Posts Tagged ‘reading’
Another year, more great books…
Aother year, another series of great reads. Once again, I surpassed my Goodreads Reading Challenge. In 2023, I pledged 45 books and read 53. This adds up to 17,226 pages read in 2023. I’m happy to “overread”. As an author myself, I’m supposed to be writing, too. So I keep my goal at 45, and…
Read MoreBeach reading season 2021 officially begins (at least for me)!
Sometimes you have to celebrate the small pleasures in life. This past year has certainly taught us as much. I have always taken pleasure in the first day of spring in which I venture out to the beach, armed with the latest novel I’m reading. Staking out my spot in the sand never gets old.…
Read MoreA good writer should be able to fool his readers
“What is important is to invent a story and to make the spectators believe it.” —Tahar Ben Jelloun I like this quote from contemporary Moroccan author Tahar Ben Jelloun. This is exactly how an author creates a successful novel – by creating characters, a story and an environment that draws us in immediately and has…
Read MoreAnother year, another Goodreads Challenge
In 2020, I truly took my Goodreads Reading Challenge down to the wire – only reaching my goal of the 45 novels I’d set out for myself in a more optimistic January of 2020 on the next-to-last-day of 2020. Even so, it was still a nice feeling to have met my goal. I love the…
Read MoreShiny, new books!
When I’m back in the US (or any English-speaking country), I’m always excited to go book shopping. My short trip to America this summer was no exception. Shopping in my depressingly closed-down country was tough, but I still managed. I did find some books I’m interested in reading now that I’m back home. The only…
Read MoreLockdown reading
I’ve always been an avid reader, but this passion became even more important during our time of severe lockdown in Rome. During that time, we were expected to mostly stay in our home, with rare excursions out, and no more than 200 meters from your residence. I was teleworking, and Rome was experiencing a perfect…
Read MoreBeach reading 2020
As everyone in the world has certainly realized during the first months of 2020, this is not a normal year … Usually I scramble for a free Saturday or Sunday in March to hit the beach, and to enjoy the annual tradition of cracking open a paperback while I breathe in the fresh, sea air…
Read MoreCongrats to the 2020 PEN/ Faulkner Award Finalists
I always follow the major literary awards shortlists (and sometimes longlists) as I’m looking for new reading material. That’s why I was happy to see that the finalists for the 2020 PEN/ Faulkner Award for Fisction have just been announced. Congratulations to all the finalists. the final award will be announced in early May. In…
Read MoreI’m taking the 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge
It’s that time of year again – time to sign up for the 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge. I enjoy taking the challenge each year – and keeping track of the novels I read for the new year. Once again, I’ll be setting a goal of 45 books for the new year. Will you be signing…
Read MoreI wrapped up my 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
Every year I sign up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge, and as the year comes to a close it’s always nice to feel I’ve “ticked the box”. It goes without saying that reaching the self-imposed goal of reading 45 novels in 2019 is far more enjoyable than, say, ticking off my dental cleaning or the…
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