Welcome Adventurous Readers! It's always reading time at The Ugly Frog (tm)! I mostly read classic literature and have been continually since 2016. That's a LOT of classic literature. If you were hoping for a blog about contemporary books you are certainly in the wrong place. Prior to 2016, say from roughly 2006 to 2016, I focused mainly on reading world history. I also read a lot of ecology and lately many many research articles on freshwater microscopic ecology as that is a passion of mine to research, write, observe and educate the public about. Being of Buddhist leanings, I also read about buddhism from time to time as well some history here and there. Here I will share my thoughts on the classic literature that I read. It is one of my ways of travel along both the space and time continuums without traveling. I highly recommend it!

If you are interested in seeing the classics I have read since the fall of 2016 you can see
the complete list here. You can see the page from 2023 reading time here: 2023 Reading Time

24 February 2025 Update: This year I have finished so far Don Quixote for the 2nd Time reading it as it is my absolute favorite of all time and still is. In the middle of reading it, I took a little 1926 Diversion and read the book "The Chinese Parrot" by Earl Derr Biggers, which was a mystery. It was a really enjoyable book to mix it up. If you want to take an adventure to find out who is trying to steal or otherwise get an expensive pearl necklace and like a murder mystery, etc. It was a good one. It is part of a series, but you can read it as a stand alone book I found. Now, most recently I finished reading Willa Cather's "My Antonia" which was first published in 1918 and took place in Nebraska. Here are my thoughts and questions for thought on that book. I am considering putting it into my favorites of all time but am going to wait until I have read a few more classics this year to decide. There really wasn't anything I didn't like about the book. I highly highkly recommend it, if you want to experience life in Nebraska and with Bohemian immigrants, Russian Immigrants, Swedish Immigrants and Norwegian Immigrants as well. Here are My Thoughts on My Antonia. Welcome back!



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In the first week of March 2025, I finished reading "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson. My thoughts on it are here. I will update more on it later when I can consult my notes. My Thoughts on Kidnapped. Like "My Antonia" this is a quick read so I am guessing if you are a swift reader you could finish this in a matter of 3 to 4 days.