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.

Girl reading. Title: 2021: Books to Be Published

Books to Be Published in 2021

Which Book Should You Read First in 2021? This quiz from Book Riot can help you answer the question. “Personally, I’m usually looking for something I think will be a 5-star read to start off the year,” writes quizster Rachel Brittain. 13 New Books to Watch For in January News flash! There’s a new book […]

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Last Week's Links

Literary Links

Overlooked No More: Clarice Lispector, Novelist Who Captivated Brazil “Critics lauded her stream-of-consciousness style and described her as glamorous and mysterious. But she didn’t always welcome the attention she received.” “This article is part of Overlooked, a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times.” From the

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6 Degrees of Separation: Women Healers

For this first 6 Degrees of 2021, we start with the winner of the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction, Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. This book is next up on my to-read list. I understand from reading about this highly praised novel that it portrays the death of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, at age 11 in the

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Balloons that say Happy New Year 2021

Happy New Year! Feed Your Soul

We’ve all been waiting for 2021, and finally it’s here! And to get this new year started off right, The Guardian has put together The 31-Day Literary Diet for January: “From a Shirley Jackson short story to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 30-minute Ted talk, nourish your mind with our one-a-day selection of literary treats.”

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stack of books next to open notebook with pen

Notable Literary Deaths in 2020

Notable Literary Deaths in 2020 Lit Hub has compiled this “Incomplete List of the Writers, Editors, and Great Literary Minds We Lost This Year.” Among the many unhappinesses of this year, we lost what seems like an unusually large number of members of the literary community, from poets to novelists to editors to critics to

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woman reading. Title: The Best Books I Read in 2020

The Best Books I Read in 2020

Most of the annual best books of the year lists refer only to books published during the stated calendar year. But my annual list always refers to books I read this year, regardless of when they were published. Here, then, are the 10 best books I read this year, listed alphabetically by author, plus 5

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Discussion

Did I Fulfill My Reading Plan for 2020?

Related Post: My Reading Plan for 2020 I just went back and reread my reading plan for 2020. Then I had a good laugh. I did relatively well with Part I: Specific Challenges and Goals. I didn’t meet most of the goals, but I’m being gentle with myself in evaluating how well I did under

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open book--lists: Best Books of 2020

Lists: More Best Books of 2020

The Ultimate Best Books of 2020 List You could check out all the lists below. Or you could just start here and be done with it. Emily Temple of Lit Hub has scoured all the “best books of the year” lists to find out which books appeared most often. The 10 Best Literary Adaptations of

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Last Week's Links

Literary Links

Book Club Spotlight: How This 20-Year-Old Book Club Connects Virtually The group of 15 ladies successfully transitioned from over 20 years of dinner and monthly meetings at the Rancho Santa Margarita City Hall to a virtual format — and were even able to welcome back a few members! Most recently, the club held its annual

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Merry Christmas!

If ever there was a time that required an extra helping of holiday cheer, 2020 is it. Please allow me to send each of you an extra-big helping of cheer this winter. Thank you for sharing the book life with me during these crazy times. And if you’re looking for some particular examples of holiday

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