Category Archives: Am reading

ULYSSES+ Quarterly Report

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Lizzie Ross

NYC has had its usual share of rainy weather since the start of the year, which means that I’ve been making good progress on my ULYSSES+ project. In just 3 months, I’ve read 5 of the 12 books-published-in-1922 chosen as … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Animal tales, Castles and towers, Classic, Fantasy, Humorous, Newbery Award, Poetry, ULYSSES+ | Tagged E. F. Benson, Elizabeth Von Arnim, Hugh Lofting, James Joyce, Joan Aiken, Margery Williams, T S Eliot | 8 Comments

Orwell in view

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Lizzie Ross

Remind me never to buy roses from any vendor other than the farmer who grew them. In Orwell’s Roses, Rebecca Solnit’s 2021 biography and appreciation of George Orwell, she devotes a chapter of the book to her visit to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Essays, Nonfiction | 2 Comments

ULYSSES+

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Lizzie Ross

You may already know that 2022 is the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses, which I first read about 50 years ago, while a senior at university. The professor organized the class so that we read a … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Fantasy, Fiction, Humorous, Newbery Award, Poetry, short stories, ULYSSES+ | Tagged E E Cummings, E F Benson, E R Eddison, Elizabeth Von Arnim, Hugh Lofting, James Joyce, Katherine Mansfield, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Margery Williams, P G Wodehouse, Rafael Sabatini, T S Eliot, Willa Cather | 4 Comments

January brings the snow

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Lizzie Ross

“January brings the snow, / Makes our feet and fingers glow.” Sara Coleridge Perhaps I’m pushing the theme a bit, placing a gorgeous illumination from Les Trés Riches Heures de Duc de Berry next to a couplet from the daughter … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, History, Reading the Year | Tagged Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette, Dorothy Hartley, Ella Pontrefract, Gladys Taber, Marie Hartley, Peter Mayle, Sara Coleridge, Scott Chaskey | 2 Comments

Testing the water

Posted on January 5, 2022 by Lizzie Ross

Yes, it’s been a while. But I think I’ve licked my case of the “don’t-wants” (as in “I don’t want to …”), and I’m ready to take this thing on again. 2020 and 2021 were years for reading widely and … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Cooking, History, Memoir, Reading the Year | Tagged Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette, Dorothy Hartley, Ella Pontefract, Gladys Taber, Marie Hartley, Peter Mayle, Scott Chaskey | 6 Comments

Banned Books Week 2021, 7th day

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

This is it, the last day of BBW2021. I hope you’ve learned something new here, or at least found a new source of information that deepens your understanding of something familiar. Today’s link in this week honoring the Right to … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Banned/Challenged Books | 2 Comments

Banned Books Week 2021, 6th day

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

Today, a quiz. In 2019, the New York Public Library added a Banned Books Quiz to its website, and it’s still available two years later. Only 7 questions, so any trivia fiend can probably finish it in under a minute. … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Banned/Challenged Books, Graphic Novel | Tagged Azar Nafisi, Jason Reynolds, Marjane Satrapi, Ray Bradbury | 5 Comments

Banned Books Week 2021, 5th day

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

Today, if you’re an English teacher (or know one), this post is for you. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has an Intellectual Freedom Center. Fighting censorship since the days of McCarthy, NCTE supports teachers at all levels … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Banned/Challenged Books | Tagged Harper Lee | Leave a comment

Banned Books Week 2021, 4th day

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

A few words today about the Freedom to Read Foundation, an offshoot of the ALA established in 1969. It’s exciting to look at the Foundation’s history, since the list of legal cases they’ve helped fund includes this one: All the … Continue reading →

Posted in Am reading, Banned/Challenged Books | Tagged Robert Cormier | Leave a comment

Banned Books Week 2021, 3rd day

Posted on September 28, 2021 by Lizzie Ross

Keeping it short and sweet today, with a visit to ALA’s Banned Books FAQ page, which you can find here. Who challenges books? Why? They even have infographics addressing these questions. Here’s one on Who initiates the challenges: Interesting, eh? … Continue reading →