Irish Gaelic quotes interest me both because I love old quotes in general, and because both my wife and I number among the nearly 35 million Americans who can trace at least some of their ancestry back to the Emerald Isle. Both us love most things Irish, though in fact after much reading, I can only conclude that I still

How did the Norse Yule turn into a Viking Christmas celebration? In 940 to 961 AD, Haakon the Good was the king of Norway, and during his reign, the English court introduced him to Christianity. Haakon then tried to convert the rest of Norway. It must’ve been such an interesting time, with Viking Yule (or winter solstice) traditions mingling with

This is probably the most recent of the A Gentleman in Moscow reviews! I was late to the party (no pun intended), and only read Amor Towles’s masterpiece this year. It’s going to be made into a TV series, apparently, so if you haven’t already read it, do it now!     [spacer height=”20px”]I really do think it’s one of

“What does a hummingbird symbolize?” That’s what someone asked me after doing the animal symbolism exercise in my creative journal, The Book of Dreams Come True . I asked the person, “What do you think is the a hummingbird’s spiritual meaning?” and we had a great conversation about personal animal meanings and associations. But I realize that it’s also fun

Hi friends! This is kind of a summer reading challenge (for adults!), although it doesn’t have to be for summer—any time is a great time to read around the world. I got the idea for a global reading challenge when I was shelving fiction in our new place. I was noticing the books set in foreign countries, and thinking about

People often ask, “What are some good romance novels for men?” Some guys actually do read romance—they make up about 15% of the readership, in fact. But if you’re a guy who’s never read the genre and you’re curious, or if you’re a female romance reader who would like to introduce romance to a man in your life, here are

If you have a website, a blog, a tumblr, or an Instagram account that you approach in a semi-professional or artistic way, you might want to figure out your brand colors or create a personal color palette. It can tie everything together, make design decisions easier, and convey who you are. I’m not a designer, and I know some of