Moving-and-Starting-Over Books

Lately, I don't identify as American. I apologize to the world for the violence and greed and general nastiness that has been coming out of this country for some time now.

When I was young, I consumed every moving-and-starting-over book out there. Maybe it's time to revisit these.

MEXICO

Gringoes in Paradise: An American Couple Builds Their Retirement Dream Home in a Seaside Village in Mexico by Barry Golson

SPAIN

Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía by Chris Stewart

Spanish Lessons: Beginning a New Life in Spain by Derek Lambert

ITALY

Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes

Extra Virgin: Amongst the Olive Groves of Liguria by Annie Hawes

GREECE

My Family and Other Animals: Corfu Trilogy #1 by Gerald Durrell

MOROCO

The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah

CHINA

River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler

FRANCE

Le Road Trip: A Traveler's Journal of Love and France by Vivian Swift

Dear Paris: The Paris Letters Collection by Janice Macleod

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir by David Coggins

My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life by Janine Marsh

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Olive Oil in the South of France by Carol Drinkwater

Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light by Amy Thomas

C'est la Vie: An American Woman Begins a New Life in Paris and---Voila!---Becomes Almost French by Suzy Gershman

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

Some other books I have not read, but want to read:

The Year of Living Danishly; Discovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell

Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools: Tuck into a Slice of Andalucían Life by Victoria Twead

A Year in Marrakesh by Peter Mayne

In the Village: A Year of Living in Rural Japan by Iain Maloney

Bombs and Bougainvillea: An Expat in Jerusalem by L. E. Decker

So Happiness to Meet You: Foolishly, Blissfully Stranded in Vietnam by Karin Esterhammer

A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco by Suzanne Clarke

Married to Bhutan: How One Woman Got Lost, Said 'I Do,' and Found Bliss by Linda Learning

Meander, Indirectly, East to West Along a Turkish River by Jeremy Seal

My Swiss Home: A Year of Living and Working in Switzerland by Wolfgang Koehler

Didgeridoos and Didgeridon'ts: A Brit's Guide to Moving Your Life Down Under by Vicky Gray

Margarita Wednesdays: Making a New Life by the Mexican Sea by Deborah Rodriguez

Do you have other recommendations for me?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.    

The Sunday Salon: The Black Death and the Tooth Fairy

 

Welcome! It's lovely that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. 

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a spot to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It is also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

A cautionary tale about reading fiction: I read a historical fiction book about the Black Death with my seven-year-old grandson, Wyatt, a few weeks ago. Last week Wyatt lost his first tooth. His dad asked him if he wanted to put his tooth under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy. Wyatt said no. Since the Tooth Fairy was probably around at the time of the Black Death, he told his dad, the Tooth Fairy was probably killed with the rest of the people!

I must find a nonfiction book about the Black Death for Wyatt, I think.

Here I am inside one of the several sensory pods that were for sale at the conference.

I went to the Texas Library Association Conference this week (after I got home from a week in Central Texas antiquing and time with friends at the No Kings Rally). I will do a whole post soon on what I brought home with me from the conference.

 

What I Read Last Week:

Goldfinches written by Mary Oliver and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.

What I'm Reading Now:

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss 

written by Robert Macfarlane and illustrated by Jackie Morris (Nature Nonfiction)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: A Holiday in Smithville

Goldfinches, written by Mary Oliver and illustrated by Melissa Sweet: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

I started listing 3 Good Things each day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

Illustrator Melissa Sweet at TLA,

signing her new book, Goldfinches,

written by poet Mary Oliver. 

Good Thing #2:

The Book of Birds:

A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss 

written by Robert Macfarlane

and illustrated by Jackie Morris.

Thank you, thank you, thank you,

W. W. Norton, for this beautiful book.

I'm reading it slowly, 

and I will post about it soon.

Good Thing #3:

I am eagerly reading Leyendas/Legends:

60 Latine People Who Changed the World,

another book I brought home from the library conference.

Thank you, Chronicle Books,

for this beautiful book.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.

Goldfinches, written by Mary Oliver and illustrated by Melissa Sweet: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

 

Today's Featured Book: 

Goldfinches

written by poet Mary Oliver

illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Genre: Poetry; picture book

Published: March 3, 2026

Page Count: 40 pages

Summary: 

Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet gorgeously illustrates the work of Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Mary Oliver for the first time in picture book form.

 

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

One more thing

I want to mention

before the pages

actually begin.

Writing poems,

for me but not

necessarily for

others, is a way

of offering

praise to the 

world.

        

Oliver, Mary. Goldfinches, page 1. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by Anne of Head Full of Books. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up on Head Full of Books and visit others in the linky. 

And love the world.

Oliver, Mary. Goldfinches, 56%. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

Reason #1: I love birds.
Reason #2: I love poetry.
Reason #3: I love picture books.
Reason #4: I love poet Mary Oliver.
Reason #5: I love author/illustrator Melissa Sweet.

This is the book I wanted most to see at the Texas Library Association Conference this week.

I was first in line to get this book signed by the illustrator.

Guys, you need this book. Trust me on this. If you agree with me for even one of the reasons I gave (above) for reading this book, you need to find a copy and read it, too. I can't really tell you how wonderful it is.

The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.    

3rd - Which book really showcases your favorite author’s style, and what makes it stand out? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White with text and illustrations by Melissa Sweet

You really won't believe me about how amazing this book is unless you find a copy and read it and look at the incredible illustrations for yourself. It is stunning. It's completely original. It is a book you want to read over and over. 

 

The Sunday Salon: A Holiday in Smithville

 

Welcome! I am delighted that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. 

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Lots of good news this week:

My dad's wife, Rosa, had surgery on her hip, and she is now in a rehab facility. My dad is able to stay with her there.

My allergies settled down.

My car has settled down and has given me no further trouble.

My husband and I were able to spend several days up in Smithville in Central Texas with my sister and her husband, Gary, on Gary's grandmother's farm. We went antiquing at the semi-annual antique show in Round Top and we spent lots of time catching up.

What I Read Last Week:

The Illustrated Emily Dickinson: 25 Essential Poems

Wildflower Emily: A Story About Young Emily Dickinson

What I'm Reading Now:

The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Classic)

Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations by Frederick Buechner (Spirituality)

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

Hope is the Thing with Feathers: The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson: Book Beginnings on Fridays, First Line Friday, The Friday 56, and Book Blogger Hop

Nine Newish Books I Hope to Read This Spring

The Sunday Salon: Home!

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

Central Texas is beautiful.

It's been dry, so

the bluebonnets were not 

as abundant as in years past.

Good Thing #2:

I saw this fascinating hummingbird moth

near the pond on my brother-in-law's grandmother's farm.

Good Thing #3:

We saw this lovely Orange Sulphur

at the antique show. 

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.