Mirkwood Reflections

Henry IV Part 2 by William Shakespeare 10/1/2013  Good - Classic 157 pages Audio  Henry IV dies and Prince Hal becomes Henry V. This was a book club book and also I wanted to read it because of the Hollow Crown Shakespeare series on PBS (BBC). Homeschool Open House: Interviews with 55 familie s by Nancy Lande 10/2/2013  Good - Non-fiction 495 pages Print  The book consists of interviews describing the lives of 55 homeschooling families; half are follow-up interviews five years after the author's previous book. I started reading this years ago and never finished. Pulled it out in August and started reading an interview or two every day. Some of the stories inspired me and some made me mad. LOL I wrote a longer review of this book on Cornerstone Home Learning.  The ACT for Bad Test Takers by Moshe Ohayon 10/8/2013  Excellent - Non-fiction 152 pages Kindle  Offers specific strategies based on analysis of past ACT tests to increase ACT score...

Henry IV Part 1 by William Shakespeare 9/18/2013 Good - Classic 96 pages, format: Audio Wild Prince Hal becomes a war hero. I watched the Hollow Crown adaptation before reading the play and LOVED it. (Helps that Tom Hiddleston plays Prince Hal.) I love Shakespeare more, the more I read him. Flashbang: How I Got Over Myself by Mark Steele 9/19/2013 Good - Inspirational 245 pages, Format: Print "Each story brings Steele closer to the realization that being a Christian is more than just saying you are. In the end, he reveals his secret to living a more meaningful life—how he got over himself." Amazon summary Someone recommended this, but now I can't recall whom. I alternately loved and hated the content; sometimes it seemed so pretentious, but other times, it was brutally honest and real. I didn't particularly like the format, which was a lot of dialogue between the author and some alternate "self" or even God, as well as a lot of jumping around betw...

I read a few "new" books from the library in August, knowing that once September arrived, I would be unable to read much at all.  Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger 8/4/2013 Good - Chick Lit 381 pages Format: Print 10 years after Andy Sachs quit her job with Miranda Priestley of Runway magazine, she is successful and happy editing her own celebrity bridal magazine, but now Miranda is back in her life. I didn't remember enough about The Devil Wears Prada to really get into this sequel. It was diverting anyway. The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls 8/4/2013 Excellent - Fiction 267 pages Format: Print Liz and Bean's mother abandons them in California so they trek to her hometown in Virginia to stay with their uncle. Really enjoyed this one - creative and unpredictable, yet uplifting. Don't Go by Lisa Scottoline 8/14/2013 Excellent - Fiction 374 pages Format: Print Dr. Mike Scanlon is on the battlefield in Afghanistan when his wi...

Austen adaptations abound! I read this blog post which ranks 21 of them with clever explanations then thought to myself that my own list would look somewhat different. And then someone (yes, you, Austenacious !) asked me HOW my list would shuffle the films. So here I am in the wee hours of the morning, ranking Austen movies instead of sleeping.  Go read that blog post before reading mine because her comments are far more comical than mine could ever dream of being. Plus mine will make more sense if you look at hers first.  Two of the movies on her list I haven't seen -  Austenland , 2013 since it has yet to open in Michigan and  Bride & Prejudice  since Bollywood films make my skin crawl . Then I added one that she left out, which is at the bottom of my list. So, without further ado, I present to you my top twenty Austen film adaptations in reverse order of preference! Ta-dah! 20. Northanger Abbey 1980 - one of THE worst movies I have eve...

The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth 7/6/2013 Good - Non-fiction 564 pages Print Large print version Memoirs of Jennifer Worth who was a National Health nurse-midwife in 1950's East End London. Basis for the PBS series Call the Midwife . I loved loved loved the TV show although it wrung me out emotionally every week. When I realized the midwife had written her memoirs, I wanted to read them! The writing style was a bit awkward, but the stories were entertaining and emotional. Good read! The Love Affair of an English Lord by Jillian Hunter 7/7/2013 Fair Romance 361 pages Print Chloe Boscastle has been sent to her uncle's country house to learn some decorum, but finding an injured man hiding in her boudoir doesn't help her goal at all. Turns out it's the recently deceased (but not quite dead) neighboring lord, Viscount Stratfield, who has survived a murder attempt and wishes everyone to think him dead until he can bring his attac...

Bleak House by Charles Dickens 6/5/2013 Excellent - Classic 991 pages Audio Esther Summerson, an orphan, becomes the companion of Ada Clare, one of the wards in the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, a long-running court case in 1820's London. Our book club selection for both May & June. This is the BEST Dickens novel I have read. Enjoyed it a lot! Tons of characters - no one does great characterizations like Dickens! A romance, a mystery, some humor - it's all in here! The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner 6/7/2013 Good - Young Adult 416 pages Audio OK, this time through I paid attention to the story. LOL This is the audio version narrated by Tom Hiddleston that I listened to last month. Decided to listen again and pay more attention to the plot rather than the narrator's silky voice. Quite a good young adult novel, though a bit on the mystical side.  Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella 6/13/2013 Good - Chick Lit 446 pages Print Told in alternating voice between t...

I only managed two books in May. A busier month I can't remember. Two birthdays - husband and youngest daughter The end of the 2012-13 school year (we homeschool) Mother's Day A spring banquet for my oldest daughter A day at the opera with my oldest child Our quarterly karate test  Our first visit to Motor City Comic Con - hotel stay #1 Soccer, soccer, and more soccer (3 kids playing - 2 on travel teams) A soccer tournament out of town - hotel stay #2 An all-day planning meeting for our homeschool group Oldest daughter exhibited in an art show The three oldest kids worked several days at a local vineyard Taught an all-day essay writing seminar Worked my regular 20 hours per week every week My son's high school graduation Whew! I am exhausted all over again! The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner - 5/11/2013 Good - Young Adult - 416 pages, listened to the Audiobook Read by Tom Hiddleston - 'nuff said. OK, maybe that's not enough for you....