This is a guest post by my dear friend Tyler Blanski about what one of my favorite literary heroes can teach us. - Haley The world needs more Gilberts. The fictional (and admirable!) character Gilbert Blythe of the L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series seems to capture so many virtues that can help men succeed in their vocation to fatherhood today: he gives a standing ovation for … [Read more...]
7 High Quality Graphic Novels for Young Readers
I shared all about our daily reading hour and suggestions for good summer reading choices for young readers last month. But I thought I'd follow it up with a post about good graphic novels. To be honest, I haven't always been excited about graphic novels. Captain Underpants and Dog Man make me want to tear my hair out. I have a visceral reaction! And I think because of some of the twaddle … [Read more...]
Escape to Rainbow Valley, Then Keep Fighting
Last week was hard. There were fresh waves of anxiety over a huge spike in Covid cases in my city. Relief that our curve was flat for so many months gave way to weariness and worry. Now each day we're getting more new cases than we had total from March to mid-June. Our curve is flat....just in the wrong direction: straight up to the sky. The city is open--and our total deaths doubled last week. … [Read more...]
A Very 2020 Kids Summer Reading List
If there's one thing that has helped me keep my sanity while being cooped up over the past two months, it's our daily book time and seeing my kids deepen their love of reading. Because I've been getting lots of requests for book suggestions, I thought I'd share a few of our very favorites from our shelves (newly reorganized, thanks to quarantine angst)! I've found a lot of joy in sharing … [Read more...]
‘Emma’ Film Review: A Delightful (but Slightly Flawed) Visual Banquet
The very short list of good things resulting from this pandemic are people making their own bread, more time to read, and the new adaptation of Emma being released to stream in your living room. Yes, dear reader, Universal has heard your cries for Jane Austen and if you didn’t see it the movie theatre before they closed, you don’t have to wait for this viral outbreak to be over to watch Emma. … [Read more...]
CathLit2020: A Catholic Reading Challenge
One of my favorite things about the internet is having more people to talk about books with. And I love the reading challenges from my favorite writers and bloggers that pop into my inbox at the beginning of January. Except, I'm never on the ball enough to get going on January 1. So here we are mid-January and friends, I am finally ready! Welcome to the CathLIT reading challenge. Get it? … [Read more...]
Looking for Marmee: Childhood Trauma, Cancer, and How Little Women Changed Our Lives
If all goes as planned, on Christmas Day my mother and I will show up at the movie theatre with my six-year-old and eight-year-old daughters to see Greta Gerwig’s new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women. It will be exactly twenty-five years (to the day) since I watched the 1994 film with my mom when it opened in theatres. This upcoming cinematic rite of passage has … [Read more...]
Fall Reads 2019 (So Many Books!)
Since I love chatting about books, I’ve been trying to share our family’s current reads on a regular basis here on the blog. (This post contains affiliate links. If a sale is made through an affiliate link, I may be compensated but all opinions are my own.) Lately I Finished…: The Life-Giving Home by Sally Clarkson Sally Clarkson continues to be my go-to voice on motherhood and … [Read more...]
Big Announcement: The Raspberry Cordial Catholic Literary Gathering! Are YOU Coming?
I could barely sleep last night I was so excited to finally share this news with everyone! For years, our Fountains of Carrots podcast listeners have been asking us to host a gathering where we can get together in real life to talk about books and drink tea with like-minded women. Friends, we're doing it! In November I'm teaming up with FoC podcast co-host and everyone's favorite bookish … [Read more...]
Andrew Davies, Stop Sexing Up Jane Austen
Jane Austen’s six novels have been adapted for film numerous times, but Janeites have been eagerly awaiting the airing of a series based on an unfinished work by Austen: Sanditon. Household name, Andrew Davies, is leading the charge as screenwriter with numerous beloved adaptations under his belt (including the 1995 Pride and Prejudice starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth). I’m not the only … [Read more...]
