The first Literary Blog Hop, and what it means to be literary

I’m excited that the Blue Bookcase started a “Literary Blog Hop” this week.  Of course whether a blog is “literary” is a little bit subjective.  I read a mix of books, as do most of us, some literary and some not. What makes a book literary?  I think that’s a question many of us wrestle…

Is Thomas Hardy Good Beach Reading?

I was lucky enough to spend three days this weekend on the beach, doing pretty much nothing but reading, swimming, and downing the occasional tropical drink.  My dad recently bought me a copy of Return of the Native, one of my all-time favorite books but one I haven’t read in a very long time.  I…

In the Middle of Middlemarch (Reading the Classics Part 1)

Reading about bloggers’ favorite books recently inspired me to pick up some classics I missed in college.  A lot of people mentioned Middlemarch as a favorite. I always meant to read something by George Eliot so this was long overdue, and I’m really enjoying it so far. A couple of months ago I wrote a…

Reading books because they’re good for you: literature vs. fluff…

I had a lousy commute this morning.  The blue line train was delayed, the yellow line train “broke” and had to be “offloaded.” And then the book I was reading took a turn into boringness.  So I did something I don’t often do in less distracting circumstances – I dropped it.  So long, Jane Smiley,…