Mary Daniels Brown

My mother always insisted that, as soon as I was old enough to sit up, she’d find me in my crib after my nap babbling away, with a Little Golden Book on my lap. I’ve had my nose in a book ever since. I grew up in a small town, with the tiny town library literally in my backyard. As an only child in an unhappy home, I found comfort and companionship in books. As an adult I wanted to be Harry Potter, although I admit I’m more Hermione. My life has been a series of research projects. Reading has taught me that human lives are deliciously messy and that “it’s complicated” isn’t a punchline.

woman reading

Why You Never Hear Stories about Wicked Stepfathers

You know the story of Cinderella. She’s a princess, dearly loved by her father, the king. When her mother dies, her father eventually marries a widow with daughters of her own. But nothing much changes for Cinderella as long as her father lives and continues to protect her and treat her like the princess she […]

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On Novels and Novelists

On Novels and Novelists

10 authors who excel on the internet If you love literature, here’s your chance to connect with some of the most technologically savvy writers: a few [writers] are using the etherland as a canvas for experimentation and play. They have moved their storytelling, wit and insight from page to pixel, winning fans and readers in

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my bookshelves

Books and the People Who Love Them

The 6 types of Little Free Library patrons Mary Ann Gwinn, book editor for The Seattle Times, receives LOTS of books. As a way to spread the wealth around, her spouse built her a Little Free Library for her birthday. The Little Free Library movement was started in Wisconsin by Todd Bol and Rick Brooks

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Notes in the Margin!

From the margins: JK Rowling, Hilary Mantel and Ian McEwan annotate their own works – in pictures From Amsterdam to Wolf Hall, some of the world’s most acclaimed writers have annotated their own first editions. The books will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in aid of English PEN. What would you bid for these bibliophiles’ dreams?

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Crime and mystery writer Ruth Rendell dies at 85

Mystery writer Ruth Rendell, who brought psychological insight and social conscience to the classic British detective story, has died at the age of 85.Publisher Penguin Random House said Rendell — best known for the Inspector Wexford series of novels — died Saturday morning in London. The cause of death was not announced, but Rendell had

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Blog a Day Challenge: April Report

In April I continued to look for information about blogging. I found this article: 16 Top Tips from Blogging Experts for Beginners. I’m not interested in ways to increase branding, marketing, building an email list, or SEO (search engine optimization). My focus is on writing for personal discovery, so I chose only a few of

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Stephen King wins Edgar award for killer thriller Mr Mercedes | Books | The Guardian

“He represents a plausible evil; it’s impossible not to hear echoes in his story of other troubled young American men who have opened fire in crowded schools or cinemas, as King peels back the layers to understand how a killer like Brady is formed,” said the Observer review of the novel, quoting King’s lines: “The

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woman reading

On Reading

35 books everyone should read at least once in their lifetime This article arose from a question posed on Reddit: “What is a book that everyone needs to read at least once in their life?” Of the top 35 books listed here from the Reddit responses, I have read the following: Zen and the Art

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The Classics Club

Rereading “Caddie Woodlawn” by Carol Ryrie Brink

Brink, Carol Ryrie. Caddie Woodlawn Original publication date: 1935 rpt. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007 eISBN 978–1–4424–6858–0 Part of the charm of rereading, as an adult, books that I read as a child is understanding and appreciating how I must have reacted to the books back then. I didn’t remember much about Caddie Woodlawn

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woman reading

On Reading

Reading With Imagination Novelist Lily Tuck calls fiction a creative act, “an act of the author’s imagination and likewise, ideally, it should be read with imagination.” Here’s how she hopes people will read her work: In my own writing, I have been accused of (or is it praised for?) being a minimalist, which I suppose

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