October brought bookstore visits, new additions to the book collection, some time spent revisiting classic authors, and a return to a place that holds a special connection to one of my favorite writers. I also did a little bookish exploring along the way.
Mom wanted some Amish romance novels, so I found some for her and brought home some classics for my own collection. There is always something enjoyable about browsing through the shelves, never quite knowing what might turn up. The thickest book I brought home was Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, while the thinnest was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon. Quite a difference in size! Both are welcome additions to my collection.
My interest in classic authors continued beyond the bookstores. Earlier in the month, I enjoyed a wonderful production on the Brontë sisters and Daphne du Maurier. I also watched a documentary on Charles Dickens, and purchased Dickens of London by Wolf Mankowitz. I enjoy learning more about London, and the illustrations are wonderful.
Another production that caught my attention was on Walt Whitman. It offered a reminder of his remarkable life, his observations of the world around him, and his compassion for others. Afterwards, I returned to his collection, Leaves of Grass. What began as twelve poems eventually grew into a collection of nearly 400. There is plenty to revisit in Whitman's work.
One of October's highlights was a return visit to author Gene Stratton-Porter's cabin in Geneva, Indiana, and the Limberlost State Historic Site. A lovely conversation with a representative there centered on Gene's novels, nature studies, and her appreciation for the natural world. It was interesting to talk about how deeply that love was reflected in her writing and throughout her life.
I watched Anne Lamott in a video titled Writing Advice Every Writer Should Hear. Many readers know her for Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. What appeals to me is her willingness to write about life's messiness and poke fun at herself along the way. Most of all, she allows her characters to be human. They can be difficult, funny, vulnerable, and flawed, without losing their worth or our understanding.
I had a little bookish fun this month with LibraryThing's Halloween Hunt. The hunt includes twelve rhyming clues, each leading to a different place on the LibraryThing website. Some are easier to solve than others! One October clue pointed toward Halloween, with references to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Hocus Pocus. That seemed straightforward enough, but the searching was another matter. These challenges are enjoyable, especially when they lead to corners of the site that I might not otherwise visit.
As October comes to a close, eleven books have made their way onto my finished reading list. Traumergy by Patrick R. Carberry was the most-viewed post, while Why This Book? was the most-visited page.
The blog's top ten audiences this month came from the United States, France, Brazil, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Bangladesh, Germany, India, and Colombia.
November will begin with a National Author's Day celebration and a new advance review copy to read: The Summer of Shooting Stars. There are always more books to discover, authors to revisit, and places to explore.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find new books to love.
