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Showing posts from December, 2014

October Reads and November Non-reads

A practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed Christians in the higher and middle classes in this country : contrasted with real Christianity (1829) by William Wilberforce - 10/20/2014 Excellent - Classic - Non-fiction - 354 pages - Kindle Wilberforce’s influential book challenged readers to center their life, both public and private, on Christ’s redeeming work and teachings. Wilberforce was the subject of the film Amazing Grace. He penned this book in the early 1800's to draw attention to the lack of true (or real) Christianity among the upper class in Britain. Challenging both in style (1800's, kwim?) and in content, this is a valuable, though difficult read. I also have the modern paraphrase of this book which I hope to read at some point. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien - 10/23/2014 Good - Fantasy - 480 pages - Audio - approx. 19 hours Frodo obtains the Ring of Power and sets out with the Fellowship of 9 to destroy it. I've read

September Read (Yes, singular)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 9/5/2014 Excellent - Classic - Audio  12 hr 18 min Scout's father Atticus is assigned to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman in 1930's Deep South Yes, I only managed to read one book in September, but wow! what a book! I've never read To Kill a Mockingbird before, but this was our book club selection. I took a while to relax into the flow of the story, but once I did, I adored it! 

August Reads

Shakespeare on Toast: Getting a Taste for the Bard by Ben Crystal - 8/5/2014 Excellent - Non-fiction -  257 pages - Print Witty and user-friendly, this brief guide to Shakespeare proves him a genius who is still relevant and enjoyable. The Screwtape Letters (also includes "Screwtape Proposes a Toast") by C.S. Lewis - 8/5/2014 Good - Inspirational - 128 pages - Print A correspondence between two demons, the elder giving the younger instructions on how to lead humanity astray. My goal is to read ALL of Lewis. I've read this before, but it was good to re-read. Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich - 8/8/2014 Good - Suspense - 341 pages - Print An assassin is after Ranger. Out of 21 books by Evanovich, this one was satisfying! On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (6th edition) by William Zinsser -  8/10/2014 Good - Non-fiction - 294 pages - Print Principles, methods, forms, and attitudes of Good Writing. I have been wanting to read th

July Reads

Hamlet SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Hamlet (Dramatised, Commentary Options) (Unabridged) by  ‎ William Shakespeare, Simon Potter - 7/24/2014 Excellent - Classic - Audio  7 hr 42 min The multi award-winning SmartPass study guide with and without commentary options. This is a full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play. Universally accepted as Shakespeare's finest play, we peel back the layers of Hamlet to discover how and why it deserves such a place of honour in world literature. I adore Hamlet. These SmartPass audios are wonderful for understanding the finer points and cultural references in the plays.  How to Travel the World for FREE by Michael Wigge - 7/25/2014 Good - Non-fiction - 152 pages - Print One Man, 150 Days, Eleven Countries, No Money! Michael Wigge traveled from Germany to Antartica starting with no money at all. Very interesting account of how thi

June Reads

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis 6/4/2014 Good - Childrens 224 pages Audio (4.5 hours) Shasta escapes from slavery with talking horse Bree and heads for Narnia. I remember not really enjoying The Horse and His Boy as much as the other books of the Chronicles of Narnia. But I read it aloud to Suzy and James and they really enjoyed it. I did too! The Space Between: An Outlander Novella by Diana Gabaldon 6/8/2014 Good - Fiction 118 pages Kindle Michael Murray escorts Joan McKimmie (Laoghaire's daughter) to a convent in Paris, while the Comte St. Germain experiments with time travel. Wow! This is a key part of the Outlander time travel puzzle. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis 6/9/2014 Good - Non-fiction 109 pages Print Essays on education, society, and nature and how the Tao relates to our morality. Lewis = genius.  An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon 6/10/2014 Excellent - Historical Fiction 820 pages  Audio (45 hours, 58 minutes) Jamie and Claire leave Frase