Hello and welcome to my blog!

I am an eclectic reader with interests in 19th and early 20th century literature, religion, and natural history.

Some of my favorite authors are Edith Wharton, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Anthony Trollope, Diane Ackerman and the often anonymous writers in the realms of myth and legend. I count Paramahansa Yogananda, Madeleine L’Engle, Abbie Graham, Abraham Joshua Heschel, the worlds of Narnia, Nature and the night sky as my spiritual inspiration.

My blog is a reading journal rather than a book review platform; a sharing of thoughts and reactions to what I read and not always a linear narrative of the story. I don’t rate books, give stars or points, but I am honest about what I read, even if that means admitting I dnfed a book. I sometimes look into a writer’s biography or how their book was received in its time. I love to get swept up into a book, the characters’ journeys and savor all the historical details of daily life.

Besides reading I count stargazing as a major passion, along with homemade pizza and films of the Golden Age of Hollywood. I am a winter gal and love cold days and dark skies, but I was born, raised and live in Southern California near the beach and have had to make the best of its sunny moderate temperatures 🙂 When I am not reading or looking up on a clear night I like exploring California history on an old fashioned Sunday drive or going trail walking through our many natural spaces.

Please feel free to comment on any of my posts.

~Laurie

***I ran a book blog for many years, called Relevant Obscurity, but I deleted it in 2023 due to medical issues. I didn’t think I’d be able to sit at a desk and write ever again. But things have changed dramatically and I am so happy to be able to blog again. I have uploaded many of those reviews in the Book Review tab.