The Book Devotions

Hello Reader, I'm excited to tell you about something new I've been working on behind the scenes! It's called Library Binding, and it's a literary meet-'n'-greet in 10 pictures or less. I'm interviewing authors, publishers, editors, readers, teachers, librarians—anyone who works in the book world. But, my interviews aren't your typical text-heavy affairs. Nor are they podcasts that you never quite get around to listening to... They're visual interviews—done in eye-catching, scannable...

Well, this week, both of my little boys screamed harder than they ever have before. My oldest got an accidental lapful of hot peppermint tea on Easter. Then, two days later, my youngest crushed a finger between two rocks while playing outside, requiring seven stitches in the ER. Thank God, both of my boys are fine. No burns. Finger is on the mend. When we were in the ER, the doctor said, "Welp, getting stitches is a rite of passage for boys." We chuckled off our nerves. I think it's also a...

Hi Reader, We took our homeschool spring break last week. We spent Monday afternoon playing at the park in the sun and sand. Besides the 200 mph winds, it seemed like Mademoiselle Spring was on the brink of making her 2024 debut. Then, on Wednesday, Madame Winter swept onstage and said, "One more thing before I go," and she sprinkled an encore of snow flurries that have continued on and off ever since. It's a textbook spring. Besides the weather, here's another thing that's been erratic: my...

Today, I'll show you how to help a writer out! Are you a writer, Reader? The reason I ask is because many readers also write. I write this newsletter, for example, plus many other nice thingys. But I've never written a book. That would be hard. Have you ever done it? Or tried it? Hard! 😮💨 As a reader, I'm certain that I take for granted all the hard work that goes into the books I read. I can't fathom it. For a mere $14.99 or $9.99 or (sheesh!) $1.99, I can buy the work of years, read it in a...

I don't know about you, but I had a blast with Fairy Tale February! Whether you read every single story or just cherry-picked a few, I want to bestow upon you my hearty congratulations! For what? For being an adult who can countenance a fairy tale with respect. That's something! When we started this series 30 days ago, I wrote, "fairy tales say much with little, but they never explain." I have a confession. I plagiarized that. It originates with P. L. Travers, who wrote... "...fairy tales...