Recent Reads {Were They Wise Men or Kings?}

Were They Wise Men or Kings? The Book of Christmas Questions by Joseph J. Walsh - The title and cover of this book caught my eye while browsing at the library last week, so I picked it up for a quick look.  It looked like a quick read suitable for age 10 and up, maybe, so I brought it home.  At first I thought maybe I would read some of it aloud to the kids, but that never happened.  However, it was a quick, easy read and answered Christmas season questions in a common-sense way without being simplistic or overly scholarly.  The author taught (still teaches?) a course on Christmas to freshmen at Loyola, and I wondered whether his answers regarding the Nativity and its relevance to the Christmas celebrations would be dismissive.  After reading his answers, I really don't know whether he is a believer or a skeptic, because he stuck to the facts!  (Wouldn't it be cool if the NEWS media did that? But I digress...)   His answers were honest and sometimes humourous, acknowledging the unknowns such as when exactly Jesus was born, some of the facts surrounding the historical St Nicholas, and details about the wise men and the star.  He doesn't gloss over the fact that the church co-opted pagan feast days and remade them into celebrations of the Nativity of Christ, but is also quite clear that it is the Christian celebration of this holiday that has made it great and inspired most of the charity associated with it.

The book is organized into chapters by topic - Santa; The Nativity; Celebration; Traditions; etc - and in each chapter is a series of questions along with the answer, each Q&A taking approximately two pages.  So you can read the book cover to cover like I did, or just look up the answer to a question that intrigues you, like my kids may do.

I am going to give this book to my kids and encourage them to browse through it before I return it to the library.  They are the ones that ask me what holly and ivy have to do with Christmas, and what the twelve days of Christmas are.  Now I can give them a sourcebook along with my favorite instructions:  "Why don't you look it up?"

Recent Reads {Save Me From Myself}

Save Me From Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story by Brian "Head" Welch - this is another book that was on my "to read" list for a long time, and I finally was able to borrow it from a friend.  Brian "Head" Welch was the guitarist for the rock band Korn, which was very successful, but also notorious for their hard living, drug use, profanity, etc.  Welch tells his story in this autobiography.  As a child, he had a friend from a Christian family that greatly influenced him and his later decision to turn to Christ.  But during his teens and his years with Korn, he admits to his addictions, sins, depression, and struggles.  Finally, he started to ask questions of two business associates that happened to be Christians, and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.  What a remarkable transformation!  He talks about his growth since making the decision to follow Christ, and about the things he is still struggling with. 

This book is an easy read, in that it is an easy conversational style, and one can easily picture Brian just simply telling his story.  I think his experience gives parents and youth workers valuable insights into what goes on in the minds of youth and their perceptions.  It should also serve as a challenge to the "established" church - I wonder how many of us would react if someone that looked like Welch walked into our church service?  And would we be willing even to engage in conversation and friendship with someone like this to earn the right to share the gospel with them?  And what would his impression of us or of our church be like? 

Welch doesn't mince words in this account though - and he quotes conversations literally, so you'll find some four-letter words scattered throughout.  I didn't find this objectionable, because of the context, but some readers might.

Recent Reads {Water for Elephants}

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - While the title had intrigued me for awhile, this is a book I would probably not have read on my own.  It was my book club's pick for last month, so I dug into it.  I hesitate to "recommend" it because it is full of vile, coarse language, and there are several se**al scenes that are more graphic than necessary.  Not all of that is gratuitous, of course - I think its an accurate portrayal of the people and atmosphere to include foul language and immoral behaviors, and generally it is part and parcel of the plot, so it's not added as sensationalism.  The story itself is fascinating, unique, and unpredictable.  The reading went quickly and I always wanted to turn the page to find out what would happen next.  I rather liked the ending too - it really wasn't quite what I expected, but was truly satisfying.

The main character is an elderly man in a nursing home and he is remembering his experiences as a young man and how he happened to "run away and join the circus" and the drama and tragedies he witnessed and lived through.  The author's note at the end reveals that many of the incidents and circumstances in the novel are based on actual events and anecdotes from the circus trains of the early 1900s.

Recent Reads {Sister's Choice}

Sister's Choice by Judith Pella.  Not that long ago, i picked up the first book in this series, Bachelor's Puzzle, and was pleasantly surprised at the character development and plot twists in what I expected to be a formula Christian romance.  I enjoyed it so much I decided that I would watch for the next book in the series.  I happened to see it at the library last week and even though I had several other books on my reading stack, I couldn't resist grabbing it.  Once again, Pella delivered a sweet romance that was not always predictable.  Likable and realistic characters, and a little bit of humor along the way enliven this installment in the series.  I kept turning the pages late into the night, always thinking "just one more chapter"  Now I find myself hoping that there will be a third book in this series, and perhaps it will satisfy my curiosity about the source of the long-standing disagreement between Ada and Florence.

Recent Reads {The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone}

The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone - How Early Americans Took to the Road by Cheryl Harness.  I took is book out of our library to supplement our study of US History, thinking it might be a reference for the boys to write a biography of Daniel Boone.  Instead, we wound up using it as a read-aloud and enjoying it thoroughly!  It reads like a page-turning adventure story - which, of course, the life of Daniel Boone really was!  The illustrations included, especially the maps, are beautifully done.  I also found the timeline along the bottom of each page interesting - it highlights events taking place around the world at the same that Daniel Boone was... serving in the French and Indian War or blazing the Wilderness Road or moving his family to Missouri, etc. 

I'd recommend this book as a read-aloud or for tweens and up to read, even if its not a school assignment.  I found it engaging and entertaining to read, and I'm very glad I took a chance on it through the library!

Recent Reads {Bachelor's Puzzle}

Bachelor's Puzzle (Patchwork Circle Series #1) by Judith Pella.  I saw this on the library shelf while browsing and decided it looked interesting.  I've enjoyed Judith Pella's books and this series has a quilt theme, so of course it looked good!  So this was my "light" reading while on vacation last week.  Like most Christian romance books, the eventual outcome was obvious (boy and girl fall in love, and both grow in their walk with the Lord), but what set this one apart was the plot twist that made it less easy to anticipate HOW the young man would extricate himself from the situation he was in.  I knew it was going to happen, just didn't know how, so it did keep me turning the pages.

The second book in the series, Sister's Choice, was released earlier this year, so I'm on the waiting list at the library.  Looking forward to seeing who the next couple in this frontier community will be!

Recent Reads {Crown of Fire}

Crown of Fire (The Thistle and the Cross #1) by Craig & Janet Parshall - this first novel in a trilogy is set during the beginning of the Reformation in Scotland, at the time of John Knox.  Actually, the main character is a student, and later an assistant and colleague of Rev Knox.  As with so many historical setting novels, the appeal to me was "seeing" a historical event as it may have been from the perspective of those who lived through it.  I really enjoyed this story, and look forward to getting the next book in the trilogy, but I did find it difficult emotionally in places - reading a first-hand account, even a fictional account, of seeing people martyred or tortured for their faith in Christ alone and for their love of God's Word, can be heart-wrenching.  To be reminded of the great cost to these reformers is humbling, to say the least.  They loved God's Word with all their hearts, and many gave their lives to give that Word to the people in their own language, and I am ashamed that I so often take that sacrifice too lightly - I own multiple copies of the Bible, in several translations, and have no fear of arrest or persecution because I have them; and yet I take that for granted and neglect the reading and study of the Scripture too often.  Even though this book is a work of fiction, it reminded me of the "great cloud of witnesses" and has been used by the Holy Spirit to convict me in this area.  So many Christians in generations long past have given their lives so that the gospel would come to us - do we cherish the inheritance that we have? And what legacy will we leave to those who come behind us?

Recent Reads {The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown}

The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown: The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of America by Lorri Glover and Daniel Blake Smith - This book was mentioned in a library newsletter I received, and it came while I was working on lesson plans for our study of the settling and colonization of the Americas in History.  I thought it might be interesting to read this for myself, as background for our discussion of Jamestown, and found it to be quite engaging.  I have to confess that in some chapters - especially towards the end of the book - I did skim a lot rather than read; but that was more because I was pressed for time than because of the material.  Glover and Smith present a well-researched history that, in places, reads like a novel.  They rely heavily on - and quote from - original sources such as the first-hand accounts of the colonists.  It really is a remarkable story, and one that usually is told only from the perspective of the colonists in Jamestown.  For anyone interested in the history of Jamestown, or of Bermuda, I'd recommend this as interesting reading - not nearly so dry as you might expect!

Recent Reads {Bram Stoker's Dracula}

Dracula by Bram Stoker - This was my book club pick for October.  We usually do our discussion at the end of the month, and thought it would be a fun idea to read something "spooky" to discuss so close to Halloween.  Like most people, I'm very familiar with the general story of Dracula and the vampire legend, but hadn't actually read the book.  It has been on my "I should read that sometime" list for quite some time now, since I saw (and loved) the movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.  After seeing the movie a couple of times, I decided it would be interesting to read (or reread in many cases) the literary works on which the "extraordinary gentlemen" were based.  At any rate, I really enjoyed this reading of Dracula, and of course throughout my reading, I pictured Mina Harker just as she was portrayed in the movie!

It's easy to see why this novel remains a classic.  Even knowing how it ends does not dampen the thrill and the suspense as I turned the pages.  Stoker tells the story using first person narratives of most of the characters, with a few newspaper clippings thrown in.  Each of the main characters keeps some form of journal and some write letters or memos, and the chilling tale of the vampire, his victims, and those who fight him are told through the chronological organization of these various pieces. 

The edition I read included an introduction by Leonard Wolf, in which he explains that Dracula is considered to be of the Gothic novel genre, and points out that this monster is an invention of Stoker's, just over 100 years ago.  Yet most everyone knows who Count Dracula is and what he looks like, and that the vampire legends date back at least to medieval Europe.  Don't they?  Wolf reminds us that they do not.  The vampire was introduced to English literature in only 1816, and that by what is considered a rather weak novel by John Polidori.  (Polidori was one who took up Byron's party challenge to write a ghost story - the best known story from that challenge is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein)  Two other novels appeared during the 1800s which featured vampires, and only one, Carmilla by Sheridan LeFanu, is likely to have influenced Stoker's writing of Dracula.  Wolf's analysis of Dracula observes that not only is it an imaginative and exciting Gothic adventure, but is also intended as somewhat of a Christian allegory in the struggle between good and evil.  Wolf says:

The struggle is not merely between good guys and a supremely bad man, but between high-minded Christians and a minion of the devil.  Dracula (his name, in Romanian, beans "dragon") is a creature of the night, cut off from God because he has chosen immortaility under the sponsorship of Satan rather than of Christ.  Though Dracula has supernatural powers, he is weak in God's daylight; he shrinks from any contact with the cross.  Still, he represents a more than mortal danger in his victims because his blood drinking is not simply an act of nourishment.  The more the vampire drinks, the greater is the victim's spiritual empoisonment, so that, when death finally comes, it brings not release from the shocks that flesh is heir to but the beginning of ****ation. (Introduction by Leonard Wolf , p xi, to Dracula)

Certainly the spiritual overtones are obvious, but I would not have described the story as a Christian allegory myself!!  And I certainly don't recommend reading it for the inspiration, because while good ultimately triumphs, Dracula could hardly be considered inspiring or uplifting! It is entertaining and well-crafted fantasy fiction, but dark and chilling in tone.  I enjoyed revisiting this classic novel.

Recent Reads {A Thousand Splendid Suns}

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.  This was the September read for our MOMS Club book club.  We had originally thought about The Kite Runner, since the movie was coming out, but of course that meant the book was in high demand at the library.  So we decided on this, also thinking it would be an appropriate choice for a moms' group, since the story is about women.

 

I don't know quite how to describe it - not an "enjoyable" book, because it tells of so much sorrow and suffering.  But I certainly am glad I read it.  Although the characters are fictional, I know the situations are all too real.  Have been the reality for too many in Afghanistan and other countries where women are treated as property, chattel, or slaves.  I don't know how one could read books like this and not feel compassion for these people, or anger that these atrocities are committed in the name of religion.  Even considering all that heaviness, this story also had warmth and love, and portrayed an unlikely friendship that was characterized by a depth of devotion and commitment that was truly beautiful. 

Recent Reads {The Falcon and the Sparrow}

The Falcon and the Sparrow by M.L. Tyndall is a book I picked up because I'd read the previous pirate themed trilogy by Tyndall and quite liked it.  Then again, I tend to like piratey things.   (Did I write about those books here?  I somehow don't think so)   After the vaguely disappointing The Friday Night Knitting Club, which was the book I read previous to this one, I wanted something fairly light and escapist.  I like historical fiction, there is just something satisfying to me about reading a mystery or drama or romance set in the distant past.  From Tyndall, I knew I would get a historical setting (England in 1803), a little romance, and a "could only happen in fiction" adventure storyline.  Got all three in this quick read.  I thought she did a good job of creating the setting and she presented interesting characters.  As in the pirate trilogy, the events and plot are truly the stuff of fiction, but enjoyable (to me) nonetheless.  My favorite of the Tyndall books I've read is still the first one in the pirate trilogy - The Redemption.  That was the closest to being believable!  LOL  I will be watching for the next Tyndall offering, which is due out in the spring, The Red Siren. 

Recent Reads {The Friday Night Knitting Club}

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs is a book that had been on my reading wishlist for quite some time.  In fact, several ladies in my MOMS Club wanted to read it, so we all held off until we could acquire enough copies from the library to make it book club pick of the month.  So all that hype and anticipation for this book ----  and in my opinion, it was only "okay"

 

A novel about women's relationships and knitting - of course I didn't expect adventure and suspense!  But I found the plot and characters to be entirely too predictable.  At least they were likeable characters, I will say that.  I did care what happened to them, and I liked the story as a whole.  I got teary-eyed at the places where I was expected to, and was sympathetic with the characters in general.  And when we got together to discuss the book, we found there wasn't much to talk about.  The other ladies in our book club felt more or less the same - it was an okay read, but slow going and predictable.

Recent Reads {The False House}

I am behind on all kinds of blogging, message board, and email-related things, and my Bookcase is no exception.  I finished this book weeks ago!

The False House by James Stoddard is the sequel to The High House, which has become one of my favorite books.  In this one, the house is under great threat by a new plot of the Anarchists.  A young girl is kidnapped and held captive, and the anarchists are using her to change the house.  As in the first book, there are fairy tale and allegorical elements to the story, and lots of fantastic adventure as Lord Anderson and his brother search for the missing girl and for the key to unravelling the plot against the house.  And it appears there are traitors in their midst!

I'm so glad I found these books, and purchased them - they are on my list of books to read over and over again.  Perhaps they will become read-alouds as well.  I will certainly encourage my kids to read them!

Recent Reads {The High House - second time!}

I just read this book again.  I love it.  I recently purchased my own copy, along with a copy of the sequel, The False House.  It had been only a couple of months since I read The High House, but since I was about to read the continuation of the story and because I loved the book so much, I decided to read it again so it was fresh in my mind.  I enjoyed it just as much the second time through, and was more attuned to some of the allegorical elements. 

This time I read the entire book in one day - that day being the travel day as we came home from our Honduras mission trip.  This small book fit easily into my purse and I was able to read it as we traveled from San Pedro Sula to Miami, during our long (otherwise boring) layover in Miami, and then from Miami to Baltimore.  And I still had time to visit, nap, browse a magazine or two, and do a couple of Sudoku puzzles.  That's more a commentary on how LONG the travel day was, not on how fast I read.   

My first "review" of this book can be read here.

Recent Reads {A Daughter's Inheritance}

A Daughter's Inheritance, by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller, is the first in a series titled "The Broadmoor Legacy."  I did have a slow start to this book, reading a few pages once every few days to begin with.  But yesterday I had some time in the evening to devote to reading and found that I was interested enough that I finished it last night.  I've read a number of books by Peterson and Miller, and historical fiction is a favorite genre of mine, so this book was sure to appeal to me.  The setting is the Thousand Islands area of the St Lawrence River, during the early 1900s.  Fanny Broadmoor and her two cousins have a very close relationship, but the rest of the Broadmoor family spend most of their time together arguing and complaining.  There are some surprises in store for all of them in the patriarch's will, and Fanny becomes the victim of her greedy uncle's scheme to get control of her share of the inheritance.  Of course there is a love story! Fanny loves a young man that her uncle doesn't consider suitable, and although the very nature of this type of novel dictates that they will eventually be together, there are many obstacles in their way.  I found a lot to like about this story and some of its characters, and plenty to dislike about the villain of the piece; and although the main plot is fairly predictable, some of the plot twists were not.  Although the end of the book does indicate that Fanny and her young man will eventually wind up together, it doesn't happen in this installment - if I want to find out how all the details work out, I will need to read the second installment in the series.  I will be watching for it to become available, as I'm interested enough to read some more.

Recent Reads {Pendragon}

 

 

Pendragon by Stephen Lawhead.  - I actually finished reading this at least a month ago, but forgot to write about it!  This is the fourth book in the Pendragon Cycle, but it isn't a continuation of the story.  Rather, it is a retelling of the events in the books Merlin and Arthur, but completely from Merlin's viewpoint.  There are details and events that aren't included in these previous installments in the cycle, and yet in many ways, it feels like reading a different story entirely.  At some points I felt unsure that the timeline of Pendragon really did match up with the events already narrated, but I didn't bother to get out my copy of Arthur to check.  (And I have been known to do that very thing - for instance, when I read Mary Reilly I consulted a copy of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde several times to see that the two stories matched.)  Having read both Book Three and now Book Four of the Pendragon Cycle, I have twice reached the point in the Arthurian story where Arthur's injury appears to be fatal and he is taken to Avallon in hopes of his recovery there.  Familiarity with the legends tells me that Arthur must regain his health and return to rule in the Kingdom of Summer, and so I'm anxious to find out how Lawhead will tell that rest of the story.  In order to find out, I will have to find a copy of the fifth and final book in the cycle, Grail.

Recent Reads {Kabul Beauty School}

Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez.  This is another book that first caught my eye quite awhile ago, but I didn't start reading till last week.  Once I got started, I was really pulled into the story, although I have to say that the timeline of events was a bit confusing to me at times.  Deborah Rodriguez is a hairdresser from Michigan that volunteered to go to Afghanistan with a humantarian aid group shortly after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.  She relates how she felt rather useless during the first part of her stay because she had such limited skills in things that seemed practical - nursing, therapy, etc.  But she discovered that she made friends with the Afghani people easily, and found that her hairdressing skills were indeed very useful!  She wound up teaching a beauty school for Afghani women, training them so that they could open up their own salons and help support their families.   This book is a journal and memoir of her experiences and friendships.

 

When I started reading, I (in my relative ignorance) wondered how much demand there might be for hairdressing and cosmetology in a culture where - I thought - the women were almost always under a veil.  Boy, was I wrong about that!  Apparently, beauty salons are in great demand and are very successful businesses for these women.  I learned a lot about daily life in this war-torn nation and its people just by reading this simple memoir.

Recent Reads {How Starbucks Saved My Life}

 

I first heard about this book on a radio program back in September, and was intrigued by the radio interview with the author.  It went on my "maybe I'll read that someday" list almost immediately, but it wasn't until this month that I got to read it.  Our MOMS Club book club picked this as our June read.  One of the moms confessed to me that she had very low expectations when we chose this book, because she thought that a memoir about a coffee shop would probably be very boring.  But she said she really enjoyed the book.  Today is our book club discussion, so I'll get to find out what others thought of it as well.  I enjoyed it - a very easy read, it is written simply, with no real surprises.  Each chapter opens with a quote that has been printed on Starbucks cups.  Michael Gates Gill was very successful in the advertising industry, came from a priveleged family and was part of high society.  But his firing, and a subsequent affair which led to his divorce, changed his lifestyle dramatically.  He also was diagnosed with a brain tumour at about the same time.  His book tells how this downward spiral led to his accepting a job at a Starbucks store and how his perceptions of the world were challenged and changed through his experiences.  He found that he enjoyed his much simpler lifestyle, and genuinely enjoyed his work and the people he encountered at Starbucks.

 

Gill tells his story in a very self-effacing memoir style.  His telling of the story is often punctuated with lengthy "flashbacks" to his earlier years as he makes comparison of then to now.  He says he is far happier in this service job and living simply than he was in his former lifestyle, and talks about how his eyes were opened to his own prejudices.  Obviously Starbucks is presented in a completely positive light - and as such a wonderful place to work, and I doubt they will have trouble finding employees as long as this book is being read and talked about!  If I wanted a part-time job, I think I'd head straight to Starbucks and see if it was as positive and wonderful as portrayed in the book!

 

The end notes in the book indicated that a movie may come out based on the book, with Tom Hanks playing the part of Gill.  I can only picture a movie kind of like "Forrest Gump" except not as humourous.  Hmmm.... I don't know how interesting a movie it would be.  But the book was a light, feel-good summer read. 

Recent Reads {Girl with a Pearl Earring}

This book was my book club's pick for May.  I've been interested in reading it for a long time, so putting it on the book club list was probably a good idea.  Last year our book club read another Tracy Chevalier novel, The Lady and the Unicorn, which I really enjoyed.  Girl with a Pearl Earring was interesting in that the whole story is narrated by the "girl" named Griet.  Her family falls on hard times and she goes into service as a housemaid for the Vermeer family.  Her eye for color and ability to clean the artist's studio without disturbing anything gain her some notice with him, but other family members dislike her. 

 

One of the reasons that I really enjoy historical fiction is my interest in the fact that everyone in history has been an individual "real" person, and although we know much of the statistics and facts about the famous people, often little is known of their personality.  And less is known about the more ordinary folks in days gone by - the foot soldiers, the servants, the peasants, and others.  Although Chevalier's story is fictional, it puts a face and personality on the poorer citizens of that time, those who served and worked largely anonymously.  The difficult positions Griet was placed in by being merely a servant are hard for us to imagine.  Chevalier presents her as a well-rounded character, with virtues and faults, and imagines a compelling story behind this famous, yet mysterious painting of Vermeer's.  Not a great deal is known about Johannes Vermeer himself, and Chevalier chooses, for the most part, to allow his personality to remain a mystery in her novel.

 

Something else interesting - since the movie based on this book has recently come out on DVD, our club decided that our "MOMS Night Out" activity for this month would be to get together and watch the movie.  So we are doing that tonight.  I am really looking forward to it - and I sure hope that I won't be disappointed, as I often have been when I've read a delightful book and then watched the movie. 

Recent Reads {Galileo's Daughter}

Seems like I have had this book on my "I'm Reading Now" section of my little bookshelf widget f-o-r-e-v-e-r...  And I have been working on it for a long time.  It was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed, but was willing to set aside while I was reading something for which I had a deadline!  I would need to put this on hold while I finished up a book club pick in time for the discussion, or had to finish a book before I had to return it to the library.  Galileo's Daughter often got put aside because it was not in huge demand at the library and I could renew it! 

 

I love history, biographies, and historical fiction.  This book turned out to be a delightful combination of history and biography that read almost like an historical novel in places.  The subtitle is A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love and I found that to be an apt description.  Author Dava Sobel gives us a full biography of Galileo, much of it based on the surviving letters written to him by his oldest daughter who lived as a cloistered nun.  The descriptions of Galileo's many scientific, mathematical, and philosophical pursuits and discoveries are complete, as well as an account of his appearance before the Holy Office of the Inquisition and its results; yet are not presented as timelines of dry facts.  Instead we are introduced to Galileo as very warmly human.  He loved his children deeply, and was a generous and devoted father and friend.  His daughter, born Virginia, entered a convent at San Mateo and took vows as Suor Maria Celeste.  Although cloistered as a nun, she nevertheless had a warm and loving relationship with her doting father and they continued a vibrant correspondence throught the years.  Sadly, Galileo's letters to her are lost, but he kept the letters received from her, through which we have a glimpse of a wonderfully intelligent and gracious young woman.  Her writing style is graceful and elegant, and she makes a fascinating character.   From the history books, I knew that Galileo did his best to remain obedient to the Church and to reconcile his discoveries and observations of astronomy with the teachings of the Church at the time.  However, from my reading of this book, I have also formed the opinion that not only was he obedient, he was devout and a man of personal faith.  Suor Maria Celeste's letters indicate that her religion was not just the imposed lifestyle of the convent, but the deeply personal convictions that she was under God's grace, that prayer made a difference, and that love and service to others was an expression on her devotion to the Lord.   When I read the final chapters, I thought how neat it will be to meet this father and daughter in heaven someday.   

 

Recent Reads {Silent in the Grave}

This was such an enjoyable read, and is definitely on my "own it for myself" list now, along with the second in the series, Silent in the Sanctuary.  In the opening pages, Lady Julia's husband collapses at a dinner party and is dead before The First Chapter comes to a close.  Julia finds that he had engaged a private detective named Nicholas Brisbane, who now suspects foul play.  As the story unfolds, Julia realizes that Brisbane's suspicions are perhaps well-founded after all and the two begin an uneasy partnership to investigate.  The murder mystery itself is intriguing, without an easy solution, and along the way we meet members of Julia's eccentric family and discover some of their quirks, flaws, and sins.  I found a good dose of humour throughout the story as well.

 

From the book jacket:

A wholly original mystery set in the extravagant surroundings of upper-class Victorian England, and introducing the compelling, charismatic Lady Julia Grey...

 

Well, I'm off to see if I can find a good deal on this and the second in the series at half.com or at amazon!  I was so wrapped up in reading this book (plus I couldn't renew it from the library so I needed to finish quickly) that I've neglected poor Galileo's Daughter and I also have a book club pick to get working on. 

Recent Reads {The High House}

This fantasy novel, the first by James Stoddard, was recommended to me by someone at The Homeschool Lounge, is one of my new favorite books!! I'm so glad I decided to read it.  It's a wonderful story, with fairy tale and allegorical qualities, and I found it very hard to put down any time I was reading it.  If I hadn't felt the need to turn out the light so my DH could sleep, I probably would have finished this in two nights.  But there were other things to read (book club deadlines!) and so I limited myself a little bit.

The book introduces Carter Anderson as a young boy, living in a very unusual house.  When his life is threatened, his father sends him to live with friends.  Carter is summoned back to the house as a young man, his father having been missing for some time and assumed to be dead.  Carter and some faithful servants and friends have the responsibility of saving the house and the kingdoms within it.  The story takes many twists and turns as Carter seeks to restore balance between Chaos and Order, defeat the Anarchists, and become the Master of the House.

I did find one copy in our inter-library loan system, and of course will now have to return it, but I do plan on buying myself a copy of this book and its sequel, The False House, as soon as I can find them.  This is a book I highly recommend! And I would like to have my own copy so that I can offer it to my boys to read.

Recent Reads {Emerald Magic}

I finally finished this book several nights ago.  It was my MOMS Club book pick for March, but we had all kinds of scheduling issues with the discussion, so we decided to hold over the book for April as well.  So naturally, I paused reading it so I could read other things.  LOL  Our discussion on this will be tomorrow, although a couple of us have already compared notes as to which stories we liked and which we didn't care for.  Will be interesting to get together and see how similar our tastes really are!

 

The cover of Emerald Magic states that it contains "Great Tales of Irish Fantasy" by a collection of authors.  The book is in two sections, the first is "The Little People" and the stories are all about Irish mythological creatures (faerie, leprechauns, banshee, etc); and the second section, "Literary Fantastics," contains stories based on Irish authors or literature.  Authors that contributed short stories to this book include:  Tanith Lee, Elizabeth Haydon, Ray Bradbury, Andrew M. Greeley, Peter Tremayne, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, and Morgan Llywelyn. 

 

As expected with any collection of stories, some I enjoyed and others - not so much.  A couple of these stories left me saying "Huh???" and wondering if there had been a point to the story at all.  The very first story in the book was one of these, which made it hard to continue reading! The stories I particularly liked were:

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  Speir-Bhan (Tanith Lee)
  
  


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  The Merrow (Elizabeth Haydon)
  
  


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  The Butter Spirit's Tithe (Charles de Lint)
  
  


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  Banshee (Ray Bradbury)
  
  


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  The Lady in Grey (Jane Linkskold)
  
  


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  A Drop of Something Special in the Blood (Fred Sabergaen)
  
  


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  For the Blood is the Life (Peter Tremayne)
  
  

Overall, an entertaining read - the nice thing about collections of short stories is that if you come across one you don't like, you have the option to skip it entirely without affecting your enjoyment of the rest of the book.  The stories I did like balanced the ones I had to slog through.  And fortunately, in most cases, the ones I didn't care for were mercifully short.  The stories in the "Literary Fantastics" section even prompted me to look up a little more information about two of the Irish poets and authors they referenced - William Butler Yeats and Bram Stoker.  I must admit that I did not know that Stoker was Irish.  The result of that discovery is that it prompted me to read his Dracula.  Sometimes I think one mark of a good story or a good book is that it prompts me to read something related. 

 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to discussing this book with my friends tomorrow!

Recent Reads {Pendragon Cycle Book Three - Arthur}

I actually finished Arthur well over a week ago, but I have not been keeping up very well with my blogs.  This is the third book in Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle and as the title suggests, it focuses on the life of Arthur - his rise to the position of Dux Brittanica and eventually to High King.  This book is, oddly, the darkest in mood of the three I have read so far.  Despite Arthur's victories in battle and his great successes, there is a sense of foreboding throughout most of the book.  Of course, the character Merlin speaks of his own sense of a fateful day coming; and as a reader I am familiar with the Arthurian legend and know that his glorious Kingdom of Summer eventually comes to an ignoble end.  It doesn't happen in this book, but there are some near misses; and anyone who has any knowledge of the Arthurian stories has a pretty good idea that it won't necessarily end as neatly and "happily ever after" as we might like.  The story is told in three narratives - first, that of Pelleas, Merlin's steward. Lawhead's Pelleas character bears little resemblance to the one described in the article!  The second narrator is Bedwyr (or Sir Bedivere, as we're more likely to know him) and I have to admit that I didn't figure out that Bedwyr was the Welsh version of Bedivere until I looked him up!  The third narrator is the poet Aneirin - a historical figure that, as far as I know, is not usually associated with Arthur.  The character comes into the story as a young boy apprenticed to Merlin.  Towards the end of his story, he tells how Arthur was seriously wounded in a battle, and the effort to save his life.  Merlin takes the ailing king secretly to Avallon - which in this story is a mysterious island where the Atlantean king Avallach and his daughter Charis (mother of Merlin) and their people are living.  Queen Gwenhwyvar and some loyal knights attempt to keep the kingdom intact while Arthur recovers.  But Merlin and Arthur do not return when expected, and when Aneirin leads Gwenhwyvar and the knights to Avallon, it has disappeared.  We are left with this mystery, and a very odd and mournful epilogue which is signed as being written by Gildas.  I read it assuming it was the final lines of Aneirin's story, only to discover it signed by Gildas in the last sentence.  Gildas was a Christian monk, and one story does credit him with an involvement in the Arthurian tales, but I found it an unsettling end to the book.    Good thing there is a sequel!! 

 

I don't know how soon I will be reading the next book, Pendragon.  It will depend on how quickly I get through the (at least) 4 other books on the "reading, and to-read" pile on my night table.

Recent Reads {The Pendragon Cycle Book Two - Merlin}

 

Merlin tells the story of the legendary bard and wizard in a very interesting way.  In this story, Merlin is the son of Taliesin.  Lawhead combines many elements of the legendary figure of Merlin to create a complex character, and as in Taliesin there is a strong underlying theme of the power of God and the influence of Christianity.  This Merlin finds his strength, purpose, and power in serving God rather than in following paganism.  What an interesting take on the legend!  Another intriguing twist is that the people that escaped Atlantis are still major players in this fantasy story - the Atlanteans have a much longer lifespan than the Britons and Celts, and as a descendent of an Atlantean, Merlin's life is long indeed, spanning several generations.  By the end of this book, we have also been introduced to Arthur and events have been set in motion for his eventual kingship.  I loved this book - it was at times very dark and brooding, yet the hope of a coming "kingdom of summer" and the triumph of good over evil kept it from becoming too depressing.

Recent Reads {The Pendragon Cycle Book One - Taliesin}

I've been thinking that there are likely hundreds of books out there titled Arthur, and after a recent online conversation, I've realized that there may be another series of books out there titled The Pendragon Cycle.   For the purposes of this blog entry, I am referring to The Pendragon Cycle of books written by Stephen Lawhead.  I am now the proud owner of the first four of the five books in this series, as well as some other Lawhead titles.  I'm becoming quite a fan of his.

 

The first book in the set is Taliesin.  Maybe I was not well-informed, but I didn't know there was a historical figure named Taliesin.  I thought of it only as a place, and that only recently, since we visited Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin, which was the summer home and studio of the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  I knew he'd chosen the name from something related to his own Welsh background but that was all.  Well, there was a Welsh poet and bard named Taliesin that lived around 534 - 599.  Little is known about him, but he is the earliest Welsh language poet whose work has survived.  Legend surrounds other aspects of his life, but he was present in the courts of at least three Celtic British kings.  In this book, Lawhead weaves a fascinating story around the legends, and adds another interesting twist - some survivors of the Lost Island of Atlantis make it to the shores of the Island of the Mighty (as they refer to Britain) and the stories of the two groups of people are intertwined.  In Lawhead's tale, Taliesin also finds the One True God and is a player in bringing Christianity to the Britons and to the surviving Atlanteans.  This was a wonderful book, combining as Lawhead does so well the snippets of history with legend and fantasy, into a story that I didn't want to put down. 

 

Thankfully, when I finished reading it and had to put it down, I had the second book in the series ready to start so that the story didn't have to end. 

For Kids {Global Warning series}

I picked up these two books at our church's Missions Conference last month:





Those images are kind of small - the titles are The Blood Diamond Treasure and The Mystery of the Broken Cross.  The main character in this series is a 14yo girl named Lydia Barnes:

Lydia Barnes is not your typical 14-year-old.  Sure, she plays her iPod nonstop and rolls her eyes at her dad's dumb jokes - but she also finds herself dodging lion attacks, outwitting rebel warriors, and heading up globe-trotting adventures.

In The Blood Diamond Treasure, Lydia is on a trip to Liberia with her father and her tutor, and gets involved in a treasure hunt with a new friend.  In The Mystery of the Broken Cross, she and her father are in Israel, when she finds herself accused of stealing money from a Christian relief agency and must try to find out the truth before terrorists strike.  In each of Lydia's adventures, she (and the readers) learn what life is like in other parts of the world, and about God's love transforming others.

 

I bought these first two books in the series, thinking that possibly my kids would like them, and a second set thinking that they might make a good gift for my niece and nephew.  (I will actually be putting those in the mail this week, as my niece's birthday is coming up quickly!)  Once I got them home, I was a little concerned because the lead character is a GIRL and I have BOYS.  (well, I have a girl too, but this is a little beyond her reading capability at this point!)  However, I gave the copies to Spencer and Landon to keep in their room and waited to see what would happen.  I waited until last week, and really hadn't thought too much more about it.  One night I had to remind them to turn out the light and "go to sleep already!!!" and Landon stalled with the classic statement (and as a lifelong bookaholic, I was immediately sympathetic to his plight!) "but I'm almost at the end of the chapter!!"  I asked what he was reading and it was Lydia Barnes.    What could I do but find out what he thought of it, before requesting that he NOT start yet another chapter!

 

Landon has really enjoyed these first two books in the series, so we are anxiously awaiting the coming installments.  The forward in the book indicates that we can expect Lydia to travel to Jamaica next.  There is also a website:  LydiaBarnes.com - which we have yet to visit, but where the book tells me we can read Lydia's blog, play games, and find ways to help those around the world. 

 

 

Recent Reads {The Legend of the Firefish}

The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka.  I finished reading this one awhile ago and found it very enjoyable.  Again - a pirate theme, which is why I picked out the book in the first place!  This also has some of the flavor of POTC but a Christian theme.  The main character is an accomplished swordsman who has information from his late father about the feeding grounds of the legendary firefish.  He stows away on a pirate ship, hoping to be able to partner with the pirate captain in hunting the firefish.  Lots of adventure, and some unexpected twists along the way.  Unexpected to me, anyway.  Naturally, there is also a love story in the plot.    

This is the first of a trilogy, and I've ordered the second book - it will probably arrive within the next week, and I will have to force myself to finish the books I have started already before diving into it!

Recent Reads {Isle of Swords}

 

Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson.  I should open with a disclaimer that I am a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and my interest in all things pirate-y has been rekindled since the first POTC movie.  So... I was wandering through a local Christian bookstore just before Christmas, looking for gifts and spotted a display of Batson's books.  The name was only vaguely familiar to me, but a newer book of his that I hadn't heard of was prominently displayed and caught my eye.  Isle of Swords has a very colorful, strongly pirate-themed cover and I had to take another look.  The dust jacket confirmed that this was indeed a pirate story - sold!  I read the book in a couple of evenings, and was really impressed by it - the characters held my interest right from the start, much of it was reminiscent of POTC except that there was a definite undercurrent of a Christian rather than mythic theme.  It wasn't until I'd finished reading and started recommending it to some like-minded pirate fans that I noticed that it was categorized as "youth fantasy fiction"  - well that explains the short chapters, I guess.  LOL But other than that, I didn't notice that it was particularly "young" and since I am a 40ish mom of four, I think that says something about the broader appeal of this particular book.  Oh, and it's beautiful - I mentioned the striking cover art, but each page of the book also adds to the visual appeal - printed in sepia-type tones, rather than black on white, each page looks a little like a page from an aged manuscript.  Easy on the eyes though. My understanding is that this is the first of a planned trilogy - I, for one, am anxiously awaiting the next instalment!

Recent Reads {Founding Mothers}

One of the main reasons I thought to add a second blog was to keep some notes about books I've read, and books on my to-read list.  This is the first "review" I wrote for the xanga blog that I've now all but abandoned.



Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts.  I've read this one twice now and really enjoyed it.  This is history, but in an easy conversational style, and will almost certainly be on the required reading list for my daughter when she reaches high school age.  I'm very interested in history anyway, and historical novels are one of my favorite genres, so of course this title appealed to me.  Roberts introduces the women of the Revolution - those who were mothers, wives, and daughters of the founding fathers - telling their stories with quotes from their letters and anecdotes about their daily lives.  These were courageous, intelligent and intrepid women usually overlooked by history textbooks.  Reading how the women viewed the events of the revolution and what they had to say about it, as well as how it affected their daily living, made the era more real to me.