As February is the shortest month, we picked a fairly brief (only 150 pages) novel for this month’s Reading and Refreshments: John Buchan’s classic spy thriller, The Thirty-Nine Steps, which relates the tale of an averted German invasion just before the outbreak of World War I. And what excitement Buchan packed into those 150 pages! I think it is safe to say that this is the most spine-tingling page-turner … Continue reading The 39 Steps
This month, Reading and Refreshments will be highlighting another one of Louisa May Alcott’s lesser-known but delightful novels: Rose in Bloom. In this sequel to her children’s novel Eight Cousins, Alcott’s heroine Rose Campbell is all grown up and returned from a tour round the world, to find herself up to her ears in complications: helping guide seven boy cousins now grown to manhood, supporting … Continue reading Rose In Bloom
For our December “Reading and Refreshments,” we decided to read yet another Paddington book: Paddington Goes to Town, due to the emphasis on the Christmas holidays—it seemed very appropriate for this festive season. “Look,” said [Mrs. Brown], pointing ahead. “There’s the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. If we hurry we may be in time for the carols.” Mr. Brown gave a sniff. “I’ll tell you … Continue reading Paddington Goes to Town
This month we have been reading an old family favorite, the heartwarming children’s tale The Railway Children by E. Nesbit. And it is the perfect read-aloud family story, because it is all about family! The main characters are three siblings (just like us . . .): Roberta (“Bobbie”), Peter, and Phyllis (“who meant extremely well”). When their father mysteriously disappears, and their mother must begin … Continue reading The Railway Children
What better way to begin the new year than by reading a new book? This month on “Reading and Refreshments,” we have been reading Alexandra’s own recently published novel, My Home Grows, as a family. It is quite interesting how different a book can sound when it is read out loud, compared to how it sounds being read to yourself, even when you are the … Continue reading My Home Grows
The Sibling Writery 