books
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Mentor Texts: Steampunk and Alternate History
About a month ago I posted about some of the mentor texts I’ve been reading in preparation for a YA historical fantasy I want to write. I’ve tried to read a wide range of books, as I figure out exactly how much fantasy… Continue reading
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Mentor Texts: Historical Fantasy
This fall I’ve been mulling over an idea for a YA historical fantasy and doing some research (my favorite) in between working on my current WIP. I’ve also been reading a bucketload of mentor texts to help me hone my vision… Continue reading
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Reading World War I
We’ve just returned from our honeymoon and family vacations (nothing wrong with a month away!), and I’m excited to share some of our adventures with you. But today I’m thinking about World War I (known as the Great War by… Continue reading
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Personal reading history
Happy Valentine’s Day! I’ve been hunkered down at home with a nasty virus, and the wintry mix outside isn’t doing much to make things feel more festive. So instead, I’ve been daydreaming about our summer honeymoon in England. Josh and… Continue reading
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Winter is coming
But really, it’s here. Last weekend Josh and I hosted two separate gatherings of friends to play the Game of Thrones board game. This is a complicated, multiplayer game where folks play as the houses (House Stark, for example) from… Continue reading
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Colonial Cookbook: The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy
Meet Mrs. Hannah Glasse. By day, she is a plain English housewife, struggling to scrape by in the mid-1700s. By night, however, she works on her revolutionary new idea: a cookbook designed for the masses of untrained servants working in… Continue reading
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Why I love historical recipes
I’ve been chronicling my adventures in historical cooking for almost two years now (!), but it wasn’t until recently that I began to wonder why. I love history, isn’t that enough? Well, yeah, but what’s the bigger picture? Why does… Continue reading
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The Ancient Table: Roast boar
Obelix with dinner I have this habit of getting totally immersed in whatever topic I’m teaching in history. The Declaration of Independence? Let’s watch 1776! Ancient Greece? Let’s check out The Odyssey from the library! The Gupta empire? Let’s eat Indian food… Continue reading
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The wearing of the green
Almost all the seeds I planted a few weeks ago have sprouted, and my seed tray is now a veritable wonderland of tiny green sprouts and tendrils. While I love all the phases of the growing season (except perhaps pest… Continue reading
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Dining at Downton: Irish stew
I am known to get emotionally involved with fictional characters. When they fall in love, I swoon around the house. When they suffer heartbreak, I moan along with them. When they struggle to figure out what they really think about… Continue reading
Abby Murphy 