An article in Palmetto Politics, a newsletter published by the Post and Courier and written by Thomas Novelly, notes that the year 2021 is the 150th anniversary of federal attempts to prosecute members of the Ku Klux Klan who were terrorizing freed Blacks in South Carolina. In April of 1871, President Grant sent federal troops to arrest those who sought to deprive former enslaved Africans
Cloud Cuckoo Land: noun Cloud Cuckoo Land is a state of absurdly, over-optimistic fantasy or an unrealistically idealistic state where everything is perfect. Anthony Doerr’s new novel (after the Pulitzer-winning All the Light We Cannot See) will be released on September 28th. As I was reading an advance copy of Cloud Cuckoo Land, I would often remark to my husband, “This is a weird book.” Now, if you
From Cindy Standen Billie Jean King’s new autobiography “All In” should definitely be on this list. The work she did for women’s sports is unsurpassed. It’s a great story that I highly recommend. From Marty Drake ‘ditto’
Did you know that August 26 is Women’s Equality Day? I just found out about it. It isn’t a Hallmark gimmick as perhaps Grandparents’ Day may be. One doesn’t need to send cards for this day. It could be a day, however, that you would like to find out more about women’s equality in the United States–the history and continuing struggles–by getting a special book
Six new books, from authors we all know, are awaiting release. I’ll list them below with the dates so you can be ready to purchase! Of course you many preorder from Indigo Books. August 24–William Kent Kruger, Lightning Strike We know this author from Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land. He has also written eighteen books in the Cork O’Conner series. If you haven’t read
I was happy to post yet another review of a book about a female scientist. For a review on The Code Breaker, go to Reader Recommendations on this blog and look for Book Review. I read Lab Girl about five years ago, before I read the book about Jennifer Doudna. What is similar between the two stories is that both women were time and again
Review of Lab Girl by Hope Jahren review written by Richard May Several years ago, I had the good fortune to read Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. It is a wonderfully engaging story of a complex young woman from Minnesota whose passion for plants and trees leads her to become a botanist.Through her experienced eyes, nature comes alive in ways that I could never
After I posted an entry about the history of ‘summer reading’, a friend suggested that I ask blog readers to share the names of some of the books they especially enjoyed this summer. All it took was an e-mail to Sandcastle Book Club members and my ‘You’ve Got Mail’ light lit up!! Thanks to all who shared. Below are their responses in their own words–
I have to say that the term ‘summer reading’ elicits mixed feelings for me. As a parent, I found myself, by August, exhausted in efforts to coax my girls to finish their summer reading assignments for school. Passive resistance was their strategy for making me crazy. As a former educator, I see the value of summer reading assignments but not if the only follow-up is
On Friends & Fiction–Interview with Christina Baker Kline, author of The Orphan Train Kline discusses her new book The Exiles Log in to Friends and Fiction to view interview– http://friendsandfiction.com
