Lory @ Entering the Enchanted Castle

Nonfiction November: My top ten of 2025 I did not manage to keep up with the weekly themes for Nonfiction November this year, but I enjoyed browsing others' posts, and I want to thank all the hosts: Heather – Based on a True StoryFrances – Volatile RuneLiz  – Adventures in Reading, Running and Working from HomeRebekah – She Seeks NonfictionDeb – Readerbuzz At the tail end of the month, I'm chipping in by listing ten of my favorite nonfiction reads this year.

#NonficNov - My top ten nonfiction reads of 2025
@bookstodon@a.gup.pe
#BookSky

An Advent Study Series At my Sacred Reading Substack, I’ve just announced plans for a special study to take place during the season of Advent, starting tomorrow. We’ll work with the three stories from the Gospels in which Jesus raises someone from the dead — stories I found extremely transformative in my own life. I want to explore them from a universal point of view, so please feel invited, whatever your faith tradition may be (or none). If you’re interested, find the details at this post: Hoping some of you will consider joining us!

An invitation to join a community exploring reading as a sacred practice.

Month in Review: October 2025 What I read this month This month, I achieved a perfect balance between fiction and nonfiction - seven books each. However, fiction won big in terms of my ratings, aided by a reread of a favorite series (the Complete Earthsea), two new-to-me books from a favorite author (see below), and a forthcoming short-story collection by an author who seems set to become a new favorite (my review soon to come on Shiny New Books).

Month in Review: October 2025
Coming back to Willa Cather, some books that were not what I expected, and an upcoming writing conference

#BookSky
@bookstodon@a.gup.pe

Postcards from Switzerland: Lower Engadin The Engadin, the valley of the En or Inn river in Eastern Switzerland, is, so far, my favorite region of the country -- I previously shared photos from a trip to the Upper Engadin. In early October this year we planned to visit another part of the valley where we'd not yet been. I was very excited as the time approached, but also apprehensive; I had not reckoned on the fact that fall weather in that region was likely to be cold, stormy, even snowy...

Postcards from Switzerland - Lower Engadin

#1925Club: The Professor’s House I keep meaning to read through my Library of America edition of Willa Cather's work, catching up on her novels and stories I've not yet read, because everything I have read has been marvelous -- but somehow, I never get around to it. Therefore I'm very glad the latest "club week" hosted by Simon and Karen inspired me to read…

#1925Club - The Professor's House, another brilliant work by Willa Cather
@bookstodon@a.gup.pe
#BookSky

Month in Review: September 2025 Fall weather is in the air; we're just about to leave on a trip to the mountains for a few days, and I hope we won't be rained or fogged or snowed in! But if we are, I'll be sure to bring along plenty of reading material. Here's what I polished off this month: What I read in September: The Woman Who Borrowed Memories…

September reading in review: A foodie leaving New York for the country, a nun leaving her convent, Jane Austen's foremothers, and more.
#BookSky
@bookstodon@a.gup.pe

Do you ever write to writers? When I was a child in school, I was never assigned the task of writing to an author -- thank goodness, as such mandated correspondence is the dullest and most pointless kind. However, I did once write to the favorite author of my adolescence, Robin McKinley, and she not only answered with a real letter, which she sat down and typed on official stationery in her publisher's office (this was 1984), but sent me a copy of a book of hers I had not been able to find, not yet having access to online bookstores.

Do you ever write to writers?
#BookSky
@bookstodon@a.gup.pe

The Enchanted Circle: September 2025 Musings and News from Lory

The latest musings and news from me. A birthday adventure, a prophetic publication, and a work of art narrowly saved from destruction.

S2 Bonus Episode 1 - With Farah Mendlesohn by @Rebecca Fraimow and Emily Tesh The thing we must notice is frequently identified by what is not described or told or explained. In our first Season Two bonus episode, Farah Mendlesohn -- who literally wrote the book on Diana Wynne...

for the first of our S2 bonus episodes, we had the absolute joy of talking with critic and historian @effjayem.bsky.social for an hour and a half about historical context, book-hunger, and DWJ as a critical writer of critical texts

zencastr.com/z/MEQO-ixY

It's been fun to meet you in this literary blogworld. I blog less and use social media way less since I left Facebook. But I still hope to stay connected here and on Shiny. And I want the news about your book!

Month in Review: August 2025 As I reported last week, reading books by women in translation was something I wanted to do this summer, and I did it! Four of those were in August, plus one by a man in translation (I had been confused), and three mysteries. I do seem to gravitate to those in the summer. What I read this month Temple Alley Summer…

Month in Review: August 2025

@bookstodon@a.gup.pe
#BookSky

Women in translation and ten books of summer I aimed to read women in translation this summer (August is earmarked as #WITMonth), and I did read quite a few. I'm happy I got to meet so many new-to-me authors, and revisit a couple of favorites, but regret the lack of diversity in my list. I need to branch out beyond Europe and Japan! Next year I'll make that a priority.

Women in Translation and Ten Books of Summer
#WITMonth
#20BooksofSummer
@bookstodon@a.gup.pe
#Booksky

What Is Sacred Reading? What is the practice of sacred reading? This episode offers a brief overview of the origins and form of the practice, which is rooted in the monastic tradition of lectio divina. The four movements or steps of the practice are described: read, reflect, respond, and rest, and some suggestions and resources for further exploration are given.

📣 New Podcast! "What Is Sacred Reading?" on @Spreaker #contemplative #practice #reading #sacred #spiritual

It's a horror book, isn't it? Not really for children at all, I'd say. And oh, that ending! I was so confused when I read it, probably around age 18. Only after I had nearly gotten divorced (but didn't) could I even start to understand the power of Nowhere.

A comic critique of imperialism like no other. I always thought of this as on the weaker side, but you bring out its strengths. Can't wait to explore how the themes kept developing through the 90s.

Sooo well deserved! Congratulations and keep the wonder coming.

Season One Teaser Introducing the new podcast, Sacred Reading, hosted by Lory Widmer Hess.

📣 New Podcast! "Season One Teaser" on @Spreaker #contempation #contemplative #practice #reading #spiritual #spirituality

Postcards from Switzerland: On the Matterhorn trail After living in Switzerland for 6 years, I had still not seen the iconic Matterhorn peak - and nor, I may add, had my husband, though he was born here. But when friends visited this summer from North America, they wanted to go to the big M, and so we decided to come along. View from above Grächen It's not an easy spot to get to, one reason why we'd never made the pilgrimage.

Postcards from Switzerland: On the Matterhorn Trail

A week of sacred reading starts tomorrow For anyone interested in the sacred dimension of reading, I've created a week of free online meetings to introduce a contemplative way of engaging with texts--not necessarily "religious" in the conventional sense. I'm very excited to share this practice with you all, as it's been transformative in my own life. Each meeting will be independent, and it's never too late to sign up.

Online meetings to explore readings as a contemplative practice. Free and open to all - just sign up via my website.

Month in Review: July 2025 What I read this month Mina's Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen B. Snyder - Women in Translation (Japanese) Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais, translated by the author - Women in Translation (French) A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald The Magician's Book by Laura Miller - Reread…

Monthly Reading in Review:
July 2026

@bookstodon@a.gup.pe
#BookSky

I'm sure you have, must feel good to have it recognized. I still hope to see a published book someday!

A week of sacred reading As I recently posted in my blog newsletter and Substack, The Enchanted Circle, I'd like to offer an opportunity for those interested in reading as a sacred practice to gather online. It would be so wonderful to share this practice with others! Going forward, such gatherings might take place once or twice a month. As an introduction, I decided I'd offer a whole week of daily meetings to give the greatest chance that those who might want to participate will be able to do so, at least once.

A week of sacred reading - join me for a chance to explore reading as a sacred practice. Daily gatherings on Zoom, all welcome!
#BookSky
@bookstodon@a.gup.pe

Wow, that's exciting news indeed!!

Book feature: Nobody Sits Like the French Nobody Sits Like the French: Exploring Paris Through Its World Expos by Chrles Pappas Nonfiction / Travel guide / History 240 pages Published April 2025 in the UK Luster Publishing August 12, 2025 …

#ParisinJuly2025 Nobody Sits Like the French: Exploring #Paris Through Its World Expos by #CharlesPappas #France #history #travelguide
francebooktours.com/2025/07/14/b...

Month in Review: June 2025 What I read this month The Abandoned by Paul Gallico - Reading the Meow The Ghost of Frédéric Chopin by Eric Faye Bodyfulness by Christine Caldwell The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke - Reread Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - Reread, Reading Austen 2025 The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree…

Month in Review: June 2025

What I read this month The Abandoned by Paul Gallico - Reading the Meow The Ghost of Frédéric Chopin by Eric Faye Bodyfulness by Christine Caldwell The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke - Reread Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - Reread, Reading Austen 2025 The…

A Gift and an Invitation Thanks for being part of this circle

A new gift for Substack subscribers - an essay exploring the origins of my poem from the point of view of the mysterious “woman with a fever” healed by Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels. Plus, an invitation to anyone who’d like to practice sacred reading. Please share, help widen the circle!

Join in Paris in July - so much fun for Francophiles!

Every Good Boy Does Fine by Jeremy Denk. Listened on audio so I could hear him playing the piano instead of just writing about it.

I disagree about the ending, though - I don't think it's about giving up magic or power, but about our world gaining back the magic it lost when a part split off. Persisting in a split-off reality in order to cling to a certain kind of power is what still creates "Larwood Houses" here and now.

I WAS Nan as a child, ropes and all! I never found WW hard to read, but felt validated in my experience - the invisible line, real vs unreal kids, etc ... a brilliant book wresting humor from tragedy.