Essays & Musings
What We’ve Been Thinking About
Thoughts on books, reading, culture, and the literary life.
The ask@AAR: Scruffy or Suited?
November 13, 2020A friend of mine just sent me this article. (Men are shaving less during the pandemic. Women are not.) My instant–and very personal–response, was “Great, just what we need, more…
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WHAT’S IN A NAME?: A guest post by Alexandra Y. Caluen
November 11, 2020“The naming of cats is a difficult matter’ – T.S. Eliot At what point do fictional characters get a name? Generally, it’s when they have to be identified in order…
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Best Jane Austen adaptation?
November 9, 2020I am–and this is embarrassing–finally watching the 1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. And yes, it does have Colin Firth in a sexy…
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A Love Letter to London by Courtney Giardina: A Guest Post
November 7, 2020I have to admit, it was my love of the fairy tale romance between Prince William and Kate Middleton that prompted me to vote for London when my now husband…
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the ask@AAR: What are your favorite holiday books?
November 6, 2020We’re coming up on the holiday stretch: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, the Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the New Year. (Let me know if I’ve missed one you celebrate, please.) This constraints of…
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AAR wants you!
November 4, 2020Today, we are running a review by Elaine S, a regular commenter at AAR. She’d contacted me and suggested we consider reader reviews which, historically, we have published but in…
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the ask@AAR: Which Goodreads nominated romance would you pick?
October 30, 2020It’s that time of year again when readers are thrilled, startled, and irritated at the picks for what is now the biggest reader poll in the world: The Goodreads Choice…
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What’s the worst EVER book ending?
October 25, 2020The Washington Post has an article today about readers’ choices for the books whose ending infuriated them. Their readers singled out Gone Girl–I love that book’s ending!–, Cold Mountain, and…
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the ask@AAR: How do you like to re-read?
October 23, 2020I’ve always been a re-reader: whole books, favorite scenes, even a line or two I’ve suddenly thought of and want to experience again. In 2020, I’ve been re-reading more than…
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And the next AAR Good Time Book Club pick is….
October 22, 2020The (very close) votes are in and we’re reading Elizabeth Kingston’s The King’s Man. (Here’s our B+ review.) Here’s the summary from Amazon (right now, the ebook is 2.99):
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It’s a run off! Pick one of these three books for the next AAR Good Time Book Club!
October 20, 2020With over 150 votes, these three books are locked in a virtual heat! So pick one. (If you can’t see the survey, here’s a link.)
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Pick the next AAR Good Time Book Club book!
October 17, 2020We’ve narrowed it down to five books. Fill out the survey below or click here.
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Sometimes a name is just a name
on offense, accommodation, and the value of getting the facts right
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A Novel Is Not a Safe Space
Books are allowed to offend you. You are allowed to close them. Everybody survives.
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Prestige TV rediscovers the joy of family and friends
sappy for the win–really
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