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From a classic tale of Christmas past to a reindeer heiress, here are the Top 5 books I'll be pulling from my "Keeper Shelf" to reread this holiday season. A Christmas Carol is a must to read in between viewing all the different film adaptations of this classic (the Alastair Sim version is my favorite, but my husband and I love and watch them all). I'm also interested in reading Advent in Narnia, a new book for me. It can be read along with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a very wintery book that is perfect for this season. Enjoy holiday reading season! #BooksandReading #Christmas

I'm trying to remember the name of a Star Trek episode. The plot features a civilization desperate to hear new stories. Then the unsuspecting Star Trek crew arrives on the planet. The planet's inhabitants have a storytelling culture. All well and good, until they begin to tire of the same stories told over and over again. The newcomers bring exciting and original tales, and at first, everything is fine. But when the crew plans to move on, their hosts use extreme measures to keep them from leaving with their stories. Stories have always fascinated people. Fortunately, we don't have to resort to desperate measures to hear new tales. All it takes is asking a question or two when families get together for the holidays. Family Stories Month November is family stories month. When families meet on Thanksgiving, it's a great time to catch more stories, especially from older generations. Activity Idea: At your holiday get-together, challenge everyone in your family to catch two new stories from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. Pass around a camera or smart phone to take pictures. Once you return home, put together an album with the stories and pictures you discovered. Add new ones each year. A Great-Grandfather's Adventures Here's a story I caught as a child when I listened, fascinated, to family stories about my great-grandfather. His first adventure? Riding on horseback from Maine to California while he followed a wagon train. He had no money left to join the group, but he was always innovative. He braved wind and sun without protection and finally realized his dream of looking for new opportunities in the west. Once in California, Amasa Saunders understood there was something better than a gold pan to make money. He eyed the forests, and a new idea was born. He returned to Maine to get married to his sweetheart and put together his plan. He never suspected what would happen next: The Mutiny The clipper ship carrying young Amasa and his sawmill equipment embarked on a dangerous voyage, including around Cape Horn. Thinking it would be safer, he asked his bride, Flavia Jane, to cross at Panama instead of taking the voyage around the Cape. They agreed to meet in San Francisco on their way to Oregon. Amasa had expected many challenges on the voyage, but not what happened when the ship neared San Francisco. The captain began holding back more and more of the provisions—food the passengers paid for at the beginning of the trip. The captain planned to sell, at exorbitant prices, all the food and supplies he'd hoarded once they reached San Francisco. A bold and restless entrepreneur, my great-grandfather decided not to let the captain get away with it. He led a mutiny, and the passengers raided the food supplies held by the captain (who seemed to be quite an entrepreneur himself!). Each passenger took custody of some of their rightful provisions. What did my great-grandfather liberate from the captain's stash? He took a wheel of cheese back to his quarters. My dad told me many of the details about Amasa, but it was my aunt who added the story about the cheese. I found myself laughing, since everyone in my family has had a particular fondness for this wonderful food throughout the generations. I like to think how much Great-Grandfather savored that cheese, made even more delicious by the actions he took to set it free. Sharing the Stories I would have missed knowing about my great-grandparent's adventures if I hadn't caught the stories. Activity Idea: To give a child the gift of family stories, encourage them to tell back, in their own words, the stories they've caught. The words will become a treasure they'll remember, and tell others, all their lives. What Happened After: The Shipwreck My great-grandparents never made it to Oregon. They were shipwrecked off the California coast near Point Arena. In fact, Amasa's name is still part of the story there, since Saunders Reef is named for him near Point Arena. Amasa and Flavia Jane decided to stay and establish the sawmill in Point Arena. Years later, my family and I had the chance to tour the house where they'd lived. I still remember the old wind-up telephone on the wall, complete with adjustable mouthpiece, Amasa's restless feet caused the family to move on again. They traveled down to southern California where Amasa built another sawmill in the Idyllwild area. He also established a ranch in Mexico and led a cattle drive back to the United States. It was an active and colorful life for a man who saw all the possibilities of the old-growth forests at the start of his career. Perhaps it is fitting that Saunders Reef is now a State Marine Conservation Area. Unlike his grandfather, my dad was a long-time conservationist and led many hikes for the Sierra Club. Dad always loved cheese, though! This Thanksgiving, take time to catch the stories. In my story set in 1893, a dangerous secret forces Christie and Melina to escape to a remote lighthouse island. As they search for answers in Mystery Shores, the two friends must use ingenuity and courage to solve the mysteries that threaten their future.

A lone figure walked along the beach after a fierce storm. With her long skirt twisting in the steady wind, she put up a hand to keep her elegant hat in place. Her gaze turned downward as she searched the beach for treasure brought in by the "northwester." She bent to pick up an object, and it glistened in the sunshine. Hermenia held up a beautiful glass float to add to her collection. In the late 1800s, Hermenia Zauner often combed the beach on an isolated island off the Washington coast. She could find all sorts of interesting storm-plunder, including the handblown glass balls separated from Japanese fishing nets. In the background, the Destruction Island Lighthouse stood watch. Despite the alarming name of her home, Hermenia filled her surroundings with graciousness, love, and comfort. In a charming collection of stories, her granddaughter remembered that she always dressed fashionably with a hat "jauntily affixed," even while walking on the beach. One of my own treasures is Mary Jane Armstrong Smith's small, spiral bound memoir of her grandparents, Christian and Hermenia Zauner. In Hermenia by the Sea, Mrs. Smith shares tales and recipes from the "The Ladies of the Lighthouse Kitchen." With such names as Sleep Overnight Cookies, Busy Day Stew. and Lighthouse Oatmeal Bread, Mrs. Smith brings back a time and a way of life we can only imagine now. By pairing her remembrances of her grandparents with old-fashioned recipes, she brings alive a time when families lived at their "Light." They worked together against the elements and isolation to build a special life. A lighthouse keeper's wife worked as hard as her husband to help keep the beacon going and provide a stable home for her family. When Christian Zauner brought his bride to Destruction Island, she might have become depressed or resentful about the duties and loneliness. Instead, Mrs. Smith wrote: It was a nice warm day when [my grandmother] arrived on Destruction Island...Hermenia's trunks containing her few cookbooks and best china were unloaded from the boat...I wonder what she thought when she saw her new home where she was to live on this isolated island. She probably took off her hat and gloves, put on her apron, made a brisk cup of tea and unpacked the cookies her mother had sent with her. Her life as a lightkeeper's wife had begun. It was a good life. Mrs. Smith understood her grandmother well since she was raised by her grandparents. Christian and Hermenia's daughter, Mabel, had married a "local boy...a young handsome Native American logger with Scottish and Irish ancestry." Sadly, her mother died when Mary Jane was five years old. Her father went to make a living in Alaska, and little Mary Jane resided with her grandparents. At that time, Christian Zauner had become the Head Keeper at Grays Harbor Lighthouse in Westport, Washington. Mary Jane's father visited as much as he could, bringing gifts such as a lovely silver bracelet telling the ancestral history of her tribe and others along the Pacific coast. Mrs. Smith wrote about how proud she was of her lighthouse and Native American background, and she took time to visit Westport where the stunning Destruction Island beacon is displayed like a work of art. My husband, Peter, and I also enjoyed vacationing at Westport and seeing the museum and beacon there. I especially loved learning more about lighthouse life since I was in the middle of writing my book, Mystery Shores. The setting for my novel is based on Hermenia's lighthouse island. Seeing the Destruction Island beacon and reading Mrs. Smith's book felt very much like coming home, at least in my imagination. I could picture the scene when Mrs. Smith wrote: The kitchen was the center of the [lighthouse] home—the cookie jar was filled—and the teakettle simmered on the big wood range where a cozy fire was kept burning. May the memory of lighthouse families, who did so much to keep mariners safe, also keep burning. Reading memoirs, such Hermenia by the Sea, is one way to remember and honor them. #BooksandReading #Islands #Lighthouses Linda Borromeo is the author of Mystery Shores, a novel of secrets set along the misty islands of the Pacific Northwest. Each day, she enjoys learning something new about this beautiful area where she lives with her husband in Washington State. Linda enjoys hiking, reading, bird-watching, and discovering intriguing stories from history.

The sound of cheering mixed with the tapping of typewriter keys. Seated at a small table, surrounded by the cheerful noise of family life and a game on television, James Herriot put down his heart on paper. With warmth and humor, the colorful people and animals of the storied Yorkshire Dales came alive. His books turned into a publishing powerhouse in the 1970s that continues to this day. The attention focused on the recovered manuscripts by Harper Lee and Beatrix Potter made me start thinking about the headline I would most like to see. Which manuscript by a favorite author would I love to have "discovered?" So many came to mind, but this is my number one choice for "if only there could be one more book." Alf Wight, better known by his pen name of James Herriot, began his writing career at the age of 53 after years of soaking up the dialect and customs of the Dales. He traveled the byroads of a vanishing way of life in the 1930s, paying calls on small farms as a young veterinarian. His first book, with its self-deprecating humor and quizzical and kind portrayal of people and animals, became an unexpected best-seller. Before his stories found their way to publication, however, his road was first paved with rejections. His seemingly effortless writing style was honed from struggling through fistfuls of rejections for his early efforts. He was in his fifties, spending long hours treating animals in all kinds of weather, and trying to write and be published. At first, he wrote football stories. Rejection. He tried other forms of what he thought would appeal to readers. Rejection. James Herriot once said he became "a connoisseur of the sickening thud that a [rejected] manuscript makes when it falls through the letterbox." He persisted. Hunched over his typewriter, he began writing about his own world—long days of mud, below-zero temperatures, winsome animals, high, wild places and old-fashioned, and often eccentric, farmers. It's easy to imagine his feelings when his first manuscript, If Only They Could Talk, was accepted and published. Those feelings must have plummeted when his first two books did not sell very well. It would have been easy to become discouraged, but he continued to sit down at the typewriter in the evenings. Then, his first two books were combined into one: All Creatures Great and Small. They began to fly off the shelves in the United States, and he was on the way to achieving world-wide fame for writing about his world. When his books reached the best-seller lists in a phenomenal way, I'm sure the publishers who rejected his manuscripts wished they could recall time and do things differently. His son, Jim Wight, wrote in his memoir of his father: By now he found it no hardship to settle down at the end of a working day with the stories flowing effortlessly from his typewriter. Having watched him put in a full day's work in the practice, I used to stare in amazement at the contented figure tapping away. He had one great advantage; he genuinely loved writing... Jim Wight recalls his father could write away in a seemingly impenetrable bubble, but look up whenever something on the television was worthy of attention (particularly during a football game). Then he'd tune out again, and the typewriter keys resumed their tapping. James Herriot's television (from The World of James Herriot) I like to imagine James Herriot plunking away on the typewriter keys and writing that one more book to be discovered and loved. #BooksandReading Linda Borromeo enjoyed being surrounded by books when she worked at the University of California, Berkeley. She is now the author of Mystery Shores, a novel of secrets along the Pacific Northwest coast. Discover more about her book here.

It began with a small painting. As legend tells it, Samuel Clemens saw a miniature of Olivia Langdon when he met her brother, Charles, aboard ship in 1867. Samuel instantly fell in love with Olivia's likeness in the tiny painting. Seeing the "real" Olivia for the first time made him sure he'd found his future wife. It took Olivia a little longer to decide she'd found her future husband. But Samuel was persistent. He stayed for 12 hours the next time he called on the family. The couple married in 1870 and had four children. Olivia was highly educated and intelligent, and Samuel relied on her not only to run the household, but to edit his manuscripts. I loved learning at the Mark Twain House & Museum that Livy and Samuel enjoyed a marriage of equals at a time when that was not always, or often, the case. Olivia (Livy) and Samuel Clemens Through lean times, joyful times, and times of tragedy, Samuel and Livy supported each other emotionally. Their firstborn, a son named Langdon, died as a toddler. Of their three daughters, Susy passed away in 1896 and Jean suffered from epilepsy. Livy was Samuel's ballast and anchor throughout their married years. Samuel's world came crashing down in 1904 when Livy died. He became depressed and barricaded himself in his New York apartment. His daughter, Clara, also had a very difficult time from the stress of her mother's illness and death. She went to a sanatorium for a year to recover her health. Although animals were not allowed there, Clara slipped a black kitten into her room. She named the cat Bambino, and he became a great comfort in a very lonely place. Clara wrote about that time in her book, My Father, Mark Twain: During the first months of my cure I was completely cut off from friends and family, with no one to speak to but the doctor and nurse. I must modify this statement, however, for I had smuggled a black kitten into my bedroom, although it was against the rules of the sanatorium to have any animals in the place. I called the cat Bambino and it was permitted to remain with me until the unfortunate day when it entered one of the patient’s rooms who hated cats. Bambino came near giving the good lady a cataleptic fit, so I was invited to dispose of my pet after that. I made a present of it to Father, knowing he would love it, and he did. Clara's trust in her father was well-placed. Samuel came from a family who loved cats, and showed it by their actions. His mother had taken in and cared for strays from his earliest memories. As an adult, Samuel might have had as many as 19 cats at a time in the family home. Bambino fit right in, and soon became a beloved comfort for Samuel as well in his struggles with an overwhelming grief. He spent his days inside with trusted family and servants...and Bambino. Bambino And then, Bambino disappeared, perhaps through an open window. Samuel was devastated and took out a beguiling advertisement in the New York papers. The New York American ran this headline and introduction in 1905: Mark Twain Has Lost a Black Cat "Have you seen a distinguished looking black cat that looks as if it might be lost? If you have take it to Mark Twain, for it may be his. The following advertisement was received at the American office Saturday night: Large and intensely black; thick, velvety fur; has a faint fringe of white hair across his chest; not easy to find in ordinary light." Samuel used his pen name in the advertisement and offered a $5.00 reward to the person who would restore Bambino to No. 21, Fifth Avenue. Soon a parade of cats and their people showed up at Mark Twain's home. Each one came for his or her own reason, but many wanted to see the famous author, as well as offer him the company and comfort of their own cat until Bambino returned home. The family's long-time servant, Katy Leary, recounted what happened in the book, A Lifetime with Mark Twain: We looked high and low but couldn’t find him. Mr. Clemens felt so bad that he advertised in all the papers for him. He offered a reward for anybody that would bring the cat back. My goodness! The people that came bringing cats to that house! A perfect stream! They all wanted to see Mr. Clemens, of course. Two or three nights after, Katherine heard a cat meowing across the street in General Sickles’ back yard, and there was Bambino — large as life! So she brought him right home. Mr. Clemens was delighted and then he advertised that his cat was found! But the people kept coming just the same with all kinds of cats for him — anything to get a glimpse of Mr. Clemens! Perhaps because of the outpouring of well-meaning cats and people, Mark Twain began to emerge from his depression and go out into the world again. It began with thanking his well-wishers for their concern. Soon he began appearing in public once more. He still faced difficulties and heartache, but he was restored to more of his writing and public appearances. Not only by his presence, but from his disappearance, Bambino helped a famous writer find a kind of healing again. When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade without further introduction. Mark Twain #Authors #BooksandReading Find out more about Mark Twain and Bambino in this children's book: See my blog about: The Mirror World of Emily Dickinson and Carlo

Like Alice's adventures through the looking-glass, Emily Dickinson's life is full of contradictions and illusions. I originally intended to write about literary friendships of the two-legged variety, but I became intrigued by a different kind of literary encourager. And Emily's special companion was an especially interesting and endearing one. I knew very little about Emily Dickinson before this week--just the usual: a mysterious, reclusive poet with only one fully authenticated photograph; a writer in white; a woman who gathered poems like light through a window and kept them in a secret cache in her isolated room. These things are true as far as they go, but the real story is more complex and fascinating, revealing a mirror life of mystery, contrasted with one of everyday adventure. 1. One Side of the Mirror Daguerreotype courtesy of Amherst College Archives and Special Collections This is the one absolutely true image of Emily Dickinson, taken at about the age of 16 or 17, ca. 1847. Photography in those days was unusual and a little magical. It was a serious occasion to have a photograph taken due to the expense. I love to see this reflected in Emily's look of wonder and vulnerability, mixed with a bit of trepidation. Many people looked grim and stiff in their pictures; the camera rarely caught their real personalities. Emily, in contrast, looks fully alive, with an expression of curiosity, wonder and that hint of ethereal unease. The image fits well with the perception of her as a shy, reclusive poet. 1a. Through the Looking-Glass This recently discovered image, after extensive research, is thought to be the second image of Emily Dickinson that is known. It shows her as a young woman, looking confident, relaxed, even serene (not an easy thing to do when wearing restrictive clothing and waiting for the image to be captured.) Possibly Emily Dickinson with her friend, Kate Scott Turner, ca. 1859. It is the first in a series of interesting complexities about the "real" Emily Dickinson. 2. Another Side of the Mirror And yet, it is true that Emily was haunted by questions about life and death, and her own place in the world. More social and outgoing as a young girl, she attended school away from home (suffering often, though, from homesickness). Gradually, fears about fitting in with the expected patterns of life in her day, and her own inner anxiety, caused her to withdraw. She wrote to her brother, Austin: I wish we were children now. I wish we were always children. How to grow up I do not know. Her father is sometimes portrayed as the villain in the piece, mostly absent, but controlling when at home. Yet, he did a surprising thing: he gave the perfect gift at the perfect time to Emily. 2a. Through the Looking-Glass Into Emily's life romped a special dog, the gift from her father. Emily was small in stature, becoming more and more anxious and perhaps depressed. It seems a tiny lapdog would have been just the thing to bring comfort. Perhaps because of his own anxiety and fear of the world, her father's insightful present opened a world of companionship, security and even adventure for his daughter. He gave her a Newfoundland puppy. Emily wrote to friend Thomas Higginson: You ask of my companions. Hills, sir, and the Sundown, and a dog as large as myself that my father bought me... She named him Carlo, after the dog in Jane Eyre. He became her special companion and friend; he was always by her side, whether calling on friends in the neighborhood or taking long walks in the woods surrounding her home. Carlo was her comforter in her darkest times. Late at night, as she wrote her poems, Carlo's concerned face, with a Newfoundland's soulful eyes, kept her company. 3. The Creative Side of the Mirror After a particularly troubled time in her life, Emily emerged with a strong sense of herself as a poet. She entered into a a white-hot period of creativity, writing 366 poems in 1861. Although a few were published during her lifetime, she kept most of the poems in her room with herself and Carlo. 3b. Through the Looking-Glass Another side of Emily Dickinson's creativity surprised me: she was an accomplished baker, making breads and desserts that others raved about. She did most of the baking for her family, and often sent baked goods to her friends with a bit of poetry tucked alongside it. I would have loved to be one of those friends! In fact, baking seemed to encourage her creativity--some of her best-known poems now were originally written on the backs of recipes. Emily also had a playful side and a lively sense of humor. The Emily Dickinson Museum shares about her childhood friend, Mac Jenkins, who remembers that Emily "lowered a basket filled with gingerbread out of her window for him and the other kids to eat." She wrote a poem about a spider visiting her while in the privy, and this poem, The Way Hope Builds his House, was written on an envelope she unfolded to have the shape of a home: From the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections With Carlo, she could always feel comfortable with any mood she experienced. She wrote in a letter: [Dogs] are better than human beings, because they know but do not tell. When Carlo died in 1866, she was devastated. She wrote in a poem: Time is a Test of Trouble - But not a Remedy - If such it prove, it proves too There was no Malady - From reading about Emily Dickinson and Carlo, one image especially endures in my mind: After an evening spent at her brother's house next door, a time filled with singing and the telling of stories, Emily slips away out the door. Carlo is there waiting for her, and the two step together over the snow-covered ground. Emily holds a lantern high against the night. The two are on their way home. #Authors #BooksandReading Sources: Adams, Maureen B. Shaggy Muses: The Dogs Who Inspired Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Edith Wharton, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Emily Brontë. New York: Ballantine Books, 2007. Print. Emily Dickinson at Amherst College. Amherst, Mass: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections. Web. 17 Sept. 2015 Emily Dickinson Museum.org. Web. 17 Sept. 2015 For Further Reading: I came across this book as I was learning more about Emily Dickinson and Carlo. The illustrations look gorgeous; I'm looking forward to buying a copy: Figley, Marty R, and Catherine Stock. Emily and Carlo. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2012. Print.

On an early spring day, Lucy Maud Montgomery felt a chill when she opened the door to the clothes room. Although the frost had started to lift, the unfinished room in the attic made her shiver. She stepped inside, seeing the usual cast-offs her thrifty grandmother could not bring herself to discard. Her gaze fell on a hatbox among the jumbled items. She reached out, and then her hand paused. Raw discouragement filled her again as she remembered the rejections. Resolutely, she lifted the lid and drew out a dog-eared stack of papers. Her eyes were drawn to the opening pages again. She'd typed her manuscript on an elderly, second-hand typewriter. All the capital letters dotting the pages were blurry and the 'w' key didn't print at all. Ignoring the flaws, she began reading. The old thrill came back. This was her first book, and the story interested her. She read it through to the end. Lifting her eyes, she wondered if perhaps her story might still interest others as well. She made up her mind to give her book another chance. Daringly, Maud decided to stop sending the manuscript to publishers in her native Canada. Instead, she sent it off on a new journey to a publisher in the United States. What happened next introduced one of the world's most beloved literary character. Anne Shirley has touched the hearts and imaginations of millions of readers throughout the years. As Maud found out, dreams are fragile things. Beginnings seem full of promise, and yet unexpected challenges may be one of the first things encountered when starting out. Here are four things you can do to keep on track, inspired by the much-loved classic, Anne of Green Gables: 1. LET YOUR CREATIVITY OUT OF THE BOX Dusting off the manuscript, L. M. Montgomery might have wondered if she should revise her opening sentence. It contained a staggering amount of words and failed to even mention the main character. As she prepared the typewritten pages to put in the mail, she decided to believe in her original creativity. The opening sentence of Anne of Green Gables weighs in at a remarkable 148 words. L.M. Montgomery slings out commas and semicolons like a master artist flinging paint on a canvas. She has crafted a beginning that is lyrically descriptive, gives us a first glimpse of her characters' personalities, and also provides a taste of the sly humor she is known for in her stories. Let L.M. Montgomery's extravagant creativity encourage you to follow your own path as you work toward your goal. 2. ALWAYS BE CURIOUS AND OPEN TO LEARNING At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Lynde is sitting by her kitchen window with her usual knitting. She watches as her neighbor, Matthew Cuthbert, drives along the main road in a buggy pulled by a sorrel mare. Mrs. Lynde can't work out where he might be going, and she prides herself on finding out everything that occurs on Prince Edward Island. Her curiosity rises to a fever pitch. Mrs. Lynde has the honor of ushering in one of the most cherished stories of all time. She is one of those amazing people who can finish all her work and still have time to watch out her window for any interesting activity. Mrs. Lynde could try the patience of a saint, but she has a tender heart underneath all her bluster. I learned something important from her when I recently reread Anne of Green Gables. Used in the right way, curiosity leads to a new outlook and perspective. It brings excitement and the joy of learning to each day. It can bring a treasure-trove of ideas to draw on when the path to a dream becomes difficult. 3. TAKE A BREAK AND NOTICE THE BEAUTY IN YOUR WORLD L.M. Montgomery is famous for her descriptions of natural beauty. Read any of her books or her journals, and it is easy to discover that she found inspiration from the world of her birthplace, Prince Edward Island. Even when she had to leave behind her beloved Island, she drew on her memories and visits to create a rich world in her stories. At the beginning of Anne of Green Gables, she writes: ...the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies' eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade... You can also draw on the beauty of the world around you to build richness in your life and in all the things you create. 4. SEE THE BENEFITS OF THE UNEXPECTED Matthew Cuthbert had a feeling of expectation. The mysterious trip Mrs. Lynde wondered so much about must have filled him with anticipation. He would no longer have to shoulder all the outside work on the farm as he grew older. In his shy heart, perhaps he even looked forward to sharing quiet companionship while raking hay or doing the spring planting. His sister, Marilla, had promised to give the boy they adopted a good upbringing and education. When circumstances threw a surprise his way, he saw much more quickly than his sister how the unexpected could bring joy. Sometimes obstacles are just that--an unpleasant block to our dreams. However, surprises can also direct us to an unexpected path that is better than what we first planned. For Maud Montgomery, the unexpected turn in the road became a blessing. The publisher who received her dog-eared manuscript accepted it immediately. The L.C. Page Company of Boston published Anne of Green Gables in June, 1908. Maud wrote in her journal: Today has been, as Anne herself would say "an epoch in my life". My book came today, fresh from the publishers. I candidly confess that it was for me a proud, wonderful, thrilling moment! There in my hand lay the material realization of all the dreams and hopes and ambitions and struggles of my whole conscious existence -- my first book! Not a great book at all -- but mine, mine, mine, -- something to which I had given birth -- something which, but for me, would never have existed...* This is the first edition cover L.M. Montgomery held in her hands and wrote about in her journal. May we all dust off our "hat box dreams" and work to see them become real this year. #Authors #BooksandReading #Creativity #Islands #LMMontgomery Discover more: Is Captain Jim's lighthouse real? Discover the story and L.M. Montgomery's lighthouse of dreams here → If you could wish yourself into any children's book, which one would you choose? Click the picture below to find a countdown of the 5 most wonderful places in children's literature for reading a treasured book: Five Special Places in Children's Literature: Reading Retreats *Main Reference: Montgomery, L M, Mary Rubio, and Elizabeth Waterston. The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Vol. 1. , Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1985. Print. Additional References: Collins, Carolyn S, and Christina W. Eriksson. The Anne of Green Gables Treasury. Saint Paul, Minn: Ingleside Impressions, 2008. Print. Gammel, Irene. Looking for Anne of Green Gables: The Story of L.M. Montgomery and Her Literary Classic. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2008. Print. Montgomery, L M, Margaret A. Doody, M. E. Doody Jones, Wendy E. Barry, and L. M. Montgomery. The Annotated Anne of Green Gables. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Print. This is my own "hat box dream" that came true after many years. Mystery Shores is the first story in the Islands of Mystery series. I am now working on the sequel, Mystery Fair, scheduled to be published in Spring 2024.

Every time you visit a lighthouse, there are a wealth of stories to discover. And when you open the pages of a book with a lighthouse theme, you'll find the beautiful sentinels of the sea acting as another character in the story. Here is a sampling (in no particular order) of five of my own favorite tales featuring lighthouses: 1. Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery Readers of my past blogs know I often think of L. M. Montgomery when making a list of my favorite books. This time is no exception! She has written one of the most moving accounts of a lighthouse keeper in a novel. It seems to me as if Captain Jim comes alive on the pages of Anne's House of Dreams. It is one of the author's most deeply-felt books, I think, with a somewhat wistful and sad air about it. I didn't notice it at first, but there's a tiny lighthouse in the lower left corner of this fabulous book cover. I just learned a surprising fact about lighthouses and Prince Edward Island: Did you know there are 61 lighthouses and range light buildings on Prince Edward Island, the setting for Anne's House of Dreams? The ins and outs of the 1,100 km coastline made multiple lighthouses necessary around the island—a true lighthouse aficionado's paradise. Take an Island Tour of PEI Lighthouses here → 2. Legendary Lighthouses With autumn approaching, and then winter storms next on the horizon, it's a good time to plan an armchair vacation. This DVD presentation takes a grand tour of lighthouses in the United States. The tagline for this PBS show is alluring: "Discover the romantic world of U. S. lighthouses..." The visually stunning program lives up to that description and is a joy to watch. 3. A Light in the Dark by Charlotte Carter As my husband and I traveled to our new home in Washington State, we stopped at a little bookstore along the way (of course!). On the shelves stood a row of books with beautifully designed covers. When I took one down from the shelf, I was delighted to find the story took place in the exact area where we were moving. It seemed like a special welcome to our new home. The series,"The Mysteries of Sparrow Island," is set in the San Juan Islands. Ornithologist Abigail Stanton, the amateur sleuth in the books, works at a nature conservancy and museum. These are gentle, faith-based mysteries, perfect to relax with at the end of the day. The book featured here, A Light in the Dark, concerns some mysterious happenings at a lighthouse. 4. The Lightkeepers' Menagerie: Stories of Animals at Lighthouses by Elinor DeWire While writing my own novel featuring a lighthouse, Mystery Shores, I've read quite a few non-fiction books by Elinor DeWire. I greatly enjoyed them all, and The Lighthkeepers' Menagerie is one of my favorites. The everyday world of lighthouse keepers was filled with a wide variety of animals. They were important for both survival and companionship. The author weaves together true stories of lighthouses with the personalities of the animals living there, from dogs to donkeys. One of the stories continues on her website. The author tells the touching account of Lucy, the beautiful "cover girl" on The Lightkeepers' Menagerie: Canine Cover Girl by Elinor DeWire 5. "The St. Simons Trilogy" by Eugenia Price I found these books as a teenager, and still remember them as one of the best historical series I have read. I think it's time for me to revisit St. Simons Island and the compelling characters of James Gould and Janie Harris. Set in post-revolutionary times, James is a young man who dreams of building a lighthouse. The family saga continues in New Moon Rising and The Beloved Invader. In my home, I discovered a connection to the books: Soon after I married, I bought this painting (above) for our first apartment—it now hangs in the office where I write. It was fun to recognize "my" painting on the cover of New Moon Rising, the second book in the St. Simons Trilogy. I hope you'll soon have a chance to sit with a view of the ocean while you read a new—or favorite—lighthouse book! #BooksandReading #Lighthouses Linda Borromeo is the author of Mystery Shores, a novel of secrets set on a remote lighthouse island. Linda lives with her husband in the beautiful Pacific Northwest where her novel takes place.

Dawn streaked the sky with gold and lavender as Assistant Lightkeeper Bel Sinclair opened the tower door. After finishing her watch at the lighthouse, Bel drew the folds of her cloak tighter around her shoulders. The first hint of autumn nipped along the edges of a new day. Tired after the demands of the watch, she still felt too restless for sleep. Bel headed to the lighthouse quarters and went up the narrow stairs. In the tower room, a traveling lighthouse library waited for her. After making a selection, she lit the kindling in her sitting room fireplace and settled down in a comfortable chair. It was a wonderful feeling to become immersed in a good book after the demands of the early morning watch. Bel Sinclair (you can meet Bel in my book, Mystery Shores) was not alone in her appreciation of books. Many lighthouse keepers and their families looked forward to reading after finishing the demanding duties at a light station. There were no instant downloads of digital books or quick shipping from a major online retailer. At a remote lighthouse in those days, many miles and a stormy sea often separated lightkeepers from the nearest library or bookshop. Recognizing the need, the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment came up with an ingenious idea. To provide inspiration and encouragement, they introduced the traveling lighthouse library in 1876. Made of dove-tailed wood with brass fittings, the library box was well-built, tough, and beautiful to see for lightkeepers hungry for quality entertainment. When the double doors were closed and the little library was ready for travel, about 50 books and magazines made the journey to the next remote lighthouse. As the keeper opened the doors again, he or she would see a list of the contents attached to the left-hand door. A log on the right-hand side recorded all the lighthouses the library had visited. A little journal inside listed the names of the readers and the books they'd enjoyed. In 1885, there were about 380 portable libraries. With this many boxes switched between lighthouses, all those living at isolated light stations were assured of new material coming their way. Everyone looked forward to opening the new traveling library when it arrived. It was like having Christmas every three months. A bookplate, striking in its design, was attached to each volume in the library: Lightkeepers' hours were filled with repetitive and difficult labor. Keepers knew the lives of friends and strangers alike depended on doing their duty flawlessly. The library gave a sense of comfort and something to look forward to after finishing their often intense duties. Having worked in libraries for many years, I'm intrigued by the idea of traveling libraries. I enjoyed learning more about them when I wrote my book, Mystery Shores. In the story, a lighthouse library helps my main characters, Christie and Melina, uncover important secrets and solve a troubling mystery. Today, we have much more access to a wide variety of books. May you find the same rest and encouragement that the lighthouse keepers experienced when they opened a small library and found the world. #BooksandReading #Islands #Libraries #Lighthouses More to Explore Meet an Intrepid Lighthouse Keeper's Wife here Hermenia by the Sea What is it like to be a modern lighthouse keeper? Find out here Sojourn at the Lighthouse: Experiencing Life by the Sea Linda Borromeo has always enjoyed the mystique of lighthouses—it's no surprise her first book is set on a lighthouse island filled with secrets. Mystery Shores is available to read now at Amazon.com.

"...for Assateague belonged to the wild things, and the wild ponies whose ancestors had lived on it since the days of the Spanish galleon." Perhaps nowhere else in children's literature is the idea of freedom versus captivity for animals so movingly explored as it is in Misty of Chincoteague. Written by Marguerite Henry, the story begins with the strange cry of a stallion locked in the hold of a Spanish galleon. As the stallion tries to free himself and his mares from the confining stalls, he is aware that a dangerous storm is coming. And it is not only the storm that threatens the little Moor ponies. They are on their way to a future working endless hours in a Peruvian mine. What happens next sets the tone of the book. I recently read Misty of Chincoteague again for the first time since childhood. I could empathize with the two children in the story and their longing to have an Assateague foal for their own. Yet, I found my sympathies were all with the wild things. Marguerite Henry does a masterful job keeping that tension strung tight throughout her story. Published in 1947, Misty of Chincoteague brought international attention to the small horses inhabiting Assateague Island off the coast of Maryland and Virginia. A centuries-old legend tells of the Moor ponies that escaped from the Spanish galleon into sunlight and freedom. A less colorful account records settlers grazing their horses on Assateague Island to keep from paying taxes due to fencing laws. Some of the horses turned feral and formed bands on the Island. I do prefer to believe the old legend, along with Grandpa Beebe in the story: "...legends be the only stories as is true!" He stopped to find the right words. "Facts are fine, fer as they go...Legends, now--they go deep down and bring up the heart of the story." What actually happened is lost to us now. What we do know is that for centuries, wild horses have roamed Assateague Island, becoming small, shaggy and round-bellied from living among the salt marshlands. "Pony Penning Day always comes on the last Thursday of July..." From Misty of Chincoteague For over 90 years now, a Pony Penning Day and other family events have been held on Chincoteague Island (the 95th year of the pony swim, scheduled for July 29, 2020, is canceled due to Covid-19). In previous years, the small horses, affectionately known as ponies, are rounded up: stallions, mares and foals. In a scene made famous by Misty of Chincoteague, the ponies swim across the channel from wild Assateague Island to the more placid Chincoteague. There they are penned and the foals auctioned off to prevent overcrowding and to raise funds for the Chincoteague Fire Department. I knew Misty of Chincoteague featured actual people and used their real names in the story. I didn't know until recently that the author purchased Misty from the Beebe family. The small horse was brought to live in Wayne, Illinois, far from the sea. According to the article, Who Is Misty of Chincoteague?: "Misty stayed with Mrs. Henry for over ten years, appearing for her fans at schools, movie theaters, museums, libraries, and horse shows." In 1957, Mrs. Henry returned Misty to the Beebe family ranch on Chincoteague Island. Misty could once again feel the wind off the Atlantic Ocean and taste the saltwater grasses. In her book, Marguerite Henry describes one of the descendants of the little Moor ponies as "a piece of wind and sky." That untamed image is the one I want to remember after turning the last page of Misty of Chincoteague. #Authors #BooksandReading #Islands

Would you pay money to spend a vacation washing windows, mowing the lawn, weeding, polishing brass and painting objects high above the ground? Your answer might just be "yes." "What's the attraction?" writes Elinor DeWire in Sojourn at the Lighthouse. "It's the chance to experience something unique, something as close to being a genuine lighthouse keeper as you can find in the modern world." Sojourn at the Lighthouse is Elinor's story of her week as a volunteer lightkeeper at the New Dungeness Light Station near Sequim (pronounced skwim) in Washington State. As she walked in the footsteps of the historic lighthouse keepers, she observed all the sights of living by the water, including seals, eagles and seabirds. She fell asleep each night with the light from the beacon sweeping across her room. If you have ever imagined yourself living in a lighthouse, Elinor's book is a delightful way to join in that adventure. She weaves together stories about her week there with interesting insights about everyday life for the original lightkeepers. The romance of the lighthouse is not diminished, but the reader also comes away with a deeper understanding of all the work involved. Keepers and their families faced many challenges living in an isolated lighthouse. They were subject to the caprices of nature, including battering storms. The dedication of the historical lightkeepers, as well as the present-day volunteers, is inspiring. The New Dungeness Light Station Association recognized the urgent need to care for the lighthouse after the U.S. Coast Guard withdrew its last Keeper in 1994. Still with an active beacon maintained by the Coast Guard, the rest of the work is carried out by the Association. They began an innovative program giving volunteer lightkeepers an opportunity to experience a vanished way of life. During their week at the lighthouse, the volunteers provide needed maintenance and let visitors know about its vital history. In Sojourn at the Lighthouse, Elinor writes, "This extraordinary historic site is one of the best living history uses of a lighthouse in the nation...New Dungeness Light Station is always open and staffed, even on Christmas Day. The light is on in the tower, and the lights are on in the house. The volunteer keepers prefer not be be called vacationers...they aren't on a lark. They see themselves as true lighthouse keepers, on assignment and carrying on an old and cherished tradition...doing something that matters in a modern world." I Lighthouse keeper Edward A. Brooks, head keeper from October 1902 through August 1925. Sojourn at the Lighthouse is filled with vivid descriptions and a love for preserving something valuable and important. You may just find yourself thinking that mowing lawns and cleaning windows could be a very meaningful and fun way to spend a week, especially when done to the beat of waves and a view of a lighthouse by the sea. "Lighthouses are, of course, much about the night...At the light station there was a big sky rimmed by water and mountains, forming a dome dappled with stars...the stars and constellations shone gloriously overhead after dark. The loveliest star of all, of course, was the lighthouse beacon, a star for ships to steer by." From Sojourn at the Lighthouse by Elinor DeWire For more information, please visit Amazon.com. #Authors #BooksandReading #Lighthouses Lighthouse expert Elinor DeWire is the author of over twenty-four books as well as many newspaper and magazine articles. She is also a popular public speaker and workshop organizer. She is currently on the board of directors for the U.S. Lighthouse Society. For more about Elinor's DeWire's books, please visit her Website and her Facebook Page. Find her interesting blogs about "Lighthouses, Fascinations and the Writing Life" here. Images courtesy of Elinor DeWire. Used with permission.

In between picnics, fireworks, and being out in the midsummer sunshine, the 4th of July weekend is a great time to relax and enjoy a favorite movie or pick up a new book. Whether you are taking time out in a hammock to read or getting together with family to watch a movie after a barbecue, here are some top picks for celebrating this American holiday... Featured Movie: Yankee Doodle Dandy One of the best patriotic movies ever made, Yankee Doodle Dandy is also the most fun. The life of George M. Cohen gives plenty of scope for a musical. Actually born on the 3rd of July in 1878, he was a singer, dancer, playwright, producer, actor and composer of songs. His music, including such classics as You're a Grand Old Flag, Over There and Give My Regards to Broadway, are still instantly recognizable. Star James Cagney had danced in a movie only once before. The actor, who usually played gangsters, lights up the screen with his singing and athletic dancing. When he launches into the steps to The Yankee Doodle Boy, it becomes a moment of pure joy. James Cagney won the Oscar for Best Actor in honor of his performance. Watch for his ad-lib near the end of the movie as he comes down the White House stairs. It gives the movie the perfect mood heading into the final scene. 4th of July Fact: Yankee Doodle Dandy began filming just days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942. As the United States entered World War II, the men and women working on the film dedicated their efforts to inspiring and encouraging the troops and the country at war. Featured Books Phillis Wheatley Freedom's Pen: A Story Based on the Life of Freed Slave and Author Phillis Wheatley by Wendy Lawton Phillis Sings Out Freedom by Ann Malaspina Phillis Wheatley, a supporter of the American Revolution and George Washington, was born in West Africa circa 1753. At about the age of seven, Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped by slavers and brought to Boston. On a hot summer day in 1761, she was sold into slavery and came to work for the Wheatley family. Living in an unusual household and with a great desire to learn, Phillis began reading and writing in English soon after her arrival. Within the next sixteen months, Phillis was studying the Bible, as well as geography and astronomy. She also immersed herself in British literature and Greek and Latin classics. A young woman of deep sensitivity and intellect, she published a poem at the age of thirteen, becoming one of the first American poets. At the age of twenty, she also became one of the first women to publish a book in America, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. A strong proponent of freedom, Phillis Wheatley fought slavery with her both her pen and her accomplishments. 4th of July Fact: Phillis Wheatley wrote a poem for George Washington upon his appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. George Washington was so moved by the gesture, he wrote back to her and thanked her sincerely. He also invited her to call on him at his headquarters. Some sources say the two did meet and talk for thirty minutes, making an extraordinary connection to further understanding, justice and freedom. More Recommendations: 1776 and John Adams by David McCullough: The author of the newly-released The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand for also wrote very engagingly about the Revolutionary war era. After reading my first book by David McCullough, Mornings on Horseback, I now look forward to each new book he writes. It is always interesting to see which topic this two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize will choose. In 1776, I especially appreciate his care in giving the reader a perspective about the British side of things, a somewhat neglected viewpoint on this side of the pond! His books offer deep insights about personalities and events, leading to a greater understanding of why things happened in history. Pollyanna: Libraries are always wonderful resources for reading and viewing ideas. I asked the Children's Services Specialist at the South Whatcom Library about books and movies featuring a 4th of July theme. She fondly remembered the Walt Disney movie, Pollyanna. I had never seen the movie before and recently watched it on her recommendation. A highlight of the movie is the charity bazaar with outdoor booths, games, great food and the singing of the patriotic song, America the Beautiful. Once seen, who could forget the delectable cakes baked for the bazaar? I'm sure the huge slices given out to eat will stay in the imaginations of viewers long after the end of the movie. I know I can still see them! Johnny Tremain: I don't usually continue reading books when I dislike the protagonist in the opening pages. Yet, author Esther Forbes weaves a classic tale of lost dreams, new purpose and growing maturity amidst the chaotic birth of a new country. It is a book well worth finishing. 4th of July Fact: In the year Johnny Tremain was published, historian and author Esther Forbes won the Pulitzer Prize for Paul Revere and the World He Lived In, a book written for adults. In his fascinating introduction to Johnny Tremain, Gary D. Schmidt tells how she used the research she did for the earlier book to write a new story for children. Johnny Tremain went on to win the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1943, a time when the nation was again locked in a fight for freedom. Happy Independence Day and happy reading (and movie-watching) to you. #Authors #BooksandReading To help celebrate the 4th of July, I just picked up David McCullough's new book, The American Spirit. He's always a great choice for feeling as if I'm discovering the inside scoop about history. I'm the author of Mystery Shores, a novel of secrets taking place along the Washington coast in 1893. History, lighthouses, and mystery are all a part of this island story.