What I read this week.

Half-term break was this past week for our school and it was ab-so-lute bliss. The Thursday before break my line manager and I were joking that my plans were to lie down all week and that turned out to be a pretty accurate prediction for what was to come. I mean, I wasn't horizontal 100% of the time. We did do some things around the house. We met up with friends we hadn't seen in a while and there was the day we visited the Crime Museum Uncovered exhibition at the Museum of London (highly recommended!), but I did spend a lot of time relaxing, with a cup of coffee in one hand and a good book in the other.

*sigh*

I wish it could never end.

Here's what I read:

Here: Women Writing on Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Ronald Riekki, Ed.) - A lovely collection of book excerpts, short stories, and poetry, which I started reading during our camping trip in the Upper Peninsula last summer. We actually met one of the authors from the book while we were there, when we coincidentally stopped at her diner for breakfast one morning. Talk about small town experiences. A little slice of home.

The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) - I know I am late to the party with this one. I remember people talking about it a few years ago and a film version came out in 2013. I found this edition in a bookstore in Peru. We were nearing the end of our travels and the timing just felt right. The writing is quirky, but the story hits home and despite the fact that so much is revealed at the beginning, the book still manages to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Landmark Visitor's Guide to Iceland (Cathy Harlow) - Planning our next big adventure!!!! This version, an Oxfam Bookshop find, is outdated by a few years, but we can easily supplement it with library rentals and modern technology.

Bonus Blog: Brain Pickings - I discovered this blog a couple of months ago and it has taken me a little while to get into it, but I am OBSESSING over it now. On her blog Maria Popova writes about, well, everything - all aspects of culture: history, literature, sciences, philosophy, music and so much more. Her daily reflections tend to revolve around a specific person or people (alive or deceased) and what we can learn from their words. She seems to have a vast catalogue of interdisciplinary knowledge, almost impossibly so, but interviews with her reveal that the work is actually due to her insatiable desire for reading and research. Her writings are succinct, but meaty; not your typical blogger fare, but perhaps far more inspiring. Recent favorites of mine include her posts on the incredibly touching love story of Anna and Fyodor Dostoyevsky and these recordings of J.R.R. Tolkein reading and singing (!) excerpts from The Lord of the Rings. If you like rare and interesting perspectives, connecting the modern with the historical, and just learning in general, check out this blog!



Tomorrow, I'm afraid, it's back to school. Keep me in your thoughts...


Love.