In which I discuss how my reading goals worked out last year and what I have planned for 2018. Spoiler alert: say goodbye to my TBR! There are many arguments for and against the idea of setting resolutions at the outset of a new year. The change of the year serves as a convenient marker.…
We’re all familiar with the toast of champagne at midnight on New Year’s Eve, right? Pop. Fizz. Clink. Sip. Got it. Cue the “Auld Lang Syne” (thanks, Robert Burns!). Unless you’re springing for some quality bubbles you might find your sparkling wine a little dull, especially if you’re planning to have more than one fluteful.…
What a year, folks. I still can’t believe it’s nearly over! I’ve said it about 87 times, but I feel like I was watching this year on 1.5x. For me personally, it’s been full of a lot of ups and a lot of downs. But that’s life, eh? Probably the same for you! I can…
The Danish have a fun Christmas tradition of making Risalamande, a special rice pudding. I read about it this year in both The Year of Living Danishly and The Little Book of Hygge. I love rice pudding, but the type my family has always made is baked and more like custard. This variety is light…
After months and months of planning and preparing, I am thrilled to finally be able to announce the launch of the Cask & Quill shop! You can find the shop on Etsy via this link, or by searching “CaskandQuillShop” directly on the Etsy site. There is also a link in the menu bar here on…
“Why, it is she that has got all Narnia under her thumb. It’s she that makes it always winter. Always winter, and never Christmas; think of that!” This wintry nail design is incredibly easy and perfect for beginning nail artists. You kind of can’t mess it up! It’s meant to recreate the feeling of Lucy and her…
When the weather turns so cold this time of year, piling on blankets and furs only gets you so far. Sometimes you have to warm yourself from the inside out. North of the Wall, it is especially frigid, but the Lord Commander has a store of wine to keep him warm. “The Old Bear…
Come catch up with me and take a look at what I read this past month as well as what’s coming up for next month’s goals and events. November has come and gone already and before we know it the end of the year will be upon us as well. I still have quite a…
Can books become true friends of ours? One Ravenclaw attempts to defend her BFFs. Several weeks ago, I was engaged in a Wizarding World Book Club discussion on Twitter (@wwbookclub) about the following quote from Hermione, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, about the importance of friendship. (For more on the Wizarding World Book Club…
It’s that cozy time of year when sweaters, mugs of hot chocolate and big, bubbling pots of something warm and hearty seem like a good idea. There’s no better time to curl up with a book as when there’s the scent of something soul-soothing on the air, especially when you actually get to eat whatever…
Immersive Reading is a new series on Cask & Quill that takes you further into one book at a time by suggesting sights, smells and sounds that are evocative of each story. I’ll give you ideas that will alter your surroundings and immerse you right into the pages of your book. Visit the first Immersive…
