Recent Reads and Tuesday's Treasures {Adventures in the Rocky Mountains}

This post is copied from my main blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, but because this link-up is about books, my contributions will appear here too!

I found a book I considered a treasure while working through America the Beautiful with my kids during the past school year. The Notgrass text set includes a book called We the People, which is a collection of letters, founding documents, speeches, poetry, and articles to go along with the history lessons. One of these was an excerpt from a book I'd never heard of - Adventures in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Bird. The excerpt intrigued me and I was lucky enough to find a copy through the library.

Isabella Bird was a nineteenth-century writer and explorer, originally from England. She was often sick during her childhood, but her dream was to travel and explore. After time spent in Australia and Hawaii, she traveled to the newest territory in the United States, Colorado, partly because she had heard that the air and climate was especially good for those who suffered from health problems. In 1873 she covered over 800 miles in Colorado, dressed practically and riding her horse astride rather than sidesaddle. She wanted to see the mountains for herself, and was willing to take on all kinds of challenges to do it. It seems she rarely turned aside from a difficult ride or climb, and did a fair amount of her traveling and exploring unaccompanied! She must have been a courageous and fascinating lady!

The book is a compilation of letters and journal entries she wrote on this trip through the Rocky Mountains, and tells about her many adventures along the way, including her friendship with 'Rocky Mountain Jim', an outlaw with a past and reputation filled with violence. She describes him often as a desperado, yet treats him with respect and finds him to be a complete gentleman in all his dealings with her. Throughout the book, Bird describes her surroundings and the people she meets in detail, and tells of mishaps and the less-than-wonderful people and experiences with wry humor. Her detailed descriptions of the scenery are breathtaking and almost poetic.

I would recommend this book to go along with a history study of the American West, and it's probably a good read for young ladies interested in learning about courageous, independent women in history. Isabella Bird certainly fit that description!

This map in the front cover of the book shows the southwestern states and territories at the time Isabella Bird was traveling through these regions.

The original post is linked at Every Bed of Roses for Tuesday's Treasures. Blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading, or one you found at the library.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {The Spirit Well}

The Spirit Well by Stephen R Lawhead - First, I have to say that it came as a shock to me when I neared the end of this book that there are two more still to come in this series! What?! How did I not realize that earlier? On the plus side, there's two more books for me to look forward to!

Okay, in the two previous Bright Empires Novels, we met Kit Livingstone and his friend Mina. Kit's great-grandfather introduced him to the world of ley travel and through circumstances Mina got involved too. Kit and Mina were accidentally separated and Mina has been making a new and successful life for herself in medieval Prague, while Kit and his great-grandfather and other associates are travelling through other time periods. We also learned about Arthur Flinders-Petrie, known as The Man Who Is Map, a great pioneer of ley travel. As Arthur learned the intricacies of the intersections and portals of ley travel, he had a map of symbols tattooed onto his chest. After his death, the tattoo map was separated into five pieces, and ley travelers have been racing to find and decipher the pieces ever since. Some are the good guys, some are the bad guys. We've already met several bad guys, including Archelaus Burleigh and his henchmen, the Burleymen. When last we saw Kit, he was with a Stone Age tribe he thought of as the River City Clan.

Kit's Stone Age experience includes a ley line visit to a place he is sure is the Well of Souls. In The Spirit Well, he finally finds a ley (quite by accident!) that returns him to Europe at a time when he providentially meets up with Mina again. In this installment we also follow the adventures of the Flinders-Petrie descendants and their relationship to the map. Which of them can be trusted? Some are trying to protect the map and hide it, and others are trying to put it back together again. We are also introduced to a new character, Cassandra Clarke, an archaeologist. While on a dig in Arizona, she stumbles into a ley and finds herself in 1950s Damascus. Her search for answers and for the way back home leads her to the Seekers, the last of the Zetetic Society.

Once again, an action-packed blend of science fiction, history, and mythic mystery combine to make The Spirit Well an absorbing read. It took me a very long time to get through it, because I kept reading other things along the way and getting distracted. The large cast of characters sometimes needed a bit of refreshing when I'd come back to the book after taking a break, however it was only the Flinders-Petrie men that I had trouble keeping straight. The historical and Biblical references were fascinating, and there were definitely a few plot surprises along the way too. As I was reading the last couple of chapters, I kept thinking, "how is he going to wrap all of this up in just the few pages left?" and then when it became clear that there would be another cliff-hanger, I finally caught on. Yes, there are FIVE books planned for this series. I will be kept waiting until September 2013 before the fourth is published - The Shadow Lamp.

By the same author: The Skin Map; Patrick; The Pendragon Cycle: Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, Grail

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {The Rebel's Pledge}

The Rebel's Pledge by Rita Gerlach - When this book showed up as free for Kindle, it caught my eye because  part of the action takes place in St Mary's City in colonial Maryland - close to home. The storyline is very interesting, with lots of action, and that kept me 'turning' pages all the way through. Matthew Hale is the main character, a young man who took part in a rebellion against King James of England. He expects to be hanged as a traitor, but is instead sentenced to transport to the colonies where he is sold as a slave. His master is a good man and treats all his workers very well. Hale soon earns a place as steward and proves to be honorable and trustworthy, so he is sent back to England with the mission of bringing the master's daughter to Maryland. Not surprisingly, Hale and the young lady, Lara, fall in love and after facing many adventures and dangers in returning to Maryland, they marry with her father's blessing. Unfortunately, Lara's former suitor in England is a powerful man with evil intent and he comes after Lara and frames Hale as a murderer. Hale and Lara are separated again and face another set of adventures and dangers before they can clear Hale's name and save both their lives.

Overall I liked the book, although the love story itself is fairly predictable and formulaic. There were a few minor holes in the plot, but that didn't bother me much. What did bother me was what looked like extremely poor editing!

I would be interested in seeing the print version of the book, because I hope that the vast majority of the errors in grammar, punctuation, and word usage were the result of formatting from print to eBook! I have no idea how the technology works, but I have noticed that eBooks do have those kinds of mistakes to a larger degree than print, so I would like to give the benefit of the doubt to the author and editor. That said, the errors were abundant, and sucked quite a bit of enjoyment out of the reading. Word usage was the biggest problem. I found "barred teeth" instead of "bared" multiple times, "illusive" instead of "elusive" more than once, "vile" instead of "vial" a couple of times, and a host of other similar mistakes. Punctuation was also strange or completely wrong in many places. One of the characters was referred to interchangeably as "Teaque" or "Teague". I am willing to attribute most of these problems to formatting error, but there were also places where the sentences and wording were just downright awkward and confusing. I paid a brief visit to the author's website and found a preview chapter of a new book there and a couple of punctuation and grammatical errors stood out to me in that sample, so maybe editing is an ongoing issue.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesday's Treasures - The Eight

This post is copied from my main blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, but because this link-up is about books, my contributions will appear here too!

This week I'm featuring another book that would never have caught my eye, except for the recommendation of an acquaintance. The Eight by Katherine Neville was suggested as a monthly read by a lady in a book club I was in several years ago. The book club members scrounged up copies through the library, inter-library loan, and half.com and got to reading. I purchased a copy and hoped that I wouldn't regret having spent the money. I never have.

This is a thriller/medieval mystery/historical novel/romantic adventure story all rolled into one.  The action jumps back and forth between two main characters and their respective time periods - Mireille, a French nun in the late 1700s; and Cat, a modern-day computer specialist in the 1970s. As revolution grips France, Mireille and her cousin Valentine flee the ancient abbey with the mission of carrying away pieces of an ancient chess set supposedly once owned by Charlemagne. Cat is sent to Algeria for her accounting firm, but has been asked to do a little side job while she is there - search for an antique chess piece. Each woman finds herself on a quest to find and decode the secret of the ancient chess set which holds a mysterious power, and to find the scattered pieces of the chess set before the team of  "bad guys" does. Intrigue, conspiracy, power struggles, and dangerous situations are part of their daily adventures in the Game they are involved in.  In many instances, it's hard to tell who is on the White Team and who is on the Black Team - and even which team is considered the "good guys"! The first time I read it, most of the surprise ending elements were truly unexpected - I read the final chapters with all the storyline resolutions and realized that it all made sense but I hadn't seen it coming at all. I've read it several times since and have enjoyed just as much upon each re-reading.  

There is also a sequel, The Fire, which is not quite as gripping, in my opinion, but is still very good.

One little caution - this is definitely a secular book, and subtly presents the idea that all religions are based in the same ancient mysticism. The mystical and fantasy elements will not appeal to all readers. There are also a  couple of 'love scenes' that aren't overly graphic, but are more descriptive than is necessary.

Here are the posts I originally wrote about The Eight and about The Fire.

The original post is linked at Every Bed of Roses for Tuesday's Treasures. Blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading, or one you found at the library.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Grave Consequences}

Grave Consequences by Lisa T Bergren - It's been some time since I read the first book from this series by Bergren, Glamorous Illusions, so I did need to take a moment to re-orient myself with the characters and where the first book left off. Main character Cora Diehl Kensington is with her half-siblings on a grand tour of Europe. They have just escaped from a kidnapping plot and Cora is finally starting to feel accepted as part of their family, but she is also torn between the two men who are showing an interest in her. Pierre is a wealthy French nobleman who has graciously provided protection and hospitality for Cora's entire traveling party, and has openly declared his intention to court Cora. As much as she admires Pierre, she is unsure whether she fits in his world, and besides, she realizes she prefers the young tour guide assistant, Will. For his part, Will is in love with Cora but he also knows that her father will never allow him to court her. He also knows that it is imperative that he and his uncle (their tour guide) complete the tour and collect their fees so that he will be able to continue his schooling.

As the group carries on through France and Switzerland, they enjoy sightseeing excursions and some lovely adventures, but they also encounter danger when it appears that the would-be kidnappers are still in pursuit. Pierre and Will are both in pursuit of Cora's heart as well, and Cora agonizes over the difficult decision she will need to make. A decision made even more difficult when she realizes that her father's likely disapproval of her relationship with Will may cause him to destroy the young man in an effort to keep them apart.

By the same author: Glamorous Illusions, The Blessed, The Betrayed, The Begotten

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Movie Night {Pride and Prejudice}

Pride and Prejudice - Kennady and I enjoyed a movie night last week and watched the movie version of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. I guess I should say up front that the BBC mini-series starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth has been my favorite, and as much as I am willing to give other versions a chance, that is the standard that I measure by. Thankfully, this film adaptation measured up very well in comparison. In condensing the entire novel into just a bit more than two hours, it's to be expected that certain details and bits of dialogue would be left out. I think that this was very well done, and I didn't feel that any conversation that was truly important was left out. In fact, we had nearly reached the end of the movie before it occurred to me to mention to my daughter that the movie had entirely omitted a couple of minor characters - Mr and Mrs Hurst, and Maria Lucas - as the story was carried without their presence. The focus seemed to be on the interactions between Elizabeth and Darcy, which were very well played. Darcy was very serious and reserved, and Elizabeth was spirited and teasing. It was quite apparent that Elizabeth had determined that she would dislike Mr Darcy because of the slighting remark he made about her at the assembly, and yet she found herself drawn into conversations with him and liking him despite her resolve. The scene of Darcy's first proposal was excellently done, and Elizabeth's growing regret of her hasty and uncivil rejection was moving.

I did not care much for the portrayal of Bingley. In my opinion he appeared more of a buffoon than the agreeable and over-eager gentleman that Austen describes. On the other hand, Mr Collins is perhaps portrayed more kindly in this version than others, and isn't as completely ridiculous. As for Mr Bennet, I went back and forth as to whether I liked him as played by Donald Sutherland, but by the end when he interviews Elizabeth before giving his blessing to the marriage, I had warmed to him considerably and quite enjoyed that scene in particular.

While the BBC mini-series remains my favorite, this movie is so beautifully done that it will hereafter hold a very close second place. Highly recommended!

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays Treasures - A Barbecue for Charlotte

This post is copied from my main blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, but because this link-up is about books, my contributions will appear here too!

Happy Canada Day! (It was yesterday, July 1st)

I picked this book totally for its pictures, and its Canadian-ness. Truth.  A Barbecue for Charlotte is a children's book by Canadian painter and storyteller Marc Tetro. Tetro's artwork was popular on t-shirts and coffee mugs and that sort of thing sold as souvenirs, and I really liked the bold color-block style. So right around the time that we moved to the United States, someone in my family (I don't remember who - isn't that awful?!) gave me this book.

The simple story is about a moose named Charlotte that doesn't seem to quite fit in. She's not as girly as her sister, but she wasn't really welcome playing volleyball with the boys either. One day she found a little barbecue tripod that she could wear as a hat, and she thought it was fabulous! Of course the other moose made fun of her, but her grandma encouraged to keep on trying new things and being herself. Turned out Charlotte's strange "antlers" came in handy saving her sister from wolves!




Note the Hudson Bay blanket Charlotte has on her bed, and the map of Canada on the wall!


What's more Canadian than a moose and a Hudson Bay blanket? Other than a hockey game, I can't think of much.

The original post is linked at Every Bed of Roses for Tuesday's Treasures. Blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading, or one you found at the library.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/