and must navigate the challenges of a new country while grappling with her ties to her homeland.
6. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry is a novel exploring the life of an elderly woman living in a mental hospital in Ireland and the secrets of her past, intertwined with the country's history. Since I loved A Man Called Ove (among others) so much, I wonder if this one has the same vibe. Fingers crossed.
7. The Troubles Trilogy by Adrian McKinty is an Irish trilogy offers a gripping portrayal of Northern Ireland during the Troubles through the eyes of a Catholic detective navigating sectarian tensions.
These seven books should provide a diverse range of perspectives on Irish history, culture, and society, from different time periods and settings, which is why they top my Irish TBR pile.
If you prefer to stick to tried-and-true, award-winning Irish novels, I've collected seven across various genres that I think might be worth checking out:
1. The Gathering by Anne Enright
Winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2007, this novel explores themes of family, grief, and memory as it follows the Hegarty family who are gathering for their brother's funeral.
2. The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan
Winner of the Guardian First Book Award in 2013, this novel offers a multi-narrative portrait of a community in rural Ireland grappling with the aftermath of the financial crisis.
3. Solar Bones by Mike McCormack
Winner of the Goldsmiths Prize in 2016, this experimental novel is written in a single sentence (egads!) and follows the internal monologue of a deceased engineer reflecting on his life and the state of modern Ireland. Sounds deep - a kind of reminiscent of To the Lighthouse in writing style.
4. A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride
Winner of the Goldsmiths Prize in 2013 and the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction in 2014, this experimental novel offers a raw and intense portrayal of a young woman's coming of age in Ireland.
5. The Green Road by Anne Enright
Winner of the Irish Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards in 2015, this novel follows the lives of the Madigan family over several decades, exploring themes of family dynamics, identity, and belonging. This one is tugging at my heartstrings.
6. Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan
Winner of the Irish Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards in 2020, this novel explores the impact of a young woman's disappearance on her family and community in rural Ireland during the 1970s.
7. Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
Another Booker Prize Winner (2023), this dystopian novel revolves around an Ireland slipping into authoritarianism and is experienced through a mother's lens, a mother whose love forces her to test the lengths she would go to in saving her family. (Oh so relatable!)
These award-winning novels show the talent and diversity of Irish literature, spanning various themes, styles, and time periods, which is why I think they merit a closer look.
Which Irish authors and titles would you recommend? I hope you'll share your favorite must-read Irish Book Recs in the comments.
]]>Since today it is International Women's Day (and March is Women's History Month), I thought this would be a good time to get cozy with a celebrated lady author of the past and one that is sure to be read and reread well into the future. There is such a plethora of fantastic, admirable women writers, and instead of getting stuck in the weeds sharing an exhaustive list of ladies you should be reading, I thought we'd dive deep on one in particular - L. M. Montgomery.
Lucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author born on November 30, 1874, in Clifton (now New London), Prince Edward Island. She is best known as the author and creator of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series which continues to captivate readers around the world over a century after its first publication (c. 1908). Montgomery's works are known and loved for their vivid depictions of nature, mesmerizing characters, and engaging stories of love, friendship, and the pursuit of what makes her heroines happy.
Grab a cuppa your favorite sippable and sit a moment with me as we chat about celebrated author L. M. Montgomery, learning a little about what made the author and gives her literary legacy such staying power in the process.
Montgomery's childhood was marked by the death of her mother when she was very young, and she was raised by her strict maternal grandparents. Despite the challenges she faced, Montgomery found solace in books and writing, developing a fertile imagination that would later shape her writing.
Montgomery had a rich imagination from a young age, often creating elaborate stories and fantasies to entertain herself.
1. Before settling on L. M. Montgomery, the author initially considered using the pen names "Maud Cavendish" and "Belinda Bluegrass" for her writing.
2. In addition to her novels, Montgomery published several collections of poetry throughout her career. Her poetry often explored themes of nature, love, and the human experience, much like her works of fiction.
3. The landscapes of Prince Edward Island, where Montgomery grew up, served as inspiration for the picturesque settings in many of her novels.
4. Montgomery's first attempts at novel-writing were rejected by publishers, but she persevered and eventually found success with Anne of Green Gables.
5. Despite her literary success, Montgomery struggled with depression throughout her life, which is reflected in some of her darker and more introspective works.
6. Montgomery had a secret engagement with Edwin Simpson, a friend of her cousin's, which ended abruptly when she discovered he had a drinking problem.
7. Montgomery married Ewan Macdonald in 1911, and they had two sons together. Despite her happy family life, Montgomery often felt conflicted between her roles as a wife and mother and her desire for independence and creative expression.
8. Despite her literary success, Montgomery's marriage to Ewan Macdonald was marked by financial struggles and periods of depression.
9. Montgomery was an avid journal keeper, documenting her thoughts, experiences, and creative ideas throughout her life. Her journals provide valuable insights into her personal life and writing process.
10. Montgomery had specific writing rituals, such as facing a certain direction and using a certain pen, which she believed helped her focus and channel her creativity.
11. Montgomery received posthumous recognition for her contributions to literature, including induction into the Canadian Women's Hall of Fame.
L.M. Montgomery often mirrored her own experiences, emotions, and observations in her characters, drawing inspiration from her own life to create relatable and authentic portrayals. Some ways in which Montgomery's life was reflected in her characters are:
Imagination and Creativity
Like many of her characters, Montgomery had a vivid imagination and a deep appreciation for nature. Characters such as Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables and Emily Starr from the Emily series share Montgomery's love for storytelling and her keen observation of the world they see around them.
Struggles with Depression
Montgomery struggled with periods of depression throughout her life, and this theme is often reflected in her characters' emotional journeys. Characters like Emily Starr and Valancy Stirling from The Blue Castle grapple with feelings of loneliness, insecurity, and the search for purpose, mirroring Montgomery's own private struggles.
Romantic Relationships
Montgomery's own experiences with romantic relationships, including her secret engagement and her marriage to Ewan MacDonald, influenced the romantic storylines in her novels. Characters such as Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe, as well as Emily Starr and Teddy Kent, navigate the complexities of love and courtship in ways that reflect Montgomery's own romantic ideals and challenges.
Sense of Place
Montgomery's deep connection to Prince Edward Island, where she spent much of her life, is evident in her novels, where the island serves as a symbolic and idyllic setting. Characters like Anne Shirley and Emily Starr find solace and inspiration in the natural beauty of their surroundings, echoing Montgomery's own affection for the island's landscapes and communities.
It may surprise you to learn that Montgomery enjoyed writing a variety of novels (twenty!), short stories, and even collections of poetry, though Anne of Green Gables (c.1908) remains her most-famous.
If you've already enjoyed Anne Shirley's tale, here are a few lesser-known novels to check out:
1. The Blue Castle
This standalone novel tells the story of Valancy Stirling, a woman who decides to live life on her own terms after receiving life-altering news. It's a tale of self-discovery, love, and embracing the unexpected.
2. Emily of New Moon (a trilogy)
While not as famous as the "Anne" series, the "Emily" trilogy follows the life of Emily Starr, an imaginative and aspiring writer growing up in Prince Edward Island. The series explores themes of creativity, friendship, and the struggles of adolescence.
3. Kilmeny of the Orchard
This novel tells the story of Eric Marshall, a young man who moves to a remote village and falls in love with Kilmeny Gordon, a mute girl who communicates through sign language. It's a poignant tale of love, communication, and acceptance.
4. The Story Girl and The Golden Road
These two novels are part of Montgomery's Story Girl series, which follows a group of cousins as they spend summers together on Prince Edward Island. The books are filled with charming anecdotes, vivid characters, and nostalgic reflections on childhood.
5. Jane of Lantern Hill
This novel follows the journey of Jane Stuart, a young girl who discovers a newfound sense of belonging and purpose when she spends a summer with her estranged father on Prince Edward Island. It's a heartwarming story of family, reconciliation, and personal growth.
These lesser-known novels showcase Montgomery's talent for crafting compelling characters, evocative settings, and heartfelt stories that transcend the familiar Green Gables.
Montgomery's novels often feature strong and resilient female protagonists who navigate various challenges and obstacles with courage and determination. Her relatable characters provide representation and serve as role models for women, showing us that we can pursue our dreams and overcome the adversities that come our way.
Her writing promotes female empowerment and independence, encouraging women to assert themselves and pursue their passions. Through her characters' journeys, the author inspires us as women to embrace our strengths and cherish what makes us each a unique individual.
Montgomery's novels sift through the complexities of the female experience, and explores them with depth and nuance. By doing so, the author offers insight into the multifaceted lives women lead, providing us as readers with a greater understanding of our own experiences.
The author's writing, like many of the great voices of the past, validates the emotions and struggles faced by women, acknowledging the range of feelings we experience, from joy and love to loneliness and insecurity.
As a female author in the early 20th century, Montgomery's literary legacy has paved the way for subsequent generations of women writers. By reading Montgomery's works, women can begin to fully appreciate her contributions to literature and be inspired by her literary legacy in the process.
The Blue Castle is a standalone novel by L. M. Montgomery published in 1926. The story follows the life of Valancy Stirling, a 29-year-old spinster living with her overbearing and critical family in the small Canadian town of Deerwood. Valancy is considered an old maid by society's standards and is constantly belittled by her family. However, her life takes a drastic turn when she receives news of a serious heart condition, leading her to reevaluate her priorities. With newfound courage and determination, Valancy decides to live life on her own terms and to pursue her dreams.
As Valancy navigates the complexities of love, friendship, and self-discovery, she learns to let go of her fears and insecurities, embracing the beauty and joy of the world around her. The Blue Castle is a heartwarming tale of transformation, resilience, and the power of love to heal and inspire. Through Valancy's journey, Montgomery explores themes of societal expectations, female independence, and the importance of living authentically.
Experience The Blue Castle in a creative way here.
And if you'd like to incorporate more classic female authors into your reading rotation, I invite you to join us in the Classics Community, Pretty Literate's monthly subscription box for book lovers just like you. Learn more here.
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If you're starting to enjoy seasonally superior weather, as well, you're going to want to grab a book and enjoy one (or more!) of these 30 Outdoor Reading Spots That Are Perfect for Spring.
1. City Parks
Explore your local city parks to find a quiet spot under a tree or by a pond where you can enjoy reading surrounded by nature. Your city should have a listing of all the parks in your area on their website.
2. Botanical Gardens
Visit a botanical garden filled with blooming flowers, lush greenery, and tranquil pathways for a serene reading experience. Travel apps like TripAdvisor are a great place to start. Not only will you discover nearby gardens, but many times users share their secret spots and must-see portions of the gardens with you in the reviews.
3. Beachfront
If you're lucky enough to live close enough, head to the beach and set up a beach chair or towel near the water's edge, where you can enjoy the sound of waves while reading. Don't forget the sunscreen.
4. Rooftop Gardens
Research to see if there are any rooftop gardens in your city for a unique outdoor reading experience with views of the skyline and fresh air. Travel apps are, again, good resources to discover these hidden gems in your area.
5. Campgrounds
Weather you go for the day or you plan an overnighter, campgrounds are great places to read and relax surrounded by the sights and sounds of the beginnings of spring.
6. Hiking Trails
Take a break during a hike and find a scenic spot with a view where you can sit and read amidst the beauty of the outdoors. Or listen to a great audiobook while you enjoy exploring mile after mile on the trails.
7. Backyard Hammock
Set up a hammock in your backyard and spend a lazy afternoon reading as the springtime breeze gently rocks you back and forth.
8. Picnic Areas
Pack a picnic basket with snacks and a good book, then head to a local picnic area in a park, nature reserve, a rest stop, or one of the thousands of historic mile markers you normally just drive past.
9. Arboretums
Explore a local arboretum featuring a variety of trees and plants under which you can find shade (and back support) while you read, enjoying the peaceful setting.
10. Library Courtyards
Some libraries (like mine) have outdoor courtyards or reading gardens where you can borrow a book and relax in the fresh air to read it. Check with your local library to see if yours has this hidden oasis.
11. Historical Monuments
Visit historical monuments or landmarks in your town with scenic surroundings where you can sit and read while soaking up the ambiance. The GetYourGuide website is a great place to start your search.
12. Café Patios
Choose a café with outdoor seating and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while reading in the bustling yet cozy atmosphere. Starbucks is good, but a small Mom & Pop Shop is better. Aim to discover a new place.
13. College Campuses
Yes, college campuses. Wander through a nearby college campuses and admire the beautiful architecture and landscaped grounds this spring. Then find a quiet spot to while away your time reading.
14. Waterfront Boardwalks
There are a lot of waterfront boardwalks popping up around the country, even in areas where there formerly was no water. Find one, take a stroll along the water on the boardwalk, and claim a bench or seating areas overlooking the water for that perfect for reading view.
15. Community Gardens
You probably have one in your local area as community gardens have been making a splash all around the country in the past decade or so. Join (or visit) a community garden and read surrounded by blooming flowers, vegetable patches, and gardening enthusiasts. You might learn a thing or two in the process.
16. Fruit Orchards
Visit a fruit orchard during blossom season and find a peaceful spot among the trees to read while enjoying the fragrant blooms. A quick Google search will give you a list of possible spots.
17. Zen Gardens
Seek out Zen gardens or Japanese gardens known for their tranquility and minimalist design, offering a serene setting for reading and reflection. The North American Japanese Garden Association website makes finding one near you a snap with their online map of gardens.
18. Wildflower Meadows
Explore meadows or fields filled with wildflowers in bloom, providing a picturesque backdrop for outdoor reading sessions (and Instagram photos).
19. Riverbanks
Sit alongside a riverbank with grassy embankments or sandy shores, where you can read while listening to the soothing sounds of flowing water. (I can already feel the tension in my body leaving at just the thought.)
20. Farmers' Markets
Browse farmers' markets and find a cozy spot to read while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of the market. Bonus: Farm fresh finger foods to nosh while you read your novel.
21. Historic Cemeteries
Hear me out. Historic cemeteries usually have landscaped grounds and shaded pathways so they provide the perfectly peaceful setting for quiet reading that you crave.
22. Sculpture Gardens
Discover the sculpture gardens in your local area featuring outdoor art installations and manicured landscapes for a unique backdrop for your springtime reading.
23. Vineyard Rows
If you visit a vineyard or wineries during the spring season, find a spot among the rows of grapevines to read while enjoying the scenic views. There are so many small batch, Mom and Pop vineyards that you may very well have one near you.
24. Seaside Piers
If the distance isn't a deterrent, walk along a seaside pier with benches and seating areas that extend over the water to take in a refreshing breeze and scenic views while you read this spring.
25. Campus Quad
The polar opposite of campus reading, a campus quad is the perfect spot to read for those that enjoy activity and background noise while they read. Enjoy grassy goodness, shade trees, or benches, all of which are ideal for outdoor reading for someone that does not prefer quiet solitude.
26. Outdoor Amphitheaters
If your local outdoor amphitheater is holding an event or performance this spring, why not plan to go and bring a book to read while waiting for the show to start?
27. Cottage Gardens
Create a cottage garden with quaint pathways, colorful blooms, and cozy seating areas in your own space, offering a charming setting for yourself for late-springtime reading.
28. Public Plazas
Visit a public plaza or square in your town with fountains, sculptures, and outdoor seating, the perfect place for reading and people-watching.
29. City Rooftop Restaurants
Enjoy your favorite drink at a rooftop restaurant with outdoor seating. The panoramic city views, sweet breeze, and refreshing beverages are a winning combination for spring reading.
30. Tea Gardens
Research tea gardens with outdoor seating areas in your area and get your read on surrounded by aromatic herbs and flowers, providing a sensory experience for springtime reading.
My 30 Outdoor Reading Spots That Are Perfect for Spring offer a diverse range of settings, from urban parks to rural landscapes, allowing readers to immerse themselves in nature, culture, and history while enjoying their favorite spring-themed books during this sensational season.
Which have you tried? Which would you recommend?
Which reading spots intrigued you?
What places would you add to the list?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
I've got the perfect springtime classic and we're reading it right now inside Pretty Literate's Monthly Book Club.
Check it out here - or better yet, come read with us inside Pretty Literate's Monthly Book Club starting this month.
Three levels to pick from.
One is just right for you.
]]>Recently I came across something called "Top 10 Tuesday" on social media and since I thought it was too good to pass up, I dove right in.
I excitedly shared my T𝐨p 1𝟎 𝐁o𝐨k R𝐞c𝐬 𝐭o R𝐨u𝐧d O𝐮t Y𝐨u𝐫 𝐑e𝐚d𝐢n𝐠 𝐟o𝐫 𝐁H𝐌 on PL's Facebook and Instagram pages - all books that I'd read personally and could give a hearty must-read recommendation to our Pretty Literate Community. Hastily, I crafted social posts (and even sent an email to my best book buds!) because this month is too-quickly coming to a close and I hoped to get the book recs to my reading BFFs before it was too late.
After the email was sent and the social media posts were...well...posted, I did a solid facepalm because a book rec is nothing without some context and a reason (or two!) to read it.
"Top 10 Tuesday," then, is the inspiration behind this week's Pretty Literate Blog - to slow down and share a little more in-depth why I chose these particular books in my T𝐨p 1𝟎 𝐁o𝐨k R𝐞c𝐬 𝐭o R𝐨u𝐧d O𝐮t Y𝐨u𝐫 𝐑e𝐚d𝐢n𝐠 𝐟o𝐫 𝐁H𝐌 earlier this week.
Grab a cuppa your favorite sippable and settle in for some girlfriend time as I share not only a bit of context for each book, but why I think it's a solid book rec for YOU to read, too.
☑️ WHY I READ IT
I discovered Jubilee by Margaret Walker within a year of reading (and loving) Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and I think that contributed greatly to my enjoyment of the 1966 classic. The two novels counterbalanced one another beautifully, leaving me with a more holistic view of the south during Reconstruction than would have been possible reading only one of the titles.
☑️ OVERVIEW
"Jubilee tells the true story of Vyry, the child of a white plantation owner and his black mistress. Vyry bears witness to the antebellum South in both its opulence and its brutality, its wartime ruin, and the promises of Reconstruction.
Weaving her own family’s oral history with thirty years of research, Margaret Walker brings the everyday experiences of slaves to light in a novel that churns with the hunger, the hymns, the struggles, and the very breath of American history."
The bestselling classic about a mixed-race child in the Civil War-era South that chronicles the triumph of a free spirit over many kinds of bondage. (The New York Times Book Review).
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
Read it for the story (based on the oral history of the author's real-life great grandmother). Get lost in Vyry's saga and, in the process, discover a balanced view of the post-Civil War South.
☑️ WHY I READ IT
I read Kindred for the first time a few years ago and it was utterly unputdownable. I chose Kindred based on the fact that it involved time travel and I am up for a good time travel book just about any day of the week. It ended up being so. much. more. It is the perfect blend of sci-fi, romance, fantasy, and historical fiction, and lest you are rolling your eyes about the recent screen adaptation (one that did not get renewed for a 2nd season, leaving the rest of the story woefully untold) - THE BOOK IS SO MUCH BETTER!
☑️ OVERVIEW
"Dana, a modern Black woman, is celebrating her 26th birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana’s life will end, long before it has a chance to begin."
The visionary author’s masterpiece pulls us—along with her Black female hero—through time to face the horrors of slavery and explore the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now. (Goodreads)
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
If you're looking for a solid escapism of the best kind this month, Kindred is it. Hands-down.
☑️ WHY I READ IT
I read Passing for the first time a few years ago as I was researching upcoming novels to read in PL's Monthly Book Club. Nella Larsen's 1929 novel compares and contrasts the lives of 3 African-American women - all light of color enough to pass as white in their everyday lives.
One does just that, marrying a racist white man who does not know she is passing (as white).
One does not, marrying an African-American doctor and living the American dream as a prosperous black family.
One serves as a hybrid of the two positions, married to a white man, but living the life of an interracial couple openly.
☑️ OVERVIEW
"Married to a successful physician and prominently ensconced in Harlem's vibrant society of the 1920s, Irene Redfield leads a charmed existence - until she is shaken out of it by a chance encounter with a childhood friend. Clare Kendry has been 'passing for white,' hiding her true identity from everyone, including her racist husband. Clare and her dangerous secret pose an increasingly powerful threat to Irene's security, forcing both women to confront the hazards of public and private deception. Her fictional portraits of women seeking their identities through a fog of racial confusion were informed by her own Danish-West Indian parentage, and Passing offers fascinating psychological insights into issues of race and gender."
The genius of this book is that its protagonists . . . are complex and fully realized. . . . The work of a highly talented and thoughtful writer. (Richard Bernstein, The New York Times)
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
You will find the lives each woman led intriguing, their marriages so alike even as they differed, and the prejudices held even within one's own race gripping. And get this - the sweet icing on Nella Larsen's cake is the awesome surprise ending. Who doesn't love those?
☑️ WHY I READ IT
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is one of the most engaging autobiographies that I've ever read. The short chapters kept me moving forward at a quick pace through the unforgettable and unique slave narrative written entirely from the perspective of a woman.
☑️ OVERVIEW
"Harriet Jacobs—writing under the pseudonym Linda Brent—relates the story of her girlhood and adolescence as a slave in North Carolina and her eventual escape...set in the complex terrain of a chauvinist, white supremacist society. Resolutely addressing women readers, rather than men, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl seeks to make white women understand how the threat of sexual violence shapes the lives of enslaved Black women and children."
Harriet Jacobs’s narrative bears rare witness to the female experience of slavery, highlighting the threat of sexual exploitation and appealing directly to women. (Betsy Reed, The Guardian)
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a must-read because of its uniquely female perspective, a rarity in the slave narrative sector. Although it is technically nonfiction, Jacobs' memoir reads easily like fiction - captivating, compelling, absorbing fiction that will completely capture the heart of the reader.
☑️ WHY I READ IT
Kathleen Grissom's The Kitchen House was a book that was most recommended to me to read a few years ago. I was excited to discover that my library had a copy available for checkout and quickly snatched their copy to find out what all the fuss was about for myself. The book traced the fictionalized history of one southern plantation through two generations of ownership, highlighting topics that specifically related to the novel’s two main characters:
☑️ OVERVIEW
"Through the unique eyes of Lavinia and Belle, Grissom’s debut novel unfolds in a heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful story of class, race, dignity, deep-buried secrets, and familial bonds."
In this gripping novel, a dark secret threatens to expose the best and worst in everyone tied to the estate at a thriving plantation in Virginia in the decades before the Civil War. (Simon and Schuster)
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
The story follows the lives of the two women mentioned above, both comparing and contrasting each woman's life of servitude, which is compelling to say the least. Other aspects of southern living during slavery are also addressed that you will find equally fascinating, issues like the complicated concepts of family in the slave-economy of the south (both the family you are born into, as well as the ones you create); love & relationships; the advancement of women as a whole; and the lasting impact each of us can have in the lives of those around us.
The Kitchen House had a similar feel to me of Octavia Butler's Kindred (above), so if you enjoyed that 1979 gem, you will love Grissom's The Kitchen House (c. 2010).
☑️ WHY I READ IT
The Personal Librarian initially caught my eye because, honestly, my guilty pleasure was watching The Real Housewives of New York, one of whom married J.P. Morgan's son (or was it grandson?) and I wanted a glimpse behind the curtain of the Morgan empire. Plus, "everyone else was reading it" and that generated quite a bit of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) for me, so I downloaded the audiobook version of The Personal Librarian to accompany me on an upcoming trip and found myself enthralled by this fictionalized account of the real-life librarian of J.P. Morgan. Belle da Costa Green was a woman of color that lived not only a life passing as white, but she became a woman who was revered in a male-dominated field during the Gilded Age. Oh! and she did it with impressive style and in heels, no less!
☑️ OVERVIEW
"In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene was hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle became a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helped create a world-class collection.
But Belle had a secret, one she protected at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She was the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that let her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.
The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives."
Benedict, who is white, and Murray, who is African American, do a good job of depicting the tightrope Belle walked, and her internal conflict from both sides—wanting to adhere to her mother's wishes and move through the world as white even as she longed to show her father she was proud of her race. Like Belle and her employer, Benedict and Murray had almost instant chemistry, and as a result, the book's narrative is seamless...I became hooked. (NPR)
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
The Personal Librarian is nothing short of amazing! It contained conflict, identity crisis, complicated family relationships, struggle, overcoming...all wrapped in a relatable & flawed main character that the reader roots for from the introduction all the way through to the historical notes at the end. I also think you will appreciate the attention to detail the author employed to anchor the story in real-life elements (like the sinking of the Titanic), which help ground the novel in a readily familiar historical context.
If you're looking for a novel that all women - regardless of color - can rally around, it is the inspiring life of Ms. Belle da Costa Green as told in The Personal Librarian.
☑️ WHY I READ IT
I first read Uncle Tom's Cabin while I was teaching. I'm a mood/theme reader and I wanted to read this classic that I'd heard about my entire life in the context of history, so as we began studying the Civil War, I took the opportunity to pick up Stowe's 1852 classic. I couldn't possibly tell you how many years ago that was, but I can tell you that I reflect back on that book more often than any other on this Top 10 List. Growing up (and still living) in the South, so many of the sights and sounds Stowe shared in her groundbreaking novel were familiar to me and as I read and reflected I could see in my mind's eye the story unfolding in the familiar context of the world around me.
☑️ OVERVIEW
"Few novels in American history have grabbed the public spotlight and caused as great an uproar as Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Across the north, readers became acutely aware of the horrors of slavery on a far more personal level than ever before. In the south, the book was met with outrage and branded an irresponsible book of distortions and overstatements.
The heart-wrenching tale portrays slave families forced to cope with separation by masters through sale. Uncle Tom mourns for the family he was forced to leave. The novel also takes the perspective that slavery brings out the worst in the white masters, leading them to perpetrate moral atrocities they would otherwise never commit." (excerpts from USHistory website)
So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war. (President Abraham Lincoln upon meeting the author)
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
To say you will fall in love with Uncle Tom is an understatement. You will begin to know what true investment in a character means as your heart breaks, emotions rise and fall, and your breath is held while following the fate of that beloved man.
☑️ WHY I READ IT
Solomon Northup's story Twelve Years a Slave was my first foray into the world of the slave narrative. It was truly horrific to read and I was mortified by what happened to Northup, an educated New England man who found himself kidnapped and sold into slavery in the south. I yearned alongside Northup while he dreamed of his family who had no idea what had happened to him and held my breath as he endured misery and mistreatment. Twelve Years a Slave was a gripping portrayal of the economic system that enslaved the south before Lincoln's emancipation of millions - and one I think every American should read.
☑️ OVERVIEW
" Solomon Northup was a free man, the son of an emancipated Negro Slave. Until the spring of 1841 he lived a simple, uneventful life with his wife and three children in Upstate New York. Then, suddenly, he fell victim to a series of bizarre events that make this one of the most amazing autobiographies ever written. Originally published in 1853, Northup's autobiography is regarded as one of the best accounts of American Negro slavery ever written by a slave." (LSU Press)
This novel gives insight into the slavery practice, judicial authorities of different states, inhumane punishments for black people. (Goodreads)
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
The injustice of it all, the uncomfortable reality of the slave trade, the brutality of a system that caters to the fickle feelings of a few, an agonizingly honest inside look at the day-to-day life of a slave in the Deep South, and so much more make this 1853 memoir a must-read for us all.
☑️ WHY I READ IT
Like The Kitchen House, Cane River was another novel from the Brilliant Books for Black History Month list that was one of the most recommended and a few pages into it, I easily understood why. Set in south Louisiana, the novel traces the history of the author's family, generation by generation, from slavery to blessed freedom. I read it at the suggestion of my book besties and am so excited to be able to honestly and wholeheartedly pass along the recommendation to you.
☑️ OVERVIEW
"Beginning with her great-great-great-great grandmother, a slave owned by a Creole family, Lalita Tademy chronicles four generations of strong, determined black women as they battle injustice to unite their family and forge success on their own terms. They are women whose lives begin in slavery, who weather the Civil War, and who grapple with contradictions of emancipation, Jim Crow, and the pre-Civil Rights South. As she peels back layers of racial and cultural attitudes, Tademy paints a remarkable picture of rural Louisiana and the resilient spirit of one unforgettable family."
Extraordinary... illuminates the soul of heritage... historical fiction of the highest order. (Philadelphia Enquirer)
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
The novels voice is very personal, almost like a love letter to who the author is and where she came from - which I found absolutely beautiful. The author, while not glossing over the less savory aspects of our nation's history, wrote a truly enlightening novel, sharing real tragedy and the breadth of the human experience without abusing the reader in the process. (Think: Indian-American filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan's movies which show just enough to know what is happening without exposing the moviegoer to the full picture.)
If you are amazed by strong, black women and the sacrifices they make for their children's futures, or marvel at their determination in the face of overwhelming odds, this novel is for you.
If you want to read a real "overcomer" book, this novel is for you.
If you need a healthy dose of perspective, this book is for you.
☑️ WHY I READ IT
The synopsis on the back of this 1931 classic novel is what intrigued me because I love good sci-fi stories and this one seemed perfect to read - not only during Black History Month, but any time of the year because genius-level speculative fiction can be savored year round!
☑️ OVERVIEW
"It’s New Year’s Day 1933 in New York City, and Max Disher, a young black man, has just found out that a certain Dr. Junius Crookman has discovered a mysterious process that allows people to bleach their skin white—a new way to 'solve the American race problem.' Max leaps at the opportunity, and after a brief stay at the Crookman Sanitarium, he becomes Matthew Fisher, a white man who is able to attain everything he has ever wanted: money, power, good liquor, and the white woman who rejected him when he was black."
What would happen to the race problem in America if black people turned white? Would everybody be happy? These questions and more are answered hilariously in Black No More, George S. Schuyler's satiric romp. (Goodreads)
☑️ WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
It starts with a bang and only gains momentum as you turn each satire-driven page. If you want to enjoy a good, fun read packed with powerful perspective, Black No More should be your next book.
Since I'm a reader and always on the lookout for a good book rec just like you, which titles have YOU read & would include in YOUR T𝐨p 1𝟎 𝐁o𝐨k R𝐞c𝐬 𝐭o R𝐨u𝐧d O𝐮t Y𝐨u𝐫 𝐑e𝐚d𝐢n𝐠 𝐟o𝐫 𝐁H𝐌?
I hope you'll share your titles in the comments, both here on the PL Blog and on PL's Facebook & Instagram pages.
If you've never targeted a book for Black History Month, no worries. I gotchu, girl.
Check out the Pretty Literate SHOP for a few of my favorites listed above paired with a bookish souvenir to create a reading experience that you'll want to experience again and again!
Better yet, come read with us inside PL's Monthly Book Club! Not only will you enjoy a monthly opportunity to read more broadly during important times of the year like Black History Month, but you will begin reading your way through sensational classics all year through, tried and true authors who have stood the test of time and a lot of lit that you've probably never heard of before, as well!
Find out more here.
]]>Valentine's Day may be in the rearview, but that doesn't mean we have to wave goodbye to reading romances.
If you're searching for something that leans more toward sweet than sexy, here are 7 Classic Authors to Read for Romance That Will Not Make You Blush.
Jane Austen (1775-1817)
Jane Austen is widely regarded as the best romance writer due to her unparalleled ability to create stories with intricate plots, compelling characters, and timeless themes. Her novels, set during the Georgian Era in England, offer insights into human nature and relationships that remain relevant today. Austen's keen wit, sharp social commentary, and masterful storytelling captivate readers, drawing them into the intricacies of courtship, societal norms, and the pursuit of love. Her heroines are intelligent, independent, and relatable, while her heroes are complex and downright swoon-worthy, creating dynamic and compelling relationships that resonate with readers of all ages. Austen's works continue to endure, solidifying her status as the #1 go-to romance writer in literary history.
Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma are the author’s most beloved romances and great works to begin reading to experience the best the author has to offer.
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865)
Elizabeth Gaskell is revered as one of the best romance writers to read because she was able to weave beautiful, slow burn love stories within the broader context of social realism. In her writing, Gaskell skillfully explored the complexities of human relationships amidst the backdrop of industrialization and societal change. Her heroines are strong and relatable, oftentimes facing both personal and societal challenges with resilience and grace, while her heroes are characterized by their depth and moral integrity. Gaskell's keen observations of human nature, coupled with her vivid descriptions of Victorian England, create a rich tapestry that draws readers into the emotional depths of her novels. Furthermore, her portrayal of love as a force that transcends societal boundaries and conventions adds depth and poignancy to her romances, making them timeless classics that continue to resonate with readers today. Elizabeth Gaskell's legacy as one of the best romance writer lies in her ability to blend romance with social commentary, offering readers compelling narratives that are heartwarming, thought-provoking, and downright romantic.
Gaskell's 1854 novel, North and South, is her finest work that I've read personally and solidified her as one of my all-time favorite romance writers based solely on the merit of the novel's self-made hero, John Thornton. (insert swoon)
Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855)
Chronologically following both Jane Austen and the great Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Brontë is also considered one of the best classic romance writers. Brontë's masterpiece, Jane Eyre, revolutionized the romance genre by delving into complex themes such as social class, gender equality, and the search for identity. Through the wildly sympathetic character of Jane, Brontë created a fiercely independent and morally upright heroine who defied societal expectations and pursued her path to fulfillment finding love along the way. The novel's brooding and enigmatic hero, Mr. Rochester, adds depth and complexity to the novel, creating a compelling dynamic that has captivated readers for generations. Brontë's rich prose, vivid imagery, and masterful storytelling transport readers to the atmospheric world of Thornfield Hall, where passion, mystery, and Gothic elements intertwine to create an unforgettable love story. Charlotte Brontë's enduring legacy as one of the best romance writers is rooted in her ability to deliver deeply emotional and thought-provoking narratives that continue to resonate with readers worldwide.
You cannot go wrong with the author's first full-length novel, Jane Eyre, but if the length of it seems a little too daunting, this Brontë sister also wrote a handful of short stories you can try first.
Florence Warden (1857-1929)
Florence Warden is one of the best romance writers you've probably never heard of. A writer of gripping Victorian-era romances with a keen eye for detail and suspenseful plots, Warden keeps readers on the edge of their seats while weaving detailed love stories that tug at the heartstrings. Her heroines are often strong-willed and resourceful, facing adversity with courage and determination, while her heroes are complex and enigmatic, adding depth and intrigue to the romantic dynamic. Warden's vivid descriptions evoke the sights, sounds, and emotions of Victorian England, immersing readers in a world of romance and adventure making her stories ideal for those seeking thrilling romances combining passion with mystery and suspense.
Discover why Florence Warden is one of the best authors to read for romance inside the pages of her 1910 classic, The Dazzling Miss Davison.
L.M. Montgomery (1874-1942)
L. M. Montgomery is often celebrated as one of the best classic romance writers for her iconic portrayal of love, longing, and the human experience in her beloved series, Anne of Green Gables. Through enchanting prose and vivid storytelling, Montgomery captured the essence of romance with warmth, depth, and authenticity. Her endearing characters (particularly the spirited Anne Shirley) still resonate with readers today and their stories of navigating the joys and challenges of love, friendship, and self-discovery remain a favorite for readers of all ages. Montgomery's descriptions of Prince Edward Island's picturesque landscapes and her ability to infuse her storylines with a sense of wonder and optimism enhance the enchanting allure of her romances. Whether it's the blossoming romance between Anne and Gilbert or the heartwarming connections forged between kindred spirits, Montgomery's timeless tales continue to captivate readers with their charm and heartfelt portrayals in the longings for love inside the human heart. L. M. Montgomery remains cherished as one of the best romance writers for those seeking stories that celebrate the transformative power of love and the beauty of life's simplest pleasures.
Anne of Green Gables is a universal favorite among Montgomery's writing, though since she has written over 20 novels and a whopping 530 short stories there is plenty of romance still to be discovered by the reader looking for a sweet love story.
E.M. Forster (1879-1970)
Classic author E. M. Forster stands out as one of the best romance writers to read because he explored the relationship between human connection & love in his novels. His stories delve into the complexities of romantic relationships against the backdrop of social conventions and cultural mores. Forster's keen insight into human nature and his ability to depict characters grappling with their desires and societal expectations make his romances both poignant and thought-provoking. He emphasizes emotional authenticity and the pursuit of personal fulfillment which distinguishes his works. Forster's prose is elegant and evocative, drawing readers into the inner lives of his characters and immersing them in the emotional landscapes of his novels. Ultimately, E. M. Forster's legacy as one of the best romance writers lies in his ability to craft a story about the power and significance of love in human lives.
Hands down, the best Forster novel for the newbie is A Room With a View, the author's sweet love story first published in 1908 set in Edwardian England.
Georgette Heyer (1902-1974)
Georgette Heyer is often hailed as one of the best romance writers to read due to her talent for creating both charming and witty Regency romance novels. Heyer's stories transport readers to the elegant and romantic world of early 19th-century England. Her meticulous attention to historical detail, sharp dialogue, and sparkling wit brings her characters to life in a way that is both entertaining and enchanting. Heyer's heroines are spirited and independent, while her heroes are dashing and complex, making for dynamic and engaging romantic relationships. Heyer's ability to blend humor, intrigue, and genuine emotion in her storytelling guarantees that her novels end up being delightful and satisfying reads. Georgette Heyer's popularity as a romance writer is a testament to her talent as an author who continues to enchant readers seeking romance, humor, and delightful escapism.
For a list of great titles to introduce you to Heyer's writing, check out Georgette Heyer for Beginners, a guest blog by Lynda Andrews, one of our Monthly Book Club Founding Members (and our resident Georgette Heyer expert).
Your Turn
Which of these 7 Classic Authors to Read for Romance That Will Not Make You Blush have you read?
Which authors and titles would you add to this list?
Share your suggestions in the comments.
]]>February is such a rich opportunity for readers.
In the past, my go-to genre centered around finding a sweet, classic romance to read. I wanted to read about feisty females and the gallant gentlemen that inevitably fell head-over-heels for them. I wanted picnics on sprawling lawns, carriage rides through the country, and a few funny shenanigans to give me the warm feelings of sentimentality I was looking for because it was February and I am a mood reader. (If that's your jam for February, check out the 10 Book Recs PL Guest Blogger, Lynda, shared last week here.)
After watching the t.v. series Parks & Rec, my February ferver started side-eyeing buddy books because of Leslie Snopes love of celebrating Galentine's Day (Feb. 13th). Inspiring literary friendships like Frodo and Sam, Helen and Jane, & the unforgettable March sisters became another go-to category of love story, one focused on companionship more than romantic love. (See if your favorite fictional friends made my list here.)
In recent years, however, I've discovered a completely new go-to for February reading, one that not only inspires, but one that opens my eyes to a different perspective than my own. I'm talking about books written by black authors sharing their unique experiences as black Americans. From slave narratives to contemporary experiences, I am all in for celebrating Black History Month through the pages of books sharing the unique experiences of our friends and neighbors.
In PL's Monthly Book Club, we're learning and laughing our way through a third classic novel, one completely different in subject and vibe as the previous two we've shared.
If you're looking to learn, to be inspired, to walk a mile in another's shoes, I've got three distinctly different book boxes to help YOU celebrate Black History Month in a unique and unforgettable way.
The author: Nella Larsen (1891-1964) was the daughter of a Danish immigrant mother and black West Indian father who was absent for most of Nella's life. (It is unclear whether he left or died.) When Nella was 3, her mother married a fellow Danish immigrant (whose last name became her own) and the family moved to a predominantly white Scandinavian neighborhood, welcoming Nella's sister into the family. Because of Nella's skin color, the family experienced discrimination and eventually moved. In this highly segregated time following the Civil War, when an increasing number of blacks migrated to the north, Nella lived a sort of island existence - isolated between black and white worlds.
Because she could never be white like her family, and they could never be black like her, Nella was adrift. Her mother, desiring to give her daughter an educational advantage, sent Nella to a black university in Tennessee - her first experience inside the black community. Yet she still felt separate, as her life experiences proved a chasm between herself and her classmates, most of whom were descendants of former slaves. After being expelled for a dress code violation, Nella went to Denmark to continue her education, though three years later she still struggled to discover her place in the world, the experiences of which directly influenced the direction Passing (her second published novel) took.
The novel: "Irene Redfield is a Black woman living an affluent, comfortable life with her husband and children in the thriving neighborhood of Harlem in the 1920s. When she reconnects with her childhood friend Clare Kendry, who is similarly light-skinned, Irene discovers that Clare has been passing for a white woman after severing ties to her past—even hiding the truth from her racist husband.
The novel treasure: I was intentional in picking this particular novel treasure because I wanted it to be significant and symbolic, a reusable item many of us still enjoy using three years later. And I know you will, too!
Learn more about the Passing Book Box here.
The author: I invite you to spend a little time in the Carolinas this month with author Harriet Jacobs and her family, a woman with hopes and dreams not unlike yours who happened to be born and raised in the South prior to emancipation.
Her emancipation.
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is HER story, told in memoir fashion as she grew up in the broken system of southern slavery until she is set finally free from her chains.
Harriet Jacobs is the woman you need to meet this month.
The novel: "In clear and unshrinking prose, Harriet Jacobs—writing under the pseudonym Linda Brent—relates the story of her girlhood and adolescence as a slave in North Carolina and her eventual escape: a bildungsroman set in the complex terrain of a chauvinist, white supremacist society. Resolutely addressing women readers, rather than men, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl seeks to make white women understand how the threat of sexual violence shapes the lives of enslaved Black women and children. Equal parts brave and searing, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a triumph of American literature." -Penguin Random House synopsis
The novel treasure: As with the Passing Book Box, I wanted the novel treasure that accompanied Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl to hold value, something as "weighty" and remarkable as the author's first-hand account. And I think I nailed it.
Learn more about the Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Book Box here.
The author: George S. Schuyler (1895–1977) was an influential African American author, journalist, and social commentator of the Harlem Renaissance (a contemporary of Nella Larsen above). He is best known for our third featured novel, Black No More, a satire that explores race and identity through a fictional process that transforms black skin to white. Schuyler's writing often tackled issues of race, politics, and social justice with a sharp wit and satirical edge that make reading his works entertaining as well as thought-provoking.
The novel: "It’s New Year’s Day 1933 in New York City, and Max Disher, a young black man, has just found out that a certain Dr. Junius Crookman has discovered a mysterious process that allows people to bleach their skin white—a new way to “solve the American race problem.” Max leaps at the opportunity, and after a brief stay at the Crookman Sanitarium, he becomes Matthew Fisher, a white man who is able to attain everything he has ever wanted: money, power, good liquor, and the white woman who rejected him when he was black.
Lampooning myths of white supremacy and racial purity and caricaturing prominent African American leaders like W. E. B. Du Bois, Madam C. J. Walker, and Marcus Garvey, Black No More is a masterwork of speculative fiction and a hilarious satire of America’s obsession with race." -Penguin Random House synopsis
The novel treasure: I paired this satirical novel that sought to answer the question, What would happen if every black person in American turned white? through the unlikely conduit of cosmetology with a modern-day twist. We'll call it the 21st century equivalent of the novel's fad. (You're going to get a kick out of it!)
Learn more about the Black No More Book Box here.
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This is a blog that's been a couple of years in the making.
I'll back up a bit for context.
I was first introduced to the Queen of Regency Romance during Covid by my big sister, Lynda. (You might remember Lynda from past Guest Blogs because, without fail, she always gives stellar book recs like these or these.) During Covid, Lynda loaned me a well-read paperback edition of one of her favorite writers, Georgette Heyer.
When I started reading it a few months later, I did so reluctantly because the cover of this book left a LOT to be desired. I didn't want to offend my sister by not enjoying a title and author she returns to read again and again - or worse, I didn't want to DNF it. (I know we aren't supposed to judge books by their covers, but aren't they what covers are for?)
I should have known that I had nothing to fear because, like I said earlier, Lynda gives the best book recs. I actually remember the moment I turned the last page of that tacky trade paperback (Sorry, Lynda!) because I immediately called Lynda to politely thank her for encouraging me to read it. (OK, I actually yelled over the phone "I LOVED IT" several times! I have never let the cat out of the bag about a future Pretty Literate Book Box but I KNEW I had to turn this one into an upcoming book box for our Monthly Book Club members and I just could not keep the secret from the one that introduced me to the title and it's cheeky author.)
That Book Box was such a popular favorite in our Monthly Book Club that Lynda provided us with ten titles to try as follow-ups to that first fantastic Heyer novel.
It was from that list that I chose another of Georgette Heyer's novels and even found the inspiration behind last year's Blind Date With A Book Box (the first Seasonal Book Box of 2023), another immediate hit with our Pretty Literate #PLeeps - and #1 on Lynda's List. (If you're eager to get your hands on that list, keep reading.)
Even though I've read a handful of Heyers since that first book rec, I still consider myself a newbie. That is why I asked my go-to subject matter expert when it comes to Georgette Heyer if she would share a little about the author with us on this week's Pretty Literate Blog - Q & A Style.
So...if you consider yourself a Georgette Heyer newbie (like me), this blog is for you.
A: The name Heyer comes from ancient Great Britain Anglo-Saxon tribes, most probably derived from the Old French “eir” which comes from the Latin “heres” or heir. It has been spelled many different ways, including one with which PL members are probably familiar with - Eyre!
Heyer had been pronounced “higher” but was changed by her father George to “hair” during WWI so as not to be mistaken as German.
A: Georgette Heyer was born on August 16, 1902, in Wimbledon, London. An interesting aside for those of us who read Three Men in a Boat - her maternal grandparents owned tugboats on the River Thames! (Check out the PL SHOP for the Three Men in a Boat Book Box.)
Part of her childhood was spent in Paris but the family returned to England after the start of WWI in 1914. She died in London on July 4, 1974, at the age of 71.
A: I cannot remember exactly when I first read Heyer; my best guess is at 11-12 years of age. However, I vividly remember the novel, which was Venetia.
A: Ms. Heyer’s writing embodies all that I love to read books for. Her beautifully written yet not stiff or stilted prose effortlessly carries the reader away into a different world. Her characters, including secondary ones, are fully fleshed out and captivating on their own. Her humor is sly, slapstick, or sarcastic but always perfectly timed. Her mastery of the grammar and idioms and slang used during different time periods and social classes is wonderful; this and her impeccable research is one reason why critics and peers consider her research and level of detail her greatest asset. This meticulous accuracy is very apparent in such historical novels as The Conqueror in which she details William The Conqueror’s crossing into Britain, and descriptions of battles, actors, and conditions at Waterloo in An Infamous Army. All of the above combined with a gift of storytelling are what keep me rereading her novels year after year.
A: Since I began my lifelong love affair with Heyer with Venetia, I would recommend starting with that one. Frederica is delightful; The Convenient Marriage features a very different kind of heroine; Cotillion a very different hero; The Foundling is a wonderful young man’s coming of age novel; Friday’s Child fantastic friend group of young men that I have cry-laughed at many times. There are so many, and I love them all for different reasons.
A: This is hard, because I would have to say not really! Heyer originated the Regency/Georgian romance genre and it has devolved since then. This is not to say that I haven’t enjoyed reading authors such as Laura Kinsale, Julia Quinn, Mary Balogh, or Amanda Quick, because I do. They do not compare. The closest modern writer I can think of would be Lynn Kurland and her dePiaget series. I would start with the #5 release Another Chance to Dream and then go back to the #1 release Stardust of Yesterday. These novels are sweet and lovely romances (some include ghosts and some time travel) in medieval times, featuring flawed but endearing characters. Kurland has a good sense of humor and can also go straight to your heart. And - these romances leave the lovers at the bedroom door, as Heyer does. They can be be somewhat anachronistic but it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the story.
Most fans and critics of Heyer place her in the same class as Jane Austen, Dorothy Dunnett and Patrick O’Brian.
If you enjoyed learning a little about Georgette Heyer through one of her devoted fans, I hope you'll take a moment to thank Lynda for sharing in the comments.
If you feel like you want more Heyer in your life, here are Lynda's Top 10 Georgette Heyer Book Recs (in no particular order) to check out next.
Which title(s) have you already read? Which do you want to try next? Share your thoughts in the comments.
]]>The first classic author Pretty Literate featured when we began our Monthly Book Club was Edith Wharton. The choice wasn't random and I had no prior experiences with Wharton that let me know the selection of her would be an automatic home run. (In fact, to my embarrassment it was quite the opposite! Keep reading to see why.)
The choice of Edith Wharton stemmed from the simple fact that we began in July, and since that is the month we celebrate all things America, I wanted to spotlight an American author right out of the gate. It was that simple.
Like I said, I had no prior experience reading any of Edith Wharton's 15 novels, 7 novellas, or 85 short stories. I was a blank slate, both with that first curated Monthly Book Box and with the author. (Apologies again to my Founding Members and massive kudos for sticking with me while I worked out the bumpier aspects of curating your monthly deliveries. You are why Pretty Literate's Book Boxes became what they are today. I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you!)
When we began the Monthly Book Club, I had the bright idea that we would read three works by the same author for three months in a row PLUS have the option of adding a fourth title by that same author via the Seasonal Book Boxes. The thought process was that we would immerse ourselves in one author's works for one quarter of the year before switching to a new author. I was pretty proud of the stellar organization I was giving to our book club and knew my Founding Members would appreciate it, too.
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
So in July 2021, I packed and shipped our first Monthly Book Club box to the 22 readers that took a chance on Pretty Literate delivering an engaging classic + a novel treasure that took the experience up a notch with a smile on my face and a congratulatory pat on my back. That book box featured Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth and while I revelled in the success of the launch on shipping day, over the next month the reality of how short I fell curating that first book box began to dawn on me.
First, I lost one of my Founding Members on the day she received that first shipment. Not only did she quit the Monthly Book Club like a bad habit, she shared an earful of why via a lengthy Dear John letter to me.
Second, once I picked my jaw up from the ground, I solicited feedback from my other Founding Members and learned that I had a...ahem...healthy margin with which to grow.
Third, I learned that not everyone was as elated with the edition I selected as I was. I chose purely aesthetically and honestly did not give a second thought to book or font size, learning some valuable insights early on regarding the all-important book selection.
Fourth, the truth that not everyone connects with an author, title, or main character the same way was brought to light as I learned that Miss Lily Bart, the well-born but impoverished main character in Wharton's 1905 classic, did not necessarily read as sympathetic a character to everyone as she did to me.
Finally, I discovered a thing or two about picking appropriate novel treasures to accompany the right book selection, creating a balance between the books and the bookish souvenirs.
I was eager to put all of this valuable feedback into practice with the second Edith Wharton novel I had chosen.
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
I won't go into all the details that went into this second book box featuring Edith Wharton except to say that both the edition and the novel treasure were universally applauded.
Ms. Wharton's story, not so much.
To say there was a love-hate relationship with The Custom of the Country inside our Monthly Book Club discussions that August is to gloss over the fact that it was just hate.
I was an anti-fan of Wharton's main character from the very beginning of The Custom of the Country, but since not everyone felt the sympathy I held for the main character in The House of Mirth the previous month, I thought this title would prove to be similar. I was even hopeful that some of the well-read members of the Monthly Book Club would help me find a way to understand why Wharton would write such a character as Undine Spragg. (And they did, but I think it was universally felt that it was a steep price to pay. To this date, there are certain members of PL's Monthly Book Club that get a little fiery and salty when The Custom of the Country is mentioned, so let's move on.)
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
In my resolve to spotlight American author, Edith Wharton, inside the BIGGER Seasonal Book Box at the same time we were reading a few of her titles in the Monthly Book Club, I was happy to learn that the author had written a Pulitzer Prize Winner. What would be better than choosing the writer's 1921 award-winning novel, The Age of Innocence? (Happily, this was a stellar choice. When in doubt, go with the Pulitzer Prize Winners.)
Known for her opulence, status, and wealth during America's Gilded Age, it was such fun to curate the Edith Wharton Book Box. Filled with glitz and glamour, this first of the Seasonal Book Boxes was a real hit across the board.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
If you are wondering at this point why I have waited over 2 years before offering another book box by the first classic author we featured in the Monthly Book Club, the reason is this -
Our members cried "Uncle!"
What I mean by that is that after two Monthly Book Club boxes and one BIG Seasonal Book Box, I realized the singular focus on Wharton's writing and her viewpoint from the upper crust was wearing a little thin. Like a couple of our favorite FRIENDS, Ross & Rachel, we needed a break - from high society, social expectations, and the sense of entitlement that came from living during the Gilded Age in the 1%. (Another thanks to my Founding Members for always giving such great feedback so that I could keep pivoting to make our Monthly Book Club the best! If you're not a member, we invite you to check us out. We'd love to have you come read with us and we have some stellar classics on deck for this year you will not want to miss.)
Then I discovered Ethan Frome in 2023, a complete 180 degrees from any of the author's previous works we'd read together. I knew immediately that this was the novel to break our Edith Wharton dry spell, the perfect piece of frosty fiction to begin 2024 reading together. From the characters and setting to the symbolism throughout, this out-of-the-ordinary Wharton novel focuses on the other 99% via the thoughtful and sensitive New England country farmer, Ethan. (Visit the Pretty Literate SHOP for more on the Ethan Frome Book Box or any of the other classic book boxes we've shared in the Monthly Book Club here.)
Why am I sharing all of this with you? Because I came to the realization earlier this month that while we (as a book club) have the messiest range when it comes to where we fall on the Edith Wharton love-hate spectrum (We're talking Jackson Pollock messy.), the woman certainly makes us think.
Her writing kidnaps the imagination (and passions!) of her readers, refusing to let go until the last page is turned.
Her writing includes personalities that inadvertently compel the reader to analyze herself alongside the characters - flaws and all.
Her writing engenders a very b r o a d range of emotional responses (hence the love-hate spectrum analogy above).
Her writing is beautifully descriptive, painting portraits of days gone by with rich language and captivating visual imagery.
Her writing, like so many other classic female authors we admire, gave voice to the countless women who paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy as the fairer sex today.
Her writing and characters stay with you, long after you've finished reading.
Dear reader, it has taken over two years for me to begin to realize what an impact Ms. Wharton's writing has had on me as a reader, and as a woman. Two years ago, I was just getting to know the author, her writing style, her motivations. I read her works on a surface level, for pleasure (or in the case of The Custom of the Country, displeasure). I read them and simply moved on, congratulating myself on adding another author and a few of her titles to my growing list of completed classics.
Today, I am beginning to realize there is so much more to glean from Ms. Wharton's stories. And I find that I want to learn.
With that in mind (and to hopefully help you fast-forward through two years on your own), I hope you'll consider these last few reasons why YOU should read Edith Wharton, too.
Time (and Station) Travel
Yes, yes, yes. I know you're thinking, Wouldn't that be true of any classic? And the surface answer would be yes.
But...
With Edith Wharton's writing, nine times out of ten you get the added benefit of a peek behind the curtain at the 1%. If you're a fan of HBO's The Gilded Age (starring one of my favs, Carrie Coon), you owe it to yourself to indulge in some of Wharton's high-society stories - including The Custom of the Country.
Remember earlier when I said the members in PL's Monthly Book Club helped me to understand why Wharton would write such a controversial and unlikeable character as Undine Spragg? That was accomplished when a member shared that Undine was a compilation of all that Wharton herself disliked of living in New York society, likely a mashup oh-so-many young ladies that came out in society in her heyday as one of the original Joneses from the old saying keeping up with the Joneses. (Wharton's family of origin was literally THE JONESES whom the saying references!)
Thoughtful
Undeniably, Edith Wharton creates compelling characters that demand the reader feel SOMETHING about them as they read. From the aforementioned Undine Spragg (who was loathed by one and all, but of whom we still talk about over two years later!) to the lowly and "stuck" Massachusetts farmer, Ethan Frome, Ms. Wharton's characters stick with you and keep you thinking. Her stories are overflowing with thoughtful and relatable topics - which is only heightened by reading in community.
Insightful
You really learn a lot about the woman behind the pen, so to speak, when you read one of Edith Wharton's novels.
Ever wonder what it would be like to navigate high society in New York? Read The Custom of the Country, a chronicle of the art of social climbing by an OG "industry insider."
Ever fantasized about exchanging city life for country living, embracing a "simpler" lifestyle? Read Ethan Frome and uncover the striking similarities between the humble title character and the affluent author who (ironically) created him.
Have you ever felt hemmed in by the present because of the choices you made in the past? Read The House of Mirth, Wharton's condemnation of the societal system (of which her family reigned during the turn of the 20th century) whose constraints led to the impoverishment (both physically and emotionally) of the women born into them.
It is impossible to read a Wharton novel without learning about the author through her characters, settings, and stories.
I hope you'll share your thoughts on why you read Edith Wharton, and why you think others should read her, too.
I look forward to reading your thoughts on Edith Wharton and her stories in the comments.
And if incorporating more classics into your reading life resonates with you, I invite you to come read with us inside PL's Monthly Book Club this year. We have a full year of classics just waiting for you to experience inside our Classics Community. (Learn more here.)
]]>Baby, it's cold outside. ❄️
And we're not just talking about the plunging temperatures. We're talking snow and ice kind of cold.
And not just here in Texas (which is unusual behavior for Southern weather), but across the entire United States. No matter where you live, the temps have dropped to well below normal and the whole country has had the chance this week to enjoy several days of real, bona fide winter weather. (Can I get a High 5?) ✋🏼
To celebrate, we shared an unboxing on Monday's Pretty Literate LIVE that celebrated this snap of wintry weather - the fourth and final Seasonal Book Box of 2023. (If you prefer to watch, click here or on the photo below to watch a replay of our 24 minute unboxing.)
If you missed that unboxing and don't have 24 minutes to watch the replay, fret not. I know you're curious as to what goes into a Pretty Literate Book Box. I know you want to know why we chose the featured classic and how the novel treasures relate to the novel. I know you're curious because I'm a reader just. like. you.
So...
If you've been curious to see what went into the Little Women Book Box, grab a steaming cup of something, sit back, and enjoy this blog unboxing of last year's fourth and final Seasonal Book Box featuring Louisa May Alcott's beloved 1868 classic, Little Women.
If you were one of the lucky few that were able to get one of our limited edition Little Women Book Boxes, grab your own warm cuppa something delicious and enjoy learning a little more about the making of that Seasonal Book Box you so loved.
I knew before we turned the first calendar page of last year that I wanted to offer Little Women as the fourth and final Seasonal Book Box of 2023. It has such a homey holiday vibe and just the thought of the March family evokes a warm & fuzzy feeling in so many of us, that feeling of Christmas that makes the end of the year merry and bright. Alongside the "feel-good" feeling, Little Women also imbues a spirit of family, sacrifice, siblings, and young love. It tells the tales of four independent & feisty young females, little women with a whole lot of spunk and sass for a novel focusing on the gentler sex - especially for a novel published in the mid-19th century. For all of these reasons, I was delighted (and eager!) to share this American classic for Pretty Literate's end-of-the-year, holiday book box.
You're bookish, so you know.
You know there are at least fourteen options from which to pick when it comes to book-buying. And that number is grossly exaggerated when you're considering a classic novel. When I first began perusing editions of Little Women, I found several that I liked - and that I knew you would like, too. But it wasn't until I discovered Laci Fowler's hand painted cover that I knew I found the edition that was perfect for this book box. (And when it comes to curating a book box, the perfect edition is essential. You know.)
There are a dozen different directions to go when curating a book box, especially one featuring a book that is beloved by millions like Alcott's Little Women. Sometimes decision fatigue sets in, pumping the brakes to progress when there are so many ideas swirling around in your head. Thankfully, early in the planning process I came across this quote from young Amy March, which became the inspiration behind the novel treasures chosen to accompany the novel.
"It's nothing but limes now." As soon as I read that line, I knew I needed to include something edible that was lime-flavored (but not actual limes because what the heck?). Beyond including it, the limes were the pivotal piece because they were pivotal to Amy and the girls in her class. And you'd think that finding something lime-flavored would be a simple task...but you'd be wrong. OH-SO-WRONG. It was a weeks-long process of discovery and dejection (on repeat, no less!) until I finally stumbled across Chesebro's Confections Wicked Sour Lime Candy - the PERFECT pucker upper!
It's difficult to think of Alcott's beloved novel without images being conjured in your head from one (or more) of the seven screen adaptations that have been made, all of which at some point inevitably show the sisters bundling up to brave the winter weather, including a scarf. Because of that association, I knew a seasonal scarf would be a brilliant bookish souvenir, and once I found this luxuriant 6-foot, cashmere scarf in muted winter colors, I knew I had found that something special with which to WOW you.
One of the items for which Amy and her classmates traded their limes included "beaded rings," of which you might be as surprised as I was to discover that there is a healthy variety from which to choose! Narrowing down the choices was made a little simpler by Laci Fowler's silver lettering on the painted cover of the edition chosen for this book box. Knowing that the book box would be delivered at the start of the Christmas season, when I came across these adjustable, beaded stress rings, I knew I had found just what I was looking for to represent - something both pretty & practical, as the holiday season can be the most stressful time of the year. A real two-for-one novel treasure that will be worn year 'round.
Another item Amy and her classmates traded for limes was pencils and what feels more Christmasy than winter white Number 2s with red lettering? I gathered a handful of quotes directly out of Little Women and asked Simon to find a company with which he could work to design the perfect pencils exclusively for this book box, writing instruments that truly would be "on point" with both Amy's school class and this wintertime theme.
(He knocked this one out of the ballpark, don't you agree?)
One of my favorite parts of the big Seasonal Book Boxes is either finding or creating a unique bookmark to commemorate our time inside the pages of the featured classic. Since I fell head-over-heels in love with the painted cover edition of Little Women, I began searching for a bookmark that would do it justice. I kept coming up empty until I discovered a company that would work with me to design a bookmark exclusively for this Pretty Literate Book Box. Using the same color scheme, I personally designed the one-of-a-kind bookmark included in the Little Women Book Box to complement the collector's edition of the novel that I knew everyone would love. (It is so special to be able to add such a personal touch to one of our book boxes like this.)
I hope you enjoyed the blog unboxing of the Little Women Book Box, including all the behind-the-scenes steps along the way as we painstakingly picked every piece with particular attention to details.
If you missed the Little Women Book Box, did you know there's a way to skip the line and get pre-launch access to our next creatively curated Seasonal Book Boxes?
Our Monthly Book Club Members not only find out which author and title are featured in upcoming Seasonal Book Boxes before anyone else, they also enjoy pre-launch access days before we make the big announcement public ensuring they'll never experience the let down of seeing a beloved author or title SOLD OUT by the time it is announced publicly. And with three different levels of membership, there's one for every budget and preference.
Check out the Blog Unboxing of the Summer Road Trip Book Box here.
Or, if you'd rather watch, click here for Pretty Literate LIVE: the one when we unbox the Summer Road Trip Book Box.
]]>Earlier this week, I took a selfie with my copy of the frosty fiction we're reading together this month inside Pretty Literate's Monthly Book Club. It was a tshirt kind of day. The sun was shining. The sky was unbelievably blue. It was in the mid-50s. The photo could easily be mistaken for Spring or Summer because in North Texas, the weather doesn't usually behave like it should, and so we seek winter in more creative places...
...like inside the pages of really great books.
If you're winter isn't wintering and you're Jonesing to experience chilly winter vibes, here are 9 Classics That Deliver Deep Winter Vibes.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
The entire novel is set in the icy, snow-covered backdrop of cold, bleak, dark winter in New England, a perfect read for a cozy night in snuggled under a pile of soft, thick blankets. (Check out this edition paired with the perfect novel treasure made for this book box here.)
Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie
This new collection of winter-themed mysteries (some featuring Poirot and others Miss Marple) is a great compilation of shorts begging to be read beside a crackling fire, no?
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
“It is winter in Narnia,” said Mr. Tumnus, “and has been for ever so long….always winter, but never Christmas.” If you haven't yet experienced Lewis' fantasy published in 1950, make this classic your winter must-read this winter. You'll thank yourself.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Considered one of the greatest novels ever written, Anna Karenina is set against the backdrop of Russian high society in the late 19th Century. If you're fond of fur in winter (faux or otherwise), this classic is the perfect excuse to bundle up in one to read.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
This gem of a little classic engenders family, hospitality, community, friendship, love, and so much more. Little Women imbues all the warmth of winter (and even throws in a little ice skating, snowfall, and fireside chats for good measure).
The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
A classic by an author often referred to as the Agatha Christie of Japan, The Honjin Murders is set in a rural Japanese village during the deep of winter. If you're looking for winter vibes that will send a chill down your spine, check out Yokomizo's 1946 classic.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
What do you get when you take an old, dilapidated English castle, a family experiencing financial woes, and delightfully sweet characters on the brink of adulthood? A charming tale that will make you shiver with delight as assuredly as the winter wind rattles the old windows and seeps in through the walls.
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
If you've seen the BBC miniseries starring Richard Armitage, you owe it to yourself to read the sweeping novel it was based upon originally published in 1855. (Who could ever forget the snowy background, flurries a'swirl, when Mr. Thornton murmured, "Look back. Look back at me" as Margaret's carriage departs? I'm swooning just remembering it.)
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
This 1959 classic is a great example of non-fiction that reads like fiction. Solid storytelling can turn true-to-life adventures into unforgettable tales like Lansing did with this sea-faring survival story set in the South Pole. Brrr!
Have you read any of these 9 Classics That Deliver Deep Winter Vibes? What did you think of them? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Which titles would you add to the list? Help keep this list growing by adding your favorites in the comments.
]]>My one reading goal for 2024 is to read less.
Yup.
You read that correctly.
My sole reading goal in 2024 is to read less than I did in 2023.
And here's why.
Last week I updated my Goodreads list for 2023. I keep a handwritten list of finished books beside my reading chair knowing that logging into Goodreads every time I finish another novel is just not a realistic activity in my hectic, go-go-go life.
Maybe you can relate?
Last week I realized that seven months had slipped by without updating what I'd read (insert blushes), so I took the time to move my handwritten list over to my digital record on good ole Goodreads.
Here's what I discovered:
• My 2023 Goodreads Reading Goal (set in January 2023) was 60 books - an achievable stretch for me.
• My "Year in Books" tally at the end of December totaled a whopping 101 books. (The number is actually higher because I reread the featured book each month inside Pretty Literate's Monthly Book Club alongside my Members.)
• That's 30K+ pages (with an average book length of just over 300 pages).
• The book I had most in common with other Goodreads users was Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, which was featured inside this Pretty Literate Seasonal Book Box.
• Of the 101 books I read last year, 41 were classics, and 60 were contemporary.
• Of the 101 books, roughly 16 were reread classics (meaning I read them twice during the year and the second read-through did not factor into my total of 101 because Goodreads doesn't swing that way).
(And none of this takes into consideration the few additional novels that I began and for whatever reason DNFed in 2023.)
By the year's end, I felt tired.
My eyes were strained.
And I felt burned out.
The enjoyment I'd always gotten from reading was disappearing with every new book added to my completed stack and I realized while I was updating Goodreads that I had become ensnared in the "quantity over quality" trap that is rampant on social media this year. I realized that something needed to change.
So I spent time over New Year's weekend pondering my priorities and where my reading goals for 2024 fit into that equation. I texted with some fellow readers to weigh their input. I talked with my husband. I even polled my sisters to factor their thoughts into what I was considering for the upcoming year.
What I concluded was that I want to make 2024 the year of reading less.
Please do not mishear me.
I am not saying that I want to quit reading.
I am not saying reading is bad.
I am not saying reading "ruins" other areas of life.
I am not saying that I won't relish time snuggled up with good books this year.
There are too many benefits when it comes to reading. (You can check out the research on that here or here or here.)
What I am saying is this - I realized I wanted to slow my roll in 2024 and go deeper inside the pages of fewer books.
Quality books.
Maybe you are stepping in that, too?
I read this passage earlier this week and my mind keeps returning to the truth of it:
"I [do not] want to give the impression that I think there is virtue in reading many books. In fact one of my greatest complaints in {school} was that professors trained students in bad habits of superficial reading because they assigned too many books. I agree with Spurgeon: “A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books which he has merely skimmed, lapping at them.” God save us from the allurement of “keeping up with {the} Joneses” by superficial skimming. Forget about “keeping up.” It only feeds pride and breeds spiritual barrenness. Instead devote yourself to boring in and going deep. There is so much soul-refreshing, heart-deepening, mind-enlarging truth to be had from great books!" -John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals
So this year, in 2024, I want to kick the habit of superficial reading that I inadvertently adopted somewhere along the line last year.
I want, instead, to devote myself to "boring in and going deep" inside the pages of fewer books.
Quality books.
And I am inviting you to do the same.
Read less.
Go deep.
Benefit more.
Consider this your personal invitation to do just that in PL's Monthly Book Club - beginning with January's frosty fiction penned in 1911 by someone who knew a little something about excesses and keeping up with the Joneses.
A quality book by a quality author.
And I've got an entire twelve months of quality classics lined up for us to "bore in and go deep" with this year. Together.
Was 2023 an overachieving year for you, too?
What reading goals for 2024 have you set?
I hope you'll share your thoughts in the comments.
]]>During this past year, our Monthly Book Club Members have made huge leaps as we have continued to read our way through the classics together in 2023.
We've read different perspectives.
We've explored different genres.
We've read different genders.
We've devoured 12 classics.
We've read 2,728 pages.
We've traveled to 8 countries.
We've experienced 9 (+/-) time periods.
And girl, that number is even higher for those of us that treated ourselves to one or more of the Seasonal Book Boxes!
As I've looked back over the past 12 months and scrutinized the feedback I've received with an eye to building an even better experience for us in 2024, I thought it would be good for us to reflect back over the past year as a community, as well.
I asked Pretty Literate's MBC Members this question:
Of the 12 authors and titles we've enjoyed this year -
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
Miss Cayley's Adventures by Grant Allen
So Big by Edna Ferber
The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge
Christmas at Thompson Hall & Other Christmas Stories by Anthony Trollope
- which would you say were your Top 3 favorites? Why?
Overall I enjoyed the way each story was told. Each involved some emotion in me and I still think about each of these.
I do like the variety you offer. It has helped expand my reading and introduced me to new authors.
Rachel:
I second this, and agree with all of these picks! These are my favorites as well.
I will definitely remember Laughing Boy for years to come. As I mentioned in the LIVE last Monday, I think this is my favorite {Monthly Book Club} selection of the year!
For me personally, this is akin to picking a favorite child.
I loved Miss Cayley’s Adventures because I loved how she morphed a desire to be financially independent into travel with an entrepreneurial bent. Inspiring! (Plus, it was FUN to read!)
Three Men in a Boat has become an obsession my husband and I are still enjoying via longboat/houseboat shows we watch (not to mention adding boating around England to our Bucket List).
The Picture of Dorian Gray has been sooooo long on my TBR that it feels satisfying to have read it (twice even!) this year and I loved how thought-provoking it was.
The novel treasures definitely don't make the choosing easier because this year we've had perfectly curated book boxes with top notch bookish souvenirs tucked inside each one, but I think my all-time favorite was the Miss Marple handmade by Heather (one of our Monthly Book Club Founding Members) inside A Caribbean Mystery Book Box.
If you've enjoyed one of Pretty Literate's 2023 Book Boxes from the SHOP, I invite you to take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments.
I also invite you to join us as we read our way through some stellar classics in 2024 by joining us inside the Monthly Book Club - and save on shipping in the process! Check out which level of the Monthly Book Club hits your sweet spot here.
I can only take so much of it before I cry Uncle!
Don't get me wrong...I LOVE the sounds of Christmas playing softly in the background while I dine, shop, and drive during the holiday season. I can catch myself humming Winter Wonderland while I work with the best of them, or walk with an extra spring in my step at the grocers because Frosty the Snowman hits me like that, or even wish a bell ringer Feliz Navidad as I toss a few coins into his red pot because we should all look out for others - but most especially while It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
What I'm saying is, I'm no Scrooge.
But...
There comes a time each season when that holly jolly soundtrack will not quit playing inside my head, despite the lack of it being heard outside my head.
{I see that head nodding. You're picking up what I'm dropping.}
And that, my reading friend, is the perfect time to turn from tuning in to classic Christmas music to enjoying a delightful holiday audiobook.
If you'd like to switch the sounds of your holiday soundtrack, here are a few Christmas Audiobooks for Last-Minute Listening that I think you'll enjoy.
🎧 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
There's no mistaking why this is the best-loved Christmas classic worldwide and with so many narrators to choose from (Hugh Grant, Tim Curry, Patrick Stewart...), this roughly 3 hour long audiobooks is destined to become your seasonal favorite.
🎧 A Christmas Homecoming by Anne Perry
Who doesn't love a little Christmas drama? This merry little Christmas mystery is a period piece set in an English manor around the holidays as the family hires a traveling actors troupe to help them host a stage production of Bram Stoker's Dracula - and ended up with a lot more than they paid for! Coming in at 4 hours 45 minutes, it's a thrilling tale you can enjoy while you tidy the house for the holidays.
🎧 A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer
Also known as Envious Casca, this Regency Mystery is a must-listen during the holiday season. Six holiday guests with probable cause to kill their host and 10.5 hours to figure out whodunit. What says Christmas more than that?
🎧 A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd
Listen to the short story from which one of your favorite modern Christmas movies was taken. 3.5 hours
🎧 A Cotswold Christmas by Kate Hewitt
A Christmas love story set in "a not-too-quaint village where frosty evenings, welcoming fires, and second chances will make this a Christmas you’ll never forget." 3 hours 45 minutes
🎧 A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
Read by the Alabama author herself, A Redbird Christmas is a 5.5 hour trip down south for the holidays complete with small town vibes, selfless giving, and Christmas miracles.
🎧 The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
A heartwarming Christmas story about family beautifully narrated by Richard Armitage. Almost 4 hours
🎧 The Christmas Stories of Louisa May Alcott by Louisa May Alcott
7 hours and 45 minutes of sweet stories of adventure, family, sacrifice, and serving others wrapped up in the beauty of the season.
🎧 Christmas at Willoughby Close by Kate Hewitt
Christmas at Willoughby Close is modern-day rom-com set in an English village with a side of sweetness that hits you squarely in the holiday spirit. About 8 hours 15 minutes that will leave you feeling like dancing.
🎧 Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber
A sweet holiday romance revolving around getting home for the holidays. About 4.5 hours
🎧 Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
A salty old man invites his family home for the holidays - his last! A 6-hour whodunit that is fun to listen to while you're cooking, cleaning, and wrapping gifts for your own holiday guests.
🎧 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Sisterly love, sacrifice, fun, friendship, and prickly old relatives thrown in for good measure. Listen to why Little Women is a beloved favorite worldwide this holiday season. 17+ hours, so opt for a full cast of narrators to make listening more enjoyable.
🎧 Miracle Creek Christmas by Krista Jensen
A little over 10 hours of sweet, small-town holiday feels complete with snow, DIY projects, close-knit community, and a little learning to love again. Narrated by Christine Williams whose voice is strikingly similar to the distinct-sounding Carrie Coon (from the tv shows The Gilded Age & Fargo).
🎧 Mr. Dickens & His Carol by Samantha Silva
At just over 8 hours long, this audiobook is -
"full of holiday cheer and Victorian whimsy...the perfect audiobook to instill listeners with the Christmas spirit." -Audible
🎧 Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
If you love watching It's a Wonderful Life, you'll enjoy listening to Mr. Miracle by Christmas storyteller, Debbie Macomber. The 5 hours will fly by, leaving you lighter of heart this holiday season.
🎧 Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
What lengths would you be willing to go to in order to bless someone you love deeply? This 7 hour audiobook is for all the Narnia lovers out there.
🎧 Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
This 3 hour 42 minute audiobook is a great soundtrack to your busiest holiday weekends. Running errands has never been funnier!
🎧 Starry Night by Debbie Macomber
At about 5.5 hours, this sweet Christmas story has all the locations you'd like to be for the holidays (big city + remote wilderness) with the ideal snowy setting to complete a merry little meet-cute holiday romance.
🎧 The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie
A missing priceless ruby, a Middle Eastern Prince, and Christmas puddings galore in a proper English manor during the holidays. Clocking in at under an hour, this Agatha Christie holiday mystery is a must-listen this Christmas season.
🎧 The Best Worst Christmas by Kate Forster
Going home for the holidays can be hard, especially when your from a cute English village where the neighbors are gossipy and your Mum is dating your ex's dad. 4.5 hours of sweet English Christmas fun.
🎧 The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
The Christmas Box is an hour and a half of pure heart, homey holiday feels, and timeless truths about the real meaning of Christmas.
🎧 The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman
"Written with Fredrik Backman's signature humor, compassion, and 'knack for weaving tales that are believable and fanciful' (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift, and our only legacy is how we share that gift with those we love." I couldn't say it better, Audible. About 45 minutes
🎧 The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Remember that Little House Christmas episode when everyone sacrificed for one another in order to bless them on Christmas morning? I'm pretty sure this 14 minute short story is where they got the idea. Must-listen this holiday season.
🎧 The Greatest Gift by Philip van Doren Stern
This is the heartwarming story that turned into one of the most iconic Christmas movies of all time - It's a Wonderful Life. 50 minutes
🎧 The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman
"The forecast is calling for a reluctant homecoming and regrettable decisions with a strong chance of romance....A beautifully written story about second chances. Fans of women’s fiction won’t be able to put this down." (Publishers Weekly) 11.5 hours
🎧 The Upside Down Christmas by Kate Forster
This 3.5 hour Christmas novella is a sunnier side of Christmas - spend down under in Sydney, Australia. If you've ever been away from home for the holidays (or which you were), Kate Forster's merry little love story will hit your holiday sweet spot this year.
🎧 Winter Street by Erin Hilderbrand
Bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand's first Christmas story! A blended, extended family celebrates the season in their Nantucket Inn and guess what - not everything goes according to plan! Relatable and perfectly seasonal. Almost 7 hours.
I'm always up for a good book rec, so share your favorite Christmas (audio)book recs in the comments to help keep this list growing.
]]>I have been feeling the seasonal stress all day, every day, lately. I have been back-burnering gift ideas for family members and friends like it is a full time job because, in the end, I know I want to give gifts that will hit each and every person on my "nice list" square in the festive feels.
You, too?
If you are stepping in that with me, or decision fatigue is starting to loom a little too large for your liking, or the holidays are just leaving you feeling more stressed than blessed this season, I hope you'll consider these 13 Great Gift Ideas for the Bookworm that has Everything.
What it is: Pretty Literate has a Monthly Book Club for bookish people wanting to connect with classic authors, titles, and readers like themselves. With three levels of membership, there is a fit for every reader and budget.
Why they'll love it: When you read in community, you inevitably connect on a deeper level, both with the book and the people you are reading it with. Additionally, two of the three membership levels offer the perks of receiving monthly book boxes, both of which offer the bookworms on your list a little self-care throughout the year.
What it is: Featuring one of the most banned books in America, George Orwell's novel is an eye-opening, must-read classic that is as trending today as it was when it was first published in 1949. This collector's edition classic is paired with two novel treasures created exclusively for this book box + a few delicious additions that pay homage to the appetites and experiences of the novel's hero!
Why they'll love it: While reading Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, your favorite bookworm will enjoy noshing on a few of the items the main characters enjoyed, too!
What it is: This book box features a collection of seasonal short stories published in a hardbound Christmas edition that is sure to land your favorite bookworm into the holly-jolliest time of year with a heartfelt ho-ho-ho.
Why they'll love it: Anthony Trollope's classic Christmas short stories are paired with one clever novel treasure that is "guaranteed" to give you an a-ha! moment as you read your way through the title short story + one to cherish as a keepsake + a third to make your winter reading delish.
What it is: Full of family, community, and adventure, the Pulitzer Prize Winner inside this book box is destined to help your bookworm cultivate an attitude of gratitude throughout the holiday season.
Why they'll love it: The writing is lyrical and lovely and the novel treasure paired with the novel is both beautiful and a wearable work of art.
What it is: A gothicly good read for dark winter nights, this book box features Oscar Wilde's wild tale about a villain your bookworm will love to hate paired with a novel treasure she'll be proud to display on her shelves alongside it.
Why they'll love it: Not only is the novel moody and mysterious, the novel treasure is as one-of-a-kind as your bookworm.
What it is: Featuring John Knowles' 1959 coming-of-age classic, this book box is packed with nostalgia and the love of yesteryear your bookworm will love.
Why they'll love it: With the recent resurgence of the popularity of novels set during World War II, this classic written closer to the setting is a must-read for the period lover in your life.
What it is: Seaside getaways. Family. Friends. This classic is perfect for destination readers who crave a holiday getaway.
Why they'll love it: Reading this classic feels a bit like getting away for an extended weekend full of big family dinners and loads of leisure time, and the novel treasure is so spot on your bookworm will wonder if it was plucked right off the Isle of Skye's pebble beaches.
What it is: This book box's classic provides the perfect vicarious vacation vibes - a little fun in the sun alongside your favorite friends floating down a lazy river in a book that remains as relevant today as it was when it was first published - over 100 years ago!
Why they'll love it: If your bookworm is traveling waterside (or just wants to!) during the holiday season, this novel + novel treasure make the perfect pairing for waterside reading.
What it is: A Caribbean Mystery features Agatha Christie's beloved amateur armchair detective, Miss Marple, in the only novel in which the gumshoe travels abroad. Set in the sunny Caribbean, this book (and box!) his the holiday sweet spot for the bookworm longing for sunnier days.
Why they'll love it: Not only is the novel unique, but the novel treasure inside this book box is handmade by an artist inside our very own Monthly Book Club - one your bookworm will absolutely love!
What it is: Eudora Welty's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a book that tugs at the heartstrings of family, community, connectedness, and the universal experiences of loss and grief.
Why they'll love it: It is relatable in every way and will leave your bookworm remembering their own loved ones via the customizable novel treasure.
What it is: Edna Ferber's heroine (Selina) is someone we can all connect with and by the time your bookworm finishes the novel, she is sure to have found a new leading lady to admire.
Why they'll love it: Spunky, can-do main character paired with a novel treasure that will grow on her.
What it is: A slave narrative that reads like heartfelt fiction - all from the female perspective. This one is for your bookworms that love deep-feeling, emotional, redemption books.
Why they'll love it: Not only is the book engaging, educational, and relevant, the novel treasure represents the novel in a beautiful, wearable way.
What it is: The topic of passing (for white) in communities of color as told through three different perspectives.
Why they'll love it: Bookworms that love reading from a different perspective will savor this story set during the Harlem Renaissance. Plus, it is paired with a novel treasure that no bookworm should be without.
The USPS deadline for Christmas delivery is December 16, 2023.
Most book boxes ship same-day.
Every book box shipped after December 16 receives priority mail at no additional cost.
]]>I love planning.
Planning is my favorite.
When you have a book box biz, loving to plan is convenient because part of your job involves reading ahead, scouting the literary horizon for stories that hit the literary sweet spot - like the lovely collection of them I'm highlighting inside December's Holly-Jolly Book Box.
This year's Pretty Literate book box for December centers around a collection of short stories by one of Victorian England's beloved novelists - Anthony Trollope. In addition to penning a whopping 47 novels, the satire-wielding writer also enjoyed writing short stories, five of which are featured in this month's December Book Box.
Christmas at Thompson Hall (1877) is the title short story, a witty tale about a husband and wife traveling home via rail to spend the holidays with their family. A series of mishaps ensues, leading the reader on a fun misadventure in the process.
Christmas Day at Kirkby Cottage (1870) is "a gentle story of misunderstandings, pride, generosity and the true spirit of Christmas," according to Jacqui at Jacqui Wine's Journal. This one is a soft love story set in the most wonderful season of the year.
The Mistletoe Bough (1861) is a fun look at courtship gone awry during what is supposed to be the jolliest time of the year.
The Two Generals (1863) is a heartbreaking Christmas story of two brothers, both generals on different sides of America's Civil War.
Not if I Know It (1847) is a Christmas story centered around forgiveness and reconciliation, a theme we readily associate with the season in which it is set.
Christmas at Thompson Hall is the short story that introduced me to Anthony Trollope's writing and I still shake my head and give a giggle when I think about that train ride home to Thompson Hall.
And I know you will, too!
If you're fond of Christmas classics full of family, misunderstandings, travel, love, and a half-dozen other Christmas Story Tropes, you will love the assortment this Penguin Christmas Classics offers!
In addition to featuring five of Trollope's beloved Christmas short stories (He penned eight, in all.) presented in a beautiful hardcover edition (complete with dust jacket), December's Book Box includes
Set yourself up for a holly jolly holiday to remember and gift yourself a little reading self-care this holiday season with December's Book Box.
]]>A warm fireplace.
A hot cuppa cocoa (or tea or coffee).
A thick throw blanket.
A Christmas classic.
For the seasonal reader, these are the ingredients that, when combined, create an ideal evening for the holiday homebody to savor.
And when it comes to Christmas classics, it should come as no surprise to a reader like you that the most widely recognized & read Christmas story worldwide is none other than Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843).
I recently shared with my Monthly Book Club Members in their December Book Boxes that writing Christmas stories was a popular pastime in Victorian England.
“The long midwinter nights meant folks had to stop working early, and they spent their leisure hours huddled close to the fire,” says Tara Moore, an assistant professor of English at Elizabethtown College. “Plus, you didn’t need to be literate to retell the local ghost story.”
Oral storytelling gave our forebears something to do during those long winter nights pre-printing press (and electricity), and with the advent of the printing press, gave writers solid source material from which to spin spooky stories with an air of familiarity to their audience.
"The popularity of Victorian Christmas ghost stories also transcended socioeconomic status. They were available to read everywhere from cheap publications, to expensive Christmas annuals that middle-class ladies would show off on their coffee tables," according to Moore.
Victorian writer Charles Dickens popularized the pastime of creating creepy Christmas stories in A Christmas Carol, but he also introduced the themes we have come to associate with Christmas classics today like forgiveness and reconciliation.
If you're up for reading outside your comfort zone this holiday season and into experiencing a bit of Victorian Christmas storytelling, here are a few Victorian Christmas Classics to Read this Holiday Season (that are not Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol) that I've added to my own Holiday TBR pile.
And you can, too!
Charles Dickens himself said The Old Nurse’s Story was “a very fine ghost-story indeed. Nobly told, and wonderfully managed.”
Buy the Book: Amazon affiliate link
Listen up: Beautiful British accent version
Read for Free: Thanks, PGA!
Johnson, Blackwood's main character in The Kit Bag, works for a law firm that has just won a murder case. Worn out by the trial, Johnson plans to recover from the case by spending his Christmas holiday in the Alps...if he can manage the night.
Buy the Book: Kindle version via Amazon Affiliate link
Listen Up: Complete with a beautiful British accent
Read for Free: Thanks, PGA!
Arctic setting with snow and ice aplenty, this Christmas ghost-story is the brainchild of 23-year-old medical student Doyle - pre-Sherlock Holmes.
Buy the Book: Illustrated version via Amazon Affiliate link
Listen Up: Here's an awesome dramatized version
Read for Free: Pick your preference of eBook thanks to Project Gutenberg.
A family ghost haunting an English family's estate. Say no more.
Buy the Book: Amazon Affiliate link
Read for Free: Thanks, Project Gutenberg!
Charlotte Riddell (pen name J. H. Riddell) was one of the most popular and influential writers of the Victorian period. A Strange Christmas Game is her brilliant ghost story with a delightfully strange twist at the end.
Buy the Audiobook: Amazon Affiliate link
Listen Up: Excellently Narrated by Edward French
Read for Free: Thanks, Short Story Project!
Staff member at Punch Magazine during its heyday, Anstey was known for his humor and this Christmas ghost story about Victorian identity theft is a good sampling of why.
Buy the Book: Amazon Affiliate link
Listen Up: Excellently Narrated by Edward French
Read for Free: Thanks, PGA!
Christmas ghost story that is set on Christmas Eve 'round a cheery fireplace about the very house the characters have lodged in for the night.
Buy the Book: Amazon Affiliate link
Listen Up: via the Classic Ghost Stories Podcast YouTube Channel
Read for Free: Pick your preference of eBook via Project Gutenberg
Share your favorite go-to titles & authors in the comments.
There are 574 American Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives that are federally recognized by the U.S. government, not including those in the whole of North America. The tribes have been referred to as Indigenous People, Native Americans, American Indians, The First Peoples, First Nations, and by themselves, as The People and NDN. I will be sharing my favorite books concerning the beautiful, rich, varied and tragic tapestry of the history of Indians in our country.
"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West" is exactly that, a history of the westward U.S. expansion and colonization of the continent between 1830 and 1890 written from a Native American point of view. Written by American novelist, historian, and librarian Dee Brown, it is a poignant look at the devastation and crimes perpetrated on Indigenous populations during those years. A NY Times review called it “Original, remarkable, and finally heartbreaking. It is impossible to put down.” It is all the above and haunting as well. Crazy Horse figures hugely in this history; the title is attributed to him as being a request at his death.
"Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in History" was written by Times journalist S.C. Gwynne and details the Comanche nation, their power and fighting ability in trying to keep possession of their lands. Comanches were so fierce and successful that the American frontier was actually rolled backwards! The Texas Rangers were created as a special unit to fight against the Comanches and the six-gun was designed specifically to use against this tribe. Quanah Parker was the mixed blood son of Cynthia Ann Parker and he became the last and greatest Comanche chief. Oklahoma was Indian Territory before it became a state, and Parker had lands and built a huge historic house near my home in southwest Oklahoma so reading this history and seeing the areas covered in the book brought it home to me in a very real way.
“Lakota Noon: the Indian Narrative of Custer’s Defeat” was gifted to me by my sister and brother-in-law after a clearing out of a relative’s shelves. Written by Gregory F. Michno, this is an extremely detailed and painstaking retelling of what is known as the Battle of the Little Bighorn or Custer’s Last Stand. It is compiled from letters, oral histories, official documents and interviews of those present and from the Indian perspective, in 10 minute increments! Each person, what they were doing, where they were, what they said, and detailed maps including coded positions and directions each participant took. It can be slow going, but it is very thorough and I am very glad I took the time to read it.
“Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors” is a very readable and engrossing novel of these two leaders by the wonderful Stephen E. Ambrose (“Undaunted Courage”; “Band of Brothers”). In taking facts about both men and writing the story in such a way I came away feeling as if I really knew each of them. The way the story builds and leads each leader to the culmination at their bittersweet and tragic meeting is fascinating, especially when it appears the battle need not have happened as it did, after all. Having visited the Little Bighorn National Monument twice, it was really meaningful having read this before I went.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is the true story by former FBI agent David Grann covering a series of murders of Osage tribal members in Osage County, OK. (Pioneer Woman fans will recognize Pawhuska as being a principal location in the book.) When oil was discovered on Osage land, the tribe and individual members became very rich. The U.S.government decided the Osage were too childlike to manage their money and appointed “guardians” to oversee this wealth; this led to schemes to steal and commit murder in order to “inherit” the headrights or ownership of the bank accounts. The crimes were so numerous and heinous that Texas Rangers were sent to investigate and the FBI was actually formed to begin investigations of the murders. I was shocked so many times while reading this book- I would wish that every American read this.
The five books I have reviewed above are all fact-based histories; I have included a short list here of books that are fictional stories but which make extensive use of the spiritual beliefs of Indigenous people. The natural world and the spiritual world are very closely aligned in their beliefs and a very present part of their customs in everyday life.
Cork O’Connor series by William Kent Krueger
-a mixed blood Anishannabe/Irish, Corcoran O’Connor is a sheriff in modern day Northern Minnesota. It is a series, but each makes a wonderful stand-alone as well.
Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny
-a French-Canadian Officer named Armand Gamache solves crimes throughout Canada, mostly in Quebec. Not all of the books are about Indigenous people but there are several that do and you’ll enjoy them all, I promise.
“The Night Watchman” by Pulitzer Prize winner Louise Erdrich explores early 20th century Native Americans trying to hold on to the old ways while the young adults strike out to the cities and discover that the old ways and family may be best, after all.
Larry McMurtry wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning “Lonesome Dove” and the other books in that series with an obvious respect for the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache tribes. The cruelty and torture sometimes described contrasts widely with the deeply held spiritual beliefs and reverence for ancestors and the natural world around them. McMurtry also wrote “Oh What a Slaughter” and “Custer”, books of a more factual, historical style and told in the no-nonsense and straightforward style he is known for.
I cannot emphasize enough how strongly I feel that people should read at least one of these recommendations to see our nation’s development from a different perspective than what most of us learned in school. Even today, there are those in power actively working to rewrite our history books and that is a disservice to those who lived it, those who work to change perceptions of racism and those who may not have history as it really happened to learn from in the future.
]]>Tis the season when my mind starts to fantasize about homey holiday gatherings, decked halls, finding the perfect gifts, and fun family traditions. And one of our family's newest holiday traditions is celebrating Jolabokaflöd thanks to one of our Monthly Book Club's Founding Members. (Thanks, Amy!)
I had just started Pretty Literate's Monthly Book Club, so hand-picking classics to share, pairing each one with clever bookish souvenirs, and shipping the book box monthly to my members was still new. My Founding Members went above and beyond, helping me to refine and hone Pretty Literate's Monthly Book Boxes into what they are today. (Thank you, ladies!)
Imagine my surprise when one day in December I received a book box of my own in the mail complete with a newly released novel alongside noshable chocolate to enjoy while I read it! This one gracious gift of kindness sparked an entirely new family tradition for us - that of celebrating Iceland's Jolabokaflöd.
Jolabokaflöd is the Icelandic tradition of gifting a new book and chocolate to family, friends, coworkers - absolutely everyone! - on Christmas Eve. The idea is to prepare your peeps to hunker down on Christmas Eve to enjoy both their new book and the goodies that came along with it. (You can learn more about the history of Jolabokaflöd here or different ways to celebrate it here.)
Knowing that we want to participate in Iceland's bookish tradition again this year, I began gathering Noteworthy November New Releases (just in time for Jolabokaflöd) this month so that I could start picking titles up when I saw them out in the wild. If you're looking for a few good book recs to start your own Jolabokaflöd tradition, here are four of my favorites this year.
Nonfiction
📙 Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by Stephanie Land
I first discovered Land's debut novel, Maid, because Netflix picked it up as a miniseries. After watching the trailer Netflix kept suggesting for it, I pressed play - and then got hooked. I laughed. I cried. I felt. So naturally by the the time to credits rolled I had ordered a copy of the memoir that reached even into the deepest crevices of my heart.
Seeing that Land penned a follow-up memoir that released earlier this month was like running across an old friend. I cannot wait to get (and gift!) what is sure to be a thoughtful, honest, and raw story of survival. Release date: November 7, 2023
(Check out my thoughts on Maid by Stephanie Land here.)
📗 Endgame by Omid Scobie
Being a royal watcher since Middle School, I have kept a side-eye on a few of my favorites over the years. Diana and her boys have continually ranked among the best-loved and most-watched which is why when I saw there was a new book by longtime royal journalist Omid Scobie about the current state of Britain's royal family in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death, it easily made my Jolabokaflöd short list. If you (or someone you're shopping for this holiday season) love a little royal watching, too, jot this title down. Release date: November 28, 2023
(Check out my honest thoughts on SPARE by Prince Harry here.)
Fantasy
📕 Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Of my two daughters, one has loved to read since she learned how to do it. The other has been a much slower burn, but now that she's in her twenties she has definitely begun making up for lost time. And one series they both absolutely love is Yarros' Empyrean Series. Following hot on the heels of the best-selling Fourth Wing, the second in the series, Iron Flame, is guaranteed to be a hot ticket this holiday season - in fact, many of the coveted black stained edged editions sold out the day of its release! (I know because both of my daughters pre-bought and one still went to buy a copy in person the morning it released.) So, if you have a fantasy-loving female on your nice list this season, keep an eye out for the black stained edges edition. Release date: November 7, 2023
Mystery/Thriller
📘 The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
One of my favorite contemporary novels of 2022 was The Maid by Nita Prose, a thriller featuring a loveable main character that I believe was on the spectrum. The novel reads through the main character's eyes as she goes about her daily routine in the wake of her dearly loved Gran's death. As the maid in a fancy hotel, Molly sees a lot, but she never expected to see herself in the middle of a murder investigation. I loved every page of The Maid and was thrilled to learn that Prose has brought back the loveable maid, Molly, in this stand-alone follow-up novel to her original best-seller. Release date: November 28, 2023
I love looking for new titles, especially this time of the year. Share the titles and authors of the NEW RELEASES you are most looking forward to releasing this season in the comments.
]]>Arlington National Cemetery in America.
Westminster Abbey in England.
Arc de Triomphe in France.
These sites, each a place held in honor in their respective countries, house the remains of an unknown soldier, memorial gestures in recognition of the end of World War I. Originally called Armistice Day (armistice meaning "truce") worldwide, the American holiday has expanded to include veterans from all wars since that Great War, changing the day officially to Veterans Day.
In recognition of Veterans Day (November 11), here are a few titles worth a read that center around the origin of the holiday - Armistice Day.
If you are looking to up your attitude of gratitude this month, I encourage you to check out one of these Nine Novels to Read in November.
1. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
→ Synopsis: "Frederic Henry is an American Lieutenant serving in the ambulance corps of the Italian army during the First World War. While stationed in northern Italy, he falls in love with Catherine Barkley, an English nurse. Theirs is an intense, tender and passionate love affair overshadowed by the war. Ernest Hemingway spares nothing in his denunciation of the horrors of combat, yet vividly depicts the courage shown by so many.
In writing A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway was inspired by his own wartime experience as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross. First published in 1929, the novel made his name and remains one of his finest works." (via PanMacMillan.com)
→ Why I want to read it: Ernest Hemingway is one of the few fiction writers who has managed to capture my husband's heart. Since I absolutely loved my first Hemingway (The Old Man and the Sea, which I turned into a book box for PL's Monthly Book Club), I think this one is equally bound to become a favorite.
2. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
→ Synopsis: "Released in 1929 and based upon his own experience as an infantry soldier, Remarque’s account of the First World War supplied a brand-new perspective of the soldier’s experience. While war literature had previously been dominated by generals with a tendency to romanticise warfare, each scene of All Quiet on the Western Front is informed by the horror and brutality of trench warfare.
The visual imagery portrayed throughout the narrative is imaginative rather than literarily charged, enabling the reader to grasp the truly graphic sights soldiers were exposed to in the First World War...This intricate detail is not used to shock, but to demonstrate how these images became seared into the brains of the young men depicted in the narrative. No longer able to communicate with their family, friends and even themselves, the youthful infantrymen of the First World War became the lost generation." (via WesternFrontAssociation.com)
→ Why I read it: Having heard the title most of my life, I decided this month to see what it was all about for myself. I spent a day and a half transported to the Western Front during the Great War, taking shelter in trenches, rescuing fellow soldiers who had fallen, and trying my darndest to stay alive for the sake of myself and my beloved mother back home. (Read more of my thoughts about this title on Instagram or Facebook.)
3. Stella Bain by Anita Shreve
→ Synopsis: "An epic story, set against the backdrop of World War I, from bestselling author Anita Shreve. When an American woman, Stella Bain, is found suffering from severe shell shock in an exclusive garden in London, surgeon August Bridge and his wife selflessly agree to take her in.
A gesture of goodwill turns into something more as Bridge quickly develops a clinical interest in his houseguest. Stella had been working as a nurse's aide near the front, but she can't remember anything prior to four months earlier when she was found wounded on a French battlefield.
In a narrative that takes us from London to America and back again, Shreve has created an engrossing and wrenching tale about love and the meaning of memory, set against the haunting backdrop of a war that destroyed an entire generation." (via Goodreads.com)
→ Why I read it: I am always interested when I find a historical novel that presents the feminine point of view, especially when it revolves around an event that is usually presented from the male perspective. Stella Bain is one such novel. Centered around a woman suffering shellshock after serving as a wartime ambulance driver (see A Farewell to Arms above), the novel charted the recovery of her memory, her family, and her life as she navigated a war felt 'round the world.
4. Switchboard Soldiers by Jennifer Chiaverini
→ Synopsis: "In June 1917, General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe. He immediately found himself unable to communicate with troops in the field. Pershing needed telephone operators who could swiftly and accurately connect multiple calls, speak fluent French and English, remain steady under fire, and be utterly discreet, since the calls often conveyed classified information.
At the time, nearly all well-trained American telephone operators were women—but women were not permitted to enlist, or even to vote in most states. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army Signal Corps promptly began recruiting them.
More than 7,600 women responded, including Grace Banker of New Jersey, a switchboard instructor with AT&T and an alumna of Barnard College; Marie Miossec, a Frenchwoman and aspiring opera singer; and Valerie DeSmedt, a twenty-year-old Pacific Telephone operator from Los Angeles, determined to strike a blow for her native Belgium.
They were among the first women sworn into the U.S. Army under the Articles of War...Deployed throughout France, including near the front lines, the operators endured hardships and risked death or injury from gunfire, bombardments, and the Spanish Flu. Not all of them would survive.
The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps served with honor and played an essential role in achieving the Allied victory. Their story has never been the focus of a novel…until now." (via HarperCollins.com)
→ Why I read it: I am fascinated by the behind-the-scenes volunteers and workers that have sacrificed for their country and countrymen, but whose stories have remained quietly in the background. Until these newer novels were published, I had assumed all womenfolk remained at home awaiting word from their menfolk fighting on the fronts (see All Quiet on the Western Front above). Such books give us a clearer understanding of the truth of our past.
5. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
→ Synopsis: "𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 is historical fiction set during WW1 and is based on a real-life spy ring that went by the same name that recruited women as undercover agents in invisible roles. Based on real-life spy, Louise de Bettignies, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 is part road trip, part mystery all wrapped up in an engaging, seat-of-your-pants story of female friendship and lost-and-found loves.
If you want to read a root-worthy adventure set in beautiful Europe, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 should top your shortlist." (via my Pretty Literate Book Rec)
→ Why I read it: I had seen it on social media for months and one summer day, a man donated it to my Little Free Library and the rest, like they say, was history. Travel. Europe. Friendships. Redemption. I was there for it.
6. The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally
→ Synopsis: "...The acclaimed author of Schindler’s List tells the unforgettable story of two sisters whose lives are transformed by the cataclysm of the first world war.
In 1915, Naomi and Sally Durance, two spirited Australian sisters, join the war effort as nurses, escaping the confines of their father’s farm and carrying a guilty secret with them. Amid the carnage, the sisters’ tenuous bond strengthens as they bravely face extreme danger and hostility—sometimes from their own side. There is great humor and compassion, too, and the inspiring example of the incredible women they serve alongside. In France, each meets an exceptional man, the kind for whom she might relinquish her newfound independence—if only they all survive.
At once vast in scope and extraordinarily intimate, The Daughters of Mars is a remarkable novel about suffering and transcendence, despair and triumph, and the simple acts of decency that make us human even in a world gone mad." (via SimonandSchuster.com)
→ Why I want to read it: Author of Schindler's List. Sister story. Sacrifice and serving. I'm here for it.
7. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
→ Synopsis: "Simonson is back with The Summer Before the War, a gentle comedy of provincial manners that rivals her first in the charm department. The setting is Rye, 'a little high-perched Sussex town,' as the author Henry James has it in the book's epigraph. The novel depicts the fraught period just before the U.K. is to enter World War I, when few Brits had an inkling of the changes that would befall them. When the narrative begins, Archduke Ferdinand has been assassinated in Sarajevo, the incident which will trigger the hostilities. Whitehall is 'crammed with busy civil servant politicians, and generals,' but Germany has not yet stormed Belgium. The rural realm of Sussex is still a place of peace and quirky goings-on." (via npr.org)
→ Why I read it: I read online that it was like an extended season of Downton Abbey when the war touched close to home. It was that ~ and so much more! With a full line up of engaging characters, I appreciated the slower paced start since it gave me time to get to know everyone in this quaint English village before war visited them in the second and third sections of the novel.
8. To the Last Man by Jeff Shaara
→ Synopsis: "To The Last Man deals with one of the most tragic events in world history: the First World War. Focusing first on key characters from the British, French and German points of view, the story moves past the years of stalemate and extraordinary horror to the final two years of the war. As the Allies face the Germans across the desolate no-man's land of the Western Front, neither the British nor the French can seem to hold back the awful tide of attrition that threatens to insure a German victory.
In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson declares war on Germany, bringing America's professed neutrality to an end, and the balance of power swings in the Allies' favor. With the energy, resources and enthusiasm of the American army poured into the last great struggles of the war, their sacrifice and extraordinary heroism finally bring one of mankind's most horrific chapters to a conclusion." (via JeffShaara.com)
→ Why I want to read it: It has been a minute since I was in school, studying and cramming information into my head to regurgitate onto a test. I'd love a book to walk me through the key points of the World War that birthed the lost generation in an engaging, memorable way.
9. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
→ Synopsis: "It is 1914, and Joey, a farm horse, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of World War I on the Western Front. When Joey is dragged away, his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he is forced to leave behind.
In the army the beautiful red-bay horse is trained to charge the enemy, drag heavy artillery, and carry wounded soldiers not much older than Albert off the battlefields. Amongst the clamoring of guns, and while plodding through the cold mud, Joey wonders if the war will ever end. And if it does, will he ever find Albert again?" (via BarnesandNoble.com)
→ Why I want to read it: Honestly, I saw trailers for the movie a while back and once I learned the movie was based on a book, I knew I wanted to read it before I watched it.
What wartime books would you recommend reading - and why? I hope you'll share your favorite titles and authors in the comments.
]]>Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year!
That time of year when the air is crisper, the warmth of firelight is welcoming, the scent of baked goodies is beckoning, and the love of family and friends is meant to be celebrated.
That time of year when love is in the air - love of nature, of family, of fellow man.
That time of year when a cozy blanket, a warm beverage, and a beloved book summon us to escape the hustle and bustle of the holiday, and to enjoy instead the simpler pleasures of life from simpler times.
Never has a classic embodied that spirit of the season more than inside the pages of Pretty Literate's featured classic inside our fourth and final Seasonal Book Box of 2023.
Before sharing the author and title featured in our NEW Seasonal Book Box, here are a few facts about the author that I bet you didn't know.
Think you have a good idea who the author is that our fourth and final Seasonal Book Box features? Here are a few fun facts about the title to help you figure out which of her works we're spotlighting inside this year's Winter Book Box.
Pretty Literate's fourth and final Seasonal Book Box celebrates one of America's most beloved authors with a beautiful edition of the author's most inspiring story. Artist Laci Fowler's distinctive handpainted cover art elevates the beloved classic, evoking a winter wonderland setting that is perfect this time of the year. The special decorative pages throughout this unique edition ensure that it will be the perfect gift for the book lover in your life. This eye-catching edition gives an instant upgrade to shelves, spreads joy to the readers in your life, and is destined to become a cherished addition to every home library.
Pitch-perfect for yuletide reading from its winter wonderland-themed cover to the top-notch treasures and treats, our fourth and final Seasonal Book Box of 2023 has been carefully curated to complement the spirit of the season and the love that we all share for the tight-knit family it is about, making it the ideal book box to kick off anyone's holiday - including yours!
If you think you know which author and title featured in Pretty Literate's fourth and final Seasonal Book Box of 2023, find out if you were correct here.
If you're still scratching your head, you can put your mind at ease here.
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I have never read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
There. I said it.
I know it is a classic and classics are my jam.
I know it is considered one of the first science fiction novels and I love reading (or watching) good science fiction.
I know it is loved by millions.
And I know that it has spent time on banned books lists.
It seems right up my alley, so what's my glitch?
It's the horror aspect that stops me cold in my tracks. Like I shared here, horror just is not my thing. I simply don't like to be scared.
But...
Since Frankenstein, which is technically classified as Horror, is actually a gentler type of tale I'd classify as a ghoulishly good classic, I decided to test the waters of the genre this week to see if Shelley's creepy classic might be my jam after all.
And do you know what? I can now say -
I have read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. And I loved it!
It turns out that Frankenstein was my jam all along! (I reviewed Frankenstein this week on social, so if you're interested in reading what I thought - as well as a lot of other Pretty Literate people - you can read our thoughts on the classic here on Facebook or here on Instagram.)
And in reading that seasonal classic this week, I prepared myself to participate for the first time ever in Frankenstein Friday!
The last Friday in October has become known in literary circles as "Frankenstein Friday," a fun way to keep the spirit of Mary Shelley's monster alive in the days leading up Halloween, not to be confused with National Frankenstein Day which is celebrated annually on the author's birthday (August 30).
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was the only child of her parents, her mother having died just days after she gave birth to the author. Mary Shelley's father, who was a philosophical atheist, remarried after her mother died and his new wife brought her own children into the family before giving birth to another as a result of the union. Consequently, Mary did not grow up an only child, but among five siblings of various parentages.
Mary seemingly did not get along with her new stepmother and was eventually sent to live in Scotland for two years, a time during which her literary imagination grew. It was during this time (via a brief visit home) that Mary first met poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (along with his wife). Later, at the age of 16 upon returning home to England, Mary decided to elope in Italy with the still-married Shelley (which negated the legality of their union). Shelley's wife later died and Percy and Mary married again (1816), this time legally. They encouraged one another's writings during their marriage and had several children during their union, though only one survived into adulthood. Percy Shelley perished in a boating accident in 1822, just 6 years after the couple tied the knot.
After her husband's death, Mary returned to England and wrote novels, biographies, and travel literature out of a practical need to support their one child, who (at age 7) inherited his grandfather's baronetcy as the sole surviving male Shelley. She lived to see her son grown and married.
Mary Shelley died in 1851 from a brain tumor. She was 53 years old.
• Read Shelley's famous novel. It is a quick, engaging, surprising read. You can read Frankenstein FREE online here.
• Listen to the Audiobook on Libby via your local library.
• Try your hand at some Frankenstein Trivia here or here or here. (Let us know how well you do in the comments!)
• Binge watch a few Frankenstein films (yes, there are sequels!) curled up on the couch with your favorite friends. Serve one of these Frankentreats during your Watch Party.
• Get culinary in the kitchen! Try your hand at creating these or these or these.
• Create a crafty Halloween costume to wear on the big night like this one or this one or even this one.
• Crochet a cute Frankenfriend for someone like this one or this even cuter one. (You'll need Google Translator turned on for the first one.)
• Print and hang this Frankenstein banner in your workspace.
• Share one of these fantastic Frankenstein quotables to your social media using the hashtag #FrankensteinFriday. (Tag @PrettyLiterate so we can share the fun, too!)
If you're itching to read another creepy classic, check out one of Pretty Literate's last few ghoulishly good book boxes here.
Better yet, join us in the Monthly Book Club and enjoy great seasonal reads all through the year!
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Being a lifelong reader of mysteries, one of my favorite pastimes has been discovering authors who are beloved for their humorous writing, or kiddie lit, or horror stories, or even romance novels, dipping their quills into the mystery genre and delivering respectably good whodunits. The following are the ones I consider must-read mysteries, listed by title without the author’s name. I hope the clues will help you guess the writer’s identity, but if you struggle, I will reveal the author's name alongside each of their must-read mysteries at the end of this blog.
1. The Red House Mystery
Don’t pooh-pooh the idea of this author trying his hand in the mystery genre.
As he wrote in the book dedicated to his papa -
“Like all really nice people, you have a weakness for detective stories.”
What follows is quite the treat for the rest of us, too. Stay indoors on a blustery day and immerse yourself in this absorbing novel written with all the wit and charm that this author is known for, but beware - this one is certainly not for children.
Deep in the British countryside, in a lovely but lonely old mansion, a couple of chums who fancy themselves a 1920s version of Holmes and Watson accept an invitation to spend a weekend at friend and millionaire Mark Ablett’s mansion. They arrive immediately after Mark’s long-lost twin brother is bumped off, in a locked room, and their host is conveniently absent. The two set out to solve the murder and the disappearance, and the author gives us suspense, witty dialogue, adventure, and a jolly good mystery that is worth reading and reading again.
Who wrote the whodunit?
2. Footsteps in the Dark
Sparks fly in a completely unexpected direction with this popular romance novelist’s creepiest mystery, or spook story, or is it a spy thriller? She was adept at writing all of the above! A perfect read for this season of the year, a novel set in a big ol’ rambling Priory that is rumored to be haunted doesn’t scare off the three very British siblings who have recently inherited the estate and surrounding grounds from their wealthy uncle - until things begin to go bump in the night and townsfolk turn up dead. Everyone blames the hooded monk who supposedly haunts the old house and rambling ruins of the Priory, and if seeing is believing, then the siblings must agree that the fearsome stories are true.
My favorite part of this novel is the mansion itself, as it quickly becomes a fully-fledged character in its own right and really absorbs the reader into the shadows and whispers of the creaky, creepy old house.
Whose whodunit is this?
3. The Fourth Man
Best known for mystery but equally adept at scaring the pants off the unsuspecting reader with her Twilight Zone-type short stories, you may not be able to sleep at all if you stay up past midnight reading eerie adventures such as In A Glass Darkly, The Dressmaker’s Doll, The Fourth Man, just to name a few of the terrifying tales written by this author. I’m happy to say that newly published anthologies containing her short stories have been released in recent years, and many are available on Nook or Kindle as individual stories. Sort of supernatural but with a psychological bent that served her well in her most famous literary endeavors, this writer has been featured in past Pretty Literate Book Boxes.
Who might this whodunit writer be?
4. The Murders in the Rue Morgue
In an ironic twist, an author best known for his macabre tales ignited the development of what was then a new genre, the detective story aka murder mystery, with this rather gruesome novella. Published in 1841, a good 30 years before Sherlock Holmes became a worldwide sensation, The Murders in the Rue Morgue is considered the very first whodunit ever, featuring the first detective ever, C. Auguste Dupin, and the first locked room mystery.
If you’ve yet to figure out who wrote this whodunit, a little bird may quoth you his name.
I hope you have enjoyed our little guessing game and that the clues have led you down a twisting and overgrown path to discover a short story, a book, or an author you will enjoy reading on dark and stormy nights.
But don’t blame me if you can’t sleep – and don’t put out the lights!
Answers:
One of the personal perks of Pretty Literate has been meeting and making new bookish friends the world over and that is exactly what I found when I met Donna McLean - a new friend. Donna is fascinated by genealogy, local lore and legend, cats, and classic mysteries (both film and literary). She is my go-to girl for anything mystery and I know if she suggests it, I will love it.
For all of you Outlander fans, Donna is a direct descendant of the Highland Scots who settled in North Carolina many generations ago. She is a born and bred Southern lady who still believes in gracious living and hospitality for all. And y'all, she has the beautiful southern accent to prove it.
As an author of short stories and clean cozy mystery novels, she hopes that every reader feels right at home in Sparrow Falls, the southern setting of her Sparrow Falls Mystery Series.
She has been included on the author pages of the prestigious Cozy-Mystery website, and her seasonally-themed short stories that are available individually on Barnes & Noble Nook and Amazon Kindle regularly place among the Top 100 titles for cozy mysteries!
You can learn more about Donna by following her publisher’s Facebook page, Quaint Cottage Mysteries, for current information and updates on upcoming novels and short stories, or by visiting her Sparrow Falls website.
]]>There. I said it.
I know. Unpopular opinion.
But let me explain.
During childhood, I was like every other kid eager for the free candyfest that occurred every October 31. I was just as excited as every other kid when my mother took my sister and me to the drug store to pick out our costumes each year - usually a plastic drape worn over our clothes with a molded plastic face mask held in place by a rubber band. Remember those?
Plastic pumpkins in hand, our Mom packed us into the car to visit friends and family both near and far to collect candy. Later that evening my sister and I would greedily dump the collected contents of our plastic pumpkins into a pile in the center of the living room floor to inspect and barter, covet and gobble.
The reason Halloween fell out of favor with me as I grew out of childhood is simple - I don't like to be scared. The older I got, the less Halloween seemed to be about free candy and more about spending an entire evening soiling yourself scared.
No, thank you.
Not my jam.
So, I didn't go to Haunted Houses or watch scary movies or visit cemeteries at night. I didn't indulge in horror, whether it was in written form or on a screen or staged in a dilapidated-looking house. Halloween was no longer my jam because I just did not like to be scared.
Instead, I became more of a pumpkin patch kind of gal. I fell in love with fall leaves, cool weather, and warm fire pits. I prefered inhaling the scent of apple cider under snuggly blankets to playing dress-up and paying someone my hard-earned minimum wage pay to make me wet myself.
But that's just me.
When I started the Monthly Book Club, I knew that I would need to expand my preferences in order to accomodate a wider segment of interests, so I began to dip my toe into a slivered segment of Halloween-type reading - what I began to call "Creepy Classics."
Creepy Classics are those older novels that skirt the line between thrilling, chilling tales that may make you shiver, and horrific, ghastly tales that leave you paranoid and full of fear. They hit a sweet spot for me that I also call ghoulishly good and every October I find myself searching for more and more of these classic books to read on dark, chilly nights.
The next time you feel the need for something that hits YOUR sweet spot between chilling and haunting, I hope you'll check out one of these 13 Ghoulishly Good Classics You Can Read for FREE.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
"Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who through a strangely unorthodox experiment creates a grotesque yet sentient being. Victor, repulsed by the thing that he has created, abandons the monster. The creature in turn saddened by this rejection, departs as well. What follows is a series of tragic events. There is no greater novel in the monster genre than Frankenstein and no more well known monster than the one that is at the center of this novel. Frankenstein’s monster is in reality a thinking intelligent being who is tormented by a world in which he does not belong. In this depiction Shelley draws upon the universal human themes of creation, the nature of existence, and the need for acceptance. For it is without this acceptance that the true monster, the violent nature of humanity, emerges."
Read It: You can read Frankenstein for free via Project Gutenberg here.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
"During a business visit to Count Dracula's castle in Transylvania, a young English solicitor finds himself at the center of a series of horrifying incidents. Jonathan Harker is attacked by three phantom women, observes the Count's transformation from human to bat form, and discovers puncture wounds on his own neck that seem to have been made by teeth. Harker returns home upon his escape from Dracula's grim fortress, but a friend's strange malady — involving sleepwalking, inexplicable blood loss, and mysterious throat wounds — initiates a frantic vampire hunt."
Read It: You can read Dracula free online via Project Gutenberg here.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a classic short story by American author Washington Irving. This timeless tale follows the curious adventures of Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolmaster, and the mysterious Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Set in a picturesque village in New York's Hudson Valley, the story is full of suspense, humor, and subtle social commentary."
Read It: You can read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on an eReader for free here.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stephenson
"Gabriel John Utterson, a friend and lawyer for Dr. Jekyll, opened his safe and pulled out an envelope. The Will of Henry Jekyll, M.D. He opened the document and read, “Upon my decease, all my possessions are to pass into the hands of my friend and benefactor, Edward Hyde.”
Filled with mystery, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) is a striking commentary on the dangers of substance abuse and a poignant battle of self will that all men and women truly engage within themselves."
Read It: You can read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde on an eReader for free here.
The Birds by Daphne du Maurier
"The birds kept coming at him from the air, silent save for the beating wings. The terrible, fluttering wings. He could feel the blood on his hands, his wrists, his neck. Each stab of a swooping beak tore his flesh. If only he could keep them from his eyes. Nothing else mattered."
Read It: You can read The Birds free with an eReader here.
The Willows by Algernon Blackwood
"Two friends are midway on a canoe trip down the Danube River. Throughout the story Blackwood personifies the surrounding environment—river, sun, wind—and imbues them with a powerful and ultimately threatening character. Most ominous are the masses of dense, desultory, menacing willows, which "moved of their own will as though alive, and they touched, by some incalculable method, my own keen sense of the horrible." "
Read It: You can read The Willows for free via Project Gutenberg here.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
"The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives - presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave."
Read It: You can read Rebecca free online here.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
"Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to a isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die…"
Read It: You can read And Then There Were None free online here.
The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"First published in 1851, The House of the Seven Gables is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s gothic novel which follows the fates of a New England family and their ancestral home. Inspired by a house in Salem Massachusetts which had belonged to the ancestors of Nathaniel Hawthorne who had played a part in the Salem Witch Trials, “The House of the Seven Gables” is the story of Hepzibah Pyncheon and her brother Clifford who has recently been released from prison after serving a thirty-three year sentence for murder. According to legend the mansion, which is built upon land acquired through unscrupulous circumstances by Hepzibah and Clifford’s ancestor Colonel Pyncheon, carries with it a curse on the Pyncheons, following the family through the many generations that inherit it. Hawthorne brilliantly uses this curse to create a gloomy forbidding atmosphere around the Pyncheons and the house that they inhabit. As the novel draws to its conclusion the reader is filled with the suspenseful question as to whether or not Hepzibah and Clifford will be the final victims of the curse or if it is all just a silly superstition."
Read It: You can read The House of the Seven Gables free on an eReader here.
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
"Wilkie Collins' controversial novel was partly inspired on a real-life 18th century abduction and unlawful imprisonment. It was one of the first works of 'detective' fiction with a storey knitted together from numerous characters. In 1859, the storey created a stir among readers by capturing their attention with a haunting initial scene in which the enigmatic 'Woman in White,' Anne Catherick, meets Walter Hartright. The novel's chilling, suspenseful, and tense mood remain as evocative for readers today as they were when it was first released."
Read It: You can read The Woman in White free online here.
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
"Presented in the first person, the story is a collection of journal entries written by a woman whose physician husband (John) has rented an old mansion for the summer. Forgoing other rooms in the house, the couple moves into the upstairs nursery. As a form of treatment, the unnamed woman is forbidden from working, and is encouraged to eat well and get plenty of exercise and air, so she can recuperate from what he calls a "temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency", a diagnosis common to women in that period. Gilman used her writing to explore the role of women in America at the time. She explored issues such as the lack of a life outside the home and the oppressive forces of the patriarchal society. Through her work Gilman paved the way for writers such as Alice Walker and Sylvia Plath."
Read It: You can read The Yellow Wallpaper for free online here.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allen Poe
"The Murders in the Rue Morgue is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in "Graham's Magazine" in 1841. It has been recognized as the first modern detective story. Poe's amateur detective, C. Auguste Dupin, takes an interest in the murder in Paris of two women. It was terribly brutal but difficult to categorize; there appeared to be no robbery or sexual assault, no obvious reason for the crimes. The newspapers carried sensational headlines. Dupin gets involved because the man arrested for the crimes, Monsieur Le Bon, had previously done him a favour. It becomes a challenge to Dupin."
Read It: You can read The Murders in the Rue Morgue free online here.
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
"First published in French as a serial in 1909, The Phantom of the Opera is a riveting story that revolves around the young, Swedish Christine Daaé. Her father, a famous musician, dies, and she is raised in the Paris Opera House with his dying promise of a protective angel of music to guide her. After a time at the opera house, she begins hearing a voice, who eventually teaches her how to sing beautifully. All goes well until Christine's childhood friend Raoul comes to visit his parents, who are patrons of the opera, and he sees Christine when she begins successfully singing on the stage. The voice, who is the deformed, murderous 'ghost' of the opera house named Erik, however, grows violent in his terrible jealousy, until Christine suddenly disappears. The phantom is in love, but it can only spell disaster."
Read It: You can read The Phantom of the Opera on your eReader for free here.
No one is more surprised to find a brightening ember for reading Creepy Classics in October than I am. I had no idea when I curated our first Creepy Classic Book Box for the Monthly Book Club that it would rekindle a fondness for thrilling and chilling reads during this time of year...but I'm so glad that it has!
And this month, that newly discovered affection for a ghoulishly good read is what inspired the October selection in Pretty Literate's Monthly Book Club - a novel that reads as current as any modern-day bestseller.
If you love to read a little on the creepy side in October, too, I invite you to check out October's ghoulishly good book box.
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Guest Blog by Lynda Andrews
I am a musician, not a writer; but I can recognize great writing when I read it.
According to experts in the field, that is also how you know if you've gotten hold of a Gothic novel - you know it when you read it.
Gothic literature places the reader not only in a setting but in a mood. It is a sense that something bad is going to happen and there's nothing you can do about it; a creeping edginess or suspense.
Take this sentence, for example: “It was a dark and stormy night.”
Evocative, right? And that’s what we’re looking for when we're searching for good Gothic literature.
My first experience reading Gothic stories was as a child - the collection of Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm. These fairy tales have evolved over time to be more child-friendly, but in their original form, many are dark and scary (like in Cinderella when her stepsister cut the heel of her foot off in order to make her foot fit!).
Castles, manors in the woods (or atop mountains), and characters innocently caught in sinister plots are de rigueur in a Gothic tale.
I am excited to share 20 Must-Read Gothic Novels (that are not Rebecca) in hopes that you might enjoy a shiver (or two!) down your spine as you begin reading one on a dark and stormy night this month.
The Historian by Elizabeeth Kostova
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is another perfect example of a Gothic tale. It is the story of a young woman who discovers that her family’s secrets of the past are connected to an ancient evil and a pact. Her search for the truth takes the reader on an adventure through ancient monasteries, dusty libraries, aged capitals, castles, and the mountains of Eastern Europe.
From the first few pages, a sense of creeping dread begins to grow…
Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer
This next is an unexpected book by an author the Pretty Literate Community has come to know and enjoy. It is by Regency author, Georgette Heyer, and the title is Cousin Kate. Heyer’s Gothic Romance, Cousin Kate, is a bright, beautiful, and poor title character who is seemingly rescued from her situation by an aunt and taken to live with her in the aunt’s old manor house in the English countryside. Kate is to be a companion of sorts to her cousin Torquil, who, although charming, has mercurial changes of temperament.
All is not as it seems as undercurrents become noticeable and tortured screams are heard in the night.
Things in Jars by Jess Kidd
Jess Kidd wrote another of my favorite Gothic novels titled Things In Jars, a tale about an imaginative, magical, and darker world than our own. Taking place in Victorian London, her descriptions of the streets, smells, sounds, and sights guarantee a Gothic mood. The heroine, Bridie Devine, is a detective searching for a missing child. While on that path, she also finds secrets about her own past in this Gothic thriller where nothing is really what it seems to be.
Lost by Gregory Maguire
Lost by Gregory Maguire is unique in this list in that it has the distinction of being the sole Gothic Ghost Story. In Lost, Winifred Rutledge is a writer who travels to London to gather ideas for her new book about a woman who is haunted by the ghost of Jack the Ripper. She is supposed to stay with her step-cousin, John, but when she arrives she finds that he has disappeared.
She senses a “presence” in his home in the wake of his disappearance.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Stephen King is well known as an author of Horror, but he is also a writer with a wonderful perception of the depth of human emotions and motives. Fairy Tale is one such story by King, a Gothic fantasy about 17-year-old Charlie who befriends an old man and his dog, Radar. The old man and his dog, Radar, live reclusively in a big house on top of a hill. Charlie loses his heart to Radar and gains the trust of the old man, who dies and leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling him a story that no one would believe. In this fairy tale, good is pitted against terrible evil, and Charlie and Radar must lead the battle.
Bonus Book: Eyes of the Dragon is another great Gothic Fantasy by Stephen King that is well worth the read if you can find it.
If you’re feeling the Gothic vibes I’m dropping with this list of Must-Read Gothic Novels (that are not REBECCA), here are 13 more Gothic Book Recs you might be interested in -
If you love good Gothic Novels like this week's Guest Blogger Lynda - one of the Founding Members of PL's Monthly Book Club - please add your book recs in the comments and keep this list growing.
]]>We've been talking about Banned Books Week for a month and now that it is finally {almost!} here we wanted to share Everything You Need to Know About Banned Books Week - What We're Doing, When We're Doing It, and Ways You Can Participate to get the most out of Banned Books Week.
If you haven't yet, please pause and check out Pretty Literate's Banned Book Box for 2023.
Go ahead.
I'll wait.
And the reason why I'll wait is because I KNOW the one thing you can do to experience Banned Books Week to the absolute fullest is to set yourself - or a friend, a mentor, your favorite family member, a neighbor, a fellow book club member - up with an unforgettable encounter with classic literature.
That's what the Banned Book Box delivers - a memorable experience with the Most Banned Book in America, a classic that is absolutely a must-read for every Pretty Literate person on the planet. A must-read for YOU.
Don't worry - I'll ship it to you immediately via Priority Mail so there will still be plenty of Banned Books Week left for you to participate in - if you order TODAY.
Now let's get down to the details...
Banned Books Week is October 1-7, 2023 and we have a full week of activities centered around the cause - so much to choose from that I know everyone will be able to find something that hits their sweet spot.
👉🏽 Pretty Literate will be sharing across all of our social sites Banned Book puzzles, crosswords, word finds, and other fun activities you can easily download or screenshot to play while you wait in line at the grocery store, in the doctor's office, during your lunch break, or before bed - anytime you find yourself with time on your hands!
bonus: Those downloads and screenshots are an easy way to include others in Banned Books Week. Share to your own social sites, send to your contacts, DM to your best buds, etc...
👉🏽 During Banned Books Week, Pretty Literate LIVE is all about Banned Books Trivia! Whether you know a lot or a little, we're going to have a good time talking about banned (or challenged) classics, so come play along with us.
👉🏽 This year during Banned Books Week, we invite the entire Pretty Literate Community across all of our social sites to participate in a community-wide read-along of the Most Banned Book in America of all time - George Orwell's 1984. We will be sharing thoughtful discussion-starters centered around this controversial title and are eager to read what you have to share about this thought-provoking book.
note: You do not have to buy the Banned Book Box to participate, but it will help bring the novel to life if you do.
👉🏽 In addition to the puzzles, crosswords, and word finds, we're bringing back Banned Book Bingo this year. See how your experience stacks up against other Pretty Literate people, or see how many titles you've added to your board in the last year.
bonus: Banned Books Bingo is another easy way to share Banned Books Week with others, so be sure to share your filled-in bingo board to your own social sites, send to your contacts, DM your besties, etc...
Banned Books Week is October 1-7, 2023, and we have something new and different every single day across all of Pretty Literate's social sites, so whether you follow PL on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Pinterest, there will be ways to engage.
⏰ Daily during Banned Books Week, we'll be sharing discussion-starters centered around the featured novel in the Banned Book Box - the chillingly prescient 1984 by George Orwell - and invite everyone to join the discussion.
⏰ Oct. 2 at 7 pm Central on Pretty Literate's Facebook page is the LIVE version of Pretty Literate LIVE: the one with Banned Books Week Trivia. Mark your calendars and join us LIVE for that if you can. For those unable to join LIVE, you can catch the replay (and still play along in the comments!) on Facebook or YouTube.
⏰ October 2-7 I will be sharing Banned Books Trivia daily on TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, Pinterest, and YouTube and invite you to check daily to test your own banned book trivia knowledge.
I shared 7 Ways to Participate in Banned Books Week on the Pretty Literate Blog earlier this month.
Here's a quick recap (or read those suggestions in their entirety here):
How are you participating in Banned Books Week this year? Do you have any creative ideas to add to our list? Share your thoughts in the comments.
]]>From social posts to blogs, from Tik Toks to Reels, we just can't quit talking about #BannedBooksWeek, so a couple of weeks ago during a Pretty Literate LIVE when one of our Monthly Book Club Members (Hey, Rachel! 👋🏼) asked, Are you going to share about George Orwell? the answer was an enthusiastic, YES!
This is the week, Rachel, that we're sharing all about George Orwell, the featured author inside this year's classic Banned Book Box.
On Monday's Pretty Literate LIVE: the one all about George Orwell we shared tidbits & trivia gathered from the four corners of the internet because I really didn't know much about Orwell myself and I thought each little tidbit I found was insanely interesting (and I knew you would, too!).
Things like -
During that LIVE, we had a great time centered around these (and other!) Fun Facts about George Orwell, so I wanted to continue that conversation on the Pretty Literate Blog this week, helping YOU get to know this year's featured Banned Book Box author a little better, as well.
Buckle up, Buttercup, because whether you consider yourself an Orwell aficionado or a baby-faced newbie like me, here are a few fun facts about the man behind the Most Banned Book in America of all time.
George Orwell was a pen name.
The classic author was born in 1903 and named Eric Arthur Blair by his parents, the name he went by for the first 30 years of his life. It wasn't until he published his first book (Down and Out in Paris and London) in 1933 that he chose the pen name George Orwell - a name inspired by a favorite location of his, the River Orwell in the U.K.
George Orwell was born in India.
Orwell was born in Motihari, Bengal, where his father worked as an Opium Agent in the Indian Civil Service. He was, however, a British citizen and returned with his parents to England at the age of one.
George Orwell was educated away from home.
Orwell attended a boarding prep school in Sussex beginning in 1911. His above average intelligence won him scholarships at two leading schools, both of which he attended. It was during his time at Eton (1917-1921), however, that he published his first writing (to a college periodical). And his French teacher at Eton? None other than Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World.
George Orwell held many odd jobs during his writing career.
Because Orwell sought to experience the plight of those he wrote about, he held many odd jobs during his writing career, including dishwasher, book store clerk, police officer, and teacher.
George Orwell had knuckle tattoos.
Orwell got small blue spots on each knuckle while he was a police officer in Burma (1922-1927). It is unsure whether he got them as a subtle form of rebellion to the establishment, or if he believed they would protect him against British bullets* (a Burmese tribal superstition).
*see the irony below
George Orwell was once jailed.
Orwell got himself arrested for being publicly "drunk & incapable" in order to relate better to the tramps and small time criminals that he wrote about. He recorded his experience in the unpublished essay titled Clink (August 1932).
(Read Orwell's 11-page essay titled Clink here.)
George Orwell served in two wars.
Orwell served as a soldier during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), where he was on the receiving end of a sniper's bullet in the neck. During World War 2, Orwell served as a journalist covering the war for the BBC.
George Orwell wrote both fiction and nonfiction.
At the time of his death, Orwell had published a total of 9 books - six fiction and three nonfiction. The title that led to his fame was his novella, Animal Farm (published 1945), an allegory with this message:
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (Lord Acton)
Orwell's final novel was 1984, published just 7 months before his untimely death.
George Orwell almost drown while writing 1984.
Orwell took his son, niece, and nephew on a boating trip to Scotland (Summer 1947) while writing his last novel, 1984, during which the boat became caught in a whirlpool and capsized. Thankfully Orwell and the children with him escaped harm, though none of them were wearing floatation devices at the time of the accident.
You can read more about the incident through Orwell's adopted son's own words here.
George Orwell coined a lot of phrases that are commonplace today.
Big Brother. Thought Police. Room 101. Newspeak. Memory hole. Doublethink. Thought crime. Cold War. All clever phrases coined in Orwell's writings.
George Orwell admired this American author.
Orwell deeply admired American author and essayist Jack London. He credited London with encouraging him to explore the poorer parts of London (which inspired the second half of his first published book, Down and Out in Paris and London, published January 1933).
George Orwell was married twice.
Orwell was married to his first wife for nine years before she tragically passed away, leaving him a widower. It was four years before he remarried, and this second marriage was tragically cut short when Orwell himself died the following year, leaving his 2nd wife a widow.
George Orwell died young.
Orwell was only 46 years old when he passed away. After being shot in the neck by a sniper during the Spanish Civil War (see above), Orwell became infected with tuberculosis while recovering in the hospital. He struggled with TB the rest of his life and it was a terrible bout with chronic tuberculosis that finally took the author's life in a London hospital bed in 1950.
Did you know the tidbits & trivia we shared about the Banned Book Box's featured author, George Orwell?
Does it make you want to read more? I invite you to check out the 2023 Banned Book Box, which ships immediately. It is a delicious way to get to know the author's last published work and enjoy a well-told tale in the process.
And if you're looking to add more classics like Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four into your reading diet, you should definitely check out Pretty Literate's Monthly Book Club. With three different levels to choose from, you can begin connecting with classic authors, classic titles, and other bookish people in a unique and unforgettable way starting this month!
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In case you missed Monday night's Pretty Literate LIVE, Simon shared 3 reasons why 1984 by George Orwell is the perfect pick for #BannedBooksWeek2023.
It is a classic. Orwell's wrote his enduring classic in 1948 (published 1949) and 75 years later it remains as thought-provoking as it did when read by the original audience. Not only that, it has since become the Most Banned Book in America of all time, opening the doors to important conversations even today. It's a classic for a reason and if you have not yet read it, this needs to be the year you remedy that.
It is prophetic. Fascinating, isn't it, how classic authors such as George Orwell anticipated the future, the future in which we now find ourselves living? We aren't talking about flying cars or dwellings on Mars, but predictions about world order and the structural basis for societies. Reading 1984 opens up vital social conversations because it reads "fresh" and "now" because of the author's prophetic forethought.
It is timely. The book is 75 years old, but reads like it could have been written recently. There is a reason it has become the Most Banned Book in America, the most downloaded book in Russia, and the book our local bookstore cannot keep in stock. Its popularity soared during Covid and continues to rise because it speaks to us living in the here and now.
It is a warning. Orwell wanted his book to serve as a warning against totalitarianism.
Totalitarianism is a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and regulation over public and private life. -Wikipedia
It is a template. Several popular, more contemporary novels that you have read and loved have piggy-backed off Orwell's prophetic prediction of things to come like The Hunger Games, The Giver, The Handmaid's Tale, and Parable of the Talents, to name a few.
It is the MOST Banned Book in America. The fact that it is the MOST banned book in America of all time is enough reason for any of us to want to read it. Since its publication (1949), the novel 1984 has been challenged or banned so many times for its content, that the content must contain ideas that are threatening to those that seek to ban it. I want to know what those ideas are and decide for myself.
It is food for thought. There is a frightening amount of parallelism between the fictitious world in which 1984 is set and the reality we are living in today.
The most genuinely frightening aspect of the novel is the dizzying depiction of power as an end in itself: the global war to maintain the status quo; the insignificance of the individual... -theguardian.com
It is {obsessively} ruminative. Months after finishing 1984 I am still thinking about the novel, bringing it up in conversation, and talking through major themes, like -
- and at this stage in the election cycle, those are some timely topics to keep front-of-mind.
It is relevant. We live in a time when social control is exercised through disinformation and surveillance is commonplace; a time when fake information is the norm and the everyday citizen is at a loss to know who to believe. What is more 1984 than that?
I want to encourage you to make reading George Orwell's 1984 a must-read.
I further want to encourage you to talk about it because the best way to get the most out of what you're reading is to talk about it.
*Check out the Nineteen Eighty-Four Book Box, an interactive experience for the book lover, here.
Psst! If you're building your personal library, stocking it with classics that have stood the test of time and whose messages are as relevant today as the day they were written, I hope you'll check out PL's Monthly Book Club here.
]]>Earlier this week on Pretty Literate LIVE, I shared openly that I am living and breathing all things Banned Books Week. My goal is to prepare not only myself, but also the 1300+ people in the entire Pretty Literate Community to participate and get the most out of this unique week for readers.
That's why this week's PL Blog is all about creative ways YOU can partake in Banned Books Week this year. Check out these 7 Ways to Participate in Banned Books Week October 1-7, 2023, and start getting your game plan together for the big event.
Share reviews of classics you have read that are frequently challenged or banned on social media using #BannedBooks or #BannedBooksWeek during the weeks leading up to and most especially throughout October 1-7.
Hot Tip: Here's a list of the top 100 books that have been banned or challenged in the last century.
Participate in a read-along of a classic banned book with others so that you can discuss the book, getting more out of it than you would by reading it solo. (Aren't a member of a group? Join us on Pretty Literate's social sites during Banned Books Week and read along to George Orwell's 1984.)
Hot Tip: You don't have to buy our incredible, immersive Banned Book Box to participate! Source your own copy of 1984 if you prefer and join us for a community-wide read-along October 1-7, 2023.
Treat yourself (or your favorite reader) to Pretty Literate's 2023 Banned Book Box featuring the MOST BANNED BOOK IN AMERICA - the best bookish care package to stoke the flames (pun intended) of passion for Banned Books Week.
Hot Tip: This year's Banned Book Box is a complete 180* from last year! Different classic, different novel treasures, different vibe, different experience. I highly recommend it!
Host a Banned Books Breakfast (or lunch, or dinner) during Banned Books Week, gifting classics that have been frequently challenged or banned in the last century. (See "Be Social" above for a link to the top 100 books from which to pick.)
Hot Tip: Serve food & beverages mentioned in some of your favorite banned classics to add irresistible flair to your gathering.
Pick a classic Banned Book to read with your neighborhood Book Club during October. You can get a whole list of banned or challenged classics (along with why they were banned) at the American Library Association website.
Hot Tip: The ALA.org website is my favorite go-to website for classics when I'm feeling a little rebellious.
Donate gently used (or lavishly loved) classic Banned Books in your local Little Free Libraries. As a LFL Steward, I can attest that we love it when readers share their favorite books by donating to our Little Free Libraries.
Hot Tip: Check your local used bookstore's clearance section for cost-effective banned classics to donate. Then use this map to find LFL locations near you.
Spread the message of Banned Books Week everywhere you go by wearing some sweet SWAG. Proclaim I READ BANNED BOOKS or your belief that everyone should LET FREEDOM READ with these sweet tees (available only through October 7, 2023).
Hot Tip: There are a host of sweet Banned Books SWAG available through Etsy, Ebay, CafePress, Out of Print, and more (tho I am partial to the tees in my Banned Books Week pop-up shop).
Pretty Literate is offering a week-long event for #BannedBooksWeek across all of our social sites and you're invited to join us! Make sure to LIKE/FOLLOW now so that you can participate on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest both during #BannedBooksWeek and the weeks leading up to it.
Did any of these 7 Ways to Participate in Banned Books Week hit home? Share what you plan on doing for Banned Books Week this year in the comments - and let us know which book you're reading this year. (Psst! I hope it's the same banned book we're focusing on in our community-wide read-along!)
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My husband and I began writing a novel together in 2015. We thought it would be fun to write a story in tandem and one day we just began with the only rule being we had a strict 24-hour turnaround window. That meant that no matter what, we had to get our next page written and emailed back to the other within 24-hours of receiving it. Fun, right?
Why am I telling you this? Because that novel began in Yellowstone National Park - the 1st National Park in the United States, if you didn't know - and Friday, August 25 happens to be National Park Service Founders Day!
Never heard of National Park Service Founders Day? I probably wouldn't have either if it hadn't been for Monday's Pretty Literate LIVE. We were discussing Katherine Center's Happiness for Beginners (set in Wyoming's beautiful Absaroka Mountains, which I believe dips into Yellowstone National Park) and one of our Monthly Book Club Members mentioned having read Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods (a book I have in my physical TBR pile right now). One rabbit trail led to another and before I realized it, I was Jonesing for one last summer adventure.
I woke up the next morning with my mind still fixated on hiking virgin swatches of America with my dog thanks to Katherine Center's heroine in Happiness for Beginners (and our rabbit trails during Pretty Literate LIVE). That is when I made the delightful discovery about National Park Service Founders Day!
Whenever you are enjoying scenic trails, open spaces, watersheds, or recreational areas, remember that the National Parks Service works hard to provide a natural outdoor resource accessible to every American. They are also responsible for making hiking and biking trails accessible to all of us. The National Parks System is committed to creating outdoor experiences like no other. -NationalToday.com
With summer swiftly coming to a close & after having spent several months spotlighting awesome destination reads (like this one, & this one, & this one) in our little corner of the reading community, I thought, What better way to celebrate National Park Service Founders Day than with amazing books set in some of our beautiful National Parks?
This week's blog is the result of many hours of research and reviews this week, obsessively reading and cross-referencing Books Set in National Parks that I've added to my own TBR - you know, alongside Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods.
If you enjoy the beauty of natural surroundings and are itching to get in one more vicarious vacation this summer, I invite you to try one of the baker's dozen of destination reads below, all set in our country's breathtaking National Parks.
The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber
Praised by Alice Walker and many other best-selling writers, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree is an award-winning debut novel with incredible heart about life on the prairie as it's rarely been seen. Reminiscent of The Color Purple as well as the frontier novels of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Willa Cather, it opens a window on the little-known history of African American homesteaders and gives voice to an extraordinary heroine who embodies the spirit that built America.*
Borderline by Nevada Barr
Hoping a raft trip in Big Bend National Park will lift her spirits, Anna Pigeon and her husband Paul go to southwest Texas, where the Rio Grande is running high. The beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert and the power of the river work their magic—until the raft is lost in the rapids and a young college student makes a grisly discovery. Caught in a strainer between two boulders—and more dead than alive—is a pregnant woman. Anna will soon discover that nature isn’t the only one who wants to see the woman and her baby dead…*
Blind Descent by Nevada Barr
Park ranger Anna Pigeon is enjoying the open spaces of Colorado when she receives an urgent call. A young woman has been injured while exploring a cave in New Mexico's Carlsbad Cavern Park. Before she can be pulled to safety, she sends for her friend Anna. Only one problem: a crushing fear of confined spaces has kept Anna out in the open her whole life.*
The Wild Inside by Christine Carbo
As intriguing and alluring as bestselling crime novels by C.J. Box, Louise Penny, and William Kent Krueger, as atmospheric and evocative as the nature writing of John Krakauer and Cheryl Strayed, The Wild Inside is a gripping debut novel about the perilous, unforgiving intersection between man and nature.*
In the Heart of the Canyon by Elizabeth Hyde
Over the course of thirteen long days, twelve assorted passengers, three rafting guides and one stray dog will navigate the rapids of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon together. From their early-morning rise on the shore of the river to the adrenaline rush of paddling through Lava Falls, they will soon come to know each other more intimately than they could have expected. Tempers will flare and decisions will be second-guessed . . . and ultimately all of them, from an unhappy teenager to an aging river guide, will realize that sometimes the most daunting adventures have nothing to do with white-water rapids, and everything to do with reconfiguring the rocky canyons of the heart.*
Down by the River by Lin Stepp
Set against the backdrop of Tennessee's breathtaking Smoky Mountains, Lin Stepp's Down By the River is a warm-hearted novel that proves it's never too late--or too early--for a fresh start. . .*
Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr
A young naturalist, Anna Pigeon, has moved to the Southwest wilderness to be a park ranger. There, her days are filled with the physical demands of working in the Guadalupe Mountains and the satisfaction of living in this splendid land. Her peace is shattered one morning, though, when she discovers the body of another ranger deep in Dog Canyon. How did the usually cautious woman die? Although at first the evidence indicates an attack by a mountain lion, Anna soon suspects that there are craftier predators afoot in the wild grasses.*
Ill Wind by Nevada Barr
Vanishing Edge by Claire Kells
The rugged landscape of Sequoia National Park is a challenge on the best of days - but when a park ranger discovers an abandoned exclusive campsite with an empty tent and high-end technical gear scattered on the shores of an alpine lake, the wilderness takes on a sinister new hue.*
The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett
Karen Barnett’s vintage national parks novels bring to vivid life President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for protected lands, when he wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter:
"There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred."*
Gloryland by Shelton Johnson
Born on Emancipation Day, 1863, to a sharecropping family of black and Indian blood, Elijah Yancy never lived as a slave―but his self-image as a free person is at war with his surroundings... Like other rootless young African-American men of that era, (he) joins up with the US cavalry. Elijah...ultimately finds a home when his troop is posted to the newly created Yosemite National Park in 1903. Here, living with little beyond mountain light, running water, campfires, and stars, he becomes a man who owns himself completely, while knowing he’s left pieces of himself scattered along his life’s path like pebbles on a creek bed.*
High Country by Nevada Barr
Loaded with intrigue and adventure, High Country showcases Barr at the top of her game. Anna is lodged in Yosemite National Park's historic Ahwahnee Hotel when four employees disappear. Sensing evil, Anna hikes a snowy trail to the high country, only to discover a disturbing reality that may end her adventures once and for all.*
Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett
Watercolorist Olivia Rutherford has shed her humble beginnings to fashion her image as an avant-garde artist to appeal to the region's wealthy art-collectors. When she lands a lucrative contract painting illustrations of Yosemite National Park for a travel magazine, including its nightly one-of-a-kind Firefall event, she hopes the money will lift Olivia and her sisters out of poverty. After false accusations cost him everything, former minister Clark Johnson has found purpose as a backcountry guide in this natural cathedral of granite and trees. Now he's faced with the opportunity to become a National Parks Ranger, but is it his true calling? As Clark opens Olivia's eyes to the wonders of Yosemite, she discovers the people are as vital to the park's story as its vistas--a revelation that may bring her charade to an end.*
Which U.S. National Parks have YOU visited?
Have you read any of the baker's dozen of books above set in one of our National Parks?
Which book(s) would you add to the list?
Are any specific titles calling your name?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
Welcome back to my literary travel series! I am wrapping up this four-part series with a travel experience that currently ranks as the best of my life. I sincerely hope I do the country, author, and novel the justice they all deserve in this post. I have to admit, I’m feeling the pressure!
On October 10, 2010, I posted the following on Facebook:
“I’m reading an incredible book (Beneath a Marble Sky) and now I’m itching to get to India to see the Taj Mahal!”
After reading Beneath a Marble Sky, I knew John Shors would be one of my favorite authors. Since then, I have read everything he has published, including his young adult sci-fi trilogy The Demon Seekers. John is the perfect author to highlight in a post on literary travel; I would consider all of his books to be destination reads. John has a true gift of turning a location into another character in the story.
Beneath a Marble Sky is told from the perspective of Princess Jahanara, the daughter of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Through the eyes of Jahanara, the reader learns not only of the deep love her parents share but also the deep and divisive conflict within her family and country. After her mother dies in 1631, her father begins the endeavor of building a final resting place to honor the memory of his beloved wife- what would become the Taj Mahal. Through the building of the Taj Mahal, Jahanara herself finds both true love and despair. Beneath a Marble Sky is a stunning novel and reading it made me yearn to travel to India.
In 2014, John started John Shors Travel to offer readers an opportunity to join him on literary adventures to the locations of his novels, including India, Cambodia, Thailand, and Japan. John’s books are so well-researched; it makes perfect sense that he could offer incredible insights to these locations. I was in awe of these amazing vacation itineraries, the timing just never worked…until 2022. John had a trip to India planned and I could finally make it happen. I was beyond excited that I was going to India with John Shors to see the Taj Mahal. Someone, pinch me!
On October 10, 2022, 12 years to the day of my previously mentioned Facebook post, I was in India for the official first day of John’s “India - Exploring the Land of the Taj Mahal” adventure (cue the ‘dream come true’ music). I still can’t even believe it; it was like literary travel fate. What transpired was an epic journey that made me laugh, cry, and embrace a country like I never expected.
Come explore with me as we embark on a bucket list adventure to beautiful, amazing India!
Our India adventure begins in Mumbai. Some of our destinations include a Jain temple, the Gateway of India and Taj Palace Hotel, National Gallery of Modern Art, Mahalaxmi Dohbi Ghat (extensive outdoor laundry complex), and National Gandhi Museum. In the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Judi Dench’s character describes India as ‘an assault on the senses’, and isn’t that the best possible description? The sounds, smells, and colors of the city are all unlike any we’ve ever experienced.
Mumbai is just the first stop on this adventure so let’s pack our bags and board our flight to Udaipur!
Welcome to the beautiful Trident Hotel Udaipur! The rooms are expertly appointed and the grounds are lush. For our first night in Udaipur, we dine at a nearby rooftop restaurant. I have never seen a view quite like this one, have you? We can see the city below, the City Palace and Lake Pichola, and mountains in the distance. The colors as the sun sets are spellbinding.
We’ve had a great night’s rest, come join me on a walk of the hotel grounds where we see peacocks, flowers, and trees with wide canopies. After our walk, let’s settle in for some reading over breakfast- it is a literary trip, after all. I know it’s a blissful way to start the day but we don’t have long to relax….we’re off to the City Palace for a tour!
We arrive at the City Palace, which is located on the shore of Lake Pichola. The tour guide is so informative and we meander from room to room, looking down at Udaipur below through the various windows and archways.
Now that we’re done at the City Palace, we’re hopping on a boat for a cruise of Lake Pichola and we’re stopping at Jagmandir Island Palace. It’s a remote island and we have it pretty much to ourselves. There is a light breeze and the lanterns sway ever so slightly in the plumeria trees.
After a wonderful stop in Udaipur, get your travel bags ready for the Pink City of Jaipur. In 2019, Jaipur was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list for all of its pink sandstone buildings. Our hotel in Jaipur is a former palace, with an intricate entrance and interior gardens and alcoves. What a unique hotel experience for our trip!
In Jaipur, before we start our tour of the City Palace, we look on in amazement at Jantar Mantar, a collection of astronomical instruments built in the 18th century that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. After seeing the palace, we load into Jeeps and bump along the streets and up to the Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 16th century.
Up next, John has promised a unique experience. Elefantastic is a sanctuary for elephants and we get to feed, paint (with water-based, safe paints), walk, and bathe the elephants! This is truly an amazing part of our journey. Can you believe we are this close to our elephant? She is so friendly and very hungry for sugar cane. While spending quality time with her, we can see the depth of her soul in her eyes. What an unforgettable experience!
I know we’ve had a busy few days, I hope you aren’t getting too tired. Dare I say we are getting to the best part?
From Jaipur, our amazing driver whisks us away to Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal. That evening before dinner, we go to a viewing location on the Yamuna River to see the ‘back’ of Taj Mahal at sunset. This moment is so incredibly special. All of the birds flying in concert and calling to one another is a sight to behold. It is mesmerizing and, in some ways, feels surreal. We are all trying our best to soak in this moment and capture the memories with our cameras. I am snapping away…and I get a dream shot! I cannot tell you how I captured a bird in flight so perfectly above the Taj Mahal. I know every time I see this image, I will feel that I am back in this moment. Seeing the Taj Mahal from this perspective, with its reflection on the river, is absolutely magical. But let’s say goodbye to the Taj Mahal for now and head to dinner and back to the hotel. We’ve got a big day tomorrow!
Good morning! It’s time to visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort…are you ready? We walk into the grounds and words cannot describe what it is like to see the Taj Mahal in person. In addition to being considered one of the Wonders of the World, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, along with Agra Fort.
After reading Beneath a Marble Sky and learning the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and the challenges of building the Taj Mahal, it is incredible to see this enormous monument. And we are here with the author of the book who made us yearn to make this trip. Soak in this moment!
Throughout the novel, we learn about the struggles of the construction, the vast amount of money invested, and the artisans who contributed their talents. Seeing the Taj Mahal in person gives us a chance to see the detail and craftsmanship that went into every corner. It is an architectural and artistic wonder!
There is a small area inside the Taj Mahal where we can walk to pay our respects at the replica tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. When we emerge back outside into the sunshine and see Agra Fort at a distance, I am overcome with emotion. One of my fellow travelers sees I have tears in my eyes. She hugs me and tells me she understands; it’s a lot to absorb. I will always appreciate her compassion in this moment.
I know we can spend all day walking around the grounds and enjoying the Taj Mahal, but our group has to keep moving so we make our way to Agra Fort.
In Beneath a Marble Sky, Agra Fort is known as the Red Fort; it is the primary residence of Shah Jahan and his harem and is where he is ultimately imprisoned by Dara, his power-hungry son. Coming up, we can see Jahanara’s rooms and the imprisonment rooms. As we approach Jahanara’s rooms, there is a group of ladies in colorful saris walking toward us. It feels like we have stepped momentarily into Jahanara’s memories of the women in the harem and her life at the fort as a child. The pages of the book have come to life before our eyes. And even though the imprisonment rooms are beautiful, we can’t imagine Shah Jahan’s heartbreak of seeing the Taj Mahal construction happening at a distance and it serves as a constant reminder of the loss of his wife. We look out into the distance and see the Taj Mahal and marvel at the view.
As much as we don’t want this portion of our journey to end, it is time to leave Agra and continue our journey to our final destination- Delhi. During our full day in Delhi, we tour the Qutb Minar Complex. The complex’s primary stone tower was built in the 12th century to celebrate the Islamic victory over the Rajput king. The tower and surrounding buildings were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. We walk amongst the buildings and admire all of the carved stones and structures. That evening, we have one final group meal and then each go to our rooms to pack for our return trips home. The once-in-a-lifetime bucket list adventure in India is over but I am forever changed.
For me, my India adventure was monumental on so many levels! I know my time in India would not have been as magnificent as it was without John’s unbelievable itinerary and all he did as our coordinator and guide, our friendly and knowledgeable local guides, our amazing driver Umesh who never seemed fazed by the chaotic traffic, and my incomparable fellow travelers. I am 100% certain that my wonderful experience in India was due in very large part to my travel companions. We were a very small group of five travelers plus John and we were always taking group photos, laughing together, and telling stories over shared meals. I am forever grateful for sharing this journey with them.
I hope you enjoyed experiencing part of my India journey and that you are inspired to read Beneath a Marble Sky and learn more about India and the Taj Mahal. I suppose my parting words as I wrap up this literary travel series are to always remember books bring the world to us and, if we want to, we can take a step to explore that world on a deeper level. And you don’t have to travel as far as India to have a literary adventure. Literary adventures are everywhere! You can also plan a literary adventure in reverse. Once you plan a trip, do some research and find books set in that location. While in India, in addition to listening to the audiobook Beneath a Marble Sky (narrated by Mozhan Marno of NBC’s The Blacklist), I read The Henna Artist and The Taste of Ginger. Each book helped me explore India and its culture and people in different ways.
Safe travels, fellow readers.
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