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Perfect Book Gifts! (For YA and Little Kids)

One of my favorite projects is picking out books for my nieces and nephews for Christmas each year.  I have conversations with my husband about the kids and what they’re into lately (soccer, theater, Halo, art, wilderness, princesses, philosophy).  I talk to my own kids about their cousins.  I have email conversations with some of my sisters about what books their little kids have already read, and I scroll back through my own favorite reads of the year.

The ideal book is a perfect match for the… Continue reading

Read Anything Good Lately?

I read for fun.  I love to drop into a good story or follow a curious argument.  Some books I devour fast, like a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, and some I savor slowly, like the chocolate cappuccino brownies my sister made lately with my daughter, two nieces and two nephews.  The one I ate was rich, smooth, full of careful love, and I can still taste it.

It's easy and free to catalogue your library on Goodreads.

My favorite place to read?  The hammock in… Continue reading

99 Favorite Reads, Picked by Teens

The teens who named their favorite books for this list include athletes, honors students, non-readers, incarcerated girls, a prom queen, loners, computer game players, gay and straight teens, teens from the coasts and in between, teens of many races, artists, and writers.  Their choices made the list (alphabetically) regardless if the books were award-winners, banned, popular, controversial, new, or classic.  The sole criteria: these books are favorites. 1. Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak 2. M.T. Anderson, Feed 3. Anonymous, Go Ask Alice 4. Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, The… Continue reading

Food and Books

Food and Books, Union CT

One of the coolest landmarks in the quiet, northeastern corner of Connecticut is the quaint and quirky Traveler Food and Books directly off exit 74 on Route 84.  It’s part restaurant, part used bookstore, and when you visit, you’re invited to pick a used book to take home for free.  Black and white photos of famous writers line the walls, and you’ll find stands of jigsaw puzzles, coffee mugs, and shrink-wrapped sets of National Geographic dating back over decades.  We like this… Continue reading