inge87's 15-in-15: Life on the Big Screen, Part II

This is a continuation of the topic inge87's 15-in-15: Life on the Big Screen.

This topic was continued by inge87's 15-in-15: Life on the Big Screen, Part III.

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inge87's 15-in-15: Life on the Big Screen, Part II

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1inge87
Edited: Jun 2, 2015, 3:13 pm

Well Spring 2015 is one semester I would love to forget, and now it's time for a new start! So how about a dawn on the lake photo?



Categories
1. Twelfth Night/Henry V – Classic Fiction (pre-1920)
2. Medicine Man – Environmental Science
3. Star Wars – Fantasy/SciFi
4. Princess Mononoke – Graphic format
5. Rob Roy – Historical Fiction
6. A Man for All Seasons – History
7. The Last Waltz – Memoirs
8. The Third Man – Mysteries
9. Once – New Fiction (2000 to Present)
10. Koyaanisqatsi – Other Non-Fiction
11. The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October – Recent Fiction (1970 to 1999)
12. Chariots of Fire – Religion
13. A Hard Day's Night – Retro Fiction (1920 to 1969)
14. Out of Africa – Travel
15. Babe – YA/Juvenile fiction

2inge87
Edited: Oct 28, 2015, 10:04 am



1. Henry V/Twelfth Night: Classic Fiction (pre-1920)

1. Patricia Brent, Spinster by Herbert Jenkins - 1918 (2)
2. Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond by Mrs. Oliphant - 1890 (4)
3. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan - 1915 (3)
4. The Four Men: A Farrago by Hilaire Belloc - 1911 (4)
5. The Good Comrade by Una L. Silberrad - 1907 (5)
6. The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett - 1901 (5)
7. Twelfth Night, or What You Will by William Shakespeare - 1602 (3)
8. The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson - 1893 (3)
9. The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth - 1850s (3)

4inge87
Edited: Oct 20, 2015, 8:43 am



3. Star Wars – Fantasy/SciFi – COMPLETED 4/18

1. Snow Comes to Hawk's Folly by J. Kathleen Cheney (4)
2. Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews (3)
3. Snowfall by J. Kathleen Cheney (3)
4. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (3)
5. Brother Petroc's Return by S.M.C. (3)
6. Wildalone by Krassi Zourkova (3)
7. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews (4)
8. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews (4)
9. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews (4)
10. Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews (3)
11. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop (3)
12. Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis (3)
13. The Dragon's Child: Two Short Stories by J. Kathleen Cheney (3)
14. The Dragon's Pearl: Three Short Stories by J. Kathleen Cheney (3)
15. The Eretik by J. Kathleen Cheney (3)
16. Touching the Dead: Three Short Stories by J. Kathleen Cheney (4)
17. A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan (3)
18. Wide Open by Deborah Coates (4)
19. The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Dunchan (4)
20. A Wind in Cairo by Judith Tarr (3)
21. Scarlet Devices by Delphine Dryden (3)
22. Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal (3)
23. The Shores of Spain by J. Kathleen Cheney (4)
24. Lady of Magick by Sylvia Izzo Hunter (2)
25. The Hanged Man by P. N. Elrod (3)

5inge87
Edited: Nov 4, 2015, 5:42 pm



4. Princess Mononoke – Graphic Fiction & Non-Fiction

1. A Bride's Story, Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori (4)
2. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume 1 by Alan Moore (3)
3. The Property by Rutu Modan (4)
4. Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault (5)
5. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 2 by Naoko Takeuchi (4)
6. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 3 by Naoko Takeuchi (3)
7. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 4 by Naoko Takeuchi (3)
8. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 5 by Naoko Takeuchi (3)
9. Just So Happens by Fumio Obata (3)

6inge87
Edited: Nov 4, 2015, 5:40 pm



5. Rob Roy – Historical Fiction

1. The Frog Earl by Carola Dunn (3)
2. Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer* (5)
3. Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer* (5)
4. Helena by Evelyn Waugh (4)
5. Hobson's Choice by Harold Brighouse (4)
6. A Tapestry of Lives, Volume 1 by Jean Sims (4)
7. Only a Promise by Mary Balogh (3)
8. The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer* (3)
9. The Right Line of Cerdic by Alfred Duggan (3)
10. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer* (3)
11. Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer* (4)

9inge87
Edited: Aug 2, 2015, 5:08 pm



8. The Third Man – Mysteries – COMPLETED 8/2

1. Dog on It by Spencer Quinn (3)
2. The Devil Takes Half by Leta Serafim (3)
3. Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death by James Runcie (4)
4. Dead Man Walker by Duffy Brown (3)
5. The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh (4)
6. The Père-Lachaise Mystery by Claude Izner (3)
7. The Montmartre Investigation by Claude Izner (2)
8. The Cornish Coast Murder by John Bude (3)
9. A Dangerous Mourning by Anne Perry (3)
10. The Sins of the Wolf by Anne Perry (3)
11. Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman (3)
12. Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers (4)

10inge87
Edited: Oct 29, 2015, 10:11 am



9. Once – New Fiction (2000 to Present)

1. Fall with Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 2015 (2)
2. Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson - 2013 (3)
3. Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore - 2014 (4)
4. The Misogynist by Piers Paul Read - 2010 (3)
5. The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera - 2013 (3)
6. The African Equation by Yasmina Khadra - 2011 (4)
7. Dictatorship of the Dress by Jessica Topper - 2015 (3)
8. Kate's Progress by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles* - 2013 (5)
9. Practically Perfect by Katie Fforde* - 2006 (3)
10. Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread by Mary Jane Hathaway* - 2014 (4)
11. Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway - 2014 (3)

11inge87
Edited: Sep 24, 2015, 5:13 pm

12inge87
Edited: Oct 27, 2015, 10:12 am



11. The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October – Recent Fiction (1970 to 1999)

1. The Tamarind Seed by Evelyn Anthony - 1971 (4)
2. Ending Up by Kingsley Amis - 1974 (2)
3. No Holly for Miss Quinn by Miss Read - 1976 (2)
4. Village Affairs by Miss Read - 1977 (3)
5. The White Robin by Miss Read - 1979 (3)
6. Village Centenary by Miss Read - 1980 (3)
7. Summer at Fairacre by Miss Read - 1984 (3)

13inge87
Edited: Nov 4, 2015, 5:55 pm



12. Chariots of Fire – Religion – COMPLETED 3/9

1. Uniformity with God's Will by St. Alphonsus Liguori (4)
2. Turning to Tradition: Converts and the Making of an American Orthodox Church by D. Oliver Herbel (4)
3. Saint Athanasius: Defender of the Faith by Michael Davies (5)
4. The Didache (3)
5. Why Must I Suffer? by Fr. F. J. Remler (2)
6. Epistle to Diognetus (3)
7. Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart by Jacques Philippe (3)
8. The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians by St. Polycarp of Smyrna (3)
9. The Letters of Ignatius of Antioch by St. Ignatius of Antioch* (3)
10. Dominus Est—It Is the Lord! Reflections of a Bishop of Central Asia on Holy Communion by Athanasius Schneider+ (4)
11. Remaining in the Truth of Christ: Marriage and Communion in the Catholic Church by Robert Dodaro, OSA (Ed.) (4)
12. First Apology by St. Justin Martyr (3)
13. On the Unity of the Church by St. Cyprian of Carthage+ (3)
14. The Life of the Right Reverend Ronald Knox by Evelyn Waugh (4)
15. The Life of Anthony by St. Athanasius of Alexandria+ (3)
16. On the Mysteries (Theological and Dogmatic Works) by St. Ambrose of Milan (4)
17. Pius XI: the Pope and the Man by Zsolt Aradi (3)
18. Holiness for Housewives (And Other Working Women) by Dom Hubert Van Zeller (3)
19. The Little Book of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Model of Christians, Cause of our Joy by Raoul Plus, SJ (3)
20. Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament: Readings for the Month of May by St. Pierre Julian Eymard (3)
21. Finding Confidence in Times of Trial: Letters of St. John of Avila by St. John of Avila (3)
22. A Champion of the Church: St. Peter Canisius, SJ by William Reany (4)
23. Small Catechism for Catholics by St. Peter Canisius (4)
24. Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching: A Defense of the Church's True Teachings on Marriage, Family, and the State by Anthony Esolen (4)
25. Saints and Ourselves: Personal Studies by Philip Caraman, SJ (ed.) (3)
26. Saints and Ourselves: Second Series: Personal Studies of Favorite Saints by Philip Caraman, SJ (ed.) (4)
27. The Authority of Women in the Catholic Church by Monica Migliorino Miller (4)
28. The Choice of the Family: A Call to Wholeness, Abundant Life, and Enduring Happiness by Jean Laffitte (3)
29. Eleven Cardinals Speak on Marriage and the Family: Essays from a Pastoral Viewpoint by Winfried Aymans (ed.) (3)

14inge87
Edited: Oct 9, 2015, 9:19 am



13. A Hard Day's Night – Retro Fiction (1920 to 1969)

1. Der Dom by Gertrud von le Fort^ - 1969 (3)
2. Robinson by Muriel Spark - 1958 (3)
3. Charlotte Cross and Aunt Deb; or, the Queerest Trip on Record by May Hollis Barton - 1931 (3)
4. August Folly by Angela Thirkell - 1936 (3)
5. Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart* - 1956 (4)
6. A Decent Birth, a Happy Funeral by William Saroyan - 1949 (2)
7. Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart* - 1965 (4)
8. The Running Foxes by Joyce Stranger* - 1965 (5)
9. Still Glides the Stream by Flora Thompson - 1948 (3)

16inge87
Edited: Oct 29, 2015, 10:18 am



15. Babe – YA/Juvenile fiction – COMPLETED 10/28

1. A Stitch in Time by Penelope Lively (4)
2. Astercote by Penelope Lively (3)
3. The Agency: Rivals in the City by Y. S. Lee (3)
4. Dream a Little Dream by Kirsten Gier (3)
5. The Changeling Sea by Patricia A. McKillip (4)
6. A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin (3)
7. Rook by Sharon Cameron (4)
8. My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins (ed.) (2)
9. Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (4)
10. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (3)
11. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell* (4)
12. Sword and Serpent by Taylor Marshall (3)

18inge87
Jun 2, 2015, 3:36 pm

And here's last month's reading round-up: we're good to go!

May Round-Up!

Books Read: 23

Category Challenge

68 of 180 read - 37.78% done (true total 87 books)

2 of 15 categories completed - 13.33% done

Individual Categories
1. Twelfth Night/Henry V: Classic Fiction (pre-1920) - 1 - 8.33%
2. Medicine Man: Environmental Science - 2 - 16.67%
3. Star Wars: Fantasy/SciFi - 22 - 100%
4. Princess Mononoke: Graphic format - 2 - 16.67%
5. Rob Roy: Historical Fiction - 5 - 41.67%
6. A Man for All Seasons: History - 1 - 8.33%
7. The Last Waltz: Memoirs - 5 - 41.67%
8. The Third Man: Mysteries - 11 - 91.67%
9. Once: New Fiction (2000 to Present) - 1 - 8.33%
10. Koyaanisqatsi: Other Non-Fiction - 5 - 41.67%
11. The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October: Recent Fiction (1970 to 1999) - 1 - 8.33%
12. Chariots of Fire: Religion - 21 - 100%
13. A Hard Day's Night: Retro Fiction (1920 to 1969) - 3 - 25%
14. Out of Africa: Travel - 3 - 25%
15. Babe: YA/Juvenile fiction - 4 - 33%

Genre
Non-Fiction - 11 - 47.82%
Fiction - 12 - 52.18%

Sources
Me (this month) - 11 - 47.82%
Austin PL (E-Book) - 5 - 21.74%
ILL - 5 - 21.74%
Corsicana PL - 1 - 4.35%
Work - 1 - 4.35%

Authors
Female - 12 - 54.55%
Male - 9 - 40.9%
Unknown - 1 - 4.55%

Edition Language
English - 12 - 100%

Original Language
English - 20 - 82.6%
French - 2 - 8.7%
Japanese - 1 - 4.35%
Spanish - 1 - 4.35%

Series
Stand-Alone Books - 12 - 52.18%
Series Books - 11 - 47.82%

Ratings Distribution
1 star - 0 - 0%
2 stars - 1 - 5.9%
3 stars - 18 - 52.8%
4 stars - 4 - 35.2%
5 stars - 0 - 0%

Average Rating
3.13

Best of the Month



Fiction: The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan

Non-Fiction: The Land Where Lemons Grow: The Story of Italy and Its Citrus Fruit by Helena Attlee

19inge87
Edited: Jun 2, 2015, 3:46 pm

The first book of June:



Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond by Mrs. Oliphant

Categories: Henry V/Twelfth Night

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, novella, family, marriage, secrets, London, business, crises

Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond is a shocking tale of what happens when middle-aged men do dumb things. The entire household can tell that something is wrong with Mr. Lycett-Landon, they just can't figure out what that something is. Finally, Mrs. Lycett-Landon and their eldest son decide to go find him in London and make sure that he is alright. What they discover makes the wife wish she'd never left the comforts of Liverpool. A smashing novella of suspense and family drama. J. M. Barrie was also a fan.

First Line: Mr and Mrs Lycett-Landon were two middle-aged people in the fulness of life and prosperity.

20mamzel
Jun 2, 2015, 5:37 pm

Beautiful new thread!



21rabbitprincess
Jun 2, 2015, 6:16 pm

Great thread topper! :D And a very happy new thread.

22-Eva-
Jun 2, 2015, 6:26 pm

Happy new thread! Taking a BB for A Natural History of Dragons. Also, A Bride's Story continues to be great - I'm up to book 3, but it seems my library has stopped buying them after that one. :(

23inge87
Jun 2, 2015, 7:11 pm

>20 mamzel: &>21 rabbitprincess: Thanks!

>22 -Eva-: Oh dear, it's so annoying when libraries do that. I work at one and know why it happens but it's not fun when your favorite series gets hit.

24christina_reads
Jun 4, 2015, 6:08 am

Finally caught up with your old thread and then realized you've moved! Happy new thread. :) You've hit me with a BB for The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter, funnily enough!

25inge87
Jun 4, 2015, 10:18 am

>24 christina_reads: That title is oddly appropriate, isn't it. :)

26inge87
Edited: Jun 4, 2015, 10:50 am



The Edge of the World: A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation of Europe by Michael Pye

Categories: A Man for All Seasons, RandomCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, history, dark ages, middle ages, North Sea, Norway, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, England, Scotland, trade, Vikings, Hanseatic League, social customs, women's studies, flooding, plague, politics, monasticism, Reunion 2015

The Edge of the World is an interesting book that does not go quite far enough to prove its point: namely, that a unique culture developed along the North Sea coast in the Dark and Middle Ages (parts of the book cover bits of later periods up to around 1700). The book is made up of what are essentially linked case studies showing different aspects of this culture, be it trade, government, fashion, women's roles, etc.; and in the beginning, it works. However, as the book reached its end and the beginnings of what could be called the Early Modern Era, I became increasingly dissatisfied. After giving it some thought, I think it is because the author did not finish what he set out to do. He goes on and on about how the North Sea region was different from the rest of Europe and then he skips one the key historical moments that truly does set them apart: the Reformation and their almost universal acceptance of Protestantism. He alludes to it, but he never treats it heads on or as something that united the region or set it apart from the rest of the continent. If he had done so, it definitely would have strengthened his very interesting thesis. Instead the book just sort of peters out into the Early Modern Age and the rise of Amsterdam at the expense of the Hanseatic League. The book is well worth reading, just be prepared for a slightly weak ending.

For anyone with an interest in the history of a country on the North Sea, in history of trade and cultural contact, or in good readable popular history: you may want to pick this one up.

First Line: Cecil Warburton went to the seaside in the summer of 1700: two weeks at Scarborough on the east coast of England, north of Hull and south of Newcastle.

27MissWatson
Jun 8, 2015, 8:32 am

>26 inge87: Interesting concept, thanks for the review!

28inge87
Jun 8, 2015, 9:48 am

>27 MissWatson: You're welcome, Thanks for stopping by!

29lkernagh
Jun 14, 2015, 12:09 pm

Happy new thread! The water in the thread topper pic looks inviting.

I loved your review of The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter over on your previous thread. A perfect BB book!

30inge87
Jun 27, 2015, 2:30 pm

31inge87
Jun 27, 2015, 2:32 pm



A Champion of the Church: St. Peter Canisius, S.J. by William Reany

Categories: Chariots of Fire, HistoryCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, biography, Counter-Reformation, Society of Jesus, Jesuits, Germany, Switzerland, Cologne, Fribourg, Augsburg, Peter Canisius

A Champion of the Church is a good basic biography of St. Peter Canisius, who helped lead the charge to restore Catholicism in much of the German-speaking world after the Reformation. An educator and theologian, Canisius, who was born in what is now the Netherlands, became one of the foremost leaders of Counter-Reformation in the Holy Roman Empire and Switzerland. He was also the first Dutch Jesuit (not that he necessarily would have thought of himself as thus). All in all, Canisius a very interesting man who lived a very interesting life.

The book suffers a bit from age. It follows the very old-fashioned method of using French versions of German place-names (Treves instead of Trier, etc.), which can be confusing for those who don't know their French geography. But beyond that, it makes for a good read for those interested in the Counter-Reformation and those who fought it.

First Line: The sixteenth century, the period in which St. Peter Canisius, Doctor of the Universal Church, lived and labored, had these charicteristics in common with the early twentieth century, namely, that it was a time of religious, political and social unrest.

32inge87
Jun 27, 2015, 2:35 pm



A Small Catechism for Catholics by St. Peter Canisius

Categories: Chariots of Fire, HistoryCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, Latin non-fiction, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, catechism, Counter-Reformation

A Small Catechism for Catholics is the shortest of Canisius's three catechism written in response to the advent of Protestantism as part of the Counter-Reformation. It's a short, concise guide to the Catholic faith, and there is a list of Bible verses worth memorizing appendixes to the end. Originally written in Latin for 9-14 year-olds, it is probably best utilized today by older teens and adults. For anyone looking for a good, short, orthodox Catholic catechism.

First Line: Who is to be called a Christian, and also a Catholic?

33inge87
Edited: Jul 1, 2015, 8:44 am



Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson

Categories: Once

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, Holocaust, survival, Poland, persecution, family, betrayal, secrets, attorneys, greed, corruption, Nazis, Chicago, parallel narratives

Once We Were Brothers is a compelling thriller about an old man's search for justice and the people he inspires along the way. Ben Solomon has been dealing with the loss of almost everything he loved for most of his life. A survivor of the Holocaust when his family wasn't, he is surprised to recognize the face of his family's betrayer in that of a local Chicago Jewish philanthropist. A public scuffle ensues that makes local headlines, but Rosenzweig, as any business man would just wants the issue to go away.

Meanwhile, Ben begins telling his story to a local lawyer who has forced herself to be someone she isn't in order to survive. He wants to sue the man he knows as Otto Piatek for his family's stolen property. She doesn't want to take his case. Her firm doesn't want her to take his case. But somehow he compels her to want things she hasn't wanted in years. Then the threats start coming and she can't look away anymore. Is Rosenzweig really Piatek? And what really happened all those years ago in Poland? It seems she is destined to find out.

A good premise with a tight plot, the book's split narrative, 1930s Poland and 2004 Chicago, does weaken things a bit as that trick usually does, but it does not harm it irreparably. If you like Holocaust novels or legal thrillers you'll want to pick this one up.

First Line: Ben Solomon stood before his bathroom mirror fumbling with his bow tie.

34inge87
Edited: Jul 2, 2015, 2:22 pm

A Hundred Years of Mount Holyoke College: The Evolution of an Educational Ideal by Arthur Charles Cole

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, history, education, higher education, women's education, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, missionaries, women's studies

A Hundred Years of Mount Holyoke College was commissioned by the college to celebrate its one hundredth anniversary in 1937 but was not finished until several years later. It is a history of the old school, lots of dense text and long drawn out excerpts and quotes, and yet it still manages to capture something of what Mount Holyoke was back in the day. It is always rather interesting with such books to think of how different they would be if they were written today. Goodness knows, if a book is commissioned for the bicentennial in 2037 (and why wouldn't it be) it would have a much different slant to it than the Yankee sentimentality and early 20th-century love of progress shown by Cole. But if you're interesting in the history of Mount Holyoke College, worthy seat of learning that it is, there is quite a lot of useful information here.

First Line: November 8, 1837, broke cold and bleak over the Connecticut Valley.

35inge87
Jul 1, 2015, 8:46 am



100 Days of Real Food: How We Did It, What We Learned, and 100 Easy, Wholesome Recipes Your Family Will Love by Lisa Leake

Categories: The Last Waltz

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, memoir, food, cooking, processed food, natural food, recipes, cookbook, family

100 Days of Real Food is a combination cookbook and memoir about the author and her family's one hundred day fast from processed food. Her points are good, and I can second the recommendation of Pandora's Lunchbox (my review from 2013 is here). However, in my case she is preaching to the choir. For those who haven't started trying to eat more "real" food but think it might be a good idea or want more information, this is a good accessible start without any intellectual pretense or jargon. I haven't tried any of the recipes, but some look quite tasty.

First Line: I was a child of the eighties raised in Tennessee by Midwestern parents who, like millions of others, didn't think too much about where their food came from.

36inge87
Edited: Jul 2, 2015, 12:54 pm



A Tapestry of Lives: Volume 1 by Jean Sims

Categories: Rob Roy

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, historical fiction, Regency era, Pride and Prejudice, retellings, fanfiction, family, death, mourning

A Tapestry of Lives is a marvelous retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice that was originally published online on a fanfiction website and later edited into three print volumes. Volume 1 follows Elizabeth and Darcy through their initial meeting and as in the original novel, many misunderstandings follow. The story cleaves closely to the original plot, but with several subtle but interesting differences. Namely, in this volume, that Elizabeth's Aunt Gardiner is the only surviving child of Sir Louis de Bourgh's youngest brother and that Darcy's mother and all of Lady Catherine's family except Anne died in a disease outbreak that also killed much of the local population while Darcy and his father were away. A favorite of mine, I enjoy the fact that I can now have it on paper, even if the handwriting typeface used for letters is rather difficult to read. Highly recommended for fans of Pride and Prejudice retellings.

First Line: Mr. Thomas Bennet sat silently at his desk as his favorite daughter stalked out of his study, shutting the door soundly behind her.

37inge87
Jul 2, 2015, 12:59 pm



The Attacking Ocean: The Past, Present, and Future of Rising Sea Levels by Brian Fagan

Categories: Medicine Man

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, history, climate history, man and the sea, rising sea levels, floods, storms, death, adaptation, dykes, levees, windmills, hydro-engineering, climate change, Doggerland, Black Sea, Venice, the Netherlands

The Attacking Ocean is a story of man and the sea. From the lost marshes of Doggerland in the North Sea to Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, the author guides the reader on a round-the-world tour of how people have dealt with rising seas. In the beginning it was easy, as one simply moved out of the way, but then as we settled down and population densities increased, other measures, such as dykes/levees and windmills, had to be invented. But the water is still rising and containment only makes things worse when the sea breaks through, whether it is 2005 New Orleans or 1362 Holland. The author gives plenty of ideas of what man has faced and what he may yet face in the future, in a world of fewer and fewer options.

An excellent resource for the subject, highly readable and accessible to non-scientists. Whether your interest is the fate of low-lying islands, coastal cities, or human water-engineering, you'll definitely want to pick up this book.

First Line: Almost all my life, I've lived by the sea.

38inge87
Jul 2, 2015, 1:01 pm



August Folly by Angela Thirkell

Categories: Hard Day's Night

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, summer, amateur theatricals, neighbors, family, growing up, donkeys, misunderstandings

August Folly is a summery tale set amongst Barsetshire neighbors involved in a summer theatrical and each other. The usual Thirkell tropes of misunderstandings and miss-matched couples appears as does one rather stubborn donkey. I'm still not sure how I feel about the scenes where he talks to the cat. This isn't Thirkell's best novel; however, anyone who has ever been involved with putting on a play or attempted to figure out what to do with themselves after graduation will be able to appreciate its charms at least a little.

This is not the place to start Thirkell, High Rising or even Wild Strawberries would be far better for that. But for the already initiated, there is some fun to be had here, even if it doesn't always work.

First Line: The little village of Worsted, some sixty miles west of London, is still, owing to the very defective railway system which hardly attempts to serve it, to a great extent unspoilt.

39Chrischi_HH
Jul 2, 2015, 2:00 pm

>37 inge87: Very interesting and very relevant topic. Just yesterday I read a newspaper article that there will be a new initiative to protect the wadden sea areas in the north of Germany and in Denmark. Millions of euros for tons of sand, quite impressive project.

40inge87
Jul 2, 2015, 4:09 pm

>39 Chrischi_HH: The North Sea region gets a lot of attention in The Attacking Ocean, because of how much water-control technology has been and still is being innovated there. As for the Wattenmeer, if I learned anything from reading The Rider on the White Horse, it's that that region has been dealing with the sea forever and will be dealing with the sea forever. Only now the Hauke Haiens of the world have public support for their science and aren't accused of making Satanic bargains to hold the water back.

41inge87
Jul 2, 2015, 4:29 pm



Only a Promise by Mary Balogh

Categories: Rob Roy

Series: The Survivors' Club (5/6?)

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, historical fiction, romance, Regency era, family, secrets, gossip, scandal, marriage, promises, guilt, overcoming fears

Only a Promise is the most recent of Balogh's Survivor's Club books, about a group of Napoleonic war veterans who bonded while recovering from their mental and physical wounds in distant Cornwall. Ralph is feeling pressure to marry, but doesn't feel any woman should be saddled with him due to the remnants of guilt of his three best friends' death during the war that he feels is his fault. Chloe has fled London after rumors made her second attempt at a season just as disastrous as her first. She offers him a marriage of convenience if he promises never to make her go back there. But soon events for both of them to face their greatest fears and overcome them. And, this being a romance novel, they do.

Possibly the best of the series so far. For those who love a good Regency romance of the popular, pulpy sort.

First Line: There could surely be nothing worse than having been born a woman, Chloe Muirhead thought with unabashed self-pity as she sucked a globule of blood off her left forefinger and looked to see if any more was about to bubble up and threaten to ruin the strip of delicate lace she was sewing back onto one of the Duchess of Worthingham's best afternoon caps

42inge87
Edited: Jul 2, 2015, 4:33 pm



The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

Categories: Medicine Man

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, science, natural science, history of science, extinction, mass extinction, Anthropocene, habitat destruction, mankind behaving badly, Pulitzer Prize winner

The Sixth Extinction is a compelling account of how man has caused and is causing extinctions around the world from mammoths to great auks to golden toads. The title comes from the fact that there have been five documented mass extinctions in Earth's history and we may be living in the midst of the sixth. Kolbert first documents the history of the concept of extinction, which is actually very recent, it was well into the 19th century before people actually accepted that species could even become extinct. She then continues on to show how we struggle to save the very creatures our actions are killing, and how the extinctions of the past provide a key to the future.

An excellent read. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the topic.

First Line: The town of El Valle de Antón, in Central Panama, sits in the middle of a volcanic crater formed about a million years ago.

43inge87
Edited: Jul 2, 2015, 4:36 pm



Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching: A Defense of the Church's True Teachings on Marriage, Family, and the State by Anthony Esolen

Categories: Chariots of Fire

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, social teaching, Pope Leo XIII, modern society, Church and society, family

Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching brings Pope Leo XIII's social teachings to the 21st century in an attempt to show where society has gone wrong and what we can do to fix it. And he has many good and useful points to make on that subject. With chapters dedicated to personal, family, and societal issues, the book is both concise and thorough covering quite a bit in only eight chapters. It also manages to avoid jargon and remain accessible to a beginner to the subject of Catholic social teaching. Perfect for anyone interested in the topic or those looking to begin at study of Leo XIII's teachings. Highly recommended.

First Line: Is it possible, I have sometimes wondered for a well-intentioned and intelligent person to get everything wrong, in the matter upon which he sets his mind most energetically?

44Chrischi_HH
Jul 2, 2015, 4:38 pm

>40 inge87: Yes, that's true, the sea is kind of everything we have here. We live from it, right now we enjoy hot summer weather at its coast, and sometimes it is rather a nightmare, when storms push the water up to the top of the dykes. You just have to learn to live with it. (I live on the Eastern side of northern Germany, though, close to the Baltic Sea. Here it is not as "bad" as on the west coast.) I will put The Attacking Ocean to my BB list, thanks for reviewing it. :)

45inge87
Jul 2, 2015, 4:38 pm



The Turquoise Ledge: A Memoir by Leslie Marmon Silko

Categories: The Last Waltz

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, memoir, Laguna Tribe, Tuscon, American Southwest, spiders, snakes, mastiffs, alien gods, walking, rambling, where was the editor

The Turquoise Ledge is an unfortunate hodge-podge of ideas, events, and thoughts gathered together and turned into a memoir. In the end you learn a lot about how Silko's brain works, but not a lot about her actual life. There are vague strands of plot and narrative here, but nothing long-lasting. I found this a struggle to get through and it really needed a good editor to whack the author over the head and whip the piece into shape before it was published. Too late for that now, so I'd avoid this one if I were you.

First Line: I was born in 1948, the year of the supernova in the Mixed Spiral galaxy.

46inge87
Jul 4, 2015, 3:43 pm

>44 Chrischi_HH: You're welcome!

47inge87
Edited: Jan 2, 2016, 1:34 pm



The Changeling Sea by Patricia A. McKillip*

Categories: Babe, RandomCAT

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, fantasy, YA, coming of age, depression, magic, periwinkles, magicians, sea monsters, family, secrets, revenge, proto-YA,

The Changeling Sea is a short, evocative fantasy about growing up and finding your place in the world. Peri's mother has lived in a fog ever since her fisherman husband died at sea. leaving Peri to fend for herself and nurse her anger against the waters that took her father away and ruined her family. While in the process of creating hexes to show her displeasure, she is approached by Prince Kir, who has his own request of her. The results of her work bring a sea monster on a gold chain and all kinds of chaos to her village. Clearly her life is about to change forever.

A lovely YA story with definite adult crossover appeal. Highly recommended. Ignore the first edition cover, and let this later one inspire you instead:



First Line: No one really knew where Peri lived the year after the sea took her father and cast his boat, shrouded in a tangle of fishing net, like an empty shell back onto the beach.

48inge87
Jul 4, 2015, 3:53 pm



Contraception and Persecution by Charles E. Rice

Categories: Koyaanisqatsi

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, Church and society, contraception, conscious, freedom, oppression, persecution

Contraception and Persecution is a very Catholic book about the following one's conscious even when society and the government say you shouldn't. Divided into four sections: persecution, underlying causes of the persecution, contraception as an unacknowledged cause of the problems, and the response to all this, the book is a window into the traditionalist and, to a certain extent conservative, Catholic mind (conservative and traditional Catholics are not at all the same, but that's a review for a different book). In a world that is constantly changing, how do you define and defend your beliefs when everyone wants to to accept only theirs. It's all in this book, which is a must for Catholics trying to pick their way through these interesting times.

First Line: As Cardinal George noted, the Church has a way of outlasting persecutions and bringing from them a greater good.

49inge87
Edited: Jul 4, 2015, 9:07 pm

June Round-Up!

Books Read: 16

Category Challenge

83 of 180 read - 46.11% done (true total 104 books)

2 of 15 categories completed - 13.33% done

Individual Categories
1. Twelfth Night/Henry V: Classic Fiction (pre-1920) - 2 - 16.67%
2. Medicine Man: Environmental Science - 4 - 33.33%
3. Star Wars: Fantasy/SciFi - 22 - 100%
4. Princess Mononoke: Graphic format - 2 - 16.67%
5. Rob Roy: Historical Fiction - 7 - 58.33%
6. A Man for All Seasons: History - 3 - 25%
7. The Last Waltz: Memoirs - 7 - 58.33%
8. The Third Man: Mysteries - 11 - 91.67%
9. Once: New Fiction (2000 to Present) - 2 - 16.67%
10. Koyaanisqatsi: Other Non-Fiction - 6 - 50%
11. The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October: Recent Fiction (1970 to 1999) - 1 - 8.33%
12. Chariots of Fire: Religion - 24 - 100%
13. A Hard Day's Night: Retro Fiction (1920 to 1969) - 5 - 41.67%
14. Out of Africa: Travel - 3 - 25%
15. Babe: YA/Juvenile fiction - 5 - 41.67%

Challenges
RandomCAT - 3
HistoryCAT - 2

Genre
Non-Fiction - 10 - 62.5%
Fiction - 6 - 37.5%

Sources
ILL - 5 - 31.25%
Me (other) - 4 - 25%
Austin PL (E-Book) - 2 - 12.5%
Me (this month) - 2 - 12.5%
Work - 2 - 12.5%
Free Online E-Book - 1 - 6.25%

Authors
Female - 8 - 50%
Male - 8 - 50%

Edition Language
English - 12 - 100%

Original Language
English - 16 - 100%

Series
Stand-Alone Books - 13 - 81.25%
Series Books - 3 - 18.75%

Ratings Distribution
1 star - 0 - 0%
2 stars - 1 - 5.9%
3 stars - 6 - 52.8%
4 stars - 7 - 35.2%
5 stars - 2 - 0%

Average Rating
3.625

Best of the Month



Fiction: Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond by Mrs. Oliphant

Non-Fiction (tie): The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
Contraception and Persecution by Charles E. Rice

50inge87
Jul 5, 2015, 3:57 pm



Stained Glass: Radiant Art by Virginia Chieffo Raguin

Categories: Koyaanisqatsi

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, art, stained glass, glass-making, art conservation, art history

Stained Glass: Radiant Art contains everything you ever wanted to know about medieval and early modern stained glass: how it was made, how it was used, and how it was and is conserved. Full of glorious images of stained glass in the Getty Museum collection, it does an excellent job of explaining complex ideas with little jargon. It is a perfect example of how good illustrations can support ideas in a text and reduce the need for extra explanations. For anyone interested in stained glass or interesting short art books, I can definitely recommend this book.

First Line: Stained glass windows were essential features of medieval and Renaissance buildings, providing not only light to illuminate the interior but also specific and permanent imagery that proclaimed the importance of place.

51christina_reads
Jul 6, 2015, 12:16 am

>43 inge87: Hey, Anthony Esolen! He's a faculty member at Providence College, where I did my undergrad, and I actually took one of his classes! I'll have to check out this book. I haven't actually read anything of his, except his translation of Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered.

52inge87
Edited: Jul 11, 2015, 12:24 pm

>51 christina_reads: It's always funny how ears perk up at the names of old professors or university faculty members. Books I'd never ordinarily be interested in somehow get a second glance if the author is somehow associated with Mt. Holyoke. I've never read anything else of Esolen's, but my boss is a big fan.

53inge87
Jul 11, 2015, 12:32 pm



Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart

Categories: Hard Day's Night, RandomCAT

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, suspense, mystery, Isle of Skye, Scotland, divorce, obnoxious exes, murder, mountains, paganism, secrets, madness, mooched

Wildfire at Midnight is a classic Mary Stewart thriller, with a rather innocent young woman travels far from the safety of London to find adventure, dangers, and a hint of romance. This time Gianetta, a "mannequin" (model), flees the congestion of London in the run-up to the coronation for the wilds of Skye. Upon arrival, it appears her vacation is destined for rockiness, because her ex-husband is staying at her hotel. Talk about awkward. Then people start dying and a fellow resident receives a kind of voodoo doll, and everything begins spiraling out of control. All she wanted to do was do a bit of hiking and perhaps learn to fish. Ultimately, she is going to have to learn to survive instead.

One of my favorite of Stewart's thrillers. The final twist (the one after the murderer is caught) has not aged particularly well, but if you can get past that particularly interesting take on women and their desires, it's an excellent book. Highly recommended for the retro thriller lover in all of us.

First Line: In the first place, I suppose, it was my parents' fault for giving me a silly name like Gianetta.

54inge87
Jul 14, 2015, 12:17 pm



Climbing Parnassus: A New Apologia for Greek and Latin by Tracy Lee Simmons

Categories: Koyaanisqatsi

Keywords: non-fiction, education, classical eduction, essays, apology, Ancient Greek, Latin, the joys of Classics

Climbing Parnassus is a collection of three essays extolling the virtues of old-school classical education with a focus on Latin and Ancient Greek. The first essay focuses on the nature and goals of classical education, the second on the history of classical education from ancient times to the twentieth century, and the third on the fate and role of classical education in the modern era. For those, like me, who are already sympathetic with the theme, it makes for quite the stirring read. My only complaint is that the bibliography is a bit insufficient and could have been more substantial. I'm not sure that anyone not interested in the topic would want to pick it up, but if you've ever wondered about the place of the Classics in the modern world, this book is for you.

First Line: Anyone setting out to defend what Albert Jay Nock once called "the grand old fortifying classical curriculum" — essentially Greek and Latin — does so knowing that he fies the tattered flag of a lost cause.

55inge87
Jul 14, 2015, 2:35 pm



How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction by Beth Shapiro

Categories: Medicine Man

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, science, biology, genetics, de-extinction, extinction, cloning, mammoths, passenger pigeons, genomes, rewilding

How to Clone a Mammoth is a step-by-step guide to how to recreate lost species—if that really is what we want to do. The author's examples tend to be mammoths and passenger pigeons (as she herself admits) because that is what her lab's work has done the most work on and therefore what she knows best. The Chapter titles give a good summary of the book's content: Reversing Extinction, Select a Species, Find a Well-Preserved Specimen, Create a Clone, Breed Them Back, Reconstruct the Genome, Reconstruct Part of the Genome, Now Create a Clone, Make More of Them, Set Them Free, and Should We?. It turns out, after all, that de-exctinction is actually much more complicated than simple cloning and that cloning may not always be the best solution to filling the ecological niches that humans and time have emptied.

A highly interesting book that manages to be both full of science and yet extremely accessible to interested laypeople. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in extinction and de-extinction.

First Line: A few years ago, a colleague of mine practically bit my head off for geting the end date of the Cretaceous period wrong by a little bit.

56inge87
Jul 14, 2015, 3:44 pm



The Property by Rutu Modan

Categories: Princess Mononoke

Keywords: fiction, Israeli fiction, graphic novel, travel, Warsaw, Poland, the Holocaust, love, family, secrets, crazy grandmas, conniving aunts, coming to terms with the past

The Property is the tale of Israeli Mica Segal and her grandmother Regina, who travel to the grandmother's home city of Warsaw a few months after Mica's father's death. It is the first time Regina has returned to the city since she left in the 1930s, surviving the Holocaust by being in Palestine when Poland was invaded. However, the rest of her family died in the ensuing persecution. Ostensibly she and Mica are in Warsaw to claim her family's apartment, which was seized during the Nazi occupation, but is that really why she's finally decided to return? Mica can tell something is up, she just can't quite figure out what, but she makes a new friend in Tomasz Novak, who helps her discover Warsaw without her grandmother's "assistance". A beautifully illustrated and wonderfully plotted work about family, loss, and second chances. Perfect for anyone with an interest in Holocaust fiction or good narrative graphic novels.

First Line: Ben-Gurion Airport, end of October, 200X.

57inge87
Edited: Jul 23, 2015, 11:15 am



Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault

Categories: Princess Mononoke

Keywords: fiction, Quebecois fiction, francophone literature, juvenile fiction, graphic novel, Jane Eyre, Montreal, school, bullying, friendship, survival, mean girls, body image, camping

Jane, the Fox, and Me is a gem of a graphic novel about Hélène, a girl struggling to get by after all of her friends abandon her. Constantly bullied, she takes inspiration from reading Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Nothing seems to go well for her and she is shockingly unhappy. The adults just don't understand. Just when it seems that things couldn't get worse, she entire class has to camping on a school trip. Poor Héléne, will she ever catch a break?

The perfect blend of text and artwork, Jane, the Fox, and Me is marketed as a juvenile graphic novel, but has definite appeal to people of all ages.

First Line: There was no possibility of hiding anywhere today.

58inge87
Jul 24, 2015, 12:52 pm



The Shores of Spain by J. Kathleen Cheney

Categories: Star Wars, SFFCAT

Series: The Golden City (3/3)

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, fantasy, historical fantasy, Portugal, Spain, sirens, selkies, seers, theft, politics, conspiracy, intrigue, family, secrets, imprisonment

The Shores of Spain is the final book of the Golden City trilogy and marks a return to the high quality of the first volume. Oriana and Duilio are hard at work trying to re-open ties with the Siren government, when a new series of problems emerge and he calls upon his favorite relative to follow up in Spain. What he and his companions find there explains quite a few events of Oriana's past and reveals a web of lies and intrigue far beyond what anyone ever imagined.

This is all perfect and wonderful, although I thought there was too much Joaquin and Company towards the end. I no longer think his beloved is too stupid to live like I did in the second book, but they're really not my favorite people and I would have preferred more of Oriana and Duilio's story. But other than that, it's a fantastic read and everyone who enjoyed The Golden City should definitely seek it out.

First Line: Marina Arenias curled up in one of the upholstered chairs in the front sitting room of the Ferreira home, the room in the house with the best light even now, past sunset.

59inge87
Edited: Jul 25, 2015, 1:32 pm



A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

Categories: Babe

Series: Stranje House (1/?)

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, YA, fantasy, historical fantasy, alternative history, Napoleonic Wars, boarding school, invisible ink, scientific experiments, espionage, friendship

A School for Unusual Girls is the tale of Georgiana, who is shipped off to boarding school after a scientific experiment gone wrong destroys her father's stables. It might have blown over—if this were the first time her curiosity hadn't gotten her in trouble. So Stranje House it is, where Georgie is sure she is going to be miserable, but not all is as it seems. Stranje House is really a refuge for "unusual girls" whose eccentricities make them unappreciated by their families but useful in other ways and soon enough Georgie's failed experiment is brought back to help the war effort. naturally brings the war and all its violence directly to Georgie's new friends, and only she can save them.

A fun YA historical. The fantasy element does not really come into play until the last third of the book, when it becomes more obviously alternative history. There are some psychic elements earlier in the book, but since Georgie does not really trust anyone at first, neither do the readers. For those who love Regency-set or boarding school fantasies.

First Line: "What if Sir Isaac Newton's parents had packed him off to a school to reform his manners?"

60lkernagh
Jul 25, 2015, 10:20 am

>59 inge87: - The Baldwin book does sound like a fun read!

.... oh dear.... hit with a BB for a series. Seems to be the story of my life these days. ;-0

61inge87
Edited: Jul 25, 2015, 11:20 am

>60 lkernagh: It does seem like books are becoming a bit like movies, fewer standalones and more franchises (i.e. series). Series BBs are everywhere these days, but I do have a couple of good, recent non-series books that I need to review, so there may be hope yet for those who just want to read one book instead of 3 or 10.

62inge87
Edited: Jul 25, 2015, 1:46 pm



A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention by Matt Richtel

Categories: Koyaanisqatsi

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, science, neurology, the brain, attention, distracted driving, distraction, cell phones, vehicular homicide, death, guilt, victims' advocates, family, Utah

A Deadly Wandering is really two stories: that of the science of the human brain and how it handles distraction and that of Reggie Shaw, who swerved into oncoming traffic while texting his girlfriend and killed two people. Reggie can't remember the wreck and his family circles the wagons to protect him, meanwhile the families of those killed struggle to put together what happened and find some measure of justice. A law enforcement officer thinks it was his texting that did it, but he must find proof and then a prosecutor willing to think that Reggie did anything wrong while texting and driving. There is also the story of the victim's advocate who overcame a history of family violence to help others like her, but most of the story is Reggie, how he struggles to come to terms with what he did and how he has used his experience to try to keep others from suffering the way he has.

The neurology/brain science part is interesting, and if you've ever wondered why multitasking is so hard or why you get on the computer to do one quick thing and then find yourself still on it two hours later reading bad Harry Potter fanfiction or celebrity gossip, it is definitely a book to pick up. Also, if you've ever wondered how Utah, of all places, became one of the first places to take up anti-texting and driving legislation, you'll find your answer here as well. Suffice to say texting and driving is bad, really bad, because your brain zones out and focuses on the digital world instead of the one on the other side of the windshield. A must for anyone who's ever texted while driving or anyone looking for good quality non-fiction, it's one of the best non-fiction works I've read this year.

First Line: "Are you comfortable, Reggie?"

63-Eva-
Jul 31, 2015, 10:40 pm

>56 inge87:
I've read a few other of Rutu Modan's books and they are all good, but I think this is the best one.

64inge87
Aug 1, 2015, 7:59 pm

>63 -Eva-: This was my first Modan; however, Exit Wounds has a certain appeal and I may try for it later.

65inge87
Aug 5, 2015, 2:48 pm



The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

Categories: Henry V/Twelfth Night

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, Scottish fiction, thriller, espionage, murder, politics, conspiracy, life on the run

The Thirty-Nine Steps is the one man's adventure, after he takes in a stranger, only to find him murdered shortly thereafter. Deciding that either everyone will think he did it and that the secrets his "friend" carried are important enough to seek out, he goes on the run, meets a lot of people both friendly and threatening, before finding the place with thirty-nine steps and uncovering a political conspiracy. But not before he almost dies a few times. It's a classic of its genre, but I thought there a few too many happy coincidences. For those looking for a fun, short read though, it's still very much worth it.

First Line: I returned from the City about three o'clock on that May afternoon pretty well disgusted with life.

66inge87
Aug 5, 2015, 3:41 pm



Family Trees: A History of Genealogy in America by François Weil

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Keywords: non-fiction, genealogy, history, American history, family, record-keeping, joys of correspondence, ancestor fraud

Family Trees is a history of Americans' fascination with their ancestors (or lack thereof) from the earliest days of British colonialism to the present (c. 2013). Suffice to say a lot depended on politics: sometimes you wanted to be descended from a lord, sometimes you didn't. There is also a very interesting section on African-American genealogy. But my favorite bit of the book were the dark brown end-pages textured like tree bark. You just don't see nice touches like that anymore. For anyone with an interest in the history of genealogy or American self-perception.

First Line: The 2008 and 2012 presidential elections generated extraordinary interest in Barack and Michelle Obama's genealogies.

67inge87
Edited: Aug 7, 2015, 11:44 am



Ending Up by Kingsley Amis

Categories: The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, satire, aging, geriatrics, communal living, Hell is other people, family, Christmas, letter-writing

Ending Up is a book about crotchety old people struggling to live together in order to get by on their pensions. Suffice to say, they are the perfect examples of Sartre's adage about Hell being other people. I rarely enjoy satires, but every now and then I pick one up and delude myself that maybe this time I'll like it. I never do. The ending on this one I found particularly pointless, which was probably the point. But I don't want a pointless ending. Suffice to say, if you like satires, you'll probably enjoy this one much more than I did.

First Line: 'How's your leg this morning, Bernard?' asked Adela Bastable.

68inge87
Aug 7, 2015, 3:25 pm



The Crossing Place: A Journey Among the Armenians by Philip Marsden

Categories: Out of Africa

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, travel, Armenians, Armenian diaspora, Armenian genocide, Turkey, Venice, Jerusalem, Lebanon, Syria, Bulgaria, Romania, Soviet Union, Armenia

The Crossing Place is the story of the author's journey among the Armenian diaspora of the Middle East and Eastern Europe on his way to what was then Soviet Armenia. Beginning his journey in Venice after a long stay in Jerusalem, he travelled though the Middle East, visiting diaspora communities as well as historic site connected to both the genocide and the time before. From there, in order to reach Armenia he travelled through Bulgaria and Romania to the Soviet Union, reaching the Caucasus via the Black Sea. He meets some interesting people and is able to visit with some of the last genocide survivors, something that would not have been possible if he had made the trip even a few years later. 1991 was a different world, and yet so much has not changed. For anyone interested in Armenians, their culture, and their history, and those who enjoy interesting travel memoirs.

My edition, brought out in 2015 to coincide with the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, contains a very interesting preface by the author describing what has happened to some of the places he visited in the time after the book's publication. Many of the places he visited in Syria are under ISIS control, and, as one might expect, the Armenian sites have not fared well there.

First Line: One summer, walking in the hills of eastern Turkey, I came across a short piece of bone.

69inge87
Aug 7, 2015, 4:00 pm



Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende

Categories: The Last Waltz

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, memoir, technology, primitive living, farming, Anabaptists, American Midwest, graduate school

Better Off is the tale of a man and his wife who spend a year living in an Amish-like community somewhere in the American Midwest as part of a grad school project. He goes to great lengths to hide the identity of this community, calling them "Minimites"; however, I imagine based on some things he says that they are German Baptists (but I could be wrong). There's a big learning curve, but slowly but surely they become part of the society fabric. They almost make plans to stay, except it turns out his wife is allergic to horses, so they don't. This could be a very compelling memoir, but it comes off flaky and shallow instead. I really can't recommend it, even for those interested in the topic.

First Line: I used to be as optimistic as anyone about technology.

70thornton37814
Aug 13, 2015, 8:53 pm

>66 inge87: I have that book in a TBR pile. I'll get to it one of these days.

71inge87
Aug 14, 2015, 9:06 pm

>70 thornton37814: It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was a very interesting book.

72inge87
Aug 15, 2015, 7:32 pm



Rook by Sharon Cameron

Categories: Babe

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, YA, dystopia, England, France, politics, conspiracy, revolution, prison breaks, romance, engagements, family, suspense, freedom

Rook is a YA dystopia set in a future Britain and France after destruction and chaos caused by a partial reversal of the magnetic poles destroyed most hints of the civilized world we know today. Based on, but not a strict retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Paris is divided into two spheres: the privileged live above ground and those who serve them live below in what used to be the catacombs. A new government focuses on terror in the name of Fate, and our heroine spends her time rescuing people from French jails and bringing them across the Channel to safety. However, after her father engages her to a French noble in order to raise money and keep the family estate, life suddenly becomes a lot more interesting . . . and dangerous. Because this time, instead of going to the French government, the French government has come to her.

An excellent adventure, with just the right touch of romance. For anyone who enjoys well-written stand along YA fantasy or enjoyed The Scarlet Pimpernel. Highly Recommended.

First Line: The heavy blade hung high above the prisoners, glinting against the stars, and then the Razor came down, a wedge of falling darkness cutting through the torchlight.

73inge87
Aug 15, 2015, 7:36 pm



Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 2 by Naoko Takeuchi

Categories: Princess Mononoke

Keywords: fiction, Japanese fiction, manga, reincarnated royalty, superheroes, crystals, romance, time travel, lunar travel, cosmic villains

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 2 continues the adventures of Sailor Moon and friends as they recover their memories, rediscover lost loves, and gear up to fight an ancient adversary. We finally meet Sailor V in the flesh, and the tragic love of moon princess and earth prince plays out before our eyes. Just as fun as book one, and since all the major players for this arch have been introduced, the story can only get better.

Those new to the series should start with book one, where most of the characters are introduced. The manga is different from the anime, so if you've seen it but not read the books don't assume you already know what is going to happen.

First Line: So you're awake?

74inge87
Edited: Aug 15, 2015, 8:02 pm

A Decent Birth, A Happy Funeral by William Saroyan

Categories: A Hard Day's Night

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, theatre, comedy, play, male bonding, drunken Hungarians, marriage, pregnancy, death, soldiers, fortune tellers, tarot cards

A Decent Birth, A Happy Funeral is a comedy about two men who meet randomly and just happen to share the same name and to have grown up in the same orphanage, even though they aren't related and never met before this point. Both want to enroll in the army, but one is deaf in one ear and ineligible. The other, an actor, drags him off to an Hungarian restaurant where he introduces him to an actress co-worker. A drunken Hungarian shouts lot in what appears to be Polish and tarot cards are read. Maybe this works a lot better on stage than on the page, but I was ultimately very unimpressed.

75inge87
Aug 15, 2015, 8:06 pm



Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

Categories: Once

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, contemporary fiction, family, friendship, college, summer, cottages, wealth, privilege, corruption, secrets, lies, theft, murder, love, hate, desire, belonging

Bittersweet is an interesting, suspenseful take on growing up and falling in love in the shadow of wealthy privilege and family secrets. Mabel, our heroine, is away from home when she forms a kind of friendship with her wealthy roommate and gets invited to join her at her family's compound in Maine for the summer. Coming from a working-class family in Portland, Oregon, she immediately realizes that she's out of her element. As someone who didn't know that "summer" was a very until I went to college in Massachusetts, this is something I can understand—not that I ever had a millionaire roommate whose family had such a compound. Mabel becomes obsessed with the Winslow family, and what she discovers will lead her to all kinds of choices, few of which have easy answers. But the summer sun has a way of lulling everyone into a sense of calm, which only makes the coming reckoning even more destructive.

Highly recommended. It's a perfect summer read, as long as you don't have any unscrupulous or criminal relatives hiding in your closet.

First Line: Before she loathed me, before she loved me, Genevra Katherine Winslow didn't know that I existed.

76inge87
Aug 15, 2015, 8:07 pm

And just to show that covers can be everything sometimes, part of what drew me to Bittersweet was the cover:



I might never had read it if I lived in the UK. That cover looks like it's selling a completely different book:


77inge87
Aug 15, 2015, 8:10 pm



The Story of Our Churches and Cathedrals by Richard Bowood

Categories: Koyaanisqatsi

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, children's non-fiction, architecture, ecclesiastical architecture, British architecture, Anglicanism, history of architecture, Ladybird Achievements

The Story of Our Churches and Cathedrals is a lovely overview of English ecclesiastical architecture. Aimed at children, it provides clear descriptions of the various building styles from Saxon to today (c. 1964). It is a perfect introduction to the subject for anyone looking for an accessible overview, whether young in body or young at heart. And the illustrations are attractive enough to lure even those who don't see much fun in learning about the three English Gothic styles.

78inge87
Aug 15, 2015, 8:15 pm



Global Crisis: War, Climate Change and Catastrophe in the Seventeenth Century by Geoffrey Parker

Categories: A Man for All Seasons, HistoryCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, history, climatology, 17th century, global history, famine, war, civil war, unrest, population disruption, regime change, disease, starvation, death, suffering, Thirty Years' War, Portuguese War of Independence, Russia, Ottoman Empire, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Mughal Empire, France, Spain, Portugal, New England, Britain, Japan, Brazil

Global Crisis is a comprehensive take on the series of calamities that affected most of the globe during the 17th century and how climate and weather played a role. Known as the "General Crisis", this is the period that saw the fall of the Mind dynasty in China, several rounds of civil war and regime change in Britain, chaos in the Ottoman Empire, civil war and unrest in the Netherlands, and the Thirty-Years' War in most of Central Europe, among other disasters. Life in this period was often short and miserable. And the author does a good job of showing how it all comes together. It's a very interesting book, more than likely the definitive take on the subject; however, it can be remarkably dense, with individual chapters sometimes eighty pages long. But if you want to know to how send a nation into untold suffering or how to avoid that fate, there's a lot of useful information here.

Probably for the more academically-minded than the average layman. But worth a read for the dedicated.

First Line: The French philosopher and author Voltaire was the first to write about a Global Crisis in the seventeenth century.

79inge87
Edited: Sep 2, 2015, 11:33 am

July Round-Up!

Books Read: 20

Category Challenge

100 of 180 read - 55.56% done (true total 122 books)

2 of 15 categories completed - 13.33% done

Individual Categories
1. Twelfth Night/Henry V: Classic Fiction (pre-1920) - 3 - 25%
2. Medicine Man: Environmental Science - 5 - 41.67%
3. Star Wars: Fantasy/SciFi - 23 - 100%
4. Princess Mononoke: Graphic format - 5 - 41.67%
5. Rob Roy: Historical Fiction - 7 - 58.33%
6. A Man for All Seasons: History - 5 - 41.67%
7. The Last Waltz: Memoirs - 8 - 66.67%
8. The Third Man: Mysteries - 11 - 91.67%
9. Once: New Fiction (2000 to Present) - 3 - 25%
10. Koyaanisqatsi: Other Non-Fiction - 10 - 50%
11. The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October: Recent Fiction (1970 to 1999) - 2 - 16.67%
12. Chariots of Fire: Religion - 24 - 100%
13. A Hard Day's Night: Retro Fiction (1920 to 1969) - 6 - 50%
14. Out of Africa: Travel - 4 - 33.33%
15. Babe: YA/Juvenile fiction - 7 - 41.67%

Challenges
HistoryCAT - 1
RandomCAT - 1
SFFCAT - 1

Genre
Fiction - 11 - 55%
Non-Fiction - 9 - 45%

Sources
Work - 12 - 60%
Me (this month) - 4 - 20%
Irving PL - 2 - 10%
ILL - 1 - 5%
Me (other) - 1 - 5%

Authors
Female - 11 - 55%
Male - 9 - 45%

Edition Language
English - 20 - 100%

Original Language
English - 17 - 85%
French - 1 - 5%
Japanese - 1 - 5%
Modern Hebrew - 1 - 5%

Ratings Distribution
1 star - 0 - 0%
2 stars - 2 - 10%
3 stars - 6 - 30%
4 stars - 9 - 45%
5 stars - 2 - 10%

Average Rating
3.4

Best of the Month



Fiction: Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault

Non-Fiction: A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention by Matt Richtel

80MissWatson
Aug 16, 2015, 7:39 am

>78 inge87: That sounds like it is right up my alley. BB taken.

81inge87
Aug 21, 2015, 4:27 pm

>80 MissWatson: What can I say, I'm a good shot!

82inge87
Edited: Aug 21, 2015, 4:39 pm



Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

Categories: The Third Man

Series: Lord Peter Wimsey (10/13)

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, mystery, golden age mysteries, advertising, drug smuggling, murder, office politics, cricket, office boys gone wild

Murder Must Advertise finds Lord Peter pretending (and somewhat succeeding) to be a common advertising copy-writer after a mysterious death gets referred to him. Peter can never resist a mystery, and he soon finds that advertising has its fun points, even if it can often me a bit shallow. But the office soon turns out to be full of sharks, and possibly one dope smuggling kingpin. If only Peter can stay out of trouble long enough to figure out who he is.

More fun with everyone's favorite ducal scion. Sayers worked in advertising before turning fully to writing, so she knew what she was talking about and includes all kinds of interesting tid-bits. For fans of Peter and golden age mysteries. Those new to the series should probably start with Whose Body?.

First Line: 'And by the way,' said Mr. Hankin, arresting Miss Rossiter as she rose to go, 'there is a new copy-writer coming in today.'

83inge87
Edited: Aug 22, 2015, 1:24 pm



Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 3 by Naoko Takeuchi

Categories: Princess Mononoke, SFFCAT

Series: Sailor Moon (3/12)

Keywords: fiction, Japanese fiction, manga, reincarnated royalty, superheroes, crystals, romance, time travel, lunar travel, cosmic villains, kidnapping

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 3 picks up where the cliffhanger ending of Volume 2 left off. Mamorou has been possessed by the bad guys and Sailor Moon is upset (it's what she does best). Everyone wants the Legendary Silver Crystal, but no one seems to know exactly what it does or how to control it. But this being Sailor Moon, we all know she'll manage to muddle through anyhow. This volume marks the end of the first story arch and the beginning of the second, featuring everyone's favorite brat, Chibi-Usa. Usagi may be the lone hold out on that point, but if some strange girl showed up out of the blue and convinced your parents to make her part of the family, you'd be a bit put out too. Especially if said girl is really fond of your boyfriend. But of course, she's come for a reason, and there's a new villainous group plotting against the Sailor Scouts: the Black Moon and they've kidnapped Sailor Mercury—whatever will Sailor Moon and her friends do now!?!

Sailor Moon has a strong tendency towards melodrama, but it's so much fun that you don't really care. Recommended for fans of the series.

First Line: He's become the tool of Queen Beryl, the queen of the evil empire, the Dark Kingdom.

84inge87
Edited: Aug 22, 2015, 1:23 pm



The Spirit-Wrestlers And Other Survivors of the the Russian Century by Philip Marsden

Categories: Out of Africa

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, travel, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Caucasus, Rostov-on-Don, Old Believers, Doukhobors, war, settlement, exile, deportation, UK edition

The Spirit-Wrestlers documents Marsden's journey in search of Russia's southern frontier, a place of pirates and religious exiles, not to mention restive natives. Marsden was inspired by accounts he read in the Lenin Library of dissident religious sects, particularly the Doukhobors or Spirit-Wrestlers, who once populated the Russian countryside. Sent into exile on the Southern Steppe and beyond to the Caucasus, these people helped establish Russian hegemony on its fragile borders even while their presents in far-off outposts helped keep things peaceful in the heartland. Marsden first sets off for Rostov-on-Don, Cossack capital and father of crime (one of the most oft repeated phrases in the book is that Odessa is the mother of crime and Rostov is the father). Cossacks were essentially pirate bands operating on a sea of grass while following their own rules. It is in this region that Marsden finds the first remnants of religious dissenters as well as a burgeoning population of Old Believers (essentially unreformed Russian Orthodox who refused to follow 17th century reforms).

But religion is not Marsden's only interest in southern Russia: he is also looking for the people who lived their first, like the Adyghe and the Ossetians. War with Georgia also causes issues, since his ultimate goal, the place where the Doukhobors burned their weapons in the face of conscription, lies in the present day republic. The author does an excellent job of showing just how un-Russian many of these frontier places are, especially closer to the Caucasus, through his experiences without ever saying anything. In my mind this is the sign of a good writer, and I will definitely be reading more Marsden in the future. Highly recommended.

First Line: For the best part of one post-Soviet Moscow winter I travelled in to the Lenin Library and read stories of Cossacks and Old Believers and plotted a journey to the south.

85inge87
Edited: Aug 22, 2015, 1:24 pm



Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 4 by Naoko Takeuchi

Categories: Princess Mononoke, SFFCAT

Series: Sailor Moon (4/12)

Keywords: fiction, Japanese fiction, manga, reincarnated royalty, superheroes, crystals, romance, time travel, lunar travel, cosmic villains, kidnapping, revenge, anti-immortalists, future selves

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 4 is where we finally get to meet Sailor Pluto, and suffice to say, Chibi-Usa's actions have caused quite a few problems for her. But in order to save this world and the next, Usagi and her few non-kidnapped friends must travel to the future where things become a bit clearer. It appears that Crystal Tokyo is not their final destination, but Nemesis—the secret dark planet hidden beyond Pluto, a place of criminal exile and evil. It is thence the Dark Moon supporters have come and it is there our band of travellers must go if they want to save their friends and their future. But what about Chibi-Usa? It seems to her that no one wants her, even Pluto who she thought was a friend. It seems her actions are about to have far direr consequences than she could ever have imagined.

Continuing the second story arc, we get to me some old friends and new faces, but the the cliffhangers keep coming and the action shows no sign of letting up.

First Line: . . . I never even dreamed that something like this would happen!

86inge87
Aug 25, 2015, 12:03 pm



The Misogynist by Piers Paul Read

Categories: Once

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, London, divorce, broken homes, infidelity, bitterness, middle-aged men, family crises, loneliness, love, connections

The Misogynist is a rather bleak book about a middle-aged Londoner stuck in a rut as all around him seem to thrive and prosper. Nothing seemed to work out for him: his wife left him and his children prefer her new family to him, because they are successful, while he is obviously not. But ultimately all Jomier wants is to be loved and to be happy, even if he is not entirely sure how to love himself. Bitterness is a constantly lurking companion. And just when he meets someone who helps him find his way, his daughter comes down with a rare form of aenemia and he will have to make the kind of sacrifice that can only come from love—a moment that ultimately redeemed what for me was a rather plodding, depressive work. I'm really not sure what the target audience for this one is, but if you're a middle-aged man with a jaundiced view of modern society, or want to know how such a man thinks, this may be the book for you.

First Line: Jomier broods.

87inge87
Aug 25, 2015, 12:07 pm



The Four Men: A Farrago by Hilaire Belloc

Categories: Henry V/Twelfth Night

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, travel, Sussex, wandering, the joys of a good inn, beer, singing, poetry, debate, arguing, change

The Four Men is an account of a fictional journey through Sussex taken by four men: Myself, Greybeard, the Sailor, and the Poet, who represent different aspects of Belloc's personality. In this way, it is a kind of philosophical dialogue, albeit one centered around long walks and good beer. More a series of episodes and thought processes than a true novel, this is a book of friendship and companionship on the way with lots of singing and debate, and a book of the fleeting nature of time and the inevitable changes she brings. Such is its uniqueness that I really cannot think of anything to compare it to. For lovers of Sussex, Belloc, the joy of wandering, or the warmth of home.

First Line: My County, it has been proved in the life of every man that though his loves are human and therefore changeable, yet in proportion as he attaches them to things unchageable, so they mature and broaden.

88inge87
Aug 25, 2015, 12:09 pm



My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins (Ed.)

Categories: Babe

Keywords: fiction, short stories, anthology, YA, romance, fantasy, contemporary fiction, family, Christmas, Hannukah, holiday season

My True Love Gave To Me is a collection of YA short stories concerning Christmas and the holiday season. Some have fantastical elements but, with the exception of one about elves at the North Pole, they are all set in regular contemporary society. As is always the case with such collections, a few stories are quite good while the rest all seem like they were patched together to earn a few extra bucks. Overall, I found it mediocre and several of the stories reminded me why I prefer YA fantasy to YA contemporary. Only for fans of the authors involved, otherwise there are much better ways to spend one's time.

First Line: It was cold out on the patio, under the deck.

89inge87
Edited: Aug 26, 2015, 5:07 pm



Lingo: A Language Spotters' Guide to Europe by Gaston Dorren

Categories: Koyaanisqatsi

Keywords: non-fiction, Dutch non-fiction, language, linguistics, grammar, miscellany, essays, European languages, Indo-European languages, Turkish languages, Finno-Uralic languages, Basque, Esperanto, UK edition

Lingo is a hodgepodge of a book, consisting of thematically grouped essays about various European languages or at least aspects of various European languages. It's a fun book, but not particularly scholarly, and you get a good idea of what the author considers the ideal language. Each chapter/essay ends with a word English has adopted from that language(s) and a word they have for a concept English does not. Based off of the author's Dutch-language book, Taaltoerisme (Language Tourism), it has clearly been modified for an English audience. Whether that is good or not, I leave up to you. The perfect stocking-stuffer for your favorite language-enthusiast. It's a fun way to learn—just don't go in expecting a serious work on European languages or linguistics.

First Line: The attitude of English speakers to foreign languages can be summed up thus: let's plunder, not learn them.

90inge87
Edited: Aug 27, 2015, 10:27 pm



The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera

Categories: Once

Keywords: fiction, Spanish fiction, librarians, unschoolers, homeschoolers, books, precocious children, ideological debates, philosophy, village life, Spain, love, family, sacrifice, distributism,

The Awakening of Miss Prim is a first novel with good bones, but that suffers from a truly inferior translation. It doesn't help matters that it is a domestic novel translated from Spanish into British English and then never touched up for the American market. Even though it is domestic words that differ the most between Englishes. For example, tea is always a drink in the United States, while in Britain (and in the novel) it can also be a meal.

But enough about the translation. If my boss ever decided to stop being a dean of libraries and decided to write women's fiction, he would write this book. It is very much the kind of book I expect to be published by Ignatius Press, not Simon & Schuster. As that might suggest it is a very conservative Catholic novel, about a free-thinker who goes to work as the librarian for "the man in the armchair", who is homeschooling his nieces and nephews according to his very strict ideas of what qualifies as an education. Naturally, Miss Prim and her employer butt heads a lot. And she has some interesting run-ins with the local villagers as well, before things come to a head. It's an interesting premise, and for a first book, it is quite well-done. The plotting could be better, but I can't decide how much is the author and how much is the translation. But I liked it enough to find a cheap Spanish copy to work may way through and figure that out, so clearly it must be pretty good. For lovers of contemporary Catholic novels, this is a book that is worth seeking out.

First Line: Everyone in San Ireneo de Arnois remarked on Miss Prim's arrival.

91lkernagh
Aug 27, 2015, 12:12 am

>90 inge87: - Great review and darn the inferior translation. ;-(

92inge87
Aug 27, 2015, 9:57 pm

>91 lkernagh: Thanks. The Awakening of Miss Prim is a solid 3-star book as it is, but I just can't help but feel it might have been a four-star book with a better translation.

93christina_reads
Edited: Aug 28, 2015, 2:10 pm

>88 inge87: I agree with you about My True Love Gave to Me. There are three or four stories that I recall liking a lot, and I wouldn't mind owning copy of the book just for those (or, heck, for the Rainbow Rowell story alone!). But the rest of them ranged from OK to awful, so I'll definitely look for a used or drastically discounted copy.

Edited to fix touchstone.

94inge87
Aug 30, 2015, 6:25 pm

>93 christina_reads: I know what you mean. If they ever split the e-book so you could buy stories individually, I might get one or two, but overall the content just isn't worth the cover price.

95inge87
Aug 30, 2015, 9:31 pm



Underlands: A Journey through Britain's Lost Landscape by Ted Nield

Categories: Medicine Man

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, geology, mining, Wales, Swansea, Aberfan, family, disasters, survival, Aberdeen, globalization, paleontology, UK edition

Underlands is one geologist's plea for local, sustainable mining. Raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Wales, Nield's mother's family comes from the mining community of Aberfan and this heritage has played a major role in his life. Whether it was fossil hunting on the Dorset coast or doing schoolwork in the local pits, the places where man once interacted with the earth and its resources were a constant presence. But now that that king of industry has mostly become a part of Britain's past, opportunities to interact with the earth are being lost. Also, globalized minerals are an inherently unsustainable business. For example, most granite, no matter where it is initially mined, is processed in China before being sent on to its final destination. Peak oil would certainly make that kind of thing part of the past. But by far the best part of the book are the author's stories about his family, whether it is his coal-mining great-grandfather, whose tomb in the Aberfan cemetery the author has rebuilt in one chapter, or his grandmother who frequently reminded him on one visit that she and her husband had saved his life by moving to Swansea to raise his mother, because otherwise he would have been one of the dead Aberfan schoolchildren in 1966. Once upon a time most communities had a quarry or brick-works to produce a local supply of building material, but those days are gone. Nield makes a good argument for bringing them back, but whether that will ever actually occur is another matter entirely.

Recommended for fans of interesting memoirs, Welsh history, or the ground beneath our feet.

First Line: Happy Valley is a public park in Llandudno, Wales.

96inge87
Aug 30, 2015, 9:38 pm



The Good Comrade by Una L. Silberrad

Categories: Henry V/Twelfth Night

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, family, debts, honor, romance, espionage, Holland, Norfolk, daffodils, honesty, social climbing, middle class aspirations, self-respect

Despite what you might think from reading the title, The Good Comrade is not a book about communism. Instead it is an excellent work about self-worth, personal honor, and social class with a healthy touch of romance. The Polkington's live life constantly on the edge of insolvency: the mother and two of her daughters want to live as they are accustomed and the father is a retired officer prone to drinking and gambling, which leaves only the middle daughter to hold things together. All she wants is to live a decent honorable life, but her family's refusal to be realistic about their situation makes it impossible. Especially once her father gambles off this quarter's check. An argument with one of his creditors leaves Julia desperate to prove her family's worth by coming up with £30 (roughly £2800 in today's money). So she decides to steal a rare daffodil bulb and joins the grower's family in the Netherlands as a companion. Naturally, she cannot bring herself to follow through with it, and a renewed acquaintance with her family's creditor leaves her feeling more awkward than ever while also offering her a way to prove her worth.

Not just a romance, but a serious look at the foibles of the middle-class values of the day (the part about the younger sister's marriage's "breaking-in" period is positively chilling). The love story is remarkably realistic and compelling, while not overwhelming Julia's overall search for self-respect and happiness. I'm surprised Persephone Books never picked this one up, as it's very much in their line. Highly recommended.

First Line: The Polkingtons were of those people who do not dine.

97inge87
Aug 31, 2015, 3:44 pm



The African Equation by Yasmina Khadra

Categories: Once

Keywords: fiction, French fiction, Algerian fiction, love, death, mourning, family, kidnapping, surviving, torture, hostage-taking, refugees, Germany, Africa, Somolia, Sudan, Darfur

The African Equation is a thought-provoking book about a Frankfurt doctor who travels with a friend on a humanitarian mission to the Comoros Islands, only to be kidnapped by Somali pirates on the way. Kurt is struggling to overcome the sudden death of his wife and the trip was supposed to be a kind of distraction. It turns into an all-consuming battle for survival, as he and his (now wounded) friend are separated and he is put with a French expatriate with a love of Africa. Their hosts balance on an ever narrower edge between kindness and madness, and it will take everything the two have to make it back home alive.

A brilliant mediation on life and what truly matters and a rather damning take on first world problems and the blindness of modern society.

First Line: When I found love, I told myself, that's it, I've gone from just existing to actually living, and I swore to do whatever it took to ensure my joy would never end.

98mamzel
Sep 1, 2015, 2:05 pm

>97 inge87: That one sounds really good. I will keep an eye out for it.

99inge87
Edited: Sep 2, 2015, 8:40 am

>98 mamzel: I had filed it away in my head as "sounds interesting but not right for the library"while perusing the pre-pub reviews for work, and then grabbed it on impulse off the new fiction shelf at the public library by my church. It's certainly worth picking up if you bump into a copy.

100inge87
Sep 2, 2015, 8:42 am



Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 5 by Naoko Takeuchi

Categories: Princess Mononoke, SFFCAT

Series: Sailor Moon (5/12)

Keywords: fiction, Japanese fiction, manga, reincarnated royalty, superheroes, crystals, romance, time travel, lunar travel, cosmic villains, kidnapping, revenge, anti-immortalists, future selves

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 5 picks up where Volume 4 left off, with Chibi Usa lost in time and Tuxedo Mask trying to find her. However, there is very little of Chibi Usa in the Dark Lady of Planet Nemesis that he finds. Meanwhile, Sailor Moon and friends are trying to sort everything out, and learn all about the evils of Nemesis and Wiseman. Ultimately this is Pluto's time to shine though, as she makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to save her friends. Will they survive through the end of the story arc to see another day? Will Usagi ever see the end of Chibi Usa—and does she really want to? Read on and find out!

First Line: ". . . Now . . . Come to me, and take my hand."

101inge87
Edited: Sep 28, 2015, 3:41 pm



Nature's Engraver: A Life of Thomas Bewick by Jenny Uglow

Categories: Koyaanisqatsi, HistoryCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, art, engraving, printing, wood-block printing, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 18th century, family, middle class life, walking, naturalists, birds, mammals, publishing

Nature's Engraver is exactly what the subtitle says it is: a life of Thomas Bewick, an 18th century engraver best known for his books about mammals and birds. Based in Newcastle, Bewick was a master wood-engraver and a great lover and observer of nature. There is a lot here about the art of engraving as well as about middle-class life outside of London. But the most striking thing to me is just how much people walked back then and how little they thought about it. It seems like nothing for Bewick to decide to take trips of 20 or even 100 miles by foot, something that few would do outside of a special vacation trip today.

Recommended for those interested in the art of engraving or about 18th century life.

First Line: The Tyne has changed course often since Thomas Bewick was born here two hundred and fifty years ago.

102inge87
Edited: Sep 2, 2015, 8:55 am



The Fault Line: Traveling the Other Europe, From Finland to Ukraine by Paolo Rumiz

Categories: Out of Africa

Keywords: non-fiction, Italian non-fiction, travel, Eastern Europe, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, East Prussia/Kaliningrad, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Istanbul, ethnic cleansing, poverty, joy, Russophilia, self-hating Westerners, borderlands

The Fault Line is normally the kind of book I love: journalists travelling through Eastern Europe seem to be a specialty of mine. Beginning at the border near Murmansk, Russia, Rumiz and his companion travelled through Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, East Prusisa/Kaliningrad, Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine to Odessa before continuing on to Istanbul, Turkey via ship. Along the way they meet a lot of very interesting people who have been living at the border's edge for hundreds if not thousands of years and he also experiences the ghosts of those whose existences there were exterminated by the powers that be in years past but whose absences can still be felt. Normally this is all I need for a happy reading experience. But this book hit a false note.

It wasn't the author's Russophilia, which can come a bit too close to today's Russian nationalist bombast--something that was only beginning to express itself in 2008 when he made his journey. It's also not his anti-EU leftist political leanings—if disagreeing with an author's politics was an issue I would hardly read anything and I am the proud owner of a healthy dose of Euroscepticism myself. It's his particularly school of leftist thought that bothers me; the "don't let them develop and lose their culture/soul" school. Poor countries have just as much right to development and wealth as those who already made the leap, even if you think that what they want is wrong, it's incredibly condescending to tell them what they should want and what they should do. Ultimately, it was this that knocked The Fault Line from a four-star book to a three, and even had me considering giving it two. But if you can look beyond the author's shortcomings, there's quite of a lot of interesting food for thought here. If only this journey did not have so much baggage.

First Line: You always go back to the scene of the crime.

103inge87
Edited: Sep 2, 2015, 10:58 am



Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne

Categories: Babe

Series: Winnie-the-Pooh (1/4)

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, children's fiction, Winnie-the-Pooh, friendship, adventure, honey, rain

Winnie-the-Pooh is the book that started the Pooh phenomenon. We meet Edward Bear, better known as Winnie-the-Pooh, and his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. Heffalumps and woozles also make an invisible appearance. If you enjoyed the cartoon you'll want to pick it up, it's fun in its own way, even if The House at Pooh Corner is probably the better book in my opinion (something to look forward to if you read this one). It's good for a nostalgia read or who those who enjoy vintage children's books.

First Line: Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin.

104inge87
Sep 2, 2015, 11:01 am



Saints and Ourselves: Personal Studies by Philip Caraman (ed.)

Categories: Chariots of Fire

Series: Saints and Ourselves (1/3)

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, essays, saints

Saints and Ourselves is a collection of essays by various notables (mostly writers) about a saint that means something to them. Evelyn Waugh and Antonia White are probably the contributors with the most name recognition today; the only other name I recognized with Sheila Kaye-Smith's. But obscurity does not mean they can't write a good essay.

Originally published serially in a magazine, there is a saint for everyone here, from the obvious ones like Francis, Therese, or Thomas Aquinas, to the surprising like Gregory of Tours. The only non-saint was the then Ven. Marie of the Incarnation, who was eventually canonized by Pope Francis in 2014, she also happens to be the one I'm most leery of, but even the writer admits that the situation with her son was incredibly awkward (she'd never be allowed to join a convent in that situation today, for good reason). Overall, it's a nice set of essays about an interesting topic. Recommended for those who enjoy well-written saints lives or Catholic spiritual reading.

First Line: We are advised to meditate on the lives of the saints, but this precept originated in the ages when meditation was a more precise and arduous activity than we are tempted to think it today. (Evelyn Waugh, "St. Helena Empress")

105inge87
Edited: Sep 2, 2015, 11:11 am



George V: The Unexpected King by David Cannadine

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Series: Penguin Monarchs (43/45)

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, history, biography, British monarchy, George V, Edward VII, Alexandra of Denmark, Mary of Teck, Edward VIII, George VI, family, WWI, Great Depression, Royal Navy

George V is an excellent short biography of a man who grew up expecting his brother would be king. Not that that brother was in any shape to take on such responsibilities, but he was born first. Therefore George (known as Albert by his family) received no formal education except how to survive the Royal Navy (his sisters were apparently practically illiterate). The absolute lack of education among members of the royal family (George V's children weren't much better) is one of the things I learned from this book. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going. George married his brother's fiancee and managed surprisingly well, despite taking the through just in time for World War I. A polar opposite to his father, Edward VII, he was just the thing Britain needed. I honestly did not know much about this particular king before reading this book, and it was the perfect introduction, managing to be both thorough and highly accessible. I can't wait to get my hands on more of the series.

First Line: The future King-Emperor George V, who would reign from 1910 to 1936, was born at Marlborough House, the palatial London residence of his parents, on 3 June 1865, and he would be christened Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert.

106inge87
Sep 2, 2015, 11:15 am



Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart

Categories: A Hard Day's Night

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, thriller, travel, Austria, Vienna, Lipizzaner horses, travelling circuses, theft, smuggling, murder, secret agents, lying spouses, veteranarians

When Vanessa uncovers evidence that her husband is not on a business trip in Stockholm but rather in southeastern Austria, she knew her life was suddenly about to be more interesting. She just had no idea how interesting it was going to be. But soon enough she finds herself escorting the son of a family friend to Vienna and discovers the wonders of the Airs Above the Ground that are the trademark of the Spanish Riding School and its Lipizzaner horses. But her husband's business is more complicated than she knew and it seems like this time she is going to get dragged into it too.

A fun period thriller. This is rather unique for Stewart in that the couple sort out their issues quite quickly and work together to solve the bigger problem. Highly recommended for fans of Stewart or the genre.

First Line: Carmel Lacy is the silliest woman I know, which is saying a good deal.

107inge87
Edited: Sep 2, 2015, 11:40 am

August Round-Up!

Books Read: 19

Category Challenge

118 of 180 read - 65.56% done (true total 141 books)

4 of 15 categories completed - 26.67% done

Individual Categories
1. Twelfth Night/Henry V: Classic Fiction (pre-1920) - 5 - 41.67%
2. Medicine Man: Environmental Science - 6 - 50%
3. Star Wars: Fantasy/SciFi - 23 - 100%
4. Princess Mononoke: Graphic format - 8 - 66.67%
5. Rob Roy: Historical Fiction - 7 - 58.33%
6. A Man for All Seasons: History - 6 - 50%
7. The Last Waltz: Memoirs - 8 - 66.67%
8. The Third Man: Mysteries - 12 - 100%
9. Once: New Fiction (2000 to Present) - 6 - 50%
10. Koyaanisqatsi: Other Non-Fiction - 12 - 100%
11. The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October: Recent Fiction (1970 to 1999) - 2 - 16.67%
12. Chariots of Fire: Religion - 25 - 100%
13. A Hard Day's Night: Retro Fiction (1920 to 1969) - 7 - 58.33%
14. Out of Africa: Travel - 6 - 50%
15. Babe: YA/Juvenile fiction - 9 - 75%

Challenges
SFFCAT - 3
HistoryCAT - 1

Genre
Fiction - 12 - 63.16%
Non-Fiction - 7 - 36.84%

Sources
Work - 7 - 36.84%
Me (this month) - 5 - 22.3%
Irving PL - 3 - 17.8%
Me (last month) - 3 - 17.8%
ILL - 1 - 5.26%

Authors
Male - 10 - 58.8%
Female - 7 - 41.2%

Edition Language
English - 20 - 100%

Original Language
English - 12 - 63.16%
Japanese - 3 - 17.8%
Dutch - 1 - 5.26%
French - 1 - 5.26%
Italian - 1 - 5.26%
Spanish - 1 - 5.26%

Series
Stand-Alone Books - 12 - 63.16%
Series Books - 7 - 36.84%

Ratings Distribution
1 star - 0 - 0%
2 stars - 1 - 5.26%
3 stars - 9 - 47.34%
4 stars - 7 - 36.84%
5 stars - 1 - 5.26%

Average Rating
3.26

Best of the Month



Fiction: The Good Comrade by Una L. Silberrad

Non-Fiction (tie): George V: The Unexpected King by David Cannadine & Underlands: A Journey through Britain's Lost Landscape by Ted Nield

108inge87
Edited: Sep 8, 2015, 5:52 pm



The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Categories: Henry V/Twelfth Night

Series: Emily Fox-Seton (omnibus)

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, marriage, poor relations, London, country houses, greedy relations, occult, attempted murder, thwarted heirs, Anglo-Indians, love, forgiveness, Persephone

My edition of The Making of a Marchioness is actually an omnibus containing both The Making of a Marchioness proper and The Methods of Lady Walderhurst; this set up has also been published as Emily Fox-Seton. It is also the natural setting for the works, which even the author admitted were really two parts of one whole. The first part, concerns Emily Fox-Seton, an impoverished woman of good family who scratches out a living running errands for others who don't have the time or the desire to do it. She makes herself indispensable, while living in fear of being too old to be useful. When one of her patrons invites her to a country house party to assist her, she welcomes the opportunity. There she shows everyone the true value of her good character and attracts a marriage offer from an unlikely direction.

The second part is Emily's "happily-ever-after" as the Marchioness of Walderhurst. But when her husband's heir presumptive travels back from India with his wife and her Indian nurse, things get interesting. Walderhust can't stand his heir, for good reason. But Emily can't help but try to befriend and help Hester, his wife. In turn, it soon becomes apparent that they wouldn't mind if she died in a convenient accident. Naturally, Walderhurst is in India on business for this part, making his wife easy prey. Will she live long enough for her husband to return to her? Will her tormentor earn their just deserts? You'll have to read on and find out!

Highly recommended. If you enjoyed A Little Princess or The Secret Garden, you'll definitely want to pick up this one of her adult works.

First Line: When Miss Fox-Seton descended from the two-penny 'bus as it drew up, she gathered her trim tailor-made skirt about her with neatness and decorum, being well used to getting in and out of two-penny 'buses and to making her way across muddy London streets.

109lkernagh
Sep 8, 2015, 10:33 pm

Love the teaser review for the omnibus!

110christina_reads
Sep 9, 2015, 9:23 am

>108 inge87: I really liked these books as well! Although the overall depiction of the Indian characters is...not great, from a 21st-century perspective.

111inge87
Edited: Sep 9, 2015, 5:09 pm

>109 lkernagh: Thanks

>110 christina_reads: Yeah, readers overly sensitive to outdated, non-PC descriptions of South Asians should probably avoid this one, although it is much milder than many works of that period.

112inge87
Sep 10, 2015, 5:23 pm



Lady of Magick by Sylvia Izzo Hunter

Categories: Star Wars

Series: Noctis Magicae (2/?)

Keywords: fiction, Canadian fiction, fantasy, politics, travel, academics, family, intrigue, kidnappings, magic, Scotland

Lady of Magick is one of those sequels that fails to live up to the promise of the first book. I can't pin down just exactly what is wrong with it; I read to the end and thought "That was it?". Perhaps it was that I did not like Joanna's character, and this book was almost more her's than Sophie and Gray's. Perhaps it was the way that I can't seem to feel where this series is going. Whatever it was, I'm not sure I'll be reading book 3.

The book picks up a few years after The Midnight Queen. Sophie and her husband are at Oxford, where she is not having a good time because many reject her for being female. So when Gray gets an invitation to lecture at the University of Dun Edin (Edinburgh), which is coeducational, they jump at the chance. Joanna, who has aspirations at getting involved with politics and diplomacy, is not sure they should be going due to some political issues, but doesn't want to reveal anything she shouldn't and doesn't say anything. Naturally, Gray disappears, and a political crisis appears to be brewing with Sophie (once again) at the center of it. Cue a visit from Joanna and things begin to head in directions no one ever wanted to think of.

Read it if you liked the first book, and perhaps you'll like it more than I did.

First Line:

113inge87
Sep 10, 2015, 5:26 pm



No Holly for Miss Quinn by Miss Read

Categories: The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October, HistoryCAT

Series: Chronicles of Fairacre (12/20)

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, country living, spinsters, family, Christmas, learning to live, country living

No Holly for Miss Quinn is a bit of a series "Christmas Special", Miss Quinn, who works as a private secretary, takes the tenancy of a cottage in Fairacre, but craves her privacy and independence about all else. She's looking forward to a quiet Christmas at home when she gets a phone-call from her vicar brother in Norfolk, begging her to come because his wife is in the hospital and he is too busy with Christmas services to take proper care of their three children. So off she goes. Naturally, she has much more fun than she ever expected. The book is overall, quite good. It is just the ending I take exception to, as I feel it doesn't quite fit. But if you're looking for some Christmas cheer, you may just find it here.

First Line: If you take the road from the downland village of Fairacre to Beech Green, you will notice three things.

114inge87
Edited: Sep 11, 2015, 10:32 am



George VI: The Dutiful King by Philip Ziegler

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Series: Penguin Monarchs (44/45)

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, biography, royalty, House of Windsor, WWI, WWII, abdication of Edward VIII, people with disabilities, family, duty, George V, Edward VIII, George VI, the Queen Mother, Elizabeth II

George VI tells the story of a man who was not born to be king and probably would have preferred not to be king, but who became king all the same. Bertie was a second son destined for the navy until his brother decided to marry an inappropriate woman and abdicate the throne. But as George VI he never let his personal insecurities get in the way of trying to do his duty and be the best king he could be. He must have done a good job, in spite of chronic health issues and an extremely poor education, because his daughter was able to inherit his throne while so many of his cousins' lost theirs to revolution and republicanism. An interesting take on a man little remembered today except for The King's Speech.

First Line: If Ethelred was notoriously 'Unready' and Alfred 'Great', King George VI should bear the designation of 'George the Dutiful'.

115christina_reads
Sep 10, 2015, 10:22 pm

>112 inge87: Sorry to hear you didn't like this one so much! I enjoyed the first book quite a bit. But now I'll be sure to go into the sequel with more measured expectations.

116inge87
Sep 11, 2015, 10:32 am

>115 christina_reads: It was probably a me thing. Others seem to have liked it. I loved The Midnight Queen, and this simply wasn't it.

117inge87
Edited: Sep 11, 2015, 11:47 am



Black Diamonds: The Downfall of an Aristocratic Dynasty and the Fifty Years that Changed England by Catherine Bailey

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, biography, family biography, aristocracy, coal mining, love affairs, family, hatred, secrets, death

Black Diamonds is the story of the Earls Fitzwilliam and their family, who built a fortune on the backs of South Yorkshire coal miners and then watched it all fall to ruin. The family thrived on secrets and their love of secrecy (combined with a tradition of inter-generational hatred) proved to be their undoing. If you want to read about a group of questionable people living the high life while doing sordid things behind the scenes, but in a classy way, this book is for you. If you like it when the little man gets his say, this book is for you. There's even a healthy dose of Kennedy family conspiracies (anyone who thinks the rot in the Catholic Church set in after Vatican II needs to read the part where Kathleen goes bishop-shopping). Overall, I think I liked The Secret Rooms better, but that was one of the best books I read that year, so this one is still quite good.

For those who like their histories British and their revenge served coaled. Highly recommended.

First Line: In the crush of mourners, one man walked alone behind the glass hearse.

118inge87
Sep 11, 2015, 11:20 am



Village Affairs by Miss Read

Categories: The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October, HistoryCAT

Series: Chronicles of Fairacre (13/20)

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, country living, teachers, school closure, theft, arrests, squalor, community, friendship

Village Affairs finds Miss Read's school threatened with closure. No one in the village wants to send their small children on the bus to Beech Green, but they may not have a choice. Nevertheless, the Fairacre school attempts to carry on as before, even though there is a sword hanging above its metaphorical neck. Life in the village goes on much as before, except that someone has been stealing lead from the roofs, and one villagers marital life also becomes the subject of concern. Somehow though, the village will help everyone get by, even if some of them don't deserve to. And maybe, just maybe, the school will survive another term too.

A nice cozy novel, you don't need to read the rest of the series to get by, but it wouldn't hurt either.

First Line: It is an undisputed fact that people who choose to live in in the country must expect to be caught up, willy-nilly, in the cycle of the seasons.

119DeltaQueen50
Sep 11, 2015, 7:06 pm

I've been working my way through Miss Read's Thrush Green series, I find her books are perfect comfort reads!

120inge87
Sep 11, 2015, 8:04 pm

>119 DeltaQueen50: They're nice, aren't they? I have no idea what it was like in an English village in the 70s, but I'd like to imagine that it was at least something like Fairacre.

121inge87
Sep 12, 2015, 5:50 pm



Twelfth Night, or What You Will by William Shakespeare

Categories: Henry V/Twelfth Night

Keywords: fiction, English fiction, theatre, play, Shakespeare, disguises, love, mistaken identities, shipwrecks, twins, crazy relatives, sword fights, pranks

Twelfth Night is, of course, the story of what happens when twins get separated in a shipwreck, a sister disguises herself as a man to woo a girl for her employer, only to have the employer fall for her (as a man) and herself fall in love with her employer. Just when things could not get more complicated, the brother appears and gets dragged off to a secret wedding by the woman his sister is wooing for her employer (not that the poor brother knows anything about any of this). Luckily, it all turns out happily in the end, because this is Shakespearean comedy and that's how things work!

I like Twelfth Night, but I like Shakespeare in general. For those who do not like Shakespeare so much, this is a nice one, as are Much Ado about Nothing and Henry V. Ultimately with Shakespeare, I think that dipping in and figuring out what you like and what you don't like is key. Just don't give up on him because you were forced to read Romeo and Juliet or Julius Caesar in school and hated it.

First Line:
If music be the food of love, play on,
Give me excess of it; that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.

122rabbitprincess
Sep 12, 2015, 10:18 pm

I also find watching an adaptation of the play, with closed captioning, sometimes helps me get an idea of who to picture when I read the play for myself. Hoping this will work for the Henry IV plays whenever I get around to them; if Jeremy Irons is Henry IV and Tom Hiddleston is Prince Hal, that will make things a lot easier!

123inge87
Sep 13, 2015, 9:53 pm

>122 rabbitprincess: I think this underscores my point about figuring out what works you personally, when it comes to Shakespeare. Schools tend to teach it only one way, and I think many students are put off permanently, saying Shakespeare is too "hard", when they might have enjoyed his works with a different approach.

124-Eva-
Sep 18, 2015, 5:57 pm

I was helping a friend's kid with his Shakespeare a while back and when I had explained how to read it (we were doing Macbeth), he exclaimed, "but, this story is exciting!" I wish all kids had a chance to figure that out! :)

125inge87
Edited: Sep 24, 2015, 7:19 pm

>124 -Eva-: Me, too!

126inge87
Edited: Sep 24, 2015, 8:45 pm



God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith with Nicolas Diat by Robert Cardinal Sarah

Categories: Chariots of Fire

Keywords: non-fiction, Guinean non-fiction, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, memoir, Guinea, colonialism, revolution, despotic regimes, survival, resistance, theology, Popes, interview format

God or Nothing is the result of what must have been quite a series of interviews between Robert Cardinal Sarah (the man on the cover) and reporter Nicolas Diat. Sarah is noteworthy for a variety of very good reasons, and hopefully the translation of this book means that he will get more recognition in the Anglophone world. Born in a small village in a remote part of the West African nation of Guinea (then a French colony), no one would have guessed that he would manage to become a Catholic priest, much less Archbishop of Conakry or a cardinal in the Curia. Especially, once Guinea gained its independence from France and was plunged into a decades-long Marxist revolution by its new leader. But achieve it he did.

Along with his life's story, we also learn his thoughts on every Pope who has reigned during his life, what he thinks Pope Francis really means, as well as his thoughts on the major theological issues of the day. His opinions on Pope Pius XII from the perspective of a survivor of a more recent despotic regime were particularly interesting. I will admit to stereotyping social justice Catholics as white upper and middle-class children of the 60s, but Sarah presents a view of social justice for the poor that is untainted by the kinds of issues such as women's ordination that it got mixed with in the West. This is the kind of social justice that every Catholic can get behind. And as a bonus, the whole thing makes for absolutely compulsive reading.

Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the Church in Africa and Catholic current events.

First Line: There are radical encounters that change that change some aspects of our way of looking at things.

127christina_reads
Sep 24, 2015, 8:42 pm

>126 inge87: Yup, I for sure need to read this!

128inge87
Edited: Sep 24, 2015, 8:44 pm



Saints and Ourselves, Second Series: Personal Studies of Favorite Saints by Philip Caraman, SJ (ed.)

Categories: Chariots of Fire

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, saints, saints lives, essays

Saints and Ourselves, Second Series continues in the same mode as the first book, and while the authors and the saints may be a bit more obscure this time, I think this the better book. The work is a collection of essays that were previously published in a magazine, in which notable Catholics write about their favorite saint. Boniface, Louis, Margaret of Scotland, and Alphonsus Liguori, all make an appearance this time, as do several others with interesting lives. Recommended for those interested in the saints or looking for good spiritual reading materials.

First Line: After twelve hundred years it is high time that we remembered St. Boniface. (Christopher Dawson, "St. Boniface")

129inge87
Edited: Sep 24, 2015, 10:20 pm

Oh, the joys of double posts!

130inge87
Sep 24, 2015, 10:11 pm

>127 christina_reads: I'll be interested to see what you think if you do. It's a very thought-provoking book.

131inge87
Sep 25, 2015, 8:30 pm



Eugenics and Other Evils by G. K. Chesterton

Categories: Koyaanisquatsi

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, eugenics

Eugenics and Other Evils is a rather extensive argument by Chesterton against the evils of eugenics. I found it a bit too full of rhetoric, so that the argument got lost in the words. So much so that I could not even give it three stars.

First Line: The wisest thing in the world is to cry out before you are hurt.

132inge87
Sep 25, 2015, 8:32 pm



The Superstition of Divorce by G. K. Chesterton

Categories: Koyaanisquatsi

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, marriage, divorce, society

The Superstition of Divorce is work that was expanded by Chesterton from a series of essays into book form. Within it he argues persuasively against divorce. That horse has pretty much bolted from the barn at this point, so only Catholics or some conservative Protestants will be interested in it now. But I thought it well-argued and quite nicely written.

First Line: It is futile to talk of reform with reference to form.

133inge87
Sep 25, 2015, 8:37 pm



How to Speak Brit: The Quintessential Guide to the King's English, Cockney Slang, and Other Flummoxing British Phrases by Christopher J. Moore

Categories: Koyaanisquatsi

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, dictionary, slang, idioms, gift book

How to Speak Brit is a short, cheeky dictionary of stereotypically British phrases, organized thematically. Definitely more of a gift book than a serious, buy-for-yourself book. Plus, for some reason, it doesn't have "old bean" in it. I'm fairly certain a book of this type fails its mission if that one's not there. But it's at least moderately amusing, which is more than one can say for most gift books.

First Line: There is something that has to be understood straightaway about the British: As soon as you open your mouth, your listener puts you into a social category.

134inge87
Sep 25, 2015, 8:44 pm



Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back by Janice P. Nimura

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, history, Japanese history, American history, Women's history, travel, Vassar, adaptation, friendship, family, change

Daughters of the Samurai is the tale of an interesting education experiment in late 19th century Japan, in which five girls were sent to the United States to learn English and Western ways with the hope of then coming back and helping the advancement of their homeland. Only three of them made it all ten years, and when they returned to Japan, they found themselves straddling a strange line between native and foreigner. One managed fairly well by finding a husband and a niche and sticking with it. One married very well and struggled with the attention given to her and her odd western ways. The youngest, who barely remembered Japan by the time she returned, struggled the most but possibly achieved the most. This is a remarkable story of three girls cast to the wind, only to find that home what not quite what they remembered by the time they made it back.

Recommended for those interested in Japanese culture and history, the history of American-Japanese relations, and interesting stories about women and education.

First Line: Of the five girls on their way to America, the middle one in age, Sutematsu Yamakawa, had raveled the farthest, whether the distance was reckoned in miles or memories.

135inge87
Edited: Sep 29, 2015, 9:13 pm



The Authority of Women in the Catholic Church by Monica Migliorino Miller

Categories: Chariots of Fire

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, women and the Church

The Authority of Women in the Catholic Church sets out an excellent, orthodox Catholic theology of women. If you've ever wondered how the Church views women and why it feels they are important, this book will be useful. But be warned that the author is looking at theology here, and does not address the kinds of issues frequently trotted out as "women's issues", such as female ordination, because she is working from Church teachings and views them as besides the point. For those interested in women and the Church or complementarianism. Highly recommended.

First Line: In 1987 I attended a rally sponsored by the National Organization for Women (NOW).

136inge87
Sep 29, 2015, 9:15 pm



Pawpaw: In Search of America's Forgotten Fruit by Andrew Moore

Categories: Medicine Man

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, pawpaws, fruit, food and culture, horticulture, agriculture, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Virginia, Appalachia, Kentucky State University

Pawpaw is a book dedicated to the largest fruit native to North America: the pawpaw. If you're wondering why you've never heard of this most interesting fruit, the only non-tropical member of its family, this book will tell you why. It will also make you want to go find some. Divided into three sections, the author gives an overview of the history of the pawpaw, the people and organizations trying to grow the fruit and spread the news about the joys of pawpaws, and a travel memoir of the author's journeys throughout the pawpaw belt, where the tree grows natively. There is a lot here about the native Appalachian pawpaw culture, which seems to have kept awareness of the fruit the longest. I'm one or two hours west of the part of Texas that has pawpaws, so I've never eaten one, but this book makes me want to go find one. And it will make you want to go pawpaw hunting too.

First Line: Throughout the years it's gone by a lot of names—frost banana, Indiana banana, fetid-bush, bandango, custard apple, prairie banana, poor man's banana—but most of the time it's just been called pawpaw.

137inge87
Sep 29, 2015, 9:18 pm



Dictatorship of the Dress by Jessica Topper

Categories: Once

Series: Much "I Do" About Nothing (1/?)

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, weddings, bridezillas, family, flight cancellations, misunderstandings, friendship, second chances

Dictatorship of the Dress takes weather-induced flight cancellations to a whole new level. Laney is just trying to get her mother's wedding dress to Hawaii in time for the wedding, while Noah is trying to cope with his bridezilla fiancee while travelling to his Vegas bachelor party. Naturally, then end up sitting next to each other, and the next thing they know everyone thinks they're engaged to each other. Which works out well when it gets them the last room in a Chicago hotel after their connecting flights are snowed in. As one might expect from the genre, they both have baggage, but they can't stay away from each other either? How will they ever get their happily ever after, when fate seems to be both throwing them together and tearing them apart? You'll have to read on to find out.

A fun, albeit silly, contemporary romance. Which is really all I ask for from the genre.

First Line: Really, LaGuardia?

138inge87
Oct 1, 2015, 10:15 am



Timeless: Love, Morgenthau, and Me by Lucinda Franks

Categories: The Last Waltz

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, memoir, love, marriage, New York City, politics, journalism

Timeless is one of those memoirs that benefits from mixing interesting people with quality writing, the kind that makes even the most mundane bits of life sound interesting. Lucinda Franks was young radical reporter with a draft resister boyfriend when she first met New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau III. He was old enough to be her father and even had children older than her. But they fell in love and that was that. The rest of the book chronicles their marriage, the people they met the cases her husband tried and everything in between. Opposites often attract and that is certainly the case here, but their happiness is undeniable even the face of cancer scares and undiagnosed PTSD.

Who those who enjoy memoirs of everyday life and successful marriages or memoirs about New York City or the lives of journalists, this book may be for you.

First Line: The last thing I wanted to do was to marry my husband.

139inge87
Edited: Oct 1, 2015, 3:10 pm



Stephen: The Reign of Anarchy by Carl Watkins

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Series: Penguin Monarchs (8/45)

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, history, English history, Stephen & Matilda, monarchy, rebellion, family, UK edition

Stephen is a good, basic introduction to one of England's more questionable medieval kings. The subtitle, "Reign of Anarchy" sums up his reign in a nutshell. Stephen was never supposed to become king, in fact he swore an oath to ensure the succession of Henry I's daughter, Matilda. But once Henry was dead, he decided being king sounded like a good idea. Only to find himself completely out of his element once he actually succeeded. Barons being barons, they noticed and took advantage, as did David I of Scotland who basically took over all of Yorkshire, and Matilda's husband, Geoffrey of Anjou who seized Normandy. Matilda herself proceeded to be a pain in his side for the rest of Stephen's life until he finally named her son, the future Henry II, his heir. Suffice to say, it was not a good time to live on the Isle of Britain.

For anyone with an interested in the era of Stephen and Matilda. It's short, succinct, and full of fun family squabbles. Highly recommended.

First Line: Henry I slipped into his final illness on the cusp of winter 1135.

140inge87
Edited: Oct 2, 2015, 9:16 am



Elizabeth II: The Steadfast by Douglas Hurd

Categories: Koyaanisqatsi

Series: Penguin Monarchs (45/45)

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, history, British history, monarchy, Elizabeth II, UK edition

Elizabeth II is an odd book: part meditation on the nature of queenship, part apology for the British monarchy. What it isn't is a good biography. It's arranged thematically, sort of, but some chapters are so disjointed that it almost feels they've been written in the style of a stream of consciousness novel, ideas pop up, disappear, and then pop up again two chapters later. The writer's priorities are also a bit odd. There is a chapter dedicated to the royal yacht and one to her horses, but you would never know that she had any children besides Charles (who gets three or four mentions, total). There's no mention of the Winter of Discontent, no Falklands War, no Fergie. The Suez Crisis is over in a paragraph. If you want to understand how supporters view the monarchy and what they think motivates the Queen to act the way she does, this book might be useful, but it's a far cry from the quality of the other books I've read in this series. Maybe because almost everyone is still alive? Like I said, it's an odd duck. But the Duke of Cambridge wrote the preface, and surely that counts for something . . . right?

First Line: The Minister of State was ill at ease.

141inge87
Oct 1, 2015, 10:40 am



The White Robin by Miss Read

Categories: The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October, HistoryCAT

Series: Chronicles of Fairacre (14/20)

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, country living, teachers, students, dysfunctional families, children acting out, robins, leucistic animals

The White Robin is the tale of what happens when a white robin is discovered living on the Fairacre school grounds. Everyone is excited about their "albino" robin (the animal is actually leucistic), and he quickly becomes a kind of village mascot. Meanwhile a boy from a troubled family comes to stay with relatives in Fairacre. His mother is mentally ill and his father is overwhelmed with caring for the family, so when he isn't getting the attention he wants, the boy acts out. The results are tragic, but as always the author manages to end on an optimistic note. Recommended for fans of the series and for those interested in vintage stories about families dealing with the effects of mental illness.

First Line: Village schols get rarer every year, but there are a small number, up and down the country, which still look much the same as they did some hundred years ago.

142inge87
Oct 1, 2015, 3:53 pm



Just So Happens by Fumio Obata

Categories: Princess Mononoke

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, Japanese fiction, graphic novel, expatriates, family, travel, funerals, London, Tokyo, Kyoto, Japan, Noh theatre

Timeless is a graphic novel about a Japanese expatriate who returns to Tokyo from London in order to attend her father's funeral. While she is there she deals with her sense of belonging in two places at once and has strange encounters with a man dressed for a Noh play. Is he real or just a way for her mind to work out its troubles? Does Yumiko really want to be in London or does she belong in Japan? Is she living out her mother's dreams or is she living for herself? These are all issues that Yumiko finds herself facing on this trip, even as she must also face all the intricacies and details of a traditional Japanese funeral.

An interesting mediation on life, death, and belonging.

First Line: How long have I been here?

143inge87
Oct 1, 2015, 3:58 pm



In These Times: Living in Britain through Napoleon's Wars, 1793-1815 by Jenny Uglow

Categories: A Man for All Seasons, HistoryCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, history, British history, Napoleonic Wars, everyday life, shortages, press gangs, soldiers, sailors, merchants, bankers, aristocrats, letter writing, farming, bankruptcy, war, peace

In These Times is a masterful study of life on the homefront in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. From the humblest weaver to the royal family, everyone makes an appearance here. There is a map at the beginning of the book showing every town that gets a mention and the map is positively covered. The result is a detailed description of everyday life in the late 18th and early 19th century. It doesn't sound particularly enjoyable, but clearly people made their own fun.

For those interested in Regency Era Britain or the Napoleonic Wars, highly recommended.

First Line: The cathedral city of Canterbury has a barracks on the downs nearby until it closed, when the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders left, in March 2013.

144inge87
Oct 1, 2015, 4:04 pm



Kate's Progress by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles*

Categories: Once

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, contemporary fiction, Exmoor, DIY, romance, pubs, dog walking, horse riding, friendship, babysitting, pub lunches

Kate's Progress is a charming romance about Kate, who receives an inheritance from her grandmother and decides to leave London and buy a cottage on Exmoor. While fixing up the rather run-down house, she makes friends with the neighbors, especially the Blackmore family: Darcy-like awkward brooding Ed, happy-go-lucky playboy Jack, their rather feather-brained stepmother, and their lonely young half-sister Jocasta. Kate came to Somerset to get away from the London dating scene, but will she be able to withstand the attentions of a few good West Country men?

This is a quiet, slow paced book; the perfect comfort read. There's a bit of suspense because someone wants Kate to get out of town, but it never really dominates the plot. Instead it focuses on the good things in life like pub lunches, horse riding with friends, walking dogs, and besting manipulative romantic rivals who kick said dogs. Recommended for those seeking a good comfort read or those who like well-written romances.

First Line: The May sunshine was warm in the sheltered spot between the cottage and the garden wall.

145inge87
Edited: Oct 1, 2015, 5:08 pm



The Church Ascending: How Saints and Sinners Brought about the Triumph of Christianity in the West by Diane Moczar+

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, history, ancient history, medieval history, European history, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, Cathars, Roman Empire, Holy Roman Empire, France, Italy, England, Ireland

The Church Ascending is a short work of history covering the development of Christianity and European civilization from the beginnings of the Church through the end of the 15th century. It's a fun work and you can tell the author did her research, but it's definitely a popular work, not a scholarly one. She calls Emperor Frederick II Barbarossa "Fred" for example and discusses how she does not like him and thinks him a bit evil. Each chapter ends with some questions for thought and a short annotated bibliography of works she recommends, most of them older. It's a great place for someone to start learning about early and medieval history, but it should not be your only resource.

Recommended for those looking for a readable history of early and medieval Europe with a focus on the Catholic Church and those associated with it.

First Line: What do you think the following passage describes?

146inge87
Oct 1, 2015, 4:56 pm

September Round-Up!

Books Read: 25

Category Challenge

135 of 180 read - 75% done (true total 166 books)

5 of 15 categories completed - 33.33% done

Individual Categories
1. Twelfth Night/Henry V: Classic Fiction (pre-1920) - 7 - 58.33%
2. Medicine Man: Environmental Science - 7 - 58.33%
3. Star Wars: Fantasy/SciFi - 24 - 100%
4. Princess Mononoke: Graphic format - 9 - 75%
5. Rob Roy: Historical Fiction - 7 - 58.33%
6. A Man for All Seasons: History - 12 - 100%
7. The Last Waltz: Memoirs - 10 - 83.33%
8. The Third Man: Mysteries - 12 - 100%
9. Once: New Fiction (2000 to Present) - 8 - 66.67%
10. Koyaanisqatsi: Other Non-Fiction - 16 - 100%
11. The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October: Recent Fiction (1970 to 1999) - 5 - 41.67%
12. Chariots of Fire: Religion - 28 - 100%
13. A Hard Day's Night: Retro Fiction (1920 to 1969) - 7 - 58.33%
14. Out of Africa: Travel - 6 - 50%
15. Babe: YA/Juvenile fiction - 9 - 75%

Challenges
HistoryCAT - 4

Genre
Non-Fiction - 16 - 67%
Fiction - 9 - 36%

Sources
Me (this month) - 7 - 28%
Work - 6 - 24%
ILL - 3 - 12%
Irving PL - 3 - 12%
Me (last month) - 3 - 12%
Me (other) - 3 - 12%

Authors
Female - 11 - 41.2%
Male - 10 - 45.45%

Edition Language
English - 25 - 100%

Original Language
English - 23 - 92%
French - 2 - 8%

Series
Stand-Alone Books - 15 - 60%
Series Books - 10 - 40%

Ratings Distribution
1 star - 0 - 0%
2 stars - 4 - 16%
3 stars - 14 - 56%
4 stars - 4 - 16%
5 stars - 3 - 12%

Average Rating
3.24

Best of the Month



Fiction: The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Non-Fiction: God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith with Nicolas Diat by Robert Cardinal Sarah

147MissWatson
Oct 2, 2015, 4:46 am

>140 inge87: Is that Douglas Hurd, the former Secretary of Foreign Affairs? Of "I would rather be savaged by a dead sheep" fame? Surely he could have done better.

148MissWatson
Oct 2, 2015, 4:48 am

>143 inge87: I want this. BB. Ouch. I really need a user card for our university library.

149inge87
Oct 2, 2015, 12:34 pm

>147 MissWatson: Yep, that's him. If he hadn't been quite so in love with the royal yacht and completely forgotten that a chronology is a useful thing, it might have been salvageable. But instead he produced a work that the Guardian gets to call "bootlicking obsequiousness", which isn't too far from the truth.

>148 MissWatson: It's a good book, almost a must read for those interested in the subject.

150MissWatson
Oct 2, 2015, 1:21 pm

>149 inge87: I do love their way with words when nixing a book.

151inge87
Edited: Oct 2, 2015, 5:06 pm

>150 MissWatson: It's quite nice isn't it? Why say "this book is ridiculous" when you can say things like:

"It is true that the Queen used to pay no income tax, but 'this was a practice that had crept step by step into being'. Hurd fails to point out that this is also true of pushing drugs outside primary schools."

152inge87
Oct 3, 2015, 7:43 pm

This just came in the mail, and I am super excited . . . but have to finish Spirals in Time and a grad school assignment first.



Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War against Hitler, about how the Vatican used spies to fight Nazi Germany. The epigraph is a quote by Alfred Delp! Did I mention I was excited? :)

153inge87
Edited: Oct 14, 2015, 9:24 pm



Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells by Helen Scales

Categories: Medicine Man, HistoryCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, science, natural science, molluscs, sea shells, oysters, mussels, snails, octopus, argonauts, nautilus, cone snails, sea shell collecting

Spirals in Time is the guide to everything mollusc that you never knew you needed. But you do. Whether you prefer snails, oysters, or octopuses, you will learn something here. You'll also discover new species, such as argonauts (octopuses with shells) and cone snails (avoid at all costs). There is also a rather extensive section on shell collecting and how to do so ethically (if that's even possible). Together readers and author get to travel millions of years and around the world in search of molluscan history. The author does an excellent job of making the book both full of cutting edge science and still accessible to the average reader. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in natural science, molluscs, or well-written non-fiction.

First Line: Never go anywhere without your seashell.

154inge87
Oct 10, 2015, 12:13 pm



Practically Perfect by Katie Fforde*

Categories: Once

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, romance, greyhound rescue, home renovation, listed buildings, the Cotswolds, misunderstandings, the one who got away, bad judgement

Practically Perfect is a contemporary romance set in a Cotswolds village. Anna is an interior designer (like an architect, but with less education) and has bought a cottage to renovate and flip. She soon befriends her next door neighbor and finds herself the guardian of Caroline, an ex-racing greyhound. This leads to several award meetings with Rob, another local who cannot seem to avoid making bad impressions. Toss in the sudden appearance of "the one who got away" years ago, and we have a plot. Or at least as much of a plot as one expects from romance novels.

A fun, escapist read. Perfect for dog-lovers and romance-lovers alike.

First Line: The candle at her side flickered, and Anna shifted her position on the pair of steps where she was perched.

155thornton37814
Oct 12, 2015, 11:38 am

>136 inge87: When I saw you had a book on paw paws, my first thought went back to the song we used to sing in church camp, "Way Down Yonder in the PawPaw Patch." Then my mind went to an area that is in the extreme northern part of Sevier County around here known as "Paw Paw Hollow" (or "Holler" as it is pronounced in these parts).

156inge87
Oct 14, 2015, 9:06 pm

>155 thornton37814: That's the response of a lot of people the author bumps into at farmers' markets in the book, which is probably why he made the song the book's epigraph.

157inge87
Oct 14, 2015, 9:12 pm



Alfred the Great by Eleanor Shipley Duckett

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, history, biography, Alfred the Great, Anglo-Saxon England, Viking invasions, Wessex, France, Wales, war, peace, kings, negotiation

Alfred the Great is a fairly short, very readable biography of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex and a man who almost lost his kingdom only to establish a greater one. The book has a very strong narrative feel and at times it seems almost like you are reading a novel instead of a biography. It helps of course that Alfred and his contemporaries lived very eventful lives. I did think there was more focus on Alfred's translations than was proportionate or necessary, but other than that it's a lovely book. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Anglo-Saxon England or early medieval Wales and France.

First Line: The ninth century in all its course was the century of Alfred the Great.

158inge87
Oct 14, 2015, 9:16 pm



Eleven Cardinals Speak on Marriage and the Family: Essays from a Pastoral Viewpoint by Winfried Aymans (ed.)

Categories: Chariots of Fire

Keywords: non-fiction, German non-fiction, religion, Christianity, Catholicism, Synod on the Family, marriage, family, divorce, annulment, church and society

Eleven Cardinals Speak on Marriage and the Family, also known as the "Eleven Cardinals Book", is a collection of essays by eleven Cardinals from around the world about various aspects of Catholic marriage. It can be seen in some ways as a fallow up to last year's "Five Cardinals Books" (Remaining in the Truth of Christ); however, the individual essays in this one are shorter and less technical than the other book. If you are interested in Catholic views on marriage, annulment, and divorce, then you may want to pick this one up.

First Line: These reflections focus on the act in which God's mercy shines forth in its preeminent form: the forgiveness of a sinner.

159inge87
Oct 14, 2015, 9:18 pm



The Running Foxes by Joyce Stranger*

Categories: Hard Day's Night

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, rural life, dogs, foxes, hunting, living, loss, change, time

The Running Foxes is a beautiful, nostalgic depiction of life in rural England during the 1960s, as related by the local people, their dogs, and the foxes they hunt together. Jasper is an old man, who lives alone with his terrier and his cat, and is too elderly for the hunt (which is done on foot in this village, not on horseback). One day he spots a wily vixen and her two cubs, and decides to get back at the hunt by hiding their presence. Over time, he watches the cunning foxes with appreciation and gradually gains more allies for his unofficial fox-preservation cause. Meanwhile, the vixen teaches her boys to hunt and survive on their own as they grow up into adulthood. A moving account of the gentle tyranny of time passing by.

Recommended for those who like wistful fiction about the past and/or rural society, as well as those who appreciate animal fiction such as Big Red, The Incredible Journey, Bambi, and especially James Herriot's books which have a similar atmosphere.

Tissue Alert!: If you're the kind of person (like me) who cried when the dog dies in books like Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller, this book may make you cry. But it's so worth it.

First Line: Rufus and Rusty became legends round Hortonmere, that autumn and winter.

160inge87
Oct 14, 2015, 9:23 pm



The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer*

Categories: Rob Roy

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, historical fiction, thriller, Regency era, mistaken identities, accidental death, fake marriages, overbearing lords, midnight intruders, family, secrets

The Reluctant Widow is a Regency Era-set thriller, about a governess on her way to a new position who gets in the wrong carriage and finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime. Instead of a matron and a handful of spoiled children, she meets a Lord Carlyon, who is expecting a wife for his wastrel of a cousin. Since she's there, he offers the position to her, and thinking him crazy she refuses—until events force her to give in just in time for widowhood.

There is a lot of that in this book. Carlyon's will is an unmovable object and everyone else complains loudly about it but always gives in. It gets rather tiring, and I'm not sure I'd want him to be my romantic hero. And then again he isn't really one until the last chapter of the book anyway.

Overall, the book is uneven, but fun in its own way. It's not one of Heyer's best works, but it's not her worst either. Recommended for fans of Heyer and historical thrillers.

First Line: It was dark when the London to Littlehampton stagecoach lurched into the village of Billingshurst, and a cold mist was beginning to creep knee-high over the dimly seen countryside.

161inge87
Edited: Oct 15, 2015, 10:51 am



The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Categories: Babe

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, juvenile fiction, adventure, anthropomorphized animals, toads, moles, rats, mice, badgers, otters, weasels, stoats, allegory

The Wind in the Willows begins when Mole journeys out of his borrow and into the wider world. He quickly makes friends with the River Rat and meets the wealthy eccentric Toad. When Toad decides to do something, he goes all in. So when motor cars become his obsession and Badger and his companions try to stop him, he steals one and ends up in jail. Jail is no place for a toad, so he breaks out and has to find his way home. But will Toad Hall have managed while he was away, and has Toad really changed into a New Toad. You'll have to read on and find out.

A classic children's novel that is also a study of the British class system. It's fun for all ages and species.

First Line: The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home.

162inge87
Edited: Oct 15, 2015, 10:27 am



Still Glides the Stream by Flora Thompson

Categories: A Hard Day's Night, HistoryCAT

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, historical fiction, frame narrative, everyday life, laborers, poison pen letters, family, friendship, village life, classism

Still Glides the Stream is a nostalgic look at rural life in later 19th century England. The narrator returns to the village where she grew up and remembers how things once had been. In the process we learn about her parents and her cousins, their joys and their disappointments, but also about their Nellie-Olsen-like neighbor whose beauty disguises inner ugliness and a predisposition for trouble. From the book’s opening chapter, readers know that something bad is coming, but the catastrophe when it hits is both all-consuming and banal, just as such things usually are.

Published posthumously, this is a compelling fictional take on everyday life in an era lost to history. For those who enjoy historical fiction, stories of common people, and nostalgic reminiscences. Highly recommended.

First Line: The Oxfordshire village of Restharrow has changed little in outward appearance during the last fifty years.

163inge87
Edited: Oct 22, 2015, 2:45 pm



A London Child of the 1870s by Molly Hughes

Categories: The Last Waltz, HistoryCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, memoir, childhood memoir, London, middle class life, Cornwall, family

A London Child of the 1870s is Molly Hughes' memoir of growing up in middle class London in the 1870s. The youngest of five and the only daughter, she and her brothers managed to get in and out of trouble quite regularly and sound like they had quite a bit of fun along the way. I think my favorite part though is when they travel to her mother's people in Cornwall and stay at the family's farm. But such an idyll can only last so long before darkness follows, and in Molly's case it comes quickly out of the blue.

A lovely, nostalgic look at a happy Victorian childhood. Recommended for those interested in the period or those who enjoy memoirs of childhood.

First Line: A girl with four brothers older than herself is born under a lucky star.

164inge87
Oct 20, 2015, 4:58 pm



The Right Line of Cerdic by Alfred Duggan

Categories: Rob Roy

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, historical fiction, Alfred the Great, Anglo-Saxon England, Wessex, Vikings, war, invasion, pilgrimage, family

The Right Line of Cerdic (UK title: The King of Athelney) is a rather odd historical novel retelling the life of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex. Its structure and narrative are rather standard for fictionalized biographies; the details are where it gets strange. For example, the first third or so of the novel is obsessed with Alfred's sudden bowel movements. Really. I don't doubt that he had issues in that area, but there is no need to go on about it the way the author does. He also takes a rather dated view of Alfred's queen, whom he depicts as an empty-headed feather-brain who only cares about her children and can't follow much else. But if you ignore those points and are interested in the life of Alfred the Great, you'll probably still want to pick this up.

First Line: A group of chamberlains and chaplains stood before the palace of the Lateran, enjoying the last rays of spring sunshine and making plans for tomorrow.

165inge87
Oct 20, 2015, 5:05 pm



Becoming Confederates: Paths to a New National Loyalty by Gary W. Gallagher

Categories: A Man for All Seasons, HistoryCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, history, politics, American Civil War, Confederate States of America, patriotism, Robert E. Lee, Stephen Dodson Ramseur, Jubal Early

Becoming Confederates is a very interesting and readable short book that seeks to uncover just what made people switch their allegiance from the United States to the Confederacy using as case studies the lives of three Confederate generals: Robert E. Lee, Stephen Dodson Ramseur, and Jubal Early. Each man approached the issue from a different angle, and by examining their lives readers can see how something that might seem impossible might have become the only option for many. Originally given as a series of lectures at Mercer University in 2011, the fact that they were originally conceived as spoken word may account for the book's sheer readability.

For anyone with an interest in the American Civil War or the concept of national identity.

First Line: The seeds of this short book lie in my examination of Stephen Dodson Ramseur as a case study in the development of officers in the Army of Northern Virginia.

166inge87
Edited: Oct 22, 2015, 2:45 pm



Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

Categories: Rob Roy

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, historical fiction, romance, Regency era, marriage, miserly old men, scheming young ladies, adventurers, rakes, dandies, family, Heyer

Cotillion is another fun Regency adventure from the woman who brought you Frederica among other such delights. Plot-wise, this one is rather a cross between that book and Arabella. Old Mr. Penicuik has a decided that he is dying and has summoned all his great-nephews to his estate. It turns out that he wants one of them to propose to his ward, Katherine. If she accepts one he will name her his heiress, but if she doesn't marry one of them she'll be left penniless. Unfortunately, the nephew he had in mind has declined to come. This leaves Kitty in a state of panic until she runs into Freddy. The dim-witted dandy had decided to eat before coming to his uncle's and was running. She convinces him to fake an engagement, so that she can go to London. But in a world where everyone seems to have ulterior motives, just what could Kitty be up to?

Naturally once in London, she creates a series of problems for Freddy to deal with, but it turns out there's some serious brainpower behind the empty facade. Those who like Heyer will certainly enjoy this one, and it's a fairly accessible book for those just getting started with her works.

First Line: The saloon, like every other room in Arnside House, was large and lofty, and had been furnished, possibly some twenty years earlier, in what had then been the first style of elegance.

167christina_reads
Oct 23, 2015, 12:57 pm

>166 inge87: Yay, glad you enjoyed Cotillion! It's one of my very favorite Heyers, probably because Freddy is such an unusual romantic hero!

168inge87
Oct 24, 2015, 5:05 pm

>167 christina_reads: Cotillion is not my favorite Heyer (that would be a toss up between Black Sheep and Venetia), but it is definitely one of her better novels, and in a genre full of Jacks, Freddy is certainly refreshing.

169inge87
Edited: Oct 26, 2015, 2:46 pm



Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War against Hitler by Mark Riebling

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Keywords: non-fiction, American non-fiction, history, German history, Vatican history, church history, WWII, espionage, resistance, assassination, imprisonment, conspiracies, Pope Pius XII

Church of Spies is the thrilling story of how Pope Pius XII joined with the Admiral Canaris and his circle in the plot to assassinate Hitler. The go-between was a Munich lawyer named Joseph Müller. Since the Pope felt it was too risky to speak out against Hitler (who had a nasty habit of arresting, torturing, and killing Catholics in response), he turned to espionage. Naturally, Hitler had spies in the Vatican too, and the two sides would play a game of cat and mouse until the plot was uncovered in 1944 and the German participants arrested. The events are so fantastic it reads like a novel. Once the plot is broken up, the book turns into a gripping and inspiring testimony of what political prisoners endured in Nazi Germany, as many are hung and a few lucky prisoners manage to survive to the end of the war.

In a time, when we seem to have lost sight of what suffering and being willing to die for a cause truly means, Church of Spies offers a reminder that sometimes the things you think are worth dying for may in fact require you to die for them. A compelling account of a dark chapter of European history, perfect for those who interested in Pius XII, German history, plots to assassinate Hitler, or real life spy stories. Highly recommended.

First Line: In April 1945, the Nazis tried to break the man they called "the best agent of the Vatican Intelligence in Germany."

170inge87
Edited: Oct 26, 2015, 2:25 pm



Village Centenary by Miss Read

Categories: The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October

Series: Chronicles of Fairacre (15/20)

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, village life, schoolteachers, growing old, house hunting, celebrations, friendship

Village Centenary documents Fairacre School's one hundredth year. And what a year it was. Between planning the centennial celebration, trying to get the skylight replaced, and trying to figure out the new infant teacher, Miss Read has her hands full. As you can see from the cover there is a lot of Miss Clare in this one, and Miss Read spends a lot of time worrying about her, as she has become quite frail. Holly Cottage is also being put up for sale, which leads Miss Read to consider her own situation and what she will do once she retires and has to leave her cottage. But as this is Miss Read, everything gets sorted out just as it should be and just in time for the centenary party in December.

If you like the rest of Miss Read's books, you'll like this one. But as it revisits some older story-lines, you won't want to start here.

First Line: It was Miss Clare who first pointed out that Fairacre School was one hundred years old.

171inge87
Oct 26, 2015, 2:22 pm



Forgotten Land: Journeys Among the Ghosts of East Prussia by Max Egremont

Categories: Out of Africa

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, East Prussia, Kaliningrad, travel, history, German history, Polish history, Soviet history, Russian history, enclaves, refugees, ethnic cleansing, forced migration, memory

Forgotten Land is an account of the history of German East Prussia from its beginnings through its partition and ethnic cleansing to the present day. Now divided between Lithuania, Russia, and Poland, East Prussia is in many ways a place lost to the winds; however, through this book Egremont manages to bring it back to life. Wanting to understand the land and the people who lived there, he travelled to Russian Kaliningrad, to the Lithuanian Memelland, and Polish Masuria as well as to the Königsberg Museum in Duisburg and the East Prussian Museum in Lüneburg. But it is the people he meets and the stories he recounts that truly makes the story shine. Even when it was still an integral part of Germany, East Prussia remained a place apart: still rural and semi-feudal and dominated by the Baltic and the forest. The bread-basket of Germany, it was a major center for trading with the lands to the east and a world apart from Cologne, Munich, or even Berlin. What existed there can never return, but it is good I think that people remember what once was, whether it is the hunting lodge at Rominten, Thomas Mann's seaside cottage at Nidden, or the middle class Königsberg society that produced both Kant and Käthe Kollwitz.

A nostalgic history of a land that is no more and yet can be visited to this day. Highly recommended.

First Line: Marjellchen is a restaurant in a street of monolithic apartment blocks off Berlin's Kurfürstendamm.

172inge87
Oct 26, 2015, 2:43 pm



The Hanged Man by P. N. Elrod

Categories: Star Wars, HistoryCAT, SFFCAT

Series: Her Majesty's Psychic Service (1/?)

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, fantasy, historical fantasy, paranormal, steampunk, alternative history, Victorian era, London, murder, investigators, conspiracies, family, psychics, women in trousers

The Hanged Man is the first in a projected new series about a young member of Her Majesty's Psychic Service, a kind of paranormal Scotland Yard. Set in an alternative steampunk London. The women now get to wear trousers, something the author feels the need to mention several times. Alex does not get along with her family and lives alone while working as a psychic investigator, when she gets a call to look at a suicide that she soon discovers is actually a murder. And then it turns out that the victim is the father she has not seen or heard from in over a decade and chaos breaks loose. There is something rotten going on and Alex is determined to get to the bottom of it. The front flap promises a romance complete with three potential suitors, but there's really nothing until the last chapter and only one suitor.

I finished this and shrugged. It is as if the author had a checklist of everything that needed to be in a novel of this genre and put it in. It wasn't a bad book and it wasn't a good one; it's the epitome of "meh". For serious fans of the genre only.

First Line: When informed at the age of ten that she was likely to be queen of England, it was reported that Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent replied, 'I will be good.'

173inge87
Edited: Oct 26, 2015, 3:39 pm



Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell*

Categories: Babe

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, YA, new adult fiction, Nebraska, college, freshmen, family, twins, roommates, friendship, romance, writing, inner strength, growing up, romance, mental illness, writing, fanfiction, alcohol abuse, thread recommendation

Fangirl is the story of Cath, a shy, socially awkward girl who is also an amazingly talented writer. She and her twin sister Wren are starting college at the University of Nebraska. Once the two were inseparable and both obsessed with the Simon Snow novels (think Harry Potter). Cath is now famous on the internet as a fanfiction author, but Wren claims to have moved past Simon and Baz and become an adult. She also refuses to room with Cath, saying she wants to be independent. With her strange roommate, a writing professor who hates fanfiction, and constant worries about her father back home in Omaha, it's all Cath can do to keep herself together. Plus there's the boy issue. It will take strength she never knew she had to survive, and in the process she may just discover that there's more to her than she ever dreamed.

A charming, compelling coming of age story, that in many ways reflected my own college experience. Highly recommended for anyone who ever liked fanfiction, strong female protagonists, or plain old fashioned good storytelling. Don't let the YA tag scare you away.

First Line: There was a boy in her room.

174lkernagh
Oct 26, 2015, 9:40 pm

Sorry to see that The Hanged Man was just a 'meh' read. The idea of Her Majesty's Psychic Service in a historical fantasy sense appeals to me. Maybe something I will pick up to read if I see it on offer at my local library.

175inge87
Oct 27, 2015, 12:28 pm

>174 lkernagh: I grabbed it from work wanting a fun read to escape from grad school stress, and I agree it's definitely one to check out from the library first to see how you like it.

176inge87
Oct 29, 2015, 5:20 pm



The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson

Categories: Henry V/Twelfth Night

Keywords: poetry, British poetry, Victorian poetry, religious poetry, Christian poetry, God, salvation, modernist illustrations

The Hound of Heaven is a short, moving poem about how even when we run from God, he is always seeking us. The poem itself is well-written and moving, but there are more reasons than that to pick up the book. Project Gutenberg's edition is from 1922 and has some fantastic modernist illustrations; however, the poem itself was originally published in the 1890s. Thompson's biography is also worth a read, as his life's story is remarkable: he went from being a homeless addict on the street to being a famous poet in a very short time.

For those who enjoy inspirational poetry, especially that of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

First Line: I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.

177inge87
Edited: Oct 30, 2015, 1:50 pm

A few scanned images of Stella Langdale's fantastic illustrations from the edition of The Hound of Heaven on Project Gutenberg:





178inge87
Oct 30, 2015, 9:23 am



Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer*

Categories: Rob Roy, SFFCAT

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, historical fiction, Gothic fiction, romance, suspense, family, long lost relatives, madness, secrets, manipulation

Cousin Kate is a Gothic romance by Georgette Heyer. Poor, orphaned Kate finds herself penniless and out of a position after her employer's mother-in-law forced her out of her governess position. Now living with her old nurse in London, she is trying to figure out her next steps when her father's half-sister Lady Broome swoops down to take Kate to her estate Staplewood and all the comfort she's missed. The daughter of a military man, who grew up on the peninsula front, Kate is hardly a simpering miss, but she is swept up in her aunt's generosity, and agrees to go for the summer at least.

But after a lifetime of being ignored by her relations (her parents were cut off after they eloped), why would her aunt want Kate now? Just what is troubling her cousin Torquil? Is his cousin Philip out to get him in order to inherit the Broome estate? It will take all of her wits to make it out alive! (cue the suspenseful music)

Cousin Kate takes the usual Heyer romance and kicks it up a notch with some suspense. From the calm to the storm to the aftermath, Kate is up for everything and afraid of nothing. That is until all her worst fears begin to come true.

First Line: At no time during the twenty-four hours was the Bull and Mouth Inn a place of quiet or repose, and by ten o'clock in the morning, when the stage-coach from Wisbech, turning top-heavily out of Aldersgate, lumbered into its yard, it seemed, to one weary and downcast passenger at least, to be crowded with vehicles of every descripton, from a yellow-bodied post-chaise to a wagon, with its shafts cocked up and the various packages and bundles it carried strewn over the yard.

179inge87
Oct 30, 2015, 9:49 am



Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread by Mary Jane Hathaway*

Categories: Once

Series: Jane Austen Takes the South (3/3)

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, Southern fiction, Christian fiction, romance, Mississippi, Persuasion, Jane Austen, family, race, classism, public health clinics, Civil War reenactment

Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion set in modern-day Tupelo, Mississippi. Lucy is an archivist who spends most of her day either thinking about the Civil War or trying to figure out how to save her family from itself. Nothing has been the same since her mother died, and now she is afraid they are about to lose the house her family has lived for 150 years to creditors. Then her meddling aunt connects her to the Tupelo Free Clinic, which is looking for a bigger facility. The back part of Lucy's family home would do nicely and more than pay off the mortgages. The only problem is that with the clinic comes its newest doctor, Jem Chevy. Eight years ago, Lucy's family made her break up with him. After all, they are from an old established black family, and he is a white boy from the trailer park.

But now that the tables are turned, will Lucy and Jem find a way to be together or are the events of the past destined to tear them apart? I think everyone knows the answer to that question, but the journey is still worth it.

A fun Austen retelling, this is quality Christian fiction, not the kind with random Bible verses, come-to-Jesus moments, and talk of "baby Christians", but the kind with characters who happen to be Christian and who attempt to follow their faith through the trials of everyday existence. In short, it's not preachy at all and perfect for Jane Austen lovers everywhere, whether Christian or not.

First Line: "This is an effort to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose."

180inge87
Oct 30, 2015, 9:52 am



Germania: A Personal History of Germans Ancient and Modern by Simon Winder

Categories: Out of Africa

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, history, travel, anectdotes, German history, Germany, UK edition

Germania is a book that only a middle aged British man could write. That doesn't make it bad; it just explains things like the book's seeming obsession with Nazis and an oddly phrased remark that Handel wasn't German. Remarkably, the closer one gets to the Nazi Era, the less he talks about Nazis, so while I almost gave the book up because it seemed that every aspect of early and medieval Germany was related to or foreshadowed the Nazis, I'm glad I stuck with it because it did get better. Winder's work is an overview of German history from the beginning through 1933 told through the filter of his travels around Germany seeking out the historic and the eccentric. And he gets to spend a lot of time complaining about the French—a favorite pastime of Britons and Germans. If you like obscure German microstates, questionable street food, or ridiculous provincial museums, this book is for you, because Winder does too. And he travels the length and breadth of Germany in his quest for the next juicy tidbit. But he also spends time on serious matters: his thoughts about the fall of pre-1914 European civilization especially is worth the effort of finishing the book.

Overall, it's a fun, accessible read written in a style that lets the author's personality and humor shine through. Although he does offer references/further reading at the end, this should not be confused an academic history and was never meant to be one.

Recommended for Germanophiles looking for a fun read; the follow-up Danubia, about Austria-Hungary, is even better.

First Line: I have spent many years chewing over German history and this book is an entirely personal response to it.

181mamzel
Oct 30, 2015, 11:54 am

>177 inge87: I don't know if it's my browser (Explorer) but these images aren't showing, only warnings not to use images from Gutenberg. Maybe you could find them in Google images instead.

182inge87
Edited: Oct 30, 2015, 1:52 pm

>181 mamzel: Thanks for the note. I've fixed the image links. I could still see them on both my home and work computer so I hadn't noticed that they weren't showing up.

183mamzel
Oct 30, 2015, 3:41 pm

Beautiful! They look like they could be used on tarot or Magik cards.

184christina_reads
Oct 30, 2015, 4:02 pm

Some good reviews here! I'm especially glad to see your review of The Hanged Man, as I'd seen that in the bookstores and thought it looked good. Now I'll definitely try it from the library rather than buying!

185inge87
Nov 1, 2015, 2:48 pm

>183 mamzel: I was really impressed. I'd never heard of the illustrator before, but she did some amazing work.

>184 christina_reads: Thanks. The Hanged Man is definitely a book I'd read through before buying, just to make sure that it's what you think it is.

186inge87
Nov 3, 2015, 2:32 pm



Summer at Fairacre by Miss Read

Categories: The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October

Series: Chronicles of Fairacre (16/20)

Keywords: fiction, British fiction, village life, schoolteachers, summer, family crises, workers on strike, weddings, marriage, friendship

Summer at Fairacre finds Miss Read dealing with the familiar ups and downs of village life. She doesn't have to worry about where she'll live in retirement, she gets to worry about other things, like what will happen to Joseph Coggs while his mother is in the hospital or whether Mrs. Pringle will continue to clean the school or retire. Plus, it looks like Miss Quinn may have an admirer. Summer is supposed to be a time to relax, but at Fairacre there is always something going on. This summer is no exception.

More fun in Fairacre, you really get the sense that things may be wrapping up and coming to a close, but Miss Read doesn't seem ready to go quite yet.

First Line: 'What the Hanover d'you make of this, Miss Read?'

187inge87
Nov 3, 2015, 2:34 pm



The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth

Categories: Henry V/Twelfth Night, HistoryCAT

Keywords: fiction, German fiction, Bavarian fiction, fairy tales, Oberpfalz

The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales is a collection of fairy tales and legends collected in the 1850s in the Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) region of Bavaria by the civil servant Franz Xaver von Schönwerth. Some of the stories were published in his three volume collection of collected stories, while others come from a recently rediscovered collection in a German archive. Overall, they are nice stories, a mixture of new variants of familiar tales together with some unfamiliar ones.

The collection was probably a bit overhyped in the media (and in the introductory essays for that matter), leading to disappointment in some quarters; however, if you are looking for some fun fairy tale adventures, it is very much worth reading. Also, they are still rather dark and unsanitized, so this isn't the best gift for your favorite five-year-old. But if you like fairy tales, you'll want to pick this up.

First Line: One day a prince lost his way in the woods. ("The Turnip Princess")

188inge87
Edited: Dec 9, 2015, 9:56 am



Sword and Serpent by Taylor Marshall

Categories: Babe

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, YA fiction, historical fiction, Christian fiction, Catholic fiction, family, faith, friendship, persecution, journeys, Rome, evil, death, child sacrifice, martyrdom

Sword and Serpent is a Christian YA novel belonging to that most retro of genres: sword and sandals Christian historical fiction. A retelling of the ancient story of Saint George and the dragon, it takes place during the early days of Emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians. Driven from their home due to their family's faith, Jurian and his sister Mariam travel across Anatolia and the Mediterranian to Rome to fulfill their mother's dying wish. However, they are not alone. Jurian's rival Casca is hunting them and wants them dead. Luckily, they make some familiar friends (i.e. saints you'll recognize) along the way. Meanwhile in Libya, Sabra is priestess of her city's local god—a god who has been demanding child sacrifices for years, something that is becoming less and less bearable for her. An old prophecy will bring her and Jurian together, just in time for the fight of their lives.

A clean YA historical read. Its Catholicism is rather blatant, but that's usually the case in Roman Empire Christian persecution novels. The cliffhanger ending promises at least one more book, and I think it will be interesting to see where the author goes with the story. Highly recommended for those looking for interesting Catholic historical fiction.

First Line: "Domine. The gods are silent."

189inge87
Nov 3, 2015, 2:41 pm



Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway

Categories: Once

Series: Jane Austen Takes the South (1/3)

Keywords: fiction, American fiction, Southern fiction, Christian fiction, romance, academics, rivalry, friendship, family, death, research, Civil War historians, tenure track

Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits is a Pride & Prejudice retelling set in a Southern college. Shelby (Elizabeth) is a Civil War historian tying to get tenure. Just when she has published a book and appears to be getting close to her goal, her reputation is demolished when a highly esteemed historian Ranson Fielding (Darcy) publishes a scathing (and somewhat inaccurate) review. Imagine her joy when it turns out he will be a visiting lecturer for the academic year. He feels bad about the situation and wants to make up, but every time they meet sparks and words start flying. Toss in a sleazy developer with a dark side and a hateful department chair and you've got the plot. It's what the author does with it that sparkles.

A fun, Austeneque contemporary romance set in the realm of modern academia. Recommended for fans of the genre and those who love Austen remakes.

First Line: Shelby Roswell rooted through her purse for the third time, tossing receipts and gum wrappers onto the cluttered desk.

190inge87
Nov 3, 2015, 2:45 pm



The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse by Piu Marie Eatwell

Categories: A Man for All Seasons

Keywords: non-fiction, British non-fiction, history, true crime, British history, Victorian era, trials, aristocracy, recluses, eccentrics, family, secrets, sensationalism, UK edition

The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse is the story of the Druce-Portland case in which an impoverished London widow claimed that her late father-in-law had in fact been the 5th Duke of Portland living a secret second life. It was a late Victorian sensation, revealing as it did sordid details about illegitimate children, abandoned families, and the various eccentricities of the 5th Duke himself. This was a man who wanted to disappear, ordered his servants to ignore him, and had a whole warren of underground rooms excavated underneath his Nottinghamshire estate. Just who was T. C. Druce? And what drove the 5th Duke to be so eccentric? These are just a few of the mysteries that the author tries to answer in this book. And what she is able to uncover over a century later is remarkable.

More Victorian social history than true crime, the book reminds me of Catherine Bailey's The Secret Rooms both in subject and atmosphere: both involve ducal families with dark secrets that they wanted covered up and both involve the author beginning to peel back that layer of secrecy to the extent that one can using the bits that were missed in the initial cover-up.

Overall, a very good story about what happens when a story goes viral and the kind of people that the possibility of fame, wealth, and revenge can draw out of the woodwork. Highly recommended.

First Line: It was a dark, windy winter evening a few days before Christmas 1879.

191inge87
Nov 3, 2015, 2:51 pm



Island on Fire: The Extraordinary Story of a Forgotten Volcano that Changed the World by Alexandra Witze & Jeff Kanipe

Categories: Medicine Man, HistoryCAT

Keywords: non-fiction, science, volcanology, history, Icelandic history, climate history, Laki eruption of 1783, Iceland, Volcanic Explosivity Index, death, family, fluoride poisoning, famine, weather disruption, surivival

Island on Fire is both the story of the Laki eruption of 1783 and a highly readable introduction to volcanology. Laki was not a single eruption, but rather a series of eruptions from a row of (at least 130) craters centered around Laki peak in southeastern Iceland. The narrator of this story is local minister Jón Steingrímsson, who left a detailed diary of the events that occurred to his neighborhood beginning around Pentecost Sunday 1783 when he first beheld a dark cloud rising over the hills on his way to church. This eruption not only devastated Iceland, but sent clouds of ash and poisonous gas across Europe, destroying crops and respiratory systems wherever it went.

The authors use Laki and the events surrounding its eruption as a pathway to explore the field of volcanology. They explain the Volcanic Explosivity Index and the concept of "supervolcanoes". I especially liked how their explanations did not just include technical definitions but also narrative descriptions of what such an eruption would be like for those who experience it. There is also a very nice chapter covering all the ways a volcano can kill you.

Overall, it is an excellent work, perfect for volcano experts and novices a like. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in interesting non-fiction, volcanic eruptions, or Icelandic history.

First Line: At least everyone was at home, sung in their beds, when the world began to end.

192inge87
Nov 3, 2015, 3:18 pm

October Round-Up!

Books Read: 27

Category Challenge

156 of 180 read - 86.67% done (true total 193 books)

6 of 15 categories completed - 40% done

Individual Categories
1. Twelfth Night/Henry V: Classic Fiction (pre-1920) - 9 - 75%
2. Medicine Man: Environmental Science - 9 - 75%
3. Star Wars: Fantasy/SciFi - 25 - 100%
4. Princess Mononoke: Graphic format - 9 - 75%
5. Rob Roy: Historical Fiction - 11 - 91.67%
6. A Man for All Seasons: History - 16 - 100%
7. The Last Waltz: Memoirs - 11 - 91.67%
8. The Third Man: Mysteries - 12 - 100%
9. Once: New Fiction (2000 to Present) - 11 - 91.67%
10. Koyaanisqatsi: Other Non-Fiction - 16 - 100%
11. The Tamarind Seed/The Hunt for Red October: Recent Fiction (1970 to 1999) - 7 - 46.67%
12. Chariots of Fire: Religion - 29 - 100%
13. A Hard Day's Night: Retro Fiction (1920 to 1969) - 9 - 75%
14. Out of Africa: Travel - 8 - 66.67%
15. Babe: YA/Juvenile fiction - 12 - 100%

Challenges
HistoryCAT - 8
SFFCAT - 2

Genre
Fiction - 17 - 62.96%
Non-Fiction - 10 - 37.04%

Sources
Me (other) - 7 - 25.93%
ILL - 5 - 18.52%
Work - 5 - 18.52%
Me (this month) - 4 - 14.81%
Me (last month) - 3 - 11.11%
Irving PL - 2 - 7.4%
Free Online E-Book - 1 - 3.7%

Authors
Female - 13 - 56%
Male - 11 - 44%

Edition Language
English - 27 - 100%

Original Language
English - 26 - 96.3%
German - 1 - 3.7%

Series
Stand-Alone Books - 20 - 74.07%
Series Books - 7 - 25.93%

Ratings Distribution
1 star - 0 - 0%
2 stars - 1 - 3.7%
3 stars - 17 - 62.96%
4 stars - 8 - 29.64%
5 stars - 1 - 3.7%

Average Rating
3.33

Best of the Month



Fiction: The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth

Non-Fiction (tie): Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War against Hitler by Mark Riebling & Forgotten Land: Journeys Among the Ghosts of East Prussia by Max Egremont

193inge87
Nov 4, 2015, 6:14 pm

I have started another thread for November, so pop on over and check out the new digs!
This topic was continued by inge87's 15-in-15: Life on the Big Screen, Part III.