Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the category “Reading”

05 Nov 2025
2 Comments

Reader Roundup: October 2025


I reluctantly packed up my hammocks at the end of October which means entering into the long season of more indoor reading time. Reading by lamplight is not as fulfilling as reading by sunlight. My reading stats will definitely decrease. *Sigh*

Isola by Allegra Goodman

image: Penguin Books

Marguerite, a young French girl born into privilege, is betrayed by her protector, Roberval, who has mortgaged her wealth and lands to finance his travels to make a name for himself.

As an orphan, a a woman living in the misogynistic times of the Middle Ages, she has no choice but to obey her patron. When he demands she accompany him on his ship to colonize New France she and her maid reluctantly board, apprehensive of their future.

In a scheme to ensure her death, Roberval, in order to inherit her remaining assets, declares treachery against Marguerite and his secretary and abandons them on a wretched island.

The novel is based on a snippet of historical interest and is expanded into a tale of transformation and spiritual journey. Marguerite’s voice is stilted, representing the subservient attitude women had to adopt during that time period, yet she projects the independent attitude of a contemporary woman, angry at the injustice dealt her.

The Singular Life of Aria Patel by Samira Ahmed

image: Amazon

Definitely not the usual YA read as it mixes together quantum theory with a coming-of-age romance along with a mystery plot, all based on a poem inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

At this point you are either in or out.

Fans of John Green and Dr. Who will appreciate the intelligent chaos that is interpersed with Aria’s humor.

Only 2 books rated five stars out of the 20 read in October. Some were, as Maxwell Smart used to say: “Missed it by that much.”

Some books are so close to being
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Do you read more during summer or during winter?

Posted in authors, Books, Reading, Reflections and tagged , , ,
29 Aug 2025
8 Comments

Back to School Blues (not for me, maybe for you)


If you are reading this post you fall into one of the falling categories:

  • Parent of school age children
  • Student
  • Teacher
  • None of the above
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

If you identify with parent of school age children, then I commiserate with you for the back-to-school shopping marathon. Well, yes, it is exciting getting the kiddos ready for another (or their first) foray into the classroom routine. But it is tiring and expensive.

If you are a student, you are either bummed or excited, or perhaps a bit of both, since it means put a pause on summer fun in order to focus on the mojo needed to get into the school routine.

As a teacher, you are no doubt either already back in the classroom (depending on where you teach) or bum-weary from having to sit through endless admin-led meetings while you would rather be preparing your room.

None of the above? You are probably then retired or an empty-nester or perhaps neither a parent or teacher, although you vaguely remember your September back-to-school days.

This marks my fourth September I will not be returning as a teacher, yet I found myself back on campus anyway. My retirement days are centered around books: I’m either reading them, writing them, or doing something with them that is library related. Today I dropped off a box of donated of books to a couple of schools, one of which was where I formerly taught English.

Yes, it was strange.

No, I didn’t miss it.

Yes, I briefly said “howdy” to some former compadres. And yes, I delivered my usual line of “I highly recommend it!” when asked how I like being retired.

Okay, fine–I do miss some aspects of being a teacher, such as getting to know my students, watching them catch the spark of appreciating literature, lunch time sessions with teacher chums, and staff meetings (just kidding on that one).

So, here is hoping your back-to-school blues aren’t severe, and hoping the school year is fabulous, whether you are in a school desk, behind the teacher’s desk, or planning a cruise since everyone else is back in school.

Photo by Diana u2728 on Pexels.com
Posted in America, education, fall, Family, Reading and tagged , , , , , , , ,
10 Feb 2025

Reader Roundup: January 2025


January remained cold, yet snow free and blue skies which that helps me get through the winter wobblies. Some people might feel cozy, safe, and warm as they sit by the window overseeing that whitened landscape. Not I. It’s claustrophobic to me. Like being trapped in a snow globe.

This winter has been unusual with its lack of snowy days. And I’m appreciative. Seeing nature’s colors unfettered by snowfall, enhanced by clear blue skies, even though it might be in the single or low double digits, is a tonic compared to the dreariness of accumulated snow.

I’m more inclined to read in my recliner by the window when it’s sunny, snow free, although it’s freezing out since the sun reminds me winter is waning. A snow-laden view prompts me to curl up under the blankets and hibernate until the crocus debut.

Well, so much for that rant.

Moving on to book highlights for January, those five star reads:

Checkmate to Murder (#25) by E.C.R. Lorac

image: Amazon

E.C.R Lorac’s Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard is both competent and likable in his approach to solving a crime. He isn’t quirky or pompous and projects an “everyman” persona as he goes about his investigation. This particular murder story involves an assortment of characters and the plot moves along at a slow and steady pace, so much so that it almost appears that the investigating becomes filler. This is the underlying method of the author: cast a wide net and then slowly let all the dross screen away until the solution is obvious and ends up being so clever and in front of the reader throughout the story.

Looking forward to searching out the other Inspector Macdonald stories.

The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff

image: Abebooks

Written in simple yet elegant prose readers follow the Stevens, a British family, during their annual two week seaside holiday. The story is deceptive in that it lulls one in thinking nothing exciting is happening as each member goes the quotidian aspects of a vacation; however, each person is experiencing moments of inner speculation which defines who they are. They are living life, which is exciting overall as realizations are made that don’t seem profound but actually are.

The father comes to accept his lot in life will not include a promotion and decides to embrace what he has instead of become bitter at what he never will obtain.

The mother willingly goes along with the charade that she enjoys this annual excursion since she loves seeing her family’s happiness.

The daughter, on the cusp of love and independence, takes a small step in moving out of her home to create her own life.

The son, recently graduated from school and now at his first job, works out his resentment at having to be middle class, resolving to be better, not bitter.

The youngest, still in the throes of childhood, provides the joy of discovery of experience and the security of family.

Written in 1931, a relatively calm time, the story is a lovely, satisfying balm to the complicated times of today.

Only two books made the five star list; on the other hand they were excellent reads. In fact the Sherriff novel had written across the cover “highly recommend.” And I agree.

Posted in authors, Books, Reading, Reflections and tagged , , | Leave a comment
09 Jan 2025
7 Comments

National Word Nerd Day


January 9th is set aside for those, like myself, who relish, celebrate, expound the joys of discovering and knowing how words can make one’s day that much better.

It’s a delightful fact that Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, provided the term “nerd” in his 1950 book If I Ran the Zoo.

image: Tumblr

While “nerd” used to be considered a mildly derogatory label to describe a person who was a bit too devoted to something or operated outside more established social norms, “nerd” is now a means to attach a reference to someone possessing expertise or enthusiasm.

There is a vast number of lexiconical connoisseurs residing within the greater populace.

It’s a quiet existence for the most part. No Jimmy Fallon appearances nor competitive reality shows featuring celebrities enthusiastically endorsing their favorite vocabulary.

It is gratifying to have this one special day though.

I browsed through the internet and discovered a few Word Nerds and decided to give them momentum in their efforts to expand the awareness of appreciating words.

image: The Qwiet Muse
image: Wordnerdopolis
image: Scholastic Storyworks

And just in case you want to proclaim your devotion to the dictionary:

image: www.teepublic.com

So embrace the day with a word that you especially fancy.

My word of choice? Thanks for asking—yet, how to choose among so many?

Verisimilitude comes to mind.

Now it’s your turn.

Posted in authors, creativity, Reading, Reflections, Words and tagged ,
19 Nov 2024
1 Comment

Blatant Ballot Box Stuffing or This is for Mike


Mike Allegra is a funtastic writer, blogger, humorist. He and I both share an appreciation for mice and capybaras. But those are other books and this post is about pirates and penguins. My mother was a pirate once–that’s a different story.

I figure we have been bloggy pals for over ten years 😳. We have even traded opinions in a series of posts called Debatables.

We both write for children. Mike is more prolific than I am. His books are funnier too. Like his latest books that combine a salty vision-impaired pirate and his new companion, a penguin. No offense, Mike. A pirate who identifies a penguin as a parrot needs an eye exam.

Pirates. Penguins. Definitely a winning combination.

Anyway-

Mike is running a contest where one special entrant wins copies of his Pirate and Penguin books. I would like to win copies of these books. I’m sure you would too.

I can get another ticket in the drawing by posting a blog post about his contest which, of course means you can trot over to Mike’s blog and enter the contest thus reducing my odds of winning…

I see what you’ve done, Mike.

So—check out Mike’s blog, enter his contest, and check out my book as well.

C’mon, Mike. I’m sure you don’t mind me edging in with just a little self-promotion.

See, Mike–just a little self promotion
Posted in authors, creativity, Reading, Reflections and tagged , ,
21 Sep 2024
6 Comments

Library Credit Card–they are kind of like them, you know


September is Get A Library Card month. Considering getting a card at most libraries is as simple as verifying one’s address I’m surprised how many people don’t have one.

It was a grand moment when I first received my library card in elementary school. Sliding my card over on the librarian’s wooden desk in exchange for a couple of books to read seemed quite a wonder

Then the day arrived when I filled out the application and received my public library card. I felt that card provided freedom and a bit of power as I could select most anything I wanted to read and my card gave me access to other libraries in the system.

From there it an assortment of library cards found their way into my possession: college; new cards when I moved; donor status cards (gold—ooh); and key fob versions. These days I don’t even need a card since my photo is on file. I just show up at the counter with my selections.

So many people I know, including my progeny, buy their books, which is admirable, of course. I would go broke, easily spending my pension on my reading habit of two-three books a week. Thank goodness for my library (credit) card for that’s how I see its use, except there is no monthly bill.

In fact, I save money using my library card, my receipt tells me so every time I leave with my bag of selections.

I have more library cards than credit cards—that’s a good thing, right?
Posted in Books, celebrations, Libraries, Reading, Reflections and tagged , ,
08 Apr 2024
7 Comments

An anniversary is eclipsed…


Today’s focus is on the eclipse, which for some didn’t register as an event because of a)not being in the path of ta-dah or b)dealing with cloudy skies. There is also c)there was an eclipse?

For me the event of focus today was the four year anniversary of my debut picture book Someday We Will.

Yup, four years ago Beaming Books brought out my book in the beginning of April having postponed its publication from the previous fall. FYI: Grandparents Day is the first Sunday in September.

Instead of fall, the idea was Mother’s Day and the summer months of vacations when families visit. Good plan except four years ago about this time the pandemic showed up closing schools, libraries, bookstores, all those places where I might have personally promoted my book. A virtual book launch does not quite have the same impact.

Since then I have tried to make up for lost time and have done some story times with the library and have done a couple of bookstore appearances.

If you have yet to check out Someday We Will I hope you will. It’s a dandy little book for sharing just how special those family visits are, especially the grandparent ones.

As for the eclipse event? I hope your experience was satisfying. I ended tidying up the garage in hopes the clouds would part. They didn’t, but the garage looks better.

The perfect gift for grandparents as well as grandchildren anticipating a visit
Posted in authors, celebrations, children, Family, Nature, Reading, Reflections and tagged , ,
21 Dec 2023
7 Comments

Word Nerd: The Write Stuff


I’m in the midst of revising various writing projects so words related to the craft of reading and writing have caught my eye and landed in my inbox.

bibliogony: the art of producing and publishing books.

logophile: a lover of words.

oh, the possibilities

retcon:to later revise an established element of a fictional story.

bowdlerize: to amend a written work by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.

quaere: ask; inquire (an imperative used to introduce or suggest a question).

answers forthcoming

bahuvrihi: a compound noun or adjective in which the first word describes the person or object denoted by the second.

Posted in Reading, Reflections, Words, writers and tagged ,
05 Dec 2023

Reader Roundup: October/November


Somehow I lost track of my really good reads from October and I just about missed November’s reads. Here are my five star books from those months.

The Detective’s Assistant by Kate Hannigan

Hannigan presents an engaging embellishment of Kate Warne, a Pinkerton detective, and apparently America’s first woman agent.

While not much is known about Warne, the addition of her orphaned niece, Nell, is what drives the plot. Together they solves cases ranging from murder to preventing the assassination of president-elect Abraham Lincoln.

A coming of age story with a thread of history makes this a book middle readers will want to check out, then again this middle aged reader found it an engaging read as well.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Doerr presents an inventive, mesmerizing tale in the way of a tapestry. Throughout the book readers experience the backside of the tapestry, the chaos of threads intermingled, making it difficult to see the full rendering. The intermingling of characters and situations ranging from far future to distant past to present in Cloud Cuckoo Land is both amazing and puzzling at times, and then the understanding is revealed in the end chapters, just as the flip side of the tapestry reveals the completed picture.
Doerr is an artist of words and a storyteller of significance. His detail and pacing are admirable. His ingenuity as well. A very different story from his first novel, All the Light We Cannot See, yet CCL still showcases the talent of this writer.

The Library by Bella Osborne

The book had me at its title. Then there is the blurb: A book about how a library on the cusp of closure introduces an intergenerational friendship. The read was lovely and was difficult to set down.

The House of Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith

At first the plot lumbers along with its usual disagreements between Precious and Grace about what is right (Grace can be tediously obstinate), it’s driving about in the tired white van, and it’s odd case or two that seemingly goes nowhere.

However, this story has an amazing twist near the middling end will impact future books. This twist definitely raised the rating by injecting some new spice into series.

An Old, Cold Grave (Lane Winslow #3) by Iona Whishaw

Having finished the Maisie Dobbs series by Winspear I was casting about for similar series and discovered Whishaw’s Lane Winslow books on the library’s new arrivals shelf.

Lane Winslow has settled into Kings Cove, Canada after her WWII service, and it is not turning out to be the idyllic place to escape the aspects of danger she experienced during the war.

The first two books were recent murders, this plot focuses on the mystery of a child’s skeleton found when a household of women were repairing their root cellar. Lane once again finds herself in the middle of the investigation and in harm’s way.

With a few more books to go in the Kings Cove series Lane is filling in for Maisie Dobbs quite nicely.

It Begins in Betrayal (#4) by Iona Whishaw

The fourth in the Lane Winslow series provides readers with a tightly-paced plot involving Lane’s friend InspectorDarling being framed in order to recruit Lane back into intelligence work.

A Sorrowful Sanctuary (#5) by Iona Whishaw

Whishaw ups her game in this fifth series entry with a fine balance of intrigue, murder, and interpersonal drama.

The opening scene of Lane and her friends discovering a mortally wounded man drifting in a boat sets up the story, one that is riveting in many ways, including the developing romance between Lane and Inspector Darling.

Going into December with 158 books read towards my annual goal of 101 I am now hoping to surpass my all-time best of 165 books from 2020. I had a bit of downtime that year, and reading was also a way of coping with the stay-at-home during that year. Retirement is proving to be boosting my reading rate, although staying at home is more choice than a mandate and that is perfectly fine with me.

Posted in authors, Book Boosters, Books, popular books, Reading, Reflections, reviews and tagged , , | Leave a comment
16 Sep 2023
10 Comments

A Falling Out Begins


One absolutely appreciated bonus of retirement is enjoying the mellow fall sunshine. I call September weather my Goldilock Days: not too hot, not too cold—just right.

Previous to retirement (this is my second September!) I would look out of my classroom window and long to be outside. That was one commonality I shared with my students. Although I would try to tie up loose ends and get home to enjoy the remaining afternoon, I usually arrived home only to enjoy a sliver of sun before it slipped behind the mountain. My Verilux light is a poor substitute for that warm, comforting kiss of sunlight.

And so, in these fall days, these post-summer days, these halcyon days of retirement I am found sunning like a marmot on my morning patio, napping on my hammock early afternoon, and lounging on my other hammock in the late afternoon.

Lest you think all I do is lounge around, I am landscaping, cleaning, writing, reading, and stacking wood throughout the day.

Unfortunately my Goldilocks time is ending. I used to go for my morning walk by 7 am. Lately it’s 49 degrees at that time and the sun is barely up. By 9 am it’s 60 degrees which is acceptable. Just as the perfect temps of mid-seventies arrive the cold nights appear. By 6 pm there is a chill that sends me inside.

Nothing says summer is ending more than the delivery of our winter wood supply. I feel the calendar days tick down when those wood chunks fill the bins.

Two cords strong

One aspect of full wood bins is knowing I will be cozy warm by the fire reading books and sipping cocoa. For now I’m still reveling in late summer before I fall into winter.

Posted in Reading, Reflections, Seasons and tagged , , , ,

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