I read Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run on a whim right after Christmas. The first day I opened it up, I read half of it in one go, then (buoyed up by that second-hand runner’s high) downloaded a Couch to 5k app, pulled on some sweats, and left the apartment before I could talk myself into doing something sane like making buttered noodles ( Read more... )

In the carnival city of Elysia, the land of youth, life is a sweet excess of costumes, parties, food, drink, and debauchery. Four friends live together there and play in a band called Ecstasia. Then their drummer, Rafe, falls in love with a tight-rope walker who has a secret linking her to Underground, where the elderly are banished. Their doomed ( Read more... )

In Bellingham, we lived in a haunted attic apartment an easy walk from downtown. On Saturday mornings, we slept in, then walked downtown for chocolate croissants at La Vie En Rose and coffee at The Black Drop. I used to bring my laptop to Boulevard park and write while watching boats move across the bay. We visited used bookstores, shopped at the ( Read more... )

Next in the 100 Books challenge is a far more recent read - Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore. For the past few years, I’ve been slowly working my way through the mythic fiction reading list from the very-much missed Journal of Mythic Arts. I say “slowly” because, summer break excluded, my reading time since becoming a teacher is pretty much ( Read more... )

Last week, I started off the one hundred book challenge with Monica Furlong’s Wise Child, a novel I loved as a child. This week, I’m highlighting a favorite from my teenage years - the wonderful collection of short stories that provided my introduction to Charles de Lint’s writing.


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This first in my series of books that have shaped my life is a children’s novel I first encountered in the fourth grade. Twenty years later, it is still one of my favorites. Monica Furlong’s Wise Child tells the story of a little girl growing up in a remote Scottish village. Nicknamed “Wise Child” for her big eyes and penchant for using big words, ( Read more... )

I challenged Drew to the 100 Things challenge, and of course, he had to speed ahead and beat me to the first post while I was doing yoga! I guess I’ll have to try to be the slow and steady spouse in this challenge. Anyway, I’m going to be doing a series of posts on 100 books that shaped my life. My plan is to post one book every Monday. Entry one ( Read more... )