Mirkwood Reflections

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien 4/1/2015 Good - Fantasy - 448 pages,  Audio 16 hrs and 40 mins The 9 members of the Fellowship are divided and the quest to destroy the Ring is continued. Re-read for my book club. I think I've read this 5 times in my life now. Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard by Laura Bates 4/4/2015 Excellent - Non-fiction - 304 pages Kindle From breaking out to breaking through, that’s what reading Shakespeare did for Indiana federal prison inmate Larry Newton, who was locked in solitary confinement for more than 10 years. His story is recounted by English professor Bates, who taught the “Shakespeare in Shackles” class that gave Newton, convicted of murder as a teenager, his new lease on life. (Booklist summary) Wow! This was a wonderfully inspiring read. I love seeing what happens when people pour into the lives of others . The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 4/13/2015 Good - Fiction - 336 pages Print “Rachel takes t...

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 ...

Finished 4 books in April. Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare - 4/2/2014  Good - Classic 135 pages - Audio  3 hr 14 min The callow Troilus pines over the unfaithful Cressida against the backdrop of the Trojan War. Book club selection. We went to see the play. This is not considered one of Shakespeare's best plays, but the performance was entertaining.  Austenland by Shannon Hale - 4/9/2014  Good - Chick Lit  194 pages - Print 30-something Jane is given a trip to Austenland to roleplay with Darcy look-alikes, but will the experience match her fantasy? Another book club selection. LOVED the film. The book was amusing! There is a sequel now - Midnight in Austenland. My favorite Hale book is The Actor and the Housewife, though. Tempting Fate  by Jane Green - 4/15/2014  Good - Fiction 343 pages - Print Gabby has been happily married for 20 years but when she meets a younger man, she suddenly feels alive and desirable again. What wil...

Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson - 2/5/2014 Excellent - Fiction - 300 pages (Print) Single mom Shandi and her young son are taken hostage in a gas station robbery along with William Ashe who steps in to protect the child, an act that has long-reaching consequences. I wanted to read something that wasn't required and found this at the library. I enjoyed it! Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson - 2/11/2014 Excellent - Non-fiction - 208 pages (Audio) Concise biography describing the facts we actually know about William Shakespeare and how his plays were written. Bill Bryson has a conversational and amusing tone. Bill Bryson's book on houses intrigued me so when I saw this one on Shakespeare, I snatched it up. OK, ordered it from interlibrary loan. Short and really interesting! The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton (completed by Marion Mainwaring) - 2/15/2014 Good - Classic - 406 pages (Print) Several rich American girls travel to England to find...

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...

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...

The Message Bible edited by Eugene Peterson - 6/2/2011  Excellent - Nonfiction Modern paraphrase of the Bible. Took me several years to read it. I really liked the fresh perspective that reading this paraphrase brought to my Scripture knowledge. Reading this took me much longer than I intended, but I am really glad I read the entire thing. How to Be Perfect by Daniel M. Harrell - 6/5/2011 Excellent - Nonfiction One church's audacious experiment in living the OT book of Leviticus This was an interesting read. Leviticus has a bad rep among Christians. This small group, all from one church including the pastor, decided to try to live Levitically for a month. I enjoyed reading it.   The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendie McClure -  6/19/2011  Excellent -  Nonfiction Wendie's lifelong obsession with the Little House books drives her to learn as much as she can about Laura Ingalls Wilder and then go on ...