Tag: literature

• My Top Ten of 2024

  With only two days of 2024 left, I think my reading stats are pretty set in stone, unless I finish off one more book before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve so I can end on an even number. I had a good reading year but my total number of books is a bit…

  michardillo

  December 29, 2024

  books

  Amazon, Ann Napolitano, ARC, audiobook, book-review, books, Deborah Serra, Diane Parrish, Ebook, Elinor Lipman, Elizabeth Strout, Evie Woods, fiction, Katherine Center, Kindle, literature, NetGalley, novel, reading, Ruth Reichl, Sophia Kinsella, Susan Rieger], top ten, writer, writing

• Book Review: Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

  A book dominated by the daily bakes of a British pensioner? Sign. Me. Up. I just finished reading Olivia Ford’s debut novel, Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame. A teacher colleague of mine—an avid reader and all around dear friend—gave me two books for Christmas and when I opened the package, this one was on top.…

  michardillo

  December 28, 2024

  books, Essay, food

  baking, book-review, books, British, British pastries, chocolate, cooking, debut novel, English, family, fiction, GBBO, Great British Baking Show, literature, middle school, Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame, Netflix, novel, Olivia Ford, reading, social media, tea, writer

• Book Review: The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn

  One of my husband’s nicknames for me is “dolphin girl.” I love the water. I love being in the water swimming laps or just relaxing. I love being on the water in a boat, a ship, a ferry, a cruiseliner, anything. And, somewhat contrary to all of that, I also have a slight obsession with…

  michardillo

  December 1, 2024

  books, Essay

  book-review, books, British, Downton Abbey, England, estate, fiction, Frances Quinn, literature, Lord Storton, NetGalley, new money, novel, Random House, reading, The Lost Passenger, Titanic, titled heir

• Book Review: Southern by Design by Grace Helena Walz

  The title of this ARC, graciously provided to me by NetGalley and HarperCollins, called to me on many levels, and I immediately requested this debut novel by Grace Helena Walz. As a dyed-in-the-wool, card-carrying Southerner (born and raised in southeast Louisiana), I just knew instinctively that I would enjoy this book, and I did. I…

  michardillo

  November 14, 2024

  books, Essay

  Beaufort, book-review, books, Charleston, fiction, food, Grace Helena Walz, HarperCollins, HGTV, interior design, literature, Louisiana, mystery, NetGalley, New Orleans, novel, Port Sulphur, reading, South Carolina, Southern by Design

• Book Review: A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Book #1 in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series)

  I recently grabbed a book off of the new mysteries shelf at my local library and knew almost immediately that I was missing quite a bit of backstory, only to realize I was starting with book #7 of a series. I enjoyed An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder – albeit without the backstory…

  michardillo

  November 5, 2024

  books, Essay

  A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder, An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder, book-review, books, British, Countess of Harleigh, cozy mystery, death, Dianne Freeman, Downton Abbey, England, English, family, fiction, Libby, library, literature, MCPL, mystery, novel, parenting, reading, social media, vacation, Victorian Era

• Book Review: Mystery in the Title (Miranda Abbott Mystery #2) by Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson

  In a previous post, I reviewed I Only Read Murder by the Canadian Ferguson brothers, and made a not so subtle request for the sequel to read and review – albeit on its very publication date. The Fates (as in NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, lol) smiled upon me, and I’ve just finished Mystery in…

  michardillo

  October 31, 2024

  books, Essay

  book-review, books, cozy mystery, death, fiction, Hollywood, I Only Read Murder, Ian Ferguson, indie bookstore, literature, movie of the week, MOW, mystery, Mystery in the Title, NetGalley, novel, Oregon, Pacific Ocean, reading, Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles, vacation, Will Ferguson

• Book Review: A Chest Full of Words by Rebecca Gugger and Simon Rothlisberger, translated from the German by Tim Mohr

  As an English and literature teacher for nearly 20 years, I have coached (and in some cases, coaxed) middle schoolers on essay writing, including the use of descriptive writing, more specifically the use of adjectives and adverbs. One method I used was to read with them an example of good descriptive writing, starting with Chapter…

  michardillo

  September 23, 2024

  books, Essay

  A Chest Full of Words, Annie Dillard, baking, book-review, books, British, chicken, cooking, English, essays, food, language arts, Laurie Colwin, library, literature, middle school, More Home Cooking, NetGalley, nonfiction, NorthSouth Books Inc., Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, reading, Rebecca Gugger, Simon Rothlisberger, teacher, teaching, The Metamorphisis, Tim Mohr, translated from the German, vocabulary, writer, writing

• Book Review: Lost in Thought by Deborah Serra

  First of all, I finished this book at 11:00 pm last night, and I lay awake far too long thinking about the ending. Today, I had some things I needed to take care of in preparation for a school play I am directing, and I found myself repeatedly day dreaming about this book. I think…

  michardillo

  September 17, 2024

  books, Essay

  adoption, book-review, books, COVID 19, Deborah Serra, fiction, grief, Kindle, literature, loss, Lyric Opera House, Meryl Moss Media Group, NetGalley, novel, NYC, pandemic, reading, theatre, writer, writing

• Book Review: I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

  In preparing for a trip overseas this past summer, I purchased a few ebooks for my Kindle. I wanted to be sure that once I boarded the plane, I had some choices of what I could read. Sophie Kinsella’s book I’ve Got Your Number was one of those books. I ended up reading this towards…

  michardillo

  September 5, 2024

  books, Essay

  book-review, books, engaged, engagement ring, essays, family heirloom, fiction, footnotes, Goodreads, guilty pleasure, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Kindle, literature, London, novel, reading, Sophie Kinsella, tea

• Book Review: Janie Writes a Play by Heidi E. Y. Stemple and illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight

  For those of you who have been following my book reviews, this will be a bit different for you. Today I read a book to be published on February 11, 2025, a children’s picture book with only 40 pages, short paragraphs on each page, and bright, colorful illustrations on every page. This is a bit…

  michardillo

  September 3, 2024

  books, Essay

  book-review, books, Charlesbridge Publishers, creativity, education, essays, Heidi Stemple, imagination, Jane Yolen, Janie Writes a Play, language arts, library, literature, Madelyn Goodnight, middle school, museum, NetGalley, plays, reading, Suzy and Leah, teaching, theater, theatre, writer, writing