ODYSSEUS’ JOURNEY INTERACTIVE MAP [COURTESY ESRI]
Is this map amazing, or is it amazing?
[Book Nerd Links] Odysseus’ Journey Interactive Map
2
Category Archives: Reading
[My Top Cold Weather Writers] Honorable Mention: Charles Dickens
CHARLES DICKENS
Charles Dickens
REASON: Is it possible to get through winter without pulling out a volume of Dickens? What a desperate, weary, chilly world his characters inhabit! It is enough to make the pages freeze mid-turn.
“Bleak, dark, and piercing cold, it was a night for the well-housed and fed to draw round the bright fire, and thank God they were at home; and for the homeless starving wretch to lay him down and die. Many hunger-worn outcasts close their eyes in our bare streets at such times, who, let their crimes have been what they may, can hardly open them in a more bitter world.”-Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist
If you missed My Top Six Cold Weather Writers, go here.
For Honorable Mention: Christina Rossetti, go here.
Thanks to Tom Gething for reminding me that Charles Dickens deserves a place on my list!
Happy Birthday, Dearest Emily!
Happy Birthday, dearest Emily!
Birthday Girl Emily Dickinson (Born 10 December 1830).
FIVE EVERYDAY FACTS ABOUT EMILY DICKINSON:
EMILY ELIZABETH WAS A MIDDLE CHILD, SANDWICHED BETWEEN OLDER BROTHER (WILLIAM) AUSTIN AND YOUNGER SISTER LAVINIA (NORCROSS).
SHE WAS KNOWN FOR HER SIMPLE WARDROBE OF MOSTLY WHITE CLOTHING.
EMILY HAD A PET NEWFOUNDLAND DOG NAMED CARLO.
SHE WAS A GIFTED BAKER.
EMILY WAS A DEDICATED AND WELL-EDUCATED GARDENER.
“I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.”-Emily Dickinson
[A Holiday Shopping Spree for the Bookworm] Sixth Stop: Bas Bleu
BAS BLEU
Bas Bleu is my favourite stop for smartly bookish gifts (and incredibly well-curated reading material). I’ve been a dedicated fan for a decade. Haunt their site for a few minutes, and you’ll understand why!
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Reading Woman Wall Calendar. $14.99. Image from Bas Bleu.
Shakespearean Insults T-Shirt. $24.95. Image from Bas Bleu.
Dictionary Cat Print. $13.95. Image from Bas Bleu.
DETAILS:
- BAS BLEU: GO HERE
- PREDICTED SHOPPING TIME: 20-30 MINUTES
- BEST AWESOMELY UNEXPECTED ITEM: PRIDE & PREJUDICE SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS
- PRICE POINT: AVERAGE
- BOOKWORM HAPPINESS SCALE (OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10): 9
FIRST STOP: EDWARD GOREY HOUSE STORE
SECOND STOP: JANE AUSTEN GIFT SHOP
THIRD STOP: OUT OF PRINT CLOTHING
FOURTH STOP: THE READER’S CATALOG
FIFTH STOP: THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY
Don’t Forget: Today is Read Tuesday!
Don’t forget: today is Read Tuesday, the bookish equivalent of Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Please consider supporting some of the wonderful participants by buying their books (all at reduced prices).
BROWSE THE READ TUESDAY CATALOG HERE.
My friend Kevin’s amazing action-adventure book for young readers, Legends of Steragos, is available for Kindle ($2.99) and in paperback ($6.38).
Remember: ‘Tis always the season for giving the gift of reading.
Edith Sitwell Expired 49 Years Ago Today…
Edith Sitwell, a most unusual poet and highly colourful character, died on 9 December 1964. She was 77 years old.
Edith Sitwell by Roger Fry, 1915
“I have often wished I had time to cultivate modesty…But I am too busy thinking about myself.”-Edith Sitwell
[A Holiday Shopping Spree for the Bookworm] Fifth Stop: The Literary Gift Company
THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY
This site is a book nerd’s paradise. Beware: it is a serious time waster for that very reason. On the plus side, their collection of literary goods is so wonderfully exhaustive that it is a one-stop shop for reading accessories. I hope you are wearing your comfy clothes, because you’ll be here awhile.
(MORE THAN) A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Frankenstein Literary Transport Mug. $12.80. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
Save Me the Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald Poster. $17.63. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
On Writing by A.L. Kennedy. $30.57. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
I Capture the Castle Strong Canvas Shopper. $17.63. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
The Novel Cure: An A-Z of Literary Remedies by Ella Berthoud & Susan Elderkin. $28.96. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
Emily Dickinson Soft Toy. $27.28. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
Watership Down T-Shirt. $32.11. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
The Wizard of Oz Jigsaw Puzzle. $20.84. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
East and West Egg Bestie Necklace-The Great Gatsby. $56.34. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
DETAILS:
- THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY: GO HERE
- PREDICTED SHOPPING TIME: 45 MINUTES
- BEST AWESOMELY UNEXPECTED ITEM: QUOTABLE CHOCOLATE BARS
- PRICE POINT: AVERAGE
- BOOKWORM HAPPINESS SCALE (OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10): 10+++
FIRST STOP: EDWARD GOREY HOUSE STORE
SECOND STOP: JANE AUSTEN GIFT SHOP
THIRD STOP: OUT OF PRINT CLOTHING
FOURTH STOP: THE READER’S CATALOG
[Book Nerd Links] 9 Layouts of Famous Houses From Classic Literature
9 Layouts of Famous Houses From Classic Literature [COURTESY HUFF POST BOOKS]
These are cool.
[Alternative Muses] Coming and Going: Willa Cather/Thornton Wilder Mashup
“Let your fiction grow out of the land beneath your feet.”-Willa Cather (born on 12/7/1873)
Willa Cather, 1912
“If you write to impress it will always be bad, but if you write to express it will be good.”-Thornton Wilder (died on 12/7/1975)
Thornton Wilder’s very serious looking Yale graduation photo, 1920
[A Holiday Shopping Spree for the Bookworm] Fourth Stop: The Reader’s Catalog
THE READER’S CATALOG
This beautiful site is a one-stop shop for the understated reader in your life. Be warned: if you, too, are of a quietly bookish mind, you’ll want at least a dozen things for yourself. The Reader’s Catalog is full of useful goods with a literary bent, which automatically makes any purchase guilt free! That’s how it works, right?
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Bodleian Winter Titles Wrapping Paper. $6.95. Image from The Reader’s Catalog.
Writer’s Pencils. $18.95. Image from The Reader’s Catalog.
“I Am Born” Infant Tee (David Copperfield). $19.95. Image from The Reader’s Catalog.
DETAILS:
- THE READER’S CATALOG: GO HERE
- PREDICTED SHOPPING TIME: 15 MINUTES
- BEST AWESOMELY UNEXPECTED ITEM: POETS, WRITERS AND ARTISTS PLAYING CARDS
- PRICE POINT: AVERAGE
- BOOKWORM HAPPINESS SCALE (OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10): 8
FIRST STOP: EDWARD GOREY HOUSE STORE
SECOND STOP: JANE AUSTEN GIFT SHOP
THIRD STOP: OUT OF PRINT CLOTHING
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 