Recent Reads {Patrick: Son of Ireland}

Patrick: Son of Ireland by Stephen R Lawhead - This is at least the fifth time I've read this book. At least. But Lawhead is one of my favorite authors, and I haven't yet grown weary of re-reading his work. As should be obvious from the title, this is a novel based on the life of St Patrick of Ireland. Lawhead takes the details known about Patrick's life and weaves a rich and adventurous storyline around them, adding cultural and historical detail and some more mythical elements as well. The story begins with Succat as a rather dissolute young man in Britain, and his capture by Irish raiders. He spends his years in Ireland as a slave, always scheming how he can escape, even after he has made a commitment to studying with the druids and to marry an Irish woman he cares deeply about. He finally makes good his escape, but his return to his homeland is full of disappointment. He eventually heads to Gaul as a soldier, and from there goes to Rome as the guest of an influential politician. While in Rome, Patrick finds some happiness with a wife and child, and is building his own political career, when plague comes to the city and he is struck by tragedy once again. Finally, he receives his calling to return to Ireland.

Lawhead blends fantasy, mysticism, and history into a fascinating novel. While it definitely presents St Patrick as more human than saintly, it also glosses over some of the distinctly Christian influence and teaching associated with Patrick's bringing the gospel to Ireland. This story effectively ends with Patrick's arrival back in Ireland and the beginning of his ministry there, but the "Christianity" presented in this novel is still a bit ambiguous, and some readers may not appreciate the treatment of ancient druidism or mystical practices as being completely compatible with Christian beliefs. 

My comments from a previous read: Patrick

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

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Recent Reads {Hillbilly Heart}

Hillbilly Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus - This is one of those books that I wouldn't have sought out or even noticed, except that it was on the library's 7-day display and for some reason it caught my eye. I figured it would be interesting to read Billy Ray's side of the controversies that have followed him and his daughter Miley Cyrus. It turned out to be a fairly good read, in which Billy Ray tells about his growing up in a small community in Kentucky and how he got started in music. His story is full of ups and downs, and is told with humor and (I think) honesty. He admits that the song that made him a star, "Achy Breaky Heart", is one that you either love or hate, and shares lyrics to a number of his songs and how he wrote them. My own favorite has always been "Some Gave All" and not surprisingly, that is the one that he calls his favorite and his signature piece. He refers often in the book to his Christian faith, but like the rest of his life, that seems to have gone through many ups and downs over the years. He also talks quite a bit about voices he has heard, and while he says that he doesn't understand that and knows it probably sounds crazy, he is just telling it how it happened. I'm not in any position to be able to judge whether his Christianity is genuine or not, and since he and Miley have made fairly public claims to be Christians in the past, that was one aspect of his biography that I would have liked to know more about. My impression after reading it is that he seems completely sincere in what he believes, but the stock he places in things like hearing voices, fortune-telling, and Native American spiritualism sort of muddy the waters. He does tell how his daughter Miley got started in the entertainment business and the effect on him and the rest of the family; he mentions some of the controversies over her behavior and her relationships, but leaves that rather open-ended. Overall, this was an entertaining read, sort of a rags-to-riches story. Billy Ray presents himself as a pretty ordinary and humble guy, who has wanted to have a stable family and make a positive difference in the world more than anything else, and that's what has driven his ambition to succeed and his belief in his music.

©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 {Pride and Prejudice}

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - That's right. The original and still the best. I don't know how many times I've read it now, but I never get tired of it. I even find myself purposely reading slowly, just to make it last longer. Anyway, during this most recent reading, I was particularly paying attention to some of the little details of what happened and what was said, because after reading so many retellings and sequels, it becomes easy to assume something happened simply because you've read it in so many other versions. Mr Bennet is one of my favorite characters, because of his dry wit, but obviously he has some failings as a father and head of his household. I found myself wondering as I read his comments and humorous asides (often at the expense of his wife and younger daughters) how he and Mrs Bennet wound up together. That might be an interesting prequel, although I'm sure some enterprising author has already tried it and I'm just not aware of it. As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Austen's understated but witty narration of the classic love story and my only regrets are that her telling of the story ends, and that she didn't write dozens more novels.

By the same author: Persuasion, Emma, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, The History of England (and some brief thoughts I wrote on my last reading of Pride and Prejudice)

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Recent Reads {Darcy Goes To War}

Darcy Goes To War by Mary Lydon Simonsen - To be honest, right from the outset I wasn't sure I would care for this 'Pride and Prejudice Re-Imagining' simply because it takes place after the year 1900. I simply prefer historical novels in earlier settings. I enjoyed it more than I thought, however. Simonsen places Darcy and Elizabeth in the middle of World War II - Elizabeth is doing her part as a lorry driver, and Darcy is a fighter pilot who is stationed nearby. Some of the characters and their general storyline remain similar to Austen's original work, such as Jane and Charles Bingley falling in love, and Lydia Bennet's ill-judged behavior getting her into trouble. Of course Darcy and Elizabeth are destined to be together. For the most part, this is a predictable happy-ever-after love story with characters loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. 

I think Simonsen does a very good job of telling the story in the WWII setting, giving a picture of everyday life for many folks in Great Britain, but it lacks much of the tension and character development of the original. I felt that the characters were rather flat. At their first meeting, Elizabeth overhears Darcy (who has had a pint or two too many) make a disparaging remark about the attractiveness and dancing abilities of the young ladies that come to the dances held to entertain the troops. She's offended and is tempted to hold it against him when next they meet, and he has a sour attitude about the dances in general. But they have barely been introduced to each other before Elizabeth realizes that she is being unfair to judge Darcy harshly for what she overheard so she determines that she will give him another chance. And they immediately commence their falling in love. And that is the full extent of the misunderstanding and hasty judgments that Austen explores in her novel. Character development that takes months and many chapters in Austen's book takes a couple of paragraphs here. Elizabeth is too mature and serious, and Darcy is too outgoing and smooth with his words to be mistaken for their namesake characters. The only real conflict Darcy and Elizabeth face is that they wish to wait until the war is over before planning their marriage. Spoiler alert: Darcy is reported missing after his plane is shot down in enemy territory, and he is assumed to be dead. Everyone but Elizabeth believes he is dead. The reader assumes, along with Elizabeth, that he is okay simply because there must be a happy ending. But this last sequence of events is sensational and the wrap-up is very rushed and simplistic.

Through most of the story, Darcy is trying to push the boundaries of physical affection, but at least the reader isn't subjected to crude and graphic descriptions of lust. That is, until nearer the end when for some reason Simonsen decides to be just a bit crass. I thought it unnecessary to be so descriptive. At one other point, Darcy and Fitzwilliam have a conversation that focuses on Darcy's past conquests that is rather crude. If it had served to further the plot or develop character, I might not have minded it, but it seemed completely unnecessary to me. Not only that, but as far as I could tell, Fitzwilliam's character is wholly unnecessary to the plot, other than for this particular questionable conversation.

Lest I give the impression that I thoroughly disliked the book, let me say that I really did enjoy the read, with the exception of the few brief paragraphs that were unnecessarily crude. This is not Austen-esque literature, by any means, but if you're looking for a light romance without any moralizing or deeper meaning, that's what you'll find here.

By the same author: The Perfect Bride for Mr Darcy

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Recent Reads {Maire}

Maire by Linda Windsor - On Sunday (St Patrick's Day), I decided I wanted to read something with a nod to Ireland, so I pulled out my copy of this historical novel. I've read this before, as well as some other novels by this author, and knew it would be an enjoyable trip to fifth century Ireland. Maire is the young warrior queen of Gleannmarra, wanting to take her rightful place as leader of her people. On a raid she takes Rowan, a Welsh nobleman, as her hostage and also as her husband. By going through a form of marriage with him, she hopes to avoid being married to the druid who has been in charge of her lands until she comes of age. Maire and Rowan learn to trust each other and work as a team as they return to find Gleannmarra has been all but ruined by the druid's greedy rule. Together they work to restore the prosperity of their people. Rowan is also a believer in the One God and his integrity, courage, and wisdom soon win the respect of the people, and especially Maire, who eventually comes to accept the One God as well.

My previous review: Maire

By the same author: Healer, Thief

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Recent Reads {The Wolf of Tebron}

The Wolf of Tebron by C.S. Lakin - My introduction to C.S. Lakin's "The Gates of Heaven" series came several months ago when I read the last book in the series, The Crystal Scepter.  I enjoyed that one enough to want to read the rest of the series.  It seemed like it took a long time to read The Wolf of Tebron, which is the first in the series, but it was an enjoyable read anyway. These novels are fairy tales for adult or young adult readers, and are full of fantasy and mythical elements, magic, and adventure.

Joran is the main character, and his desire is for a simple life in his little village, but when he realizes that his wife has disappeared on her way to her home, he encounters more adventure than he ever dreamed possible. And the adventures actually start in his dreams, for he is haunted by a dream that his wife Charris is trapped in a castle by a huge sea and his efforts to rescue her continually fall short. To his surprise, a strange old woman in his village seems to make reference to the dream when she tells him that he must make a long journey to rescue Charris because he is the one that has trapped her. Soon after Joran sets out, he is joined by a wolf that becomes his trusted ally and protector. Together they journey to visit the moon, then the sun, and finally the south wind; all the while trying to solve the riddle of the three keys that Joran is told he must loose in order to find Charris.

I didn't find myself in sympathy with Joran as easily as I did the lead characters in The Crystal Scepter.  I kept picturing him as being a young teenager, when in fact he was a married man. I expected to easily identify references to myths, fairy tales, and even Biblical stories as I had in the previous book I read, but that wasn't the case. There are many Biblical references, and when I read the Author's End Notes I found that most of the wolf's philosophical thoughts that had sounded familiar to me were quoted from great Christian thinkers such as C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton. The wolf, Ruyah, provides wise advice and encouragement and is a faithful friend during Joran's pilgrimage, but the parts played by the moon and sun are less easy to understand. This is a story that emphasizes hope and forgiveness, and I found it a rewarding tale with a surprisingly happy ending.

©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 {Planning High School Courses}

Planning High School Courses by Lee Binz - I grabbed this first of "The HomeScholar Coffee Break Books" when it was offered free for Kindle (and even now, it is only 99 cents, so a great deal for home schoolers!). True to the impression of it being a coffee break book, it was a quick and easy read, but packed with great advice and ideas for parents wanting to home educate all the way through high school. As a homeschool mom myself, I have already managed to graduate one student, and the second one will graduate this year, but I have two more to go and am always willing to look at how we can do this better. I was glad to see that Lee's experience and advice lines up with much of my own philosophy of surviving the adventure of homeschooling through high school.  It's practical and manageable - and believable, coming from an experienced homeschool mom. This book covers the academic and traditional courses for high school and demystifies many of the fears that parents have as they realize their child will be in Grade NINE soon and worry about how they are going to manage high school courses. Lee has been there (and so have I) and this little book will reassure you that you can do this!

©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/