Readers of this blog may think that I am obsessed with St. Jerome. Well, I am not, BUT I keep running into him on my limited travels. As you may recall, he is the patron saint of libraries; and, therefore, he treasures books and the knowledge they hold. So, I saw his statue in Washington, D.C. Now, perusing the National Gallery in London, which has
Actually Lee Smith is not in a league of her own, but she is among a handful of female literary authors that have won the respect of critics all over the country. Many times she is referred to as a premiere Southern Author, and that is true. A reviewer for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner wrote, “Lee Smith seems to have taken the torch flung from
On a recent trip to Washington, D. C., I ran into this statue of someone obviously reading. It made me think about the Sandcastle Book Club and the blog. Upon further investigation, I realized this person is Saint Jerome the Priest. This particular statue was sculpted in 1954 by Ivan Mestrovic and sits in front of the Croatian Embassy on Massachusetts Avenue. Mestrovic was born
When I published the post featuring books about strong women, I added a quiz. One blog reader answered all questions correctly! Congrats, Cathy Hill. Several readers sent in their favorite ‘strong woman’ character. Someone named the main character in Lessons in Chemistry. Fortunately, strong women are characters in many of the novels we read now–quite a change from fifty years ago. I have come across
Many of you enjoy looking at reading lists from other book clubs. I have copied and pasted them ‘as is’ so please excuse formating problems. If you have additional book club lists, don’t forget to send them to me. Thank you. 2023 – 2024 Coasters Book Schedule Mondays at 2:00 p.m.The 1st Monday of the month except September and January Date Book
I have always marvelled at how so many people learn to read and write in Braille. On the surface, the system for visually impaired people looks very complicated. It seems astounding to me that “a blind person can read braille faster than a sighted person can read print.” This fact is taken from an article written by Kelli Finger and published in July 31, 2023,
Although I haven’t had a chance to read any of these books yet, they are featured in every promotional publication I see. While the title of this entry is “Try one of these new books”, the fact is that they aren’t so new anymore. In fact, several of them have shown up on book club reading lists already. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, James
There is no prettier place on earth than the Southern Appalachian Mountains. They have been glazed by a magic wand. Frances Boyd, August 15, 2023 For several years after I read Hillbilly Elegy, written by J. D. Vance, I felt an urgent need to defend the place my ancestors settled long long ago. Somehow the book just seemed to portray everyone from Appalachia as being
In this multiple choice quiz, you will be asked to identify the book that features a strong female protaganist. Good luck. And yes, I have read all of the correct answers. That could be a hint for some!! Submit your answers by September 1, 2023 a. Great Circle b. The Forest of Vanishing Stars c. Barkskins d. Forest Dark 2. This novel addresses generational trauma
George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy, by Sally Bedell Smith IF you aren’t tired of reading about ‘the royals’ in Great Britain, then you might enjoy George VI and Elizabeth. We all know the story. We’ve all seen The King’s Speech. We all know that Queen Elizabeth and her mother lived very long and eventful lives. BUT, do we know the
