Guilty confession, after many years of following your blog and now here, I just read My Berlin Kitchen. Your writing, honesty, and perseverance are an inspiration- ‘leap and the net will appear’ was just the message I needed to hear, again.
‘The Postcard’ is a fantastic book - I’m so happy to see you mention it here. Well worth the read, in my opinion.
My husband and I have a 10 month old baby, and we read ‘The Hobbit’ and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy aloud to him from months 3 to 8 of his life! It was amazing to do and the stories are so vibrant. I had read ‘The Hobbit’ as a kid but that was a long time ago - and I had never fully read the trilogy. Fun times and fond memories indeed! I hope you are enjoying it!
My how you can weave a narrative, pull me in, and sell me on a story. I'm of course intrigued by your trip to Poland-as I have always had similar thoughts. In fact, in the late 1990s backpacking all over Europe with a Polish-American friend, we visited almost every country in Western and Central Europe, then stopped at Prague before going further East. We both often regret that we didn't get to Poland on that trip. Later, when my daughter befriended two tiny polish sisters in her Montessori (American born to then-recently immigrated Polish parents) we became entangled in the culture, the food, the language, weekends at Polish school and trips to the Polish butcher, via regular weekends with them both in New York and beyond. I admired their mother's heartiness, her order and steadiness in life and parenting, and the places she could easily let go, too (bigger allowances for independence, risk and also sweets/chocolate than my kids, or any others around us seemed to have-she was strict and yet free). I am still learning from her, and eager to visit the country and people that raised her one day. Like you I have too often equated the country with the terrible time, even though I know there's so much more, as you say.
I think I know what my first fall book will be. Thank you. And I hope you have a wonderful trip and are able to tell us more when you return. x
For some reason, I thought I had learned about The Postcard from your own recommendation. Maybe it was on one of your “want to read” lists? Anyway, we both read it, side by side on the sofa (one reading print, the other e-book), and we couldn’t put it down either. Then we suggested our book group read it and pretty much everyone loved it too. Thank you for your recommendations and your reflections!
The book has been on my list forever. Thanks for the push. I also have these hazy memories of crossing into East Berlin---buying a deck of playing cards from a shopkeeper who didn't want to get them out from under the old-fashioned glass-covered counter, spending those lightweight play-money coins they made you exchange at the border for handmade ice cream that was so creamy, and the mirrors stuck under the bus like a dentist looking into the back of your mouth poking around for people clinging to the axel in hopes of rolling out and into the 'free' world. Thanks for sharing your hazy memories!
Just bookmarked The Postcard for my holiday reading, thank you!
i am about to read "the hobbit" for the first time, too.
"go forward, only thing to do", quoted from the book, brought me to it.
thanks for all your book shares, luisa.
i love them all.
Thank you so much!
For those who have not read James or who also struggle to read dialog, I strongly recommend the audio book which is brilliantly done.
Guilty confession, after many years of following your blog and now here, I just read My Berlin Kitchen. Your writing, honesty, and perseverance are an inspiration- ‘leap and the net will appear’ was just the message I needed to hear, again.
Ohhh, that's lovely! Thanks for letting me know!
I want to thank you for recommending humankind. It was the book I needed.
You are so welcome. It's truly a balm.
‘The Postcard’ is a fantastic book - I’m so happy to see you mention it here. Well worth the read, in my opinion.
My husband and I have a 10 month old baby, and we read ‘The Hobbit’ and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy aloud to him from months 3 to 8 of his life! It was amazing to do and the stories are so vibrant. I had read ‘The Hobbit’ as a kid but that was a long time ago - and I had never fully read the trilogy. Fun times and fond memories indeed! I hope you are enjoying it!
My how you can weave a narrative, pull me in, and sell me on a story. I'm of course intrigued by your trip to Poland-as I have always had similar thoughts. In fact, in the late 1990s backpacking all over Europe with a Polish-American friend, we visited almost every country in Western and Central Europe, then stopped at Prague before going further East. We both often regret that we didn't get to Poland on that trip. Later, when my daughter befriended two tiny polish sisters in her Montessori (American born to then-recently immigrated Polish parents) we became entangled in the culture, the food, the language, weekends at Polish school and trips to the Polish butcher, via regular weekends with them both in New York and beyond. I admired their mother's heartiness, her order and steadiness in life and parenting, and the places she could easily let go, too (bigger allowances for independence, risk and also sweets/chocolate than my kids, or any others around us seemed to have-she was strict and yet free). I am still learning from her, and eager to visit the country and people that raised her one day. Like you I have too often equated the country with the terrible time, even though I know there's so much more, as you say.
I think I know what my first fall book will be. Thank you. And I hope you have a wonderful trip and are able to tell us more when you return. x
For some reason, I thought I had learned about The Postcard from your own recommendation. Maybe it was on one of your “want to read” lists? Anyway, we both read it, side by side on the sofa (one reading print, the other e-book), and we couldn’t put it down either. Then we suggested our book group read it and pretty much everyone loved it too. Thank you for your recommendations and your reflections!
The book has been on my list forever. Thanks for the push. I also have these hazy memories of crossing into East Berlin---buying a deck of playing cards from a shopkeeper who didn't want to get them out from under the old-fashioned glass-covered counter, spending those lightweight play-money coins they made you exchange at the border for handmade ice cream that was so creamy, and the mirrors stuck under the bus like a dentist looking into the back of your mouth poking around for people clinging to the axel in hopes of rolling out and into the 'free' world. Thanks for sharing your hazy memories!