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Nubilous
I recently came across a word I wasn’t familiar with. That happens a lot when I’m reading but it was surprising in that, this particular time, I was reading a comic book. That’s not a medium usually thought of as having a difficult lexicon. The word is “nubilous,” an adjective meaning “cloudy, foggy, misty” or…
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Red Milkweed Beetle
I came across this red milkweed beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) while on a walk a few evenings ago. They are part of the milkweed ecosystem and not harmful to milkweed plants or monarch butterflies. The beetles are adapted to eat the milkweed plant, which is toxic to many species of animals. Because they ingest these toxins,…
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The Well-Beloved by Thomas Hardy
I finished reading The Well-Beloved by Thomas Hardy. This novel was first serialized in 1892 and published in book-form in 1897. Although it was his second to last novel written, it felt fresh and somewhat experimental to me as the reader and as if it had come from earlier in his literary career. The novel…
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Sometimes a man stands up during supper
Sometimes a man stands up during supperand walks outdoors, and keeps on walking,because of a church that stands somewhere in the East. And his children say blessings on him as if he were dead. And another man, who remains inside his own house,dies there, inside the dishes and in the glasses,so that his children have…
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R.U.R. by Karel Čapek
I just finished reading R.U.R., a three-act play written by Karel Čapek and published in 1920. Originally written in Czech, it was quickly translated into many languages. I read the translation done by Claudia Novack in 1989 and published by Penguin. The first English translation omitted significant lines from the play; as such, I recommend…
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This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
I just finished reading This One Summer (2014), a graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki. It is a realistic coming-of-age story focused on two friends and their respective families during an annual summer trip to a lake. I found the characters complex and interesting and the artwork fantastic. Many of…
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The Book-lover: A Guide to the Best Reading by James Baldwin
I recently read The Book-lover: A Guide to the Best Reading (1885) by James Baldwin. This book begins with numerous quotes about reading and the love of books, before transitioning into a discussion of choosing what to read, ways of reading, and the value of libraries. The latter part of the book is a series…