Tag Archives: books

New Book Review: “To the Bones” by Valerie Nieman, in Appalachian Review

Posted on September 16, 2021 by scout2011

Hi, friends. It’s been a while. Again. For my family and me, time has both sped up and seemed suspended or slow during the year and a half of pandemic life. I know we’re not alone. Like many of you, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Appalachian literature, Appalachian Review, Barbara Kingsolver, book list, book review, books, coal, coal country, creative nonfiction, Crystal Wilkinson, essay, fiction, Halloween reads, Katherine Scott Crawford, literary journal, literary magazine, literary thriller, review, Ron Rash, Silas House, Southern fiction, Southern literature, supernatural, to be read, To the Bones, Valerie Nieman, Wendell Berry, West Virginia, West Virginia University Press, Wiley Cash, zombies | Leave a comment

What a long, strange trip it’s been

Posted on August 26, 2021 by scout2011

Hi, friends. It’s been a while. First, there was summer. It was, by far, the fastest summer of my life. As usual, my children (ages 12 and 8) were home, so there was no writing to be done. But we … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alix E. Harrow, author, books, Brene Brown, Clint Smith, comfort, coronavirus, Covid-19, creative nonfiction, essay, Glennon Doyle, grown-ups, How the Word is Passed, I Hold a Wolf by the Ears, Katherine Scott Crawford, Kelly Corrigan, Kelly Corrigan Wonders, kids in school, Krista Tippet, Laura van den berg, love thy neighbor, Marian Keyes, mask debate, masking, On Being, pandemic, podcasts, school, solace, summer reading, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Unlocking Us, We Can Do Hard Things, writer, writing | Leave a comment

What I’m Reading Now: Robert Macfarlane’s “The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot”

Posted on May 11, 2021 by scout2011

This is a special book. It begs to be read slowly, so as to savor each line. Not since reading Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek in my early 20s have I experienced a book like this: one which offers … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged a journey on foot, ancients, book review, books, bookshelf, CNF, creative nonfiction, Environmental Literature, environmental writing, essay, hiking, Katherine Scott Crawford, nature, nature writing, Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways, walking, what I'm reading now | Leave a comment

Spring Reading: Kate Quinn’s “The Rose Code”

Posted on April 12, 2021 by scout2011

I read Kate Quinn‘s World War II era historical novel, The Rose Code, in a fevered (possibly actually fevered, as I’d just received my second Covid vaccination) rush, over the course of two nights while my kids were on Spring … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged author, Bletchley Park, book review, booklist, books, bookstack, Britain, code breakers, Covid, England, feminism, friendship, historical fiction, history, Kate Quinn, Katherine Scott Crawford, reading, spring reading, storytelling, The Rose Code, vaccination, what I'm reading now, William Morrow, World War 2, World War II, writer, WWII | Leave a comment

What I’m Reading Now: “Beach Read” by Emily Henry

Posted on March 31, 2021 by scout2011

Need a Spring Break read? Literally headed to the beach? I picked up Emily Henry’s Beach Read from my local library on a total whim yesterday. The premise—two very different writers (with a shared college past) stuck in neighboring lakehouses, who … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged am reading, beach read, book list, book review, book stack, books, Emily Henry, fun, Jove, Katherine Scott Crawford, novel, Penguin, reading list, romance, Spring Break, to read, what I'm reading now, women's fiction, writer's block | Leave a comment

Books & Candy: A Thursday Shout-Out

Posted on March 11, 2021 by scout2011

This is a Thursday shout-out to books and candy — one of the best combos around. First, The Once and Future Witches, by Alix E. Harrow. I honestly don’t know that I’ve read a thing like it. It’s a wild, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alix E. Harrow, artisan caramel, book review, booklist, books, candy, fantasy, Fort Mill, Hatchette Book Group, historical fiction, Jennifer Hudson, Katherine Scott Crawford, reading, Salem, salted caramels, SC, shout out, sisterhood, sisters, Stirred By Hand, suffragettes, The Once and Future Witches, what I'm reading now, witches | Leave a comment

I swear this is not a book blog: and, What I’m Reading Now: Rene Denfeld’s “The Child Finder”

Posted on February 12, 2021 by scout2011

Pandemic win: more books. Another recommendation from a friend … although I probably shouldn’t have read this one at night. Which speaks to the power of Rene Denfeld’s harrowing and atmospheric novel. The Child Finder is fast-paced, tightly-plotted, and touching … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged author, book review, Book Talk, booklist, books, bookstack, child abuse, foster children, foster mother, Katherine Scott Crawford, kidnapping, literary, missing children, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, reading, Rene Denfeld, Skookum National Forest, The Child Finder, thriller, what I'm reading now, writer | Leave a comment

What I’m Reading Now: Helene Wecker’s “The Golem and the Jinni”

Posted on February 9, 2021 by scout2011

Book recommendations from friends have been one of the wins of this pandemic year. I always tend to read very different sort of books from the ones usually on my list when it’s a friend handing it over. The Golem … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 1899, book review, books, essay, fantasy, genie, Helene Wecker, historical fiction, Jewish myths, Katherine Scott Crawford, myth, New York City, reading, Syria, The Golem and the Jinni, what I'm reading now | Leave a comment

Katherine May’s “Wintering”: What I’m Reading Now

Posted on February 4, 2021 by scout2011

I finally finished Katherine May‘s Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. I say “finally,” because while I normally read fast, I savored this book. Saved it for bedtime each night, snuggled up under our three fleece … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged book list, books, British writer, CNF, Covid, creative nonfiction, essay, Katherine May, Katherine Scott Crawford, liminal spaces, pandemic reading, reading, rest, retreat, Riverhead Books, what I'm reading now, what to read next, winter reading, Wintering | 2 Comments

History, travel, books, author life & more: Interview with Paper Lantern Writers

Posted on October 23, 2020 by scout2011

Hi, folks! I’m thrilled to be featured today on the blog at Paper Lantern Writers! Paper Lantern Writers are “a collective of Historical Fiction Writers, both published and unpublished,” whose “goal is to tell a cracking good story, using the context … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged author, books, Cherokee Indians, Evergreen and Expectations, Fire Eater, historical fiction, history, interview, Jack, Katherine Scott Crawford, Katie Stine, Keowee Valley, Paper Lantern Writers, Q & A, Quinn, reading, Revolution, Revolutionary war, Ridge Runner, sequel, South Carolina, Southern literature, travel, upcountry, writing | Leave a comment