Mirkwood Reflections

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier - 11/6/2011  Excellent - Historical Fiction A tale of 1790's London with Mr. William Blake (poet) and Mr. Philip Astley (circus) along with a family from Dorsetshire I tend to enjoy Chevalier's portrayals of famous historical artists. This one was slightly different as Blake and Astley were secondary characters to the children that formed the basis of the story, but still interesting.  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - 11/10/2011  Good - Classic Ten year old orphan Mary Lennox comes to live with her uncle in England and discovers an unkempt garden behind a locked door. A re-read for me, as well as a book club selection. If you've only ever read a children's version (or heard the Focus on the Family radio play), you will find this different. I was motivated this time to do some research into Burnett and her involvement in spirituality and the "New Thought" which is the basis for the "Magic" in t...

Twelfth Night, or What You Will by William Shakespeare - 9/3/2011  Good - Classic Gender-bending comic tale of shipwreck, love, and mischief.  Read this for the Brit Lit class I am co-teaching. We also went to see the play at Grand Valley State University - excellent! Very funny. Always remember Shakespeare is meant to be watched, not read! Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell - 9/20/2011     Excellent - Non-fiction    Some interesting thoughts on how successful people got that way, and some myths debunked. I found this book so intriguing that I assigned it to David. Did you ever wonder how some people seem to "make it big" and others just don't?  A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller - 9/26/2011  Excellent - Non-fiction Best book I ever read on prayer - what it is, what it isn't, how to do it, why to do it Such a wonderful practical book on prayer that I began reading it ...