Curlygeek04
MY BLOGS
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The Book Stop
http://thebookstop.wordpress.com/
I review what I read and write about reading. Some favorite genres are literary fiction, historical fiction and mysteries, fantasy, science fiction, and children's and young adult. I love books that take place in other times and places, and books with strong, complex characters. I believe the best books can't be easily classified.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 872 )
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My February Reading Wrap-Up
February was a difficult month. Our beloved cat Harley got sick, spent a whole day in an animal hospital, and never fully recovered. She was 18 so this was... Read more
Posted on 01 March 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Review: A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
This book was recommended to me last year, when I raved about Code Name Helene, a fictionalized story about a real-life World War II hero, Nancy Wake. Read more
Posted on 26 February 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Goodbye, Harleycat
This week, we had to say goodbye to our beloved cat, Harley. She lived a good life, and she was part of our family for more than 17 years. She was my first... Read more
Posted on 21 February 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Review: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
You’ll have heard of this book because of the awards it won in 2020, including the Booker Prize. This story of a young boy growing up with an alcoholic mother... Read more
Posted on 18 February 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Review: Get Well Soon by Jennifer Wright
Your first reaction to reading a book about the history of infectious diseases might be “why would I want to read that right now?” But this book was fascinating. Read more
Posted on 08 February 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Favorite Books Written Before I Was Born
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is about our favorite books written before we were born. I haven’t written about my favorite... Read more
Posted on 02 February 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
My January Reading Wrap-Up
January was certainly an eventful month. We went from deeply disturbing to inspiring, and now I’m hopeful we can settle into something that feels a little... Read more
Posted on 01 February 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Review: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
I had mixed feelings about this book, which generated a lot of buzz when it came out, but I continue to think about it. It’s an unusual blend of character-drive... Read more
Posted on 29 January 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Review: Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill
This is my second book by O’Neill, and while it wasn’t nearly as powerful as Asking for It, it still kept me thinking well after I put it down. Read more
Posted on 25 January 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Inauguration Day, 2021
I moved to Washington, DC in September 1996. I’ll never forget the first time I visited, and how excited and awed I was by the city. Read more
Posted on 21 January 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Review: Dear Miss Kopp by Amy Stewart
Dear Miss Kopp is the sixth book in the Kopp Sisters series by Amy Stewart, and I was thrilled to receive an advanced review copy from NetGalley. Read more
Posted on 16 January 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Reading Resolutions and Challenges for 2021
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is about our reading goals and challenges for 2021. In my last post, I wrote about my reading an... Read more
Posted on 12 January 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
2020: Reflections on My Year in Reading and Blogging
I’m about a week late in wrapping up my year — and what a week it’s been! It hardly matters what or how I read in 2020 at this point, but 2020 was such an... Read more
Posted on 09 January 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Review: When Time Stopped by Ariana Neumann
The first time I heard about this book, I was struck by how much it sounded like my own family. Neumann grew up in Venezuela, but her father was born in... Read more
Posted on 04 January 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
My December Reading Wrap-Up
Happy New Year! Despite pandemic stresses, the holiday season was lovely and we’re happy to see an end to 2021. We were sad to miss throwing our annual Latke... Read more
Posted on 01 January 2021 BOOKS, CULTURE -
My Favorite Reads of 2020
This week, we’re sharing our favorite books of 2020 for Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl). I found it hard this year to identify ten favorite... Read more
Posted on 29 December 2020 BOOKS, CULTURE -
My Year in Reading Challenges
At the beginning of 2020 I focused on four challenges: Read Harder, Reading Nonfiction, Reading Around the World, and reading books I already owned. My goal... Read more
Posted on 26 December 2020 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Reading Around the World in 2020
Every year I try to read as many books as possible that are set in other countries. I keep track of each new country read as part of the five-year Reading Aroun... Read more
Posted on 23 December 2020 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Review: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
I read this for my book club and really enjoyed it. This is the kind of book you put down and then you find yourself thinking about long afterwards. This... Read more
Posted on 21 December 2020 BOOKS, CULTURE -
Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
I loved this book. I already thought Schwab was great, but this book combines so many things I love – history, travel, France – and it’s really... Read more
Posted on 18 December 2020 BOOKS, CULTURE