Open Book ~ May 2016

O Pioneers by Willa Cather was my pick for the category "a book I should I have read in high school"  in this year's Modern Mrs Darcy reading challenge ~ and I'm so glad I did.

Cather's story of a Swedish family seeking to make a go of homesteading on the Nebraska prairies led by the level headed daughter after their father's death is lovely; filled with successes and failures, of people being kind to each other and people not. The writing is compelling and draws you in but doesn't overwhelm you as the various characters make their revelations slowly and with due deliberation.

While currently my TBR list is long I am now curious about this author's other works and will no doubt be back before too long.

Please now head over to Carolyn's for more Open Book!

Open Book on Wednesday ~ March 2nd

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh: A story of England 'between the wars' and one mans connection with a Catholic family. Charles Ryder meets Sebastian Flyte at Oxford and spends the next twenty years entangled with one member or another of the family.  It is beautifully written both in description and dialogue but overall was a bit too cynical for me.  I find it interesting that it was apparently written shortly after Waugh's conversion to Catholicism as the faith is overall not presented in a very positive light. Leaving me to wonder if he was perhaps working through some ambivalence


These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer: As any reader of this blog knows I've been a fan of Heyer for several years but for whatever reason this book had not come my way.  Having now read it I can see why it is credited with launching the author. It is wonderful; filled with her usual mix of biting humor, outrageous supporting characters and plenty of misdirection. Set in the Georgian period, about twenty years before the Regency she often writes of, it was interesting to see the ease with travel between England and France you don't see in later books due to the Napoleonic War.

Screw-tape Letters by C.S. Lewis: this is my current read/nearly done book. Had heard about this book of letters from senior demon Screwtape to his young nephew Wormtape for many years and it is as fun and weird as I expected. It took a bit of time to get use to the bad is good, the Enemy is Jesus plot line but have really enjoyed this book and am glad I decided to read it this Lent.




All three fulfill categories of the Modern Mrs.Darcy challenge this year.  Old Shades was written before I was born. I'm not sure which of Brideshead or Screwtape I was more intimidated by and as I wanted to read them both I'm considering both of those categories done and not worrying by which book.

Now please head over to Carolyn's for more Open Book

WWRW: November 4th

Recently finished To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee which I read as part of the Modern Mrs Darcy reading challenge. I don't remember what I read instead of this in high school but better late than never, right? Anyway; I'm glad I have read it ~ the childhood recollections and reflections of Scout Finch a young girl growing up in rural Alabama are touching without being saccharine.  With only a couple of exceptions no character is all good or all bad but rather the full spectrum of neighbors are shown at their best and worse.

Currently reading Jesus Feminist which is a nice change of pace after reading 33 days to Morning Glory. Both excellent in their own way but after reading Michael Gaitley's preparation for Marian Consecration with it's deep questions and profound theology which raised as many questions for me as it answered I needed something a bit lighter. According to the introduction Sarah Bessey intend Jesus Feminist to be a 'sitting around the campfire', sharing of experiences and putting aside the hurts and misunderstandings, and for a bit focusing on the fact that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made.  I'm only about a third of the way through but so far really appreciate Bessey's pacing and easy prose.

WWRW: September 2nd

Between Heaven and Mirth by Fr. James Martin SJ is an interesting look at how joy, humor and laughter intersects between everyday life and our prayer life. I found the beginning dry and slow-going though in fairness Martin does a good job defining terms and explaining the role humor has played in various religious traditions. Once the focus shifted onto how to better incorporate joy and happiness into our lives today I enjoyed it much more. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Thessalonians.  While I thought not good as his earlier My Life with the Saints; I am glad I read it and may from time to time re-read portions.



The Grand Tour by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevemer is the sequel to Sorcery and Cecilia and picks up where the first left off with our two heroines leaving with their new husbands on a grand tour/honeymoon. While this book isn't quite as memorable as Sorcery and Cecelia, I still really enjoyed it. The characters are still charming and the dialogue funny.  The way the plot moves is different than its predecessor, and not as suspenseful at least to me.  Cecy's entries are part of an official document she must write, while Kate's entries are from her personal journal; these two styles tie together very well but I missed Cecy's reflections on marriage and her improving magic skills.  There is apparently a third book to the series which I will likely hunt up at some point.

The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman was my selection of a book from a genre I don't usually read for the MMD book challenge.  Contemporary mysteries are still not my 'thing' but I will admit that my husband choose a good one for me and I may even ask him for another recommendation from the series.  The series in general follows the police work of Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Police Force; in this book he is recently retired but teams up with the newly promoted Lt. Jim Chee when the skeleton of a decade old missing person is found.  The pace of the plotting was good and I enjoyed the many references to the different Native American cultures found in the Four Corners region of Arizona and Colorado.





Now please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW

WWRW August 5th

A Town like Alice  by Nevil Shute; I read this as part of the MMD challenge for the category 'a book my mom love' only to find out later that she loves the movie but can't remember if she has ever read the book. Well I have now and really enjoyed it. It's actually three books in one.
A young Englishwoman receives an inheritance and tells the story of her experiences in WWII in Malaya where she was a POW of the Japanese with a group of women and children who trekked from one camp to another and another.  She decides to use part of her inheritance to thank the village women who gave her group shelter when they were left stranded after their last guard died.
She reminisces about another POW, an Australian who is driving a truck, who helped her group with stolen food, soap, and medicine. Their deepening relationship is built on small telling details that grab your heart.
    Sgt Joe Harmon is the kind of hero you'll love and remember for the rest of your life.
After her stay with the Malayan women, Jean decides to visit the outback town where Joe had lived; small and rough, with nothing to offer its young people, nothing at all like Alice Springs, a thriving boomtown. Her story here would be a completely satisfying romance novel by itself.  All of those is told from the perspective of an elderly lawyer back in England who serves as the major trustee to the trust set-up surrounding her inheritance.

Historical aside: This is a work of fiction but based on the actual events that took place on Sumatra during WWII.

Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevemer; I received this book for my birthday and I have already hit up the giver to see if she had the sequel (which she did and I'm happily taking on vacation).  This is a delightful regency mystery told in a series of letters exchanged between two cousins one attending the Season in London and one back at home with just a bit of magic and wizardary thrown in. Sweet, funny, well paced with just the right about of suspense and trepidation thrown in.

Currently reading Fr James Martin's Between Heaven and Mirth, more on which I will say next time.

Now please head over to Jessica's for more WWRW.

WWRW: July 1st

Emma by Jane Austen is the fourth of her books I've now read (almost done) and I'm finding it lovely.  I had been avoided the book guessing that I would find her antics and matchmaking annoying but actually I found them very funny as she crashes again and again into the reality almost nothing goes as she plans.  There are not quite the deep mines to explore in characters and language as in other Austen books but all in all a sweet fun summer read that I'm glad a finally decided to read.



The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: this was a re-read for me but gave me the chance to introduce to mostly Liam (Will try and catch Lisbeth at another time). The short chapters and wonderful illustrations captivated both of us as we followed along with the Little Prince as he told of his planet and the planets he visited on his journey to visit this one.  Would recommend strongly if you haven't already read or it has been awhile especially if there is a special little person in your life who has yet to meet the Little Prince.

Both of these were read in part to complete categories in the Modern Mrs Darcy Reading Challenge bringing my total at the halfway point 5.

Completed categories:
A book I've been meaning to read: Emma
A book published this year: Them by Carey Heywood
A book originally written in a different language: The Little Prince
A book "everyone" has read but you: Dear Mr Knightly by Katherine Reay
A book recommended by someone with great taste: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Next up is A town like Alice for the 'a book my mom loves' category.  As it happens turns out this is a favorite of Anne's mom too.  The category I'm most looking forward too is 'a book chosen because of its cover'; as I imagine wandering around a bookstore and giving myself permission to just pick-up a book and buy it. The category I'm dreading is 'a book in a genre you don't typically read'; I currently don't have any ideas and am not sure I want to give up precious reading time on a long shot but acknowledge the value of exploring far afield.

Now please head over to Jessica's for more WWRW.

What We're Reading Wednesday: June 3rd

Linking up with Jessica of Housewifespice and sharing what I've been reading.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
    There is a very slow start to this novel but it came so highly recommended I decided to push through and I'm glad I did.  In so many ways this novel is a treasure. It's not easy to write a political novel with a strong love story and good characterizations. Gaskell takes on quite a bit and mostly succeeds in her task of describing the changes industrialization brought to England. She balances her sympathy for the workers in the factories with the dilemmas posed to the mill owners by new machinery, competition from abroad, and the threats of potential workers' strikes. She contrasts very effectively the excitement of this new way of life against the nostalgia for the agrarian past. These were new concepts in Victorian England, but they are not so foreign today that we cannot readily understand their significance.

She gives us a sympathetic and spirited heroine in Margaret Hale, who is wise beyond her years. Another colorful character is Nicholas Higgins. I found myself looking forward to his scenes because he provides the humor in an almost-humorless book. I definitely missed the comedy of manners usually found in books by Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer.   Mr. Thornton is a character we can readily identify with--someone who triumphs over adversity and seeks to constantly better himself. Someone with high standards, yet none higher than he holds himself to. Margaret is his match in every way.

I did see many plot similarities with "Pride and Prejudice" in the love story. We have characters of different class backgrounds who are initially repelled but who come to appreciate each other and are kept apart by misunderstandings and circumstances. The proposal scenes are strikingly familiar, and the first proposal includes almost the same language (re gentlemanlike behavior) that Elizabeth speaks to Darcy. And we have a Lady Catherine DeBourgh character in Mrs. Thornton, who does her best to drive the lovers apart. But I can't fault Mrs. Gaskell for borrowing plotlines from the master. Although Gaskell is a strong writer, she does not quite have Jane Austen's gift for revealing the humanity in her characters with humor and affection. There is not much "fun" and no banter (until the very last lines of the book) in the North and South love story.
Mostly I'm glad I held in there, I learned a lot about English history at that particular time. I love that it rewarded me for getting through those first 150 pages with a rich, compelling story.  As Victorian novels go, this is surprisingly modern and a worthwhile read.

Currently finishing up Them ~ starting Erin's Ring and as part of the Stella Maris book club reading some of Flannery O'Conner short stories

WWRW: April 1st

 
Linking up at Jessica's and sharing what I've been reading

Recently finished Dragonfly in Amber the second book in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.  This one starts in 20th Century Scotland where our heroine Claire is visiting with her daughter, having decided following the death of her husband of that century (Frank) to find out what happened to Jaime her husband in the 18th century. During the visit after finding his grave Claire tells her daughter the story of traveling back in time; and we the readers find out what happens from the time the original books ends till she attempts to travel back to 1940's Scotland and the life she left.  Overall I felt this one dragged a bit more than the original but Gabaldon definitely writes a good dialogue and develops the characters solidly enough that through many twist and turns their actions seem to hold true. While I didn't like it as much as the first I did like it and will most likely at some point read the third but as each book averages 900 pages there are a few I'm planning on reading first.


For example at the moment North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell on the recommendation of Anne of Modern Mrs Darcy and as part of her reading challenge.

I also recently finished A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms and wrote about here.

Now please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW

WWRW: February 4th

Linking up with Jessica of Housewifespice for another edition of WWRW

The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge: I'm a little over half-way through and after a lot of set-up and background on the main characters (which was in itself lovely and well written) I am hitting the core of the story which is the growing friendship between a cathedral's dean and a local watch/clock maker and how that friendship not only effects them but those closest to them.  I'm currently fighting a cold and truly just want to curl up with this one and read away the hours ~ kids allowing of course.

However if Caitlin had her way we would be reading Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke and I do see her point as it is a lovely, well illustrated story of a young girl and her decision to offer a home to lost creatures, and how much more smoothly that goes when chores get sorted out.

If Liam is getting his wish we are reading  SuperHero ABC by Bob McLeod which truly is a great alphabet book filled with comic book style pictures, awesome alliterations and some of the zaniest heroes you will ever meet.

Now please head over to Jessica's for more WWRW.

WWRW: January 21st

   Finished Dear Mr Knightly by Katherine Reay earlier this week which I found to be a sweet quick read in the flavor of Daddy Long Legs. While I occasionally found the letter writing format of the book cumbersome at times I really enjoyed this lovely coming of age/romance with all it's great book quotes.

While I'm off to conquer other books on my book stack I do hope at some point soon to check out Reay's next Lizzie and Jane.

Up next for me is the current Stella Maris book club selection The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Gouge; the story of an unlikely friendship between the dean of an English Cathedral and a watch maker.

What are you reading?

Please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW

WWRW: January 14th

   Nearly done with Sense and Sensibility and while it will not compete for the status of my favorite Austen, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion get to duke it out for that distinction, I am glad I decided to reread it (started once in high school and never finished).  I found Eleanor much more engaging, Marianne less annoying and the side characters more entertaining then I remembered.  And I now have a place holder for the "book I should have read in high school' category for the MMD reading challenge; ideally I will slot one in that I start and finish this year but nice to have the challenge begun.

Fiction wise I'm staying in the Austen realm though in a modern take and hoping to read Dear Mr. Knightly next ~ will report back later.

Non-fiction wise I am reading A book of Saints for Catholic Mothers by Lisa Hendey and am so far enjoying it though discovering it is really more of a daily devotional am scouting around for more of a chapter at a time book.

So what is in your book stack?

WWRW ~ October 15

   The good news is I'm reading almost everyday again (by which I mean books as oppose to web surfing which never stopped and still hasn't but is now perhaps in better balance), however am currently reading a couple 500+ pagers and at 10-20 pages a day who knows when I will finish ~ so done or not I'm sharing...

   In the category of better late than never we have Outlander by Diane Gabaldon which for the few of you who don't already know is about a young British woman who while on a second honeymoon in Scotland in 1945 finds herself having traveled 200 years back in time when she explores a stone circle.  Her experience as a war nurse helps her find some footing as a healer with the local clan.  I'm currently about halfway thru and am enjoying it enough that I have already bought the next book though time will tell if the series holds my attention enough to last the eight books the series currently stands at.

   And so while reading on the Kindle I'm transported to the Scottish Highlands of 1743, when I pick up a book it is only 1713 though I'm still surrounded by Jacobites in The Firebird by Suzanna Kearsley in which a couple minor characters in The Winter Sea (that I talked about here) are now our main characters and are bound for Russia but have only gotten as far as Belgium currently.  Similar to The Winter Sea the historical story is being told through the paranormal visions of a modern characters; I'm finding the device much clumsier this time around and am wishing the author would spend more time telling the historical story than focusing so much on the modern character's (an antiques buyer named Nicola Marter) anxiety about having visions. Time will tell.



Please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW.
Also linking up with the Modern Mrs Darcy for Twitterature.

Have also finally signed up with Amazon Affiliates so if you would please clinkity-clink the links.

WWRW: September 24th

Linking up with Jessica of Housewifespice sharing what I've been reading recently

My Sisters The Saints

is a wonderful memoir in which the author Colleen Campell shares her life story starting in college and continuing through her mid-thirties and the pivotal saints that acted a 'big sisters' and guiding stars to her as she reverts back to a more active practice of her faith, builds a career, gets married and seeks a better understanding of how to keep all of those things in balance and live a life of committed faith.  The author also touches on life issues, namely how we treat infertility and how we care for the aged and how the Churches teachings challenged and guided her as she and her family faced these issues.

The book follows a wonderful format very reminisent of James Martin's My Life with the Saints; as Campell tells her story and the important role each saint played in her life at different times she shares much of that saint's biography. In all, six saints lives are shared ranging from Saint Theresa of Avila, to Saint Faustina to Saint Theresa of Calcutta.  While the focus of the book is clearly on the author's faith journey, I also learned a lot about each saint, and most importantly how seeking their intercession can be of help at times of struggle and not. 

I would recommend this book to anyone, but think it would be of particular interest to women discerning for themselves how to balance work and home life, and make peace with the pain and disorientation of watching ones parents age and perhaps even becoming a caregiver for them.  Over the fifteen years or so that this book covers the author must have encountered the writings or images of many, many saints; this book tells the interesting story of how six took hold in a meaningful way.

The Ballad

by Ashley Pullo a love story told backwards starting around their tenth anniversary and over the course of the book telling their story, ending at their first meeting. I found the format far more interesting than confusing and the characters charming with wonderful dialogue.  The story largely told from Chloe's perspective of her life from 25 to 35 includes all the life events of having kids, losing parents, career choices: all of these Pullo handles well with humor and just a bit of rough language.  Would recommend and will be checking out the sequel The Refrain.



   I wrote this review of http://www.aquinasandmore.com/title/My-Sisters-the-Saints/SKU/94656">My Sisters the Saints

for the http://tiberriver.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.signupType">free Catholic Book review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.



                                                Aquinas and More is the largest on-line http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-books-gifts/catholic-books/category/2">Catholic bookstore.

WWRW: August 27th

The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball is a very interesting book about a young couples first year starting farm largely from scratch.  Kimball was a journalist living in New York City when she went on assignment to meet a young farmer in Pennsylvania; the book follows the story of their courtship and how he convinced her to leave her city life and farm with him in Upstate NY.

The book is a fascinating look at a model of farming that favors horses over tractors and aims to take CSA to the next level by providing a complete diet from dairy and vegetables to meat and grain.  I would definitely miss coffee and chocolate and I don't think my kids are interested in giving up bananas or orange juice but this book offers even more evidence towards how eating locally and with an understanding of what is in season offers many benefits both financially and environmentally.   As an aside she shares an interesting debate she and her husband would have about buying local versus organic.

Overall a fun, interesting read.

B is for Bear is back in regular reading in our house as both a letter recognition book for Liam and first word book for Caitlin.  Six years later I still so enjoy the great mix of different textures for little fingers to explore and the gentle humor shown throughout.

Please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW.

WWRW July 23rd

     Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley: Another recommendation from my mom and another good one! Winter Sea similar to the Pink Carnation series tells a historical and contemporary love story intermingled; the story follows novelist Carrie McCelland as she moves to the Scottish coast to write her latest book a story based on the events surrounding the failed attempt of James Stewart to reclaim his throne in 1708.  That story is told through the eyes of Sophia Paterson a distant cousin sent to live with family after her parents death.  She is pulled into the politics of the day since Earl of Erroll and his mother are Jacobites and have opened their coastal castle to members of King James court at Saint Germain in France as they travel back and forth in preparation for the invasion.  Including a soldier John Moray with whom Sophia forms a deep attachment.

    Coincidently while working on the book Carrie also starts a romance with her landlord's son who also happens to be a lecturer in history in Aberdeen.  The book moves smoothly between the two stories, each interesting in their own right the combination made for a very enjoyable book.  While I did miss the comedy of manners which often comes with books placed in the Regency period I loved learning about another part of history especially this was one I didn't know much about.

Would recommend this one to anyone mid-teens or older who enjoys a good historical romance and will be keeping an eye out for other books by this author.


Also reading Organized Simplicity and will report back soon.

Now please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW hosted by Jessica

WWRW: Surprised by Motherhood

Surprised by Motherhood by Lisa Jo Baker

   This week is again brought to you by a wonderful memoir written by an author whose blog I have followed and enjoyed for many years.  Where Lisa Jo specializes in pep talks and supportive pats on the back on her blog; Surprised by Motherhood reads like a wonderful weekend retreat where she shares how her life in South Africa and losing her mother at young age lead her away from motherhood, and how a boy from Wisconsin and life in the Ukraine led her back.

   This is a lovely read that at first feels very light and easy but I found her thoughts about family life, faith, mothering, and how we are parented effecting how we parented stayed with me throughout the day and even after I'd finished the book.  She writes of 'life in the trenches' of mothering three littles in a way that you find yourself smiling, nodding and suddenly feeling from one trench to another someone so gets it.  Thanks I needed that.

Please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW hosted by Jessica

WWRW: Something Other Than God

Linking up over at Housewifespice to share what I've been reading:

Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler:

I knew from following Jennifer's blog what a wonderful and witty writer she was, but still this book took me by surprise.  It is so much more than just her conversion story; it is a story of coming of age and grappling with the major questions you face as you decide who you are and what you will value in life.  Jennifer graciously takes us on her journey starting in 5th grade, as she grows up and ponders ideas of science, nature, and how belief systems affect friendships growing up.

Jennifer takes us masterfully along through college and her twenties, as she picks a career path and meets her spouse.  Most critically, we follow as her questions and growing understanding of God changes her and her husband's definitions of sucess, happiness, and love.  As she introduces us to other touchstone people in her life, ranging from her great-grandparents to jazz legends, she discusses issues of suffering, service and hope. As she starts a family and encountered health issues, she has to make hard choices which called firmly held beliefs into question.  Also interesting was reading how as a couple they both separately and together journeyed to find their way to a profound and deep faith and a life lived according to the tenets of that faith.

With a writing style that kept me engaged and kept the story moving, but never skimped on the details, Fulwiler explains how her faith in God, and living out that faith as part of the Catholic Church, answers each of her questions.  The conclusion was familiar to me as a reader of her blog, but I throughly enjoyed the journey with her, and would happily recommend it to anyone interested in stories of discernment and conversions of faith.

   I wrote this review of Something Other Than God for the free Catholic Book review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

             Aquinas and More is the largest on-line Catholic bookstore.

 I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

WWRW: March 26th

Linking up with Jessica of Housewifespice sharing what I'm reading these days

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner; I was told when given this book that it was the beginning of a 3 book series and that each book gets better.  If that is true than I'm in good shape because I found this first one ~ ok; not great but not awful.  It is the story of Gen a famous thief who is released from the King's jail to steal something for the King and what happens to him and his companions on this quest.  The plotting was decent and the dialogue good, most importantly the 'world building' which I suppose is an essential component in a first book in a series was interesting and so I will be back for book 2: The Queen of Attolia.

But first I'm reading

Better by Carey Heywood;  this is not a review for a couple of reasons; I've just started it and it is written by my sister so being impartial on little sleep would be difficult.  It is the story of Aubrey a young woman who deferred college to help care for her aunt who is now going 'round the world on a trip originally planned for after her aunt's recovery.  Adventure and perhaps a romance with Adam, the young man hired as her tour guide.

This is her 6th novel; so excited for her and hoping for good naps today to really get reading!!

Please head over to Housewifespice for more WWRW

WWRW ~ Biblical Living

Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Evan Woods was a wonderful read.  I really enjoyed her writing style; she gave serious topics and issues their proper due but never took herself or the various 'biblical' inspired challenges she undertook over the course of a year too serious.

Each month of the year she focused on a different virtue of biblical womanhood and strove to live it out to the best of her understanding and ability; and from various traditions.  For example the month she focused on silence she attended a weekend retreat at a Benedictine Monastery and services at a Quaker Meeting House.

She shares of her experience and different conclusions she has drawn thoughtfully as food for thought for the reader rather than set in stone wisdom.  She also shares others understands of the virtues she is exploring.

Issues of sex and violence are discussed respectfully but in an adult manner so I would not give this book to anyone younger than perhaps high school.

Linking up with Jessica of Housewifespice for WWRW