J'Adore France...

Sorry for the nearly month-long hiatus... between getting ready for my trip to France and traveling I haven't had much time for blogging. However, I was able to get a fair amount of reading done on my vacation so reviews will be coming soon. Below are a few of my favorite pictures from my trip to France!

Rodin's "The Thinker" with the Invalides in the  background

Petit Trianon at Versailles

In Defense of the Sentimental

The Wall Street Journal ran a lovely article last Saturday on the enduring popularity of Maud Hart Lovelace's books from the 1940s and 50s, which have recently been re-released by Harper Perennial. I never read the books as a child, but this article and reviews by other bloggers has made me want to read them now. It also makes me long for more YA literature that doesn't contain vampires, mean girls, abusive parents, adolescent sex or other topics that seem currently to be popular. I know that young adults are not immune from troubles and that realistic and gritty books have an important role. But there's also something to be said for not exposing children and teens to weighty issues before their time. While Lovelace's novels might seem sentimental, Alexandra Mullen says that "one of the pleasures of reading Lovelace's work, in fact, is witnessing the many varieties of happy families and seeing in particular the kindness of fathers."

"Lovelace's books show people discovering how to be good, but the books themselves are not goody-goody or preachy. They focus on everyday matters, from playing with paper dolls to keeping a diary to feasting on midnight sandwiches in the kitchen with high-school friends. Within such activities, Lovelace reminds us, we learn a great deal about the ways of the world and the governing of our hearts." 

Did you read Lovelace's books when you were younger? Do you plan to read them now?

You can read the full article from the Wall Street Journal here.  

Happy Friday!

It's finally Friday, and I don't know about you but my brain is ready for a break after a long week at work! I will be daydreaming over these gorgeous pictures of books and bookshelves (and a writing desk I'm coveting).

All pictures are from Lonny, a free online decorating magazine. Check it out here.

Any Recommendations?

I'm very excited to be taking a trip to Paris and Normandy in a few months and I'd appreciate your recommendations on your favorite books set in France-- whether it's historical fiction, memoir, travelogue, etc. I love to read about and get the feel of a place before I go. Merci beaucoup!

What Makes A Classic?

A conversation with one of my close friends last week got me thinking about which books become essential to us and how we each define a classic. She noticed that my to-read shelf on the right side of my blog had To Kill A Mockinbird listed and was stunned that I had never read it (and I was an English major in college!) Somehow through middle school, high school and college I was never exposed to the book, and though I want to read it I haven't gotten around to it yet. Add to that Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Catcher in the Rye and I feel much less well-read than I sometimes think I am! On the other hand, I consider John Steinbeck one of the best American writers and The Grapes of Wrath an absolute must-read while others have an adverse reaction to his writing. It's humbling to realize that there is still a wide world of literature to be read and exposed to and so fascinating to see what each person considers a "classic."

Are there any classics that you haven't read? Any that you're planning to get to or don't feel bad about skipping?