Hello, Monday! I hope you had a lovely weekend. We had a rainy Saturday (which I love) and a partly sunny Sunday here in New Hampshire. Sunday was warm enough in the afternoon to put on a pair of shorts and curl up in a lawn chair with a book, which is a wonderful way to spend a lazy weekend.
In today’s post, I’m sharing a little bit about my favorite used bookstore and a reading update. I have finished four excellent books since I last posted and am excited to chat about them!
It had been ages since I went to the Old Number Six Book Depot so I treated myself to a solo trip yesterday. It’s difficult to describe this old barn in a tiny New England college town: it is simply overwhelming. There are two floors with a creaky staircase to connect them and a labyrinthine layout. It is divine. With proper planning, such as a bathroom break halfway through the drive and a bit of sustenance, I could have easily spent hours browsing. It is full of surprises! My new goal is to visit this shop at least twice a year because it is full of little treasures.
My purchases:
Reading:
Stoner by John Williams
(Amazon | Bookshop)
“Sometimes, immersed in his books, there would come to him the awareness of all that he did not know, of all that he had not read; and the serenity for which he labored was shattered as he realized the little time he had in life to read so much, to learn what he had to know.”
This is a quiet book that reverberates with emotion and meaning, especially for book lovers. Born into a farming family in the early 1900s, William Stoner attends college in Missouri to learn about agriculture and how to help the farm succeed. While there, he finds a deep appreciation of books and literature that leads him into a life of learning and academia.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol 3 by Beth Brower
(Amazon | Bookshop)
“My routine: two walks a day, several hours of reading, perhaps one visit with someone I enjoy, one dinner or entertainment per week if you must, possibly two, but please let there be reading.”
Oh, Emma. You have described my perfect day! I would love to be friends with Emma M. Lion; wouldn’t you? In this absolute delight of a third volume, Emma and her wretched cousin Archibald join forces to win evasive tickets to the town’s production of Julius Caesar. Along the way, her gentlemen friends become more and more attractive to the reader while Emma continues to be apparently oblivious to their clear interest in her!
How many times can I say delightful in one short description? Delightful, funny, pensive, scholarly… Emma is who I want to be!
Circe by Madeline Miller
(Amazon | Bookshop)
“It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures, flowers, eggs, anything that may be crushed in a moment’s carelessness. If I had ever believed it, I no longer did.”
Am I the last person alive to read Circe? I was beginning to feel that way. I loved learning more about this mythical witch and Odysseus’s time on her island. All of this mythology makes me want to take out a spindle for spinning and buy a loom to weave! Alas – I am trying to learn how to be an adult and not indulge in every impulse.
This book raised my interested in Ariadne, Circe’s niece and sister to The Minotaur. Luckily, there is a book about her! And all of this discussion about The Minotaur made me think about Piranesi, which was inspired by a Borges short story. Luckily I have one of his books on my shelf and it’s being added to my slow & steady list.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol 4 by Beth Brower
(Amazon | Bookshop)
“Is it immoral to marry a man solely to gain a library? And if that man happens to be tremendously good looking, is it more or less of a sin?”
Emma’s fourth volume was slightly more somber. The body of her beloved Maxwell was returned from Afghanistan and his family held his funeral. Luckily, it is balanced with some hilarious scenes at The Drunken Duck and various locations around St. Crispian’s. Emma’s circle of friends expanded and now includes the absolutely brilliant Mrs. Penuary – the wife of Emma’s banker who has simply decided that she has nothing left to say and no longer speaks.
I don’t want this series to end.
Currently Reading:
📖 The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco: this had been my slow & steady but I’ve now turned all of my attention to it. I have so much to say about this book and am hoping to write a Substack on it in a couple of weeks because it attempts to answer one of my Big Life Questions.
🎧 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol 5 by Beth Brower: as enjoyable as ever. Emma has put in an advertisement asking people to submit their sighing of The Roman, St. Crispian’s resident ghost. I am a little nervous because this is the last volume I have access to. I am considering getting Kindle Unlimited for a month or two to finish out the series?!
🐌 In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower by Marcel Proust: will be my next slow & steady. I plan to start either today or tomorrow.
Sadly, my morning time is up. I have been working on a Substack post that I hope to publish on Wednesday that describes my current reading project. If you’re interested in following along, please subscribe! It is free and I’m looking forward to sharing what I’ve been working on lately.
I hope your week gets off to a great start and you find time for the things that make you happy. Take good care!
The Cozy Burrow 
As always…in awe. And Emma M. Lion sounds like someone I’ll enjoy learning to know!
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I also love Emma M. Lion!
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What a pleasure to have your comments on our mutual friend Emma!
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