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Book Reviews- Nov 2024

4 Dec

Welcome back to another monthly book review! I finished up a trilogy, read a few standalones and am still working my way through an incredibly long audiobook…

The God of Lost Words (Hell’s Library #3) by A.J. Hackwith- Claire, Hero, angel Remi and muse Brevity might just have to destroy the Library in order to save it… After saving the Library of the Unwritten Wing and finding out just what the books are made of, their secret out and all of Hell is coming for every wing of the Library. A war erupts and it’ll take all of their wits to survive.

–This was a good finale to the trilogy with a fantastic battle for each of the characters and bringing in a new villian (Godmother of Ghosts mwahaha). I admit some of the…details of the plot left me a little confused but I just kept reading anyway. It was more along the lines of fantasy-rules, so I didn’t feel like I’d understand it even if I stopped and pondered it… Anyhow, once again I did like the character growth – their battles and losses and victories felt specific to them. After finishing it, I was a little confused by some of what had happened but still finished content overall. The romance is, as I said in my reviews for the previous two books, is different than I normally read/prefer. (pansexual is apparently the word for it…) While I may not necessarily like this part of the plot, Hackwith wrote it so well that it didn’t take away from the story. And that the love was true and deep – not this flighty, physical focused type of infatuation. I appreciated that. With that in mind, a cautious recommend. As a last thought, I think the first book was my favorite, with this one being the second favorite.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien- Bilbo Baggins, hobbit of Bag-End, joins the wizard Gandalf and twelve dwarves, led by none other than Thorin Oakenshield, across Middle Earth to help the dwarves reclaim their homeland from the dragon Smaug. Through many obstacles – most of them extremely dangerous- they struggle through before even reaching their destination- the Lonely Mountain

–  I always love the Hobbit but listening to Andy Serkis narrating it, just improves it by leaps and bounds, somehow. It has been several years since I read this story and thoroughly enjoyed how Tolkien points out these random facts/feelings – in a way that modern authors just don’t do (well, that I’ve come across). Anyway, it is a nice, concise wonderful adventure story. I love how talkative Gandalf is. How uncertain Bilbo can be. How much the dwarves complain all throughout but then repent soon enough after. Highly recommend reading or listening to (esp with Andy Serkis narrating) this story!

Dragonsteel Prime by Brandon Sanderson- On Yolen, we follow the story of a boy named Jerick and a fool or jest, who calls himself Topaz (though you might know him by another name).

–this was written back in 2001 and only now has been widely printed and sold. We see Sanderson’s original attempt at writing the Bridge Four story. I appreciated that, at the beginning of the book, he even says that the story is a bit all over the place. This acknowledgement made a difference through the parts that seemed out of left field.. I adored all things to do with Topaz. And Bat’Chor. And really, there were times I was wishing we were focusing more on Jerick… Anyway, I did enjoy this story even though I, maybe, don’t love certain elements of it. (some choices near the end just frustrated me!) I got the hardcover and it’s simply gorgeous.

Where the Long Grass Blows by Louis L’amour- Bill Canavan rides into a valley at war – the two large ranches are owned by rustlers turned ranchers, fighting to dominate the entire valley, and a third small ranch caught in the middle. The third ranch was owned by honest folk – a brother and sister. But Canavan didn’t just happen to choose this valley to settle in. He knew this land, this range war and had decided he’d stay. He’d staked a claim and had plans to be the one still standing after the the war had blown over. What he hadn’t counted on was just how much the woman owner of the small ranch would affect him…

–whenever I want a nice, cozy, western read, I pick up a Louis L’amour. I greatly enjoyed this one – it was full of the clever cowhand with a fist of iron and a moral compass; the villians who run roughshod over everyone; the beautiful spirited woman that fights back and cattle, horses and the range. I always like the straight-talking, quick-decision making aspects that are in L’amour’s stories. I liked that Canavan entered the town of Soledad with the intent to stay -this wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. And I liked the comparisons drawn from the other characters, between him and Star Levitt. Highly recommend.

Currently Reading:

Uprooted by Lyn Julius

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (at 59% of a 69 hr audiobook)

I hope you found something to add to your to-read list!

~Laura

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Book Reviews- Oct 2024

27 Nov

As soon as I got caught up on monthly book reviews, I got behind again. Oy. Well, at least I realized it while we’re still in November!

Let’s get right to it!

The Flight of the Falcon by Daphne Du Maurier – Armino Fabbio is a guide for Sunshine Tours and is satisfied with his humdrum life of leading tourists around, when he’s circumstantially involved in a murder of an old peasant woman on the streets of Rome. When he learns that the woman was his family’s faithful servant, he returns to his hometown of Ruffano. Once there, he’s haunted by the phantom of his brother, Aldo, that was shot down in flames in 1943. But the town seems to have forgotten its violent past – that of Duke Claudio, known as The Falcon, the twisted and cruel man that preyed on the people of Ruffano. But as the days pass, the parallels of past and present are ever more evident…

~This is the third Du Maurier book that I’ve read. I enjoyed the beginning a lot but as the book progressed, I got confused and then frustrated with the choices Armino was making. I finished it with a firm feeling that I wouldn’t read it again, but after a few days, I thought maybe I would… Now, weeks later, I’m undecided. There were twists and turns that I didn’t see coming that kept it from being predictable, I think I just didn’t like the direction some of them went, ha! So, a hesitant recommendation for this one, I suppose.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame – Follow Mole, Rat, Badger and Mole through their lives- whether it’s lounging by the River Thames, going on a great adventure or a comical caper.

~I read this a few years ago and it was enchanting to once again be immersed in the beautiful world that Grahame created. I adore Mole and Badger so much. I love the descriptions of their world- the season changing, the wood…etc. I highly recommend this not only as an idyllic story but also as it has several nuggets of life wisdom spread throughout.

Silver Canyon by Louis L’amour – Matt Brennan rode into Hattan’s Point and decided he wanted to put down roots. But a land war is brewing between the big ranches of the area and he’s warned to get out of town immediately. But Matt’s never backed down from what he wants- and he wants a ranch and the hand of beautiful Moira Maclaren.

~I always enjoy a L’amour novel – the fights are written with enough pizazz to be interesting and short enough that you’re not skimming ahead to get to the end of it. The romance was sweet but I felt that if the whole story had been longer, this part, perhaps, would’ve been more fleshed out. I liked that Matt kept getting into some serious trouble and having to figure his way out of it again. This wasn’t one of my favorites of his, but it was an enjoyable short read.

The Library of the Unwritten (Hell’s Library #1) by A.J. Hackwith – This is where all books that weren’t written, reside. And it’s the Librarians’ job to organize and repair all books. And, of course, retrieve any books that go wandering… Claire Hadley, Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing, must retrieve a Hero that has gone in search of his author. She takes along her assistant, former muse Brevity, and a reluctant courier demon, Leto. But the simple retrieval turns into anything but, when the angel Ramiel attacks them, demanding they give him the Devil’s Bible… a book that has the power to reshape heaven, hell…and the earth. It’s up to the librarian to find this powerful weapon before it can be used in the battle between heaven and hell.

~Now, just to be perfectly clear here- this is a fantasy series. *ahem* With that out of the way, I’m not sure I would’ve picked this book up if a friend hadn’t strongly recommended it. As she’s rarely ever wrong on book recommendations, I went ahead and started it, even though it seemed way out of my normal. Well. This was well written and the twists and turns in the plot were mostly out of left field, that I had a hard time putting it down. There were parts that dragged, but I liked that characters overall, enough, that it didn’t ruin it for me. What I wasn’t a fan of, was the…what’s the word – pansexual- thing spattered throughout. Thankfully, it was written in a way that wasn’t off-putting enough that I had to stop reading. With that caution, I can recommend this book without reservation for the writing, the fun take on a library and its caretakers.

The Archive of the Forgotten (Hell’s Library #2) by A.J. Hackwith – The Unwritten Wing was saved, but hundreds of books were destroyed and Claire and Brevity both feel their loss. But as they’re trying to find their routine again after all the changes, a new threat appears. A strange ink appears in the Arcane Wing. Claire and Brevity are immediately at odds in their approach to deal with this new threat; a representative from the Muse Corps arrives to offer assistance; Hero and the angel Rami go searching in another realm for the answer… The true nature of this strange ink could change the afterlife entirely.

~After finishing book 1, I immediately requested this one from the library and devoured it. I was a little miffed at some of the character’s choices, especially the first half of the book. But, I really loved the reveal of what the ink was and how the characters chose to deal with it. There was a little more of the romance that I mentioned in my review of the first book but it was still so…nicely done. It’s weird to skirt around this topic a bit, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. But what I did appreciate about it was that the attraction wasn’t just a physical-instant-love-throw-all-caution-to-the-wind type of thing. It was rooted in knowing the other person. Again, with that caution of the nature of the romance, can recommend.

Currently Reading:

Uprooted by Lyn Julius

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (at 55% of a 69 hr audiobook)

Dragonsteel Prime by Brandon Sanderson

Conagher by Louis L’amour

God of Lost Words (Hell’s Library #3) by A.J. Hackwith

I hope you found something to add to your TBR! What have you been reading lately?

~Laura

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Writing Prompt- A Silent Storm

14 Nov

I haven’t written from a prompt in so long that it was nice to do this. It is fairly rough- as most all of these are that I share with you. I don’t edit much at all, and maybe one day I’ll look back and regret that but for now, I like that it’s something I’m able to do without too much work or editing or whatnot.

She sat on the edge of the wooden stool, fingers gripping the windowsill as she watched the darkening sky. Clouds had been rolling in and were slowly blocking out the blue she loved so much. She lowered her gaze to the ground, where squirrels and birds were dashing to their hidey-holes in trees. The farm dogs ran to the house, tails tucked between their legs, panting as they hurried inside. Even her father was coming in early, driving the tractor down the lane toward the shed they’d built for it last year. As if in response to the passing of the slow machine, the trees started waving in the wind, gently, gently.

Turning from the trees, she checked on her mother in the kitchen. She’d already helped lock the windows and doors, all but this front door where her father would hurry in with a worried gaze and a reassuring smile. Her mother was checking dinner, then would go stoke the stove. She smiled as her mother did just that. Her mother liked routine. Feeling vibrations in the wood floor, she turned to see her father cleaning his boots off on the front porch. She waited until he was ready and opened the door for him. And as she’d known he would, he looked worried but smiled at her so that the fear rising in her breast eased a little. She locked the door while he hung his coat up and moved to stand in front of the fire.

She turned back to the window, the dogs on either side of her, and watched the trees whipping back and forth in the wind and the rain… the rain was just as angry as the trees as it battered everything outside. A rhythmic tapping on the floor made her turn back around. Her father was sitting down in the rocking chair, smiling at her. Relieved that he hadn’t forgotten, she slipped off the stool, her bare feet hitting the wood floor one after the other, and hurried to climb into her father’s lap. He tucked a quilt over her and started the chair rocking as they watched the storm outside.

As she relaxed in the warmth of her father’s embrace, the stress that had been building in her chest eased even more. Storms were unnatural things – so violent and angry and yet, silent. Storms should rage and hurt one’s eardrums with the sound of the wind and rain and lightening. Instead, they remained silent- except for the occasional shuddering of the house from a particularly strong gust of wind. But the rocking chair kept up its rhythm, and her father’s arms were strong about her and she could feel that he was talking with her mother by the vibrations from his chest. And she pulled the quilt up around her shoulders as they rocked, gently, gently.

(the writing prompt was ‘describe a thunderstorm without using the sense of hearing’)

I hope you enjoyed this, thanks for stopping by SGL,

Laura

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An Exciting Announcement

31 Oct

Hello my friends,

Now that I’ve gotten caught up on book reviews, I wanted to share some exciting news.

I’ve been hard at work getting my first novel ready to publish! I am self-publishing and cannot wait to be able to share it with all my lovely readers.

It’s set in my favorite time period (in a place where I’ve lived), is a coming of age story and the main character is a redhead!

A little about me is that I’ve been a writer since I was a kid – poems, short stories etc, as long as I had a bit of time and a pencil and paper, I was scribbling away. I’ve mostly stopped writing poetry but have found that novels are so fulfilling to craft. I love character development and story arc and creating a whole world that one can get lost in.

As of yet, I don’t have a release date but you can bet that once I do, I’ll share it with you all! I would love some help sharing the news of this novel of mine, so if you could share this blog post, and any subsequent ones, to those who you think might be interested, I’d be ever so grateful!

Eventually, I’d love to have a small street team. I’ll announce that as I get all my ducks in a row!

I’ve got an author page on Instagram and Pinterest, if you want to check it out!

~Laura

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Twelve Books to read in the Fall

16 Oct

Hello friends! I meant to get this posted back in September… but since we’re halfway through October at this point, this list isn’t going to be as pretty and organized as I’d intended. But I’ve compiled a list of twelve books that I think are great fall reads.

Now, naturally, there are so many more that I could have added, but I wanted to keep the list length reasonable- but if you’d like to see more suggestions, especially in a certain genre- let me know, and I can share more.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Marier

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – yes I’m counting seven books as one. It’s the beauty of book math

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner

The Sword in His Hand by J.J. Fischer

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

What would you add to this list? I’d love to hear your recommendations!

~Laura

A Gentleman in Moscow Book Review

3 Oct

Welcome back to SGL, thanks for spending a few minutes of your busy day with me.

As most of you probably did, I saw this book floating around the internet, especially when it came out in 2016. And while I was intrigued, I never was moved enough to actually read it. Until I learned that they were making a tv series based on it, and of course, before watching it, I knew I had to read the book first.

Synopsis:

Count Alexander Rostov, a man of learning and wit, faces a Bolshevik tribunal in 1922 and is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol – a grand hotel right across the street from the Kremlin. The Count – a man who’s never worked a day in his life- finds that his reduced circumstances have provided him a foray into a much different sort of world.

My review:

I had hopes that this would be an enjoyable novel and that it wouldn’t have any…. ‘spice’ that would cause me to immediately close it and return it to the library. I’d never read anything by Amor Towles and so, of course, had no experience with his writing.

Let me tell you, I was absolutely captivated. His writing style just pulled me in almost instantly to the world of the Count and the Metropol. It really was fascinating, reading about the grand hotel as it became the Count’s whole world. And of course, the Count himself was a wonderful character to read about – being a man of learning and insatiable wit… and seeing how he did grow and change as time went on.

Now, I’ve not studied Russian history, so I don’t know how accurate Towles’ portrayal of that was, but I did find it interesting, as well as the idea of seeing the changes without being a part of them, per se.

The descriptions of the food – for the Count is a dedicated lover of such- were wonderful. I always love it when I find a novel that somehow centers around good food (immediately, I thought of Chateau of Echoes and the Redwall series).

There is some ‘spice’ (aka sexual content) here and there throughout the story but I did find it to be written subtly enough that I didn’t dnf it. Because of these scenes, I would recommend pre-reading it before handing it to a teenaged reader.

All in all, I had a hard time putting this book down and an even harder time not picking it up again. I am interested in reading other books of his, so if anyone has a suggestion for a next read, I’d love to hear it!

All in all, highly recommend this book for the beauty of the scenes, the character development, the plot (all the things you don’t see coming!) and just a wonderful escape.

And hopefully, I’ll watch the tv series soon and will be able to come back and share my opinion on that.

~Laura

dnf = did not finish

While covering different genres, I do not read anything that has blatant sexual content. I will tell you if there is any sort of such (typically very mild and delicately put) in them and if I don’t think they’d be appropriate for young/teenage readers.

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Book Reviews – Sept 2024

26 Sep

My crazed reading days have faded apparently. Part of that is simply because I am in the middle of two quite long books (the Sherlock Holmes audio is 67 hour long…). But, with finishing Murtagh, I’ve completed the last series I started earlier this year!

While covering different genres, I do not read anything that has blatant sexual content. I will tell you if there is any sort of such (typically very mild and delicately put) in them and if I don’t think they’d be appropriate for young/teenage readers.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – As a fireman, it’s Guy Montag’s job to destroy books and the houses they are found in. Books are illegal contraband and Guy never questions his job, finding satisfaction in carrying out justice and going home at the end of the day to his wife, Mildred, who spends all her time with her television ‘family’. But when Guy meets a neighbor, Clarisse, who shows him that not only was the past not what he’s been told, but that the present can be one of enjoyment and peace, he starts to question everything he’s ever known.

~I hadn’t read this since high school and wow, did I forget the powerful way that this book is written. The emotions evoked by the repetition, the short sentences, the pacing of Guy’s journey… I listened to this via hoopla and the narrator (Tim Robbins) made it come alive so incredibly. What caught me was how much I could see the chain of events that occurred in the novel, actually happening. The ending was far different than I remembered but completed it well. I figure this will be a bi-yearly read, now. I quite enjoyed it.

Murtagh (The Inheritance Cycle #5) by Christopher Paolini- Now that Galbatorix has been defeated, Murtagh and Thorn are exiled – hiding from civilization as much as they can since the people still see them as murderers and traitors. But Murtagh learns of the rumors of brittle ground and brimstone-tarnished air and he and Thorn set off to investigate. It will take all of their wit and strength to overcome the mysterious witch they find – a witch that is much more than she seems.

~I am so glad that I’ve finally gotten to read this! I love that Paolini came back to Alagaesia and gave us this story all about Murtagh and Thorn. The storyline was not what I was expecting – don’t ask me what I WAS expecting though, because it wasn’t a fully formed idea… But that’s not to say that I didn’t get truly engrossed in the story. (I even read it during our drive to an event, because it was at such a climax moment that I couldn’t bear to leave it til the next day). It was a darker story overall, I felt, from Eragon’s – but after all, Murtagh had a different upbringing that affected his actions/thoughts. And it felt right that the story reflected that. (there is torture in this book, that while not graphic, is still fairly upsetting).

Intermittent Fasting Transformation: The 45-Day Program for Women to Lose Stubborn Weight, Improve Hormonal Health, and Slow Aging by Cynthia Thurlow- With her six-week program that was created specifically for women, Thurlow guides readers through what intermittent fasting is, steps on how to have the most success by fitting it to your body and life for your hormonal needs.

~While I didn’t read this cover to cover, I read as much as I felt was helpful for me to dive into intermittent fasting and not become overwhelmed. I enjoyed the chapter on her own experience with it as well. Honestly, if I was wanting something a bit more structured, this program seems like it would be really good. She gives you small-ish tasks to do in the beginning to set yourself up for success. If you’re wanting to know more about intermittent fasting, this book does a great job telling you what is happening in your body as you eat and as you fast.

DNF: (did not finish)

Choosing A Jewish Life: a handbook for people converting to Judaism and for their family and friends by Anita Diamant – honestly, this had been on my shelves for years before I finally started reading it. It had some good information and encouragement in it but a few things that I flat-out disagree with, so it’s now in the donate pile.

Currently Reading:

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Uprooted by Lyn Julius

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Flight of the Falcon by Daphne Du Marier

To Read:

Of Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep

And that’s it! Have you read any of these books or are interested in any of them?

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The Unread Books Project Classics Edition

17 Sep

Update: I recently ran through this list again and was disappointed that, four years later, I’ve not read very many from this list. So this is me, sharing this list again in the hope that it’ll inspire me to pull more books from my classics shelves over the next months- or years.

A few weeks ago I ran across something called the – you probably guessed already — The Unread Books Project. I read about it on The Unread Shelf and was instantly inspired to do it as well!

Because of the size of my library, I decided to make separate lists. This one, as you’ve already deduced, is the Classics.

(Now, picture me with a pad of paper and pen going around my house where I’ve been able to stack a few (or more) books in odd places, writing title and author down) I do hope to add the published date of these books when I come back through and mark that I’ve read them. (that’s a reminder for future Laura)

by Author, A to D:

A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich (read Aug 2020)

Reluctant Pioneer by Mary Vowell Adams

Books by Jane Austen:

Pride and Prejudice (read Jan 2021)

Mansfield Park

Sense and Sensibility

Lady Susan/The Watsons/Sanditon

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (read Nov 2020)

Little Men by Louisa May Alcott (read Nov 2020)

The Fighting Preacher by Rev. John H. Aughey

Lives of Girls Who Became Famous by Sarah Knowles Bolton

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmoore (read May 2017)

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

The Unannointed by Laurene Chinn

Eliza by Patricia Campbell

Streams in the Desert by Lettie Cowman

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (read June 2024)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (read Dec 2020)

The Robe by Lloyd D. Douglas

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas

The Princess Aline by Richard Harding Davis (read Mar 2019)

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Dufoe

by Author, E to H:

An Important Family by Dorothy Eden

The Great Brain Series by John D. Fitzgerald

Lord Hornblower by C.S. Forester (printed in 1946)

Man O’ War by Walter Farley

Anne Frank : Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman

Man to Man by Jackson Gregory

A Last Lamp Burning by Gywn Griffin

A Falcon for a Queen by Catherine Gaskin (read Jan 2019)

Our Friend the Charlatan by George Gissing

Princess Bride by William Goldman

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (currently reading, 2024)

The Twelve Dancing Princesses by the Grimm Brothers

She: A History of Adventure by H. Rider Haggard ( read in June 2020)

Passionate Pilgrim : The Life of Vincent Van Gogh by Lawrence and Elisabeth Hanson (read April 2021)

Cloud Jewel by Grace Livingston Hill

Betty Grable and the House of Cobwebs by Kathryn Heisenfelt

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (read in June 2020)

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (finished Jan 2021)

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

Best Known Works of Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Grandison Mather by Henry Harland

by Author, I to M:

Pillar of Fire by J.H. Ingraham (read Aug 2020)

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling

Story of My Life by Helen Keller

Rachel by Agnes Scott Kent

The Long Chance by Peter B. Kyne (printed in 1914)

White Fang by Jack London

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Silver Nutmeg by Norah Lofts

An Iceland Fisherman by Pierre Loti (printed in 1902)

Thankful’s Inheritance by Joseph C. Lincoln

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Road Back to Paris by A.J. Liebling

The Second Chance by Nellie L. McClung

Lalla Rookh by Thomas Moore

Beverly of Graustark by George Barr McCutcheon

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

by Author, N to R:

The Pit by Frank Norris

The Runaway by Kathleen Norris

Ralph Marlow by James Bell Naylor

The Merchant of Prato by Iris Origo

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emma Orczy (read Nov 2022)

Moonraker’s Bride by Peter O’donnell

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter

A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter

Lavender and Old Lace by Myrtle Reed

by Author, S to W:

Books by Robert Louis Stevenson:

Treasure Island

Kidnapped

The Black Arrow

The Burnished Blade by Lawrence Schooner (printed in 1948)

Saint Joan by Bernard Shaw

Paris Underground by Etta Shiber (printed in 1943)

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

Who Could Ask for Anything More? by Kay Swift (printed in 1943)

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Rudin by Ivan Turgenev

Alice of Old Vincennes by Maurice Thompson

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (read Oct 2021)

The Gilded Age by Mark Twain

The Lord of the Rings Series by J.R.R. Tolkien

Candide by Voltaire

Looking for a Bluebird by Joseph Wechsberg (printed in 1944)

Common School Literature by Westlake

A New England Nun and Other Stories by M.E. Wilkins

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (read Jan 2022)

The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

The Nine Brides and Granny Hite by Neil Compton Wilson

The Blazed Trail by Stewart Edward White

You Can’t Go Home Again by Thomas Wolfe

Bumper the White Rabbit in the Woods (Twilight Animals #1) by George Ethelbert Walsh (read May 2020)

Bobby Gray Squirrel’s Adventures (Twilight Animals #6) by George Ethelbert Walsh(read May 2020)

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

Abigail Adams by Evelyn Witter

Best Known Works of Oscar Wilde

A History of the Jews in the U.S.

And that’s it! I hope to have my Unread list of ‘regular’ books up soon as well! Have you ever made it a point to read through your library? Did you make it all the way through?

I don’t have an end goal for this – I figure it’ll take me quite a while to read ALL of these – a few years perhaps?

~Laura

Book Reviews- August 2024

4 Sep

In August, I finished two series’ (am still in one though!) and honestly, my reading slowed down a bit, with those being done.

While covering different genres, I do not read anything that has blatant sexual content. I will tell you if there is any sort of such (typically very mild and delicately put) in them and if I don’t think they’d be appropriate for young/teenage readers.

In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick- The harrowing tale of a sperm whale aggressively attacking, and sinking, a whaling ship, in 1840, and the subsequent trials of the surviving crew. This is the real-life event that inspired Moby-Dick, and was as big of an event in their time as the sinking of the Titanic was, in ours.

~I heard about this book from a friend and listened to the audiobook via Hoopla. While I’ve never read Moby Dick, I definitely want to, after reading this. I feel like this is a docu-novel. It is interspersed throughout with information that makes the world of the whalers and what they went through being stranded on small boats in the middle of the South Pacific, more understandable and impactful. I’ve always had an affinity for anything nautical, plus it’s history- so I enjoyed this quite a bit, despite the heartbreaking story.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7) by J.K. Rowling- In the final installment of the series, we see Harry leaving behind the safety of the Burrow and setting forth on a dangerous and secret mission. Never has he felt so alone, overwhelmed or uncertain about the future. But he must find the strength to go on – and find just how he can defeat Voldemort.

~I’ll admit it, as I was listening to the audiobook, I was thinking that there was yet one more book to the series… This book definitely was a darker story that dealt with so many hard things -death, grief, making the decision you know is right despite everyone saying something else, etc. Certain events left me just staring at my phone in disbelief!! I felt it was a good ending to a fantastic adventure.

Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle #2) by Christopher Paolini- After helping save his new friends from destruction, Eragon must travel, with Saphira, to the elves’ city of Ellesmera for Rider training. He is soon thrust into a whole new world- one where he must take advantage of every moment. Eragon must do all he can as chaos reigns, despite the betrayal that plagues him.

~I feel like, in this one, I found Eragon to be a bit too… teenager-y for me. In the first one, his immaturity made sense and wasn’t too bothersome. While it still did in this one- he’s young, still learning and has been thrust into this important role… it grated a bit. But, I’m not the intended age target for the series, so mostly I was able to brush it off. I thought his training was interesting, and seeing him reunite with Roran was a nice touch of bringing together the old familiar with the new familiar.

Brisingr (The Inheritance Cycle #3) by Christopher Paolini -Very little time has passed since Eragon since uttered the word ‘brisingr’ – the ancient language word for fire, and has been tested to his very soul. He sets off with Roran to help his cousin rescue Katrina who’s being held by the Razac. But he’s bound to many others by promises of loyalty and he must abide by them, even as unrest claims the Varden and he must be an example and encouragement to them all.

~It was nice seeing Eragon grow up in this novel. He does his best to uphold his promises and oaths – but finds that more is needed when he is the Rider among the Varden. I really do like Nasuada, and tend to forget that she also is young. While there is a scene in Eldest that is my favorite of the series, I think this book is my favorite overall.

Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle #4) by Christopher Paolini – Eragon and Saphira’s journey has been full of victories and heartbreaking loss. They’ve come further than anyone thought they could- but their greatest battle still lays ahead of them. Confronting- and beating- Galbatorix. And if they can’t defeat him, no one can.

~There was so much of this book that I did not remember! I really don’t know what to say about it- seeing how things came together – or fell apart- kept me turning the pages for sure. Nasuada and Murtagh and Roran. Jormundur and Orrin and Orik. Seriously, all the people with all their different personalities and roles… It was a great conclusion although I did have one scene firmly fixed in my memory and I kept waiting for it to happen but it never did… so I don’t know where that ‘memory’ came from… Anyway, very much enjoyed it!

About the B’nai Bagels by E.L. Konigsburg- Mark Seltzer has had it tough lately – losing his best friend and rigorous studying for his Bar Mitzvah, but then his mother becomes the manager of his baseball team, and his brother, the coach. His aggravation knows no limits – and indeed there is skepticism among the whole team. But they’re surprised when ‘Mother Bagel’ and Coach Spencer’s advice starts to bring improvement in all of them. They’re set up to being champs -something impossible the past years- but then Mark hears some startling news.

~ This is a children’s book published in 1969. As such, its style was definitely young for me, but it was still a fun story. There were some subtle references that will make me add a ‘parent’s read first’ caution.

Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey #12) by Dorothy L Sayers – Harriet Vane, murder mystery author, once accused of murder – only acquitted because of evidence found by Lord Peter Wimsey- puts aside her lingering shame of the trial and goes back to her alma mater – Oxford’s Shrewsbury College. But she soon realizes that her life is in danger again, when she receives the first poison-pen letter. It merely calls her names but they grow ever more threatening and dangerous. Harriet calls in Peter Wimsey to help her- for a killer is hiding among the Shrewsbury College dons.

~This one had such a different… feel than the other ones. The mystery definitely kept me guessing all the way to the end. And, as in the last Harriet point of view story, it was fun seeing Wimsey through a different lens. It was quite interesting reading about an all-female college as well. All in all, I highly enjoyed this one and recommend it.

Busman’s Honeymoon (Lord Peter Wimsey #13) by Dorothy L Sayers – At long last, Lord Peter Wimsey has succeeded in his ardent pursuit of Harriet Vane. They get married and immediately depart for their honeymoon in a picturesque farmhouse. But as soon as they get there – things are not as they anticipated. And when the previous owner is found dead in the cellar, more questions arise. Their honeymoon is suddenly over and Peter and Harriet are on the case as they try and find the identity of the murderer.

~I won’t give any spoilers, but I thought it was fun how this book started out. And then, on to seeing Harriet and Peter so newly married and expecting a tranquil honeymoon… instead they are met with upheaval and spiderwebs and suspicious neighbors and blocked chimneys. I appreciated how Sayer’s wove the mystery with the romance -written perfectly chaste! – so that it flowed and reminded you how little time really had passed since they’d gotten married. All in all, might be one of my favorites of the series.

Currently Reading:

Murtagh (The Inheritance Cycle #5) by Christopher Paolini

Farenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Uprooted by Lyn Julius

Choosing a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant

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Writing Prompt – Freedom

21 Aug

Prompt: I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees

I shifted in my bed, swinging my legs over the edge. It’d been so long since I’d stood up, I wondered if my legs would support me. Would I then be able to walk? Did I remember how? In that moment, I had to trust that my muscles would know. They always say that you only need to learn to ride a bicycle once, right? Perhaps that wasn’t the best analogy, since this was a little different. Walking being something that infants learn…

I pulled my attention back; this moment was too important to let my mind wander. But, blast it all if I didn’t have much control over my own thoughts anymore. I set my feet on the floor and stood, letting out a shaky breathe when my legs supported me.

“Is this really the path that you want to take? The other one isn’t all that bad.” He said, his voice meant to soothe.

But I heard the edge of anger, the sliver of disdain in it and widened my stance. I wouldn’t give in. I wouldn’t!

“And how do you see my life, once I’ve agreed to your plan? Do you see me as free?” The words came out of nowhere.  I clamped my mouth shut before more words spilled out.

“Of course. You’ll be free to live your own life, just as you have been these past fifteen years.”

To the outsider, his offer might have sounded good. Especially compared to the alternative I was gearing up for – possible death. But I knew what my life these past years had been like. And they’d been anything but free.

I knew what freedom was. I’d tasted it once- so many years ago it was a faint remembrance but it was there. And by that taste still lingering, I knew that how I’d been living – my body betraying me just as my mind was – that wasn’t freedom. I shifted my feet on the cold floor, sliding the right one forward a few inches. My stomach clenched and my muscles quivered but I remained standing. Emboldened, I slid my left foot forward.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him move but he checked himself. If I was to fail, it would be of my own doing. That had ever been his plan- set me up for doom, allow me to crash and burn and then, in the gentlest voice ever heard, pick me up and tell me how he’d known all along I couldn’t do it.

But this, this I would do. This was my one last chance for freedom. I didn’t care how much time I had left before my body gave out, I would die on my feet if I had to. No more crawling on my knees.

~A quick note- do I know what all these references are about? No. And while I’m curious, I find it a little cathartic to write cryptic things that tantalize the creative side of my brain, and then leave them there.

This way, we can each imagine just what it is that the person/victim has been going through and why they’re choosing now to break free of the control of the other person.

I hope you liked this and will enjoy future writing prompts that I hope to do as time goes on.

~Laura

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