Rite of Fancy

A short summary of The Keepers of the House: The secrets that happened in the Howland house. My favorite Shirley Ann Grau quote from the book: "The only secrets you had were the ones inside your head." Questions to ponder while reading The Keepers of the House: Do you know your family's history? Why did you get married? My review of The Keepers of the House: Wow...the history of racial interactions. So many secrets. So many examples of how not to behave. **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors, m...

A short summary of Interpreter of Maladies: Stories about illnesses in India, influenced by America. My favorite Jhumpa Lahiri quote from the book: "Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room I have slept." Questions to ponder while reading Interpreter of Maladies: Where is your home? Are you there? My review of Interpreter of Maladies: Great stories from India. A good comparison between the two cultures. It made me wonder if I could adapt to a profound change like immigration. **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethe...

A short summary of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry: The beautiful story of a baby in a bookstore. My favorite Gabrielle Zevin quote from the book: "She is seventy, and she believes you try new things or you may as well die." Questions to ponder while reading the book: What do you do when you lose someone you love? What is your favorite book? My review of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry: A book about a book lover in a bookstore.  What's not to love? A warm, fuzzy, feel-good story. A good "front of the fire" book. **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? ...

A short summary of Where the Crawdads Sing: Kya's natural life in the marsh. My favorite Delia Owens quote from the book: "How much do you trade to defeat loneliness?" Questions to ponder while reading Where the Crawdads Sing: Can parents be forgiven for failing their children? How do you treat someone you love? My review of Where the Crawdads Sing: Kya's story touched my heart and her story will never leave me. Why are we (as a society) so bad about helping children? I love the life the author put into the marsh. **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? ...

A short summary of The Lamb's Supper: The story behind the Lord's Mass My favorite Scott Hahn quote from the book: "Judgment, then, is not an impersonal, legalistic process. It is a matter of love and it is something we choose for ourselves." Questions to ponder while reading the book: Do you understand the scriptural references in Mass? Have you read the book of Revelations? My review of The Lamb's Supper: A deep dive into the Catholic Mass. Great dissection of the forms and functions. A thorough explanation of the components, with references. **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #T...

Review for The Secret Garden Dear Henry, The other day, I woke to find Ziggy staring out the window, a big huge puppy smile on his face.  I joined him at the window and together we watched a squirrel pull one of my baby carrots out of the planter on the porch.  Ziggy turned to me with a look that said: "Isn't this the most fun ever?" Ziggy isn't a very good guard dog. It did draw attention to a problem that is growing in my garden.  The squirrels. There are a lot of them around here. I turned to Google for advice on how to protect my garden and, well, I am of a conflicted opinion as to the effectiveness of all of the tips the internet has offered. The first tip was to scatter human and dog hair around the garden site.  I am going to go ahead and pooh-pooh this advice right from the start. If the area squirrels feel comfortable enough to come on to my porch where a dog lounges regularly, I can't imagine dog hair alone will deter them. Several site...

A short summary of The Masque of the Red Death: A pallid killjoy crashes Prospero's final party. My favorite Edgar Allan Poe quote from the book: "Even among those who laugh at both life and death, some matters cannot be laughed at." Questions to ponder while reading the book: Can you outrun an illness? Can you dance in the face of death? My review of The Masque of the Red Death: Something light to read during the quarantine. Can anyone truly be isolated? I wonder now...... **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visi...

A short summary of the Parable of the Sower: Anarchy in the post-apocalyptic L.A. My favorite Octavia E. Butler quote from the book: "Worship is no good without action." Questions to ponder while reading the book: How do you behave at the end of the world? Is there safety in a community? My review of The Parable of the Sower: Easy to get into. Easy to stick with. Difficult to think about. **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors, my  webshop , or by buying me a cup of coffee!