Literature Lust: Love Letter for Readers and Writers February 16, 20202 / #6 / Pairs Nicely With Wine and Chcolates! 

What pairs nicely with wine and chocolates? A book, of course! This Valentine's Day, my husband - who knows that my favorite gift is a book - got me a compilation of Mary Oliver poems called titled "Devotions." Could there be any better gift for a writer? You might appreciate how one of the poems in the book led me in a different direction than I expected. I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what you're reading, what you've loved, what you've hated, what you want to talk about. Please drop me a note Thanks for joining me in this literary adventure. Happy reading!

Did you read Devil in the White City? How about " Isaak's Storm?" Both are acclaimed novels written by Erick Larson. Larson has just released a new book called  The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz. Read the Kirkus Review here: ‌ Would you like to have more time to read? We all have the same amount of time -- it's how we use it that matters! How to Easily Triple Your Reading Time:

For Word-Nerds Everywhere: Vocabulary From My Latest Literary Travels

Pupal: "the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature states."

Klaxon: "an electric horn or a similar loud warning device."

Susurrate: "making a rustling or whistling sound."

A notable sentence using the word "pupal" from my current read, The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer: " As well as he knew the painter's work, he had never seen it like this: in its pupal state, damp and mutable, smelling of turpentine, raw wood, and wet clay."

You often hear about books, plays, and poetry winning the Pulitzer Prize, but do you know what that really means? I thought I was well-read, but I was amazed to find that I had only read 20% of the Pulitzer prize-winning novels over the last twenty years. In fact, if you asked me, I probably couldn't even have named on recent Pulitzer-Prize Winning novel until I did the research. How did you do? Some of you may know that from 1990-2003 I was a human-interest columnist for two different newspapers, and I find myself returning to my roots. In addition to writing about books, literature, and the writing life, I'm back to writing about human nature and the human heart. I'll be adding these pieces to LiteratureLust.com in a category called "Heart-Felt." Until I get them all uploaded, you might be interested in these: The Moon Is Still Worthy of Wonder When Fear Overrides Compassion Remembering the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries.” – Descartes

What's your favorite series? You tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine! Drop me a note so I can share ideas and introduce others to a new author or new continuing character.

LiteratureLust.com Contact me at LitLuster@gmail.com

Show a friend you care. Share this newsletter.