The Republic of Love, by Carol Shields. Pub 1992. This is one of my Desert Island books, one that I have read and reread and never tire of. It seemed ideal for this book project, as it fulfills both the "book that was published when I was half the age I am now" (which seems... Continue Reading →
Poems That Make Grown Women Cry. Book report #23 (2017)
Poems that make grown women cry - ed. Anthony Holden and Ben Holden. Pub 2016 An interesting anthology - poems selected by a diverse group of women (mostly actors and celebrities) with an intro by each about the significance of the poem to them. Even without the intros, this would be a good, if eclectic,... Continue Reading →
Howard’s End, by EM Forster. Book report #22 (2017)
Howard’s End, by EM Forster. Pub 1910 I didn’t enjoy this book much – I found several sections to be a real slog to get through. I had a similar experience with A Room With a View a few years ago. There are a few sections where Forster reverts to almost a sly commentary about the lives... Continue Reading →
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, by Alice Munro. Book report #21 * (2017)
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage. By Alice Munro, Pub 2001 I have enjoyed the few Alice Munro stories that I’ve read – usually in back issues of The New Yorker – and so decided to take the plunge with this one. I was not disappointed. Each story has a unique twist and tension, well drawn... Continue Reading →
Item #22: Wrapping Paper
I wouldn't normally count a consumable item like this as an object, but I have had this one for at least 15 years, so like my old highlighter pen, this item has become an object. This roll of wrapping paper was originally purchased in the early 'naughts, for the purpose of wrapping a very... Continue Reading →
Item #21: Bee candle snuffer
This item is a curiosity – as in, I keep it only because it is odd and curious. This was a Christmas gift from a friend who delights in giving odd things that she finds in odd places (mostly antique shops, or strange little stores in West Vancouver). This item is odd because it is... Continue Reading →
Book of Treasures: Grade 8
Grade 8: September to December 1979, Souris Elementary School, Souris, PE. Teacher - Mr. D. MacDonald. January to June 1980, Van Bellingham Elementary School, Winnipeg, MB. Teacher – Mrs. A. Enns. In the summer before Grade 8, we moved with my dad to Souris, PE, a tiny town in Eastern Prince Edward Island. The change... Continue Reading →
Adventures of a Novice Hiker – Mt. Baker, Heliotrope Ridge Trail, 08 August 1992
When I recognized item #18 – the World Famous pot set – as being from my earliest hiking days, I remembered that I’d written about my first solo hike back in 1992, one of my earliest solo travels. Half of my lifetime ago, the original writing contains now-meaningless references, tinges of young adult angst, and... Continue Reading →
Item #20: World Famous cook set
During a recent vacation, I was using this set of pots and pans and was reminded of its vintage. This set is now 25 years old, having been purchased in 1992 at the inauspicious start of my hiking and outdoor hobby. Back then, I had grand aspirations of travelling the world, getting back to nature... Continue Reading →
The Opposite of Loneliness, by Marina Keegan. Book report #20* (2017)
The Opposite of Loneliness, by Marina Keegan. Pub 2014 I discovered this book when searching for anything new by one of my favourite essayists, Anne Fadiman. Her latest, it turns out, is the introduction to this volume of stories and essays by her former student, Marina Keegan. Keegan was just 22 when, shortly after graduating... Continue Reading →
rclr 