Literary Circles

Poor Correspondent

2007-12-30T22:52:00.000-05:00

I have sadly slacked off on posting to this blog. I have been keeping all of my reviews over on Library Thing, as it seems easier.

I'll keep this blog for awhile until I decide what to do with it.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

2007-11-28T16:13:00.001-05:00

This version is beautifully illustrated by Tomie de Paola.

A Night to Remember

2007-11-23T13:01:00.000-05:00

The House of Mirth

2007-11-23T13:00:00.002-05:00

This is a novel of New York society at the turn of the twentieth century. As a novel of manners, I had in mind to compare it to Jane Austen's works. But Wharton's work is much more edgy, and her novel doesn't end with Austen's trademark "weddings all around."

Out of this Furnace

2007-11-23T13:00:00.001-05:00

Krakatoa

2007-11-23T12:55:00.000-05:00

Blogging Fast

2007-09-25T17:26:00.000-04:00

As if I wasn't quiet enough, I am giving up blogging (reading and posting) for the 40 Days for Life 2007. Check back after November 5.

Ashes of Roses

2007-09-05T02:54:00.000-04:00

Armadillo Rodeo

2007-09-04T22:33:00.000-04:00

Bo the Armadillo goes to the rodeo. This is an enjoyable look at Texas with Miss Brett's typically gorgeous illustration.

Labor Day

2007-09-04T22:23:00.000-04:00

The story of the first Labor Day in New York City in 1882. The illustrations are uninspiring, but the text is clear and easy to read.

The First Seven Days

2007-09-04T22:20:00.000-04:00

My favorite illustrated Creation story. We have used this with preschoolers through middle school aged children. The text is faithful to Scripture and the pictures are reverently done.

The Great Kapok Tree

2007-09-03T20:26:00.000-04:00

Please do not read this book. It is really awful.

Picture Miss Seeton

2007-09-03T20:24:00.000-04:00

Busman's Honeymoon

2007-08-29T09:49:00.000-04:00

Subtitled: A Love Story with Detective Interruptions!

This final (official) novel in the Lord Peter Wimsey canon was not what I had expected. I pictured His Lordship and his bride gallivanting about Europe foiling purse snatchers and jewel thieves. Instead, a country (!) honeymoon in their new home involves Peter and Harriet in a local murder.

I had expected a weak mystery. The actual whodunnit was much better than some of the previous installments. I did miss Parker, who wasn't called in at all despite the proximity to London.

I did, however, very much enjoy being inside Bunter's head during parts of this book. I wish Miss Sayers had done this with Bunter from the beginning. His perception of events juxtaposed against those of his lord and lady were revealing and at times hilarious.

A satisfying note of finality: Peter's final words at the end of the novel are the same as his first ones in "Whose Body?"

The Professor and the Madman

2007-08-28T12:44:00.000-04:00

The Art Lesson

2007-08-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

If you read this blog, you'll see that Tomie de Paola is one of my favorite children's authors. In this book, we get an autobiographical peek at the budding young artist and his struggle to do "real art" in school.

Gaudy Night

2007-08-12T08:03:00.000-04:00

This installment of Lord Peter Wimsey reveals, I think, much of the authoress herself. Instead of Peter, we mostly follow Harriet Vane at Oxford. The book is rambling and nostalgic. And romantic. Wimsey fans will cherish it.

Charlie Needs a Cloak

2007-08-07T12:24:00.000-04:00

This is a very nice books about Charlie, a shepherd in need of a new cloak. It follows Charlie through the seasons as he shears his sheep, cards and dyes the wool, weaves it and finally sews his new garment. A great way to gently teach children how we get our wool.

The Nine Tailors

2007-08-01T19:05:00.000-04:00

My latest installment of Lord Peter Wimsey. This one, I actually figured out myself before "all was revealed." I still enjoyed it, although it is completely devoid of Harriet Vane.

Frenchman's Creek

2007-07-23T23:51:00.000-04:00

A novel set in 17th century Cornwall during the reign of Charles II. Our heroine Lady Dona St. Columb meets the love of her life, a Breton pirate nicknamed The Frenchman. Along the way, the two engage in lying, deceit, robbery, piracy, adultery and treason. The only redeeming thing about Lady Dona is that, in the end, she loves her two little children. But that love does not prevent her from lying to them for five days saying she is ill in bed with a fever while she plunders and sails with her lover.

A real disappointment from the author of Rebecca.

A Handful of Dust

2007-07-18T12:25:00.000-04:00

A lesser-known work from the author of Brideshead Revisited. This is a biting social satire of the 1930's British upper class.

Northanger Abbey

2007-07-12T16:10:00.000-04:00

It is with mixed emotions that I close the book on the final chapter of Jane Austen. I have now read all of her novels. I wish there were more.

Northanger Abbey is a satire of the gothic romance novel genre. For that reason, it's best left until you have a few other Austens under your belt. I started this once several years ago and I just didn't get it. I hadn't read any other Austen, nor read widely in that period. So the satire went over my head, and I ended up putting it down after a few pages. This time, I picked it up a relished it from the beginning. It is not her most dramatic romance. But it is not her worst, either. And the social criticism is not to be missed.

The Erie Canal

2007-07-05T14:19:00.000-04:00

This installment of Cornerstones of Freedom covers the history and construction of the Erie Canal, which connects the Hudson River with the Great Lakes. The Erie Canal was the highway to westaward expansion in the early nineteenth century. It allowed people to travel west to farm and trap, and it brought those products back east to the city markets.

Being that we live in a canal town, a mere five blocks from the famous "flight of five" Lockport locks, I was interested in learning more about the canal which made our town possible.

There are many great illustrations, and the facts are presented in a straightforward manner. However, I noted three errors in the facts presented. Since I was reading just for pleasure, and am not an expert on the Erie Canal, I was surprised to come across so many errors.

First, the author stated that the five Lockport locks were built to carry the canal over a mountain. That is not at all true. If so, wouldn't there be five more locks to carry the canal back down the other side? The Lockport locks climb the Niagara Escarpment, which is a far different geological thing than a mere mountain.

Next, a caption of a photo showing Governor DeWitt Clinton in a canal packet boat erroneously states that the photo was taken in New York City. Canal packet boats could not navigate the Hudson River from Albany to New York City. The currents are too strong, and packet boats can neither propel or steer themselves. Passengers would switch to a river boat, perhaps a steam-powered one, at Albany. The photo was more likely taken at one of his many stops along the maiden voyage on the canal.

Finally, at the conclusion of the book, the author states (in 2004) that the Erie Canal is still used for commercial traffic. The Erie Canal is now used for pleasure boats. Commercial ocean-going freighters now access the Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence River into Lake Ontario. The Welland Canal bisects the Niagara Peninsula of southern Ontario, and is large enough to accommodate the ocean-going freighters traveling into Lake Erie and further in. I have been to see these super-freighters lock through at Port Colborne, Ontario, and they are a sight to behold.

Overall I enjoyed this book, especially the many illustrations. But I was left with a nagging feeling that perhaps when I pick up these books, without knowing anything about the topic, I may not be getting the exact truth.

The Ark

2007-07-05T13:57:00.000-04:00

Beautifully and reverently illustrated.

Pascual and the Kitchen Angels

2007-07-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

A legend of St. Pascual Baylon, a poor shepherd and lay Franciscan in sixteenth century Spain. My only beef is that the author at the end dismisses the possibility (and probability) of a miracle, and puts the tale entirely down to legend. We Catholics aren't afraid to believe in miracles!

The Yellow House

2007-07-05T13:38:00.000-04:00

A true tale of Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin sharing a house for two months in 1888. I found this interesting, but the biographical section at the end includes information about Van Gogh's mental illness, self-mutilation and suicide, which I don't believe appropriate for my children.

America the Beautiful

2007-07-03T22:31:00.000-04:00

Illustrated by a distant relative of Katharine Lee Bates in vibrant color.

A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson

2007-07-03T22:30:00.000-04:00

A simple retelling of Jefferson's life. There is one page on the paradox of his claiming to be against slavery, but owning slaves. Skip this page if you are not comfortable covering this with your little ones.

The Hatmaker's Sign

2007-07-03T22:27:00.000-04:00

Murder Must Advertise

2007-07-03T22:25:00.000-04:00

A mysterious death at an ad agency has Lord Peter undercover as Death Bredon in this installment.

McDuff Saves the Day

2007-07-03T22:22:00.000-04:00

A Fourth of July tale featuring the precocious terrier McDuff.

Persuasion

2007-06-23T10:46:00.000-04:00

I liked this book very much. It was a shorter read than Emma. The romance does not measure up to Pride and Prejudice, but it was satisfying none the less.

Honey...Honey...Lion!

2007-06-19T08:55:00.001-04:00

Oh Bother! Someone's Fighting!

2007-06-19T08:52:00.000-04:00

Count the Puppies

2007-06-19T08:48:00.000-04:00

Catch Me, Catch Me!

2007-06-19T08:47:00.001-04:00

Farmyard Tales Alphabet Book

2007-06-19T08:44:00.000-04:00

Even More Farmyard Tales

2007-06-19T08:43:00.000-04:00

Strong Poison

2007-06-16T14:18:00.000-04:00

Lord Peter Wimsey meets his true love in this tangled case of arsenic poisoning. The only trouble is, she is on trial for murder.

Master and Commander

2007-06-13T07:52:00.000-04:00

I began this book prepared to like it, I really did. Actually, I was pre-reading it to see if it was suitable for my son. It is not.

First, let me say that this book is not for children. Certain topics of a sexual nature are routinely mentioned, indirectly. All of that action takes place off-stage or implicitly.

At the start, I was all for Captain Aubrey. I wanted to like him. After all, he is the hero of twenty more sequels. I tried to like him. I just couldn't. He is an obtuse, vain, vulgar, amoral jerk. His only real and true skill is in seamanship and the classical violin.

The author uses the immersion method to introduce his audience to the terms and jargon of early nineteenth-century navy seamanship. Nothing much is explained to us landlubbers, which makes following the copious sailing and battle descriptions a bit sketchy. I tended to gloss over at the mention of too many "stuns'ls" and "topgallantmasts."

There is a vein of anti-Catholicism which surfaces several times. Two characters are secret Catholics, and neither acquits himself heroically in that regard. One takes an oath against the Pope to obtain his commission; the other avoids revealing his true creed by turns of phrase and re-directing the conversation. Aubrey hates all Catholics (if he knows them to be so) and makes no bones about it. Of course, one would not expect to find pro-Catholic sentiment in His Majesty's Navy.

All of the technical jargon and religious differences aside, the story did mostly hold my interest. In the end, I was not satisfied with the resolution of the story. I am sure that is directly related to my dislike of the main character. I don't plan on pursuing any of the abundant sequels at present. I think I'll try the Midshipman Quinn books next.

The Relatives Came

2007-06-10T10:31:00.000-04:00

Poppleton in Spring

2007-06-10T10:29:00.000-04:00

Poppleton

2007-06-10T10:28:00.000-04:00

Little Bear's Friend

2007-06-10T08:02:00.000-04:00

Little Bear meets Emily.

Little Bear's Visit

2007-06-10T07:57:00.000-04:00

Little Bear visits Grandmother and Grandfather Bear.

The Story of Miss Moppet

2007-06-05T10:20:00.001-04:00

Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory

2007-06-05T10:18:00.000-04:00

Curious George Goes to a Costume Party

2007-06-05T10:16:00.000-04:00

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers: Or, the Roly-Poly Pudding

2007-06-02T11:06:00.000-04:00

Emma

2007-05-28T20:46:00.001-04:00

Emma Woodhouse is a heroine of whom Austen said, "no-one but myself will much like." And how true I found those words when I began. Emma is smart and accomplished, but lax and judgmental. I must admit I was anxious for her comeuppance. As the story unfolds, however, Austen somehow redeems her heroine. By the time of the climax in the garden with Knightly, I was rooting for Emma all the way. This was my favorite Austen of the four I've read so far.

Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato

2007-05-28T20:43:00.000-04:00

The Knight and the Dragon

2007-05-28T20:42:00.001-04:00

Desert Town

2007-05-21T21:32:00.000-04:00

A detailed look at a town over a year. Can you find all of the changes that take place? Luckily, there are some hints at the back of the book.

Oink

2007-05-20T14:11:00.000-04:00

Art Geisert is a favorite of mine for his clever pictures. I was a bit disappointed in this one, compared with Roman Numerals or his Town series.

Winter: An Alphabet Acrostic

2007-05-20T11:18:00.000-04:00

Another season of charming acrostics with brilliant illustrations. These books are fun if one person reads the acrostic and others try to guess the answer without peeking.

Worksong

2007-05-20T11:16:00.000-04:00

I was looking for a picture book to use for Labor Day. Just when I gave up, this caught my eye at the library. It'll do.

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

2007-05-20T11:13:00.001-04:00

Lord Peter, at his most charming and brilliant.

Mansfield Park

2007-05-20T11:11:00.000-04:00

This Austen was rather more dark and drawn out than her other books. The story spans about a decade. Not my favorite heroine. I much prefer Elinor Dashwood. But still worth reading.

River Town

2007-04-02T00:10:00.000-04:00

Death at Bishop's Keep

2007-04-02T00:07:00.000-04:00

I Spy Treasure Hunt

2007-04-02T00:06:00.000-04:00

The Owl and the Pussycat

2007-04-02T00:04:00.001-04:00

Farmyard Tales Children's Cookbook

2007-04-02T00:02:00.000-04:00

Mad About Madeline

2007-04-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

A great compendium of Madeline. The verse is memorable and the familiarity of the openings in all of the stories welcomes you back to the old house in Paris. Unfortunately, although this is billed as the "complete" Madeline, it does not include "Madeline in America."

Bob the Builder Talking Activity Book

2007-04-01T23:58:00.000-04:00

October Sky

2007-03-22T22:51:00.001-04:00

On Writing

2007-03-22T22:50:00.001-04:00

Sense and Sensibility

2007-03-22T22:47:00.000-04:00

I liked this Austen, too, but not as much as Pride and Prejudice. Colonel Brandon, however, is my favorite leading man.

St. Patrick's Day in the Morning

2007-03-22T22:45:00.000-04:00

Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys

2007-03-04T09:54:00.001-05:00

I'm Taking a Trip on My Train

2007-03-04T09:52:00.001-05:00

The Remarkable Farkle McBride

2007-03-04T09:50:00.000-05:00

Lockport Historic Photo Album

2007-03-04T09:49:00.001-05:00

Madeline

2007-03-04T09:46:00.000-05:00

The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

2007-03-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

Noah's Ark

2007-02-14T17:48:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed this picture book about the Flood. The illustrations captivated my boys.

Saint Valentine

2007-02-14T17:40:00.000-05:00

I liked the text of this book for the most part. There is an instance where the mention of the one true God leaves off the Capital G. The drawings were realistic, but there were many instances, especially on the figures, where the artist didn't erase his guide lines. Is this a "style" of his? I don't know. I found it irksome.

Searchlight Homemaking Guide

2007-02-11T17:29:00.000-05:00

Little Bear's Valentine

2007-02-11T17:14:00.001-05:00

Johnny Appleseed

2007-02-11T17:12:00.000-05:00

A Book of Hugs

2007-02-09T11:23:00.000-05:00

The Deuce

2007-02-09T09:33:00.000-05:00

As a native New Yorker, I waxed nostalgic at this first installment from the husband-and-wife team writing as F. P. Lione. The scenes, the food, the attitudes were all familiar to me from my youth.

This is not so much a police story as a story of a soul in search of Christ. The real center of the plot is protagonist cop Tony's struggle with alcohol, depression and a dysfunctional family. He he helped by his new partner, a born-again Christian.

I enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to the next two in the series.

Clare and Francis

2007-02-05T13:05:00.000-05:00

Paddle-to-the-Sea

2007-01-23T12:20:00.000-05:00

This is the tale of a carved wooden boat set free in the headwaters of the Great Lakes, and it's journey to the sea. Much geography and history are touched on in the short chapters chronicling it's travels. Illustrated with color drawings and maps on every page.

Madeline in America, and Other Holiday Tales

2007-01-20T07:03:00.000-05:00

Bonjour, Mr. Satie

2007-01-20T07:01:00.000-05:00

An Early American Christmas

2007-01-18T15:16:00.001-05:00

My Five Senses

2007-01-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

See and Explore Trains and Railroads

2007-01-16T10:21:00.000-05:00

A favorite with both of my boys!

Eight Cousins

2007-01-10T23:37:00.000-05:00

Enemy Pie

2007-01-06T19:44:00.001-05:00

10 Little Mice

2007-01-05T23:26:00.002-05:00

Sweet illustrated reverse counting book for children.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

2007-01-05T23:26:00.001-05:00

The traditional Christmastide carol lavishly illustrated by the talented Jan Brett. Includes the musical score to the song.

The Mary Celeste

2007-01-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

From the Unsolved Mysteries of History series.

The Snowman

2007-01-02T09:21:00.001-05:00

My World

2006-12-26T21:03:00.000-05:00

The sequel to Goodnight Moon. The prose doesn't flow as nicely in this book. And I do miss looking for the mouse on every page. Overall, Hurd's illustrations were inferior in this volume also.

So while a nice book for children, it doesn't achieve the same level as the original.

Silent Night

2006-12-26T20:36:00.000-05:00

What Do People Do All Day

2006-12-25T23:10:00.000-05:00

Corduroy Goes to the Doctor

2006-12-25T23:06:00.000-05:00

The Blithedale Romance

2006-12-18T15:46:00.001-05:00