Rite of Fancy

 A short summary of the book War Dances: Alexie's real-world and real-relationship poetry and prose. My favorite quote from the book: "Why do poets think they can change the world? The only life I can save is my own." Questions I pondered while reading War Dances? Am I conflicted about my heritage? Why is ethnic tension still so high? My review of War Dances: A serious subject should always be witty. Was this really fiction? The book has a secure spot on my shelf forever. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visit...

 A short summary of Dear Ijeawele: How to raise a feminist. My favorite quote from the book: "Language is the repository of our prejudices, our beliefs, our assumptions." Questions I pondered while reading Dear Ijeawele: Will true equality really ease resentments? Can feminism and femininity co-exist? My Thoughts about Dear Ijeawele: Good advice for raising little children. Good advice for raising big children. Something for everyone who believes in equality. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sp...

  A short summary of the speech Give Me Liberty: Here's my vote for independence, let me explain why. My favorite Patrick Henry quote from the speech: “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience.” Questions to ponder while reading: Would I have made the same choice, had I been there? Are there still people like Patrick Henry in the US today? My Review: History! Liberty! Fireworks! ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors and  webshop  or buying me a...

A short summary of the Constitution of the United States: Our contract between us and the government. My favorite line from the document: "We the people" Questions to ponder while reading: Is the Constitution still applicable today? Are we currently abiding by it? My review: Know your government. Know your rights. Know your responsibilities. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors and  webshop  or buying me a cup of coffee!

A short summary of the book The Economic Consequences of the Peace: An economic statement about the Treaty of Versailles. My favorite John Maynard Keynes quote from the book: " The power to become habituated to his surroundings is a marked characteristic of mankind." Questions to ponder while reading: Did the economic crippling after WWI help? Why do we view war as inevitable?   My Review: Good theory to know. War should not equal profit. The financial destruction of another country is a dangerous situation. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page...

A short summary of Stillhouse Lake: So I married a serial killer.......... My favorite Rachel Caine quote from the book: " Never too late or too early for pancakes." Questions I pondered while reading the book: Why is it so easy for people to be cruel, especially on the internet? How do you recover from something like that?   My review of Stillhouse Lake: Engaging and good paced. Stretched believability. Great fun! ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors and  webshop  or bu...

  A short summary of the book The Last of the Mohicans: The romance of King Philip's war. Love and a Leatherstocking. My favorite James Fenimore Cooper quote from the book: "Is it justice to make evil, then punish for it?" Questions I pondered while reading The Last of the Mohicans: Can you overdo a description? Why is it impossible for nature and religion to co-exist? My review of The Last of the Mohicans: Uncas was a crush. I got lost in the details. I think this could be called a romance. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider sup...

  A short summary about the play Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: A frantic New York search for magic creatures and creations. My favorite J.K. Rowling quote from the play: " People are easiest to read when they're hurting." Questions I pondered while reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Who wouldn't love a baker? It's okay to want a suitcase like that right? My Thoughts about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: I love the Rowling world. I want my own bowtruckle. Betrayal after cocoa is bad form. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like m...

A short summary of the book The Complete Sherlock Holmes: The stories of a sociopath who solves crimes. My favorite Sir Arthur Conan Doyle quote from the book: " It is easy to be wise after the event." Questions to ponder while reading the book Is logic always to be trusted? Does being gifted also come with mental illness? My review of The Complete Sherlock Holmes: I want to see *that* London. I wish I observed so much. I can re-read these forever. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors and  webs...

A short summary of the book Cry, The Beloved Country: Kumalo's tragedy in the illiberality of South Africa My favorite Alan Paton quote from the book: "I do this not because I am courageous and honest, but because it is the only way to end the conflict of my deepest soul" Questions I pondered while reading Cry, The Beloved Country: Is the disintegration of tribalism the cause of many of our problems? How detrimental is fear to our society? My review of Cry, The Beloved Country: Industrialism wasn't always the right answer. Don't fear what is different. Families should stand by one another. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be ...

A short summary of the book The Silmarillion: The mythology of Middle Earth. My favorite J.R.R. Tolkien quote from the book: "For if joyful is the fountain that rises in the sun, its springs are in the wells of sorrow unfathomable at the foundations of the Earth." Questions I pondered while reading The Silmarillion: Is there creation in music? Does knowing the mythology strengthen the story? My Thoughts about The Silmarillion: Spelunking into Middle Earth. I have always wanted a Star Cake. Can anyone get enough of J.R.R. Tolkien's world? ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRo...

A short summary of the book The Short Drop: The resolution to a decade's long disappearance. My favorite Matthew Fitzsimmons quote from the book: "Entitlement breeds laziness, which in turn breeds decline." Questions I pondered about The Short Drop: Why do we allow things to haunt us? Why are politics so tainted? My review of The Short Drop: Edge of my seat. Suspenseful. Great fun. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors and  webshop  or buying me a cup of coffee!

A short summary of the book Doctor Sleep: Danny is back and he is still shining. My favorite Stephen King quote from the book: "Feelings are invulnerable to rational thought." Questions I pondered while reading the book: Is it possible to ever truly conquer an addiction? Why does vampirism appeal to some people? My review of Doctor Sleep: Completely surprised me. I am altogether creeped out. Never RVing again (not that I did before). ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors and  webshop  or ...

A short summary of the book I Remember Nothing: Ephron's Essays About Everything. My favorite Nora Ephron quote from the book: " Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one." Questions I pondered while reading I Remember Nothing: Why do we all expect perfection from our parents? What surprises me? My thoughts about I Remember Nothing: Clear language. Agreeable opinions. Butter anyone? ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors and  webshop  or buying me a cup of coffee!

A short summary of the book The Help: A study of the roles in the South. My favorite Kathryn Stockett quote from the book: "I'm tired of the rules." Questions I pondered after reading The Help: Was that really a good way to treat an employee? Does everyone have secrets? My review of The Help: Carried me away. Love the emotion. Would anyone like a slice of pie? ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors and  webshop  or buying me a cup of coffee!

A short summary of the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower: An introvert's freshman year. My favorite Stephen Chbosky quote from the book: " Life doesn't stop for anybody." Questions I pondered while reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Did adolescence suck for everyone? Has practically every person been abused? My thoughts on The Perks of Being a Wallflower: It is hard to be an introvert. I relate. You can't have physical health without mental health. *Regularly challenged, be a rebel and read it* ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Please consider...

A short summary of the book When the Emperor Was Divine: As a Japanese in the United States, one family's experience. My favorite Julie Otsuka quote from the book: " "And remember, it's easier to bend than to break." Questions I pondered while reading the book: Who in the f-word decided on these camps? How did we, as a nation of immigrants, justify that type of incarceration? My review of  When the Emperor Was Divine: I have seen Delta, Utah. I am ashamed this was ever allowed. Reacting this way to fear is not okay. ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my pag...