Krakovianka is always so good about telling what she has read. I enjoy reading her literary posts, and even find it a little relieving to know that she occasionally has her fluffy reading moments. Fluffy reading is one of the reasons I so enjoy previewing books for my young kids. Their books take so little effort to read, and are so obviously enjoyable. Kind of like a warm, cinnamon-laced slab of apple pie with creamy vanilla ice cream.
So, as an admirer of someone who has something to say about books, I am putting out my recent reads. I'm no book critic, but here is what has been on my bedside table in the past month.
[So, so, so. How many so's in those two paragraphs? But I'm going to leave them. Because I Am Not A Perfectionist. And yes, this is a disclaimer. :op]
_Skipping Christmas_ by John Grisham. I wanted to see what it was all about. It's not anything too exciting.
I already blogged about _Till We Have Faces_ and _The Great Divorce_ by C.S. Lewis.
Also _On The Way Home_ and _West From Home_ by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
I just finished _Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry_ by Mildred D. Taylor. This was a very good book. I can't believe I never read it until now. Where was I in junior high and high school? Triss will read this for her historic fiction in the next couple of months (year 6 term 1).
I just started _Rob Roy_ by Sir Walter Scott. I had to read the first several pages three times before I could understand the setting and get into the book. I am so not educated. But I am into it now. I hope to finish it in the next couple of weeks because I want to use it for Triss' next literature selection since she has already read _The Hobbit_. We'll see. This is the first Sir Walter Scott I have ever read. No, I don't know where I was. Still living with the March family or travelling with Miss Eyre, I guess. I didn't even meet Miss Austen until after college.
_Introducing Philosophy_ by Dave Robinson and Judy Groves. I just started this last night. I am previewing it for Triss' use for debate club. It is comic-book style, and I'm not sure I like the authors' writing. I am trying to discern bias. I have to figure out the author's philosophy. ;o) I will not be handing this to Triss any time soon, but will use the blurbs on the different philosophers as crib notes for myself when visiting with her about the philosophies surrounding different debate cases that come up in tournaments.
_Quest for Kim_ by Peter Hopkirk. This has actually illumined the text of _Kim_ for Triss and I. I have only read the last couple of chapters and I will go back to the beginning and read it the right way now that we are done with _Kim_.
_Seasons of a Mother's Heart_ by Sally Clarkson. I read this through quickly last May, and now I am slowly savoring her autumn stories, wondering if they apply to my life.
7 comments:
I thought Skipping Christmas (the book!) was absolutely hilarious! Not great literature or anything. I remember thinking at the time it would make a great "classic" Christmas film, but when they made a movie, it really didn't capture the book.
For yourself, you might want to look for the sequel to Roll of Thunder. I can't remember the title, but I discovered the sequel only last year (must have borrowed it from the library while I was in the states), and it was nice to follow up with the characters.
Thanks for the link!
I just thought Skipping Christmas was predictable. But I had seen all the trailers for the movie last year, so maybe that's the reason.
I will have to look for the sequel to Roll of Thunder! I'd like to find out what happened next.
The name of the sequel is "Let the Circle Be Unbroken", and I enjoyed this one also. Mildred D.Taylor has written another book about the Logan family (_The Road to Memphis_--mostly about Cassie, and maybe Stacey--I haven't read it in a while, and can't put my hands on it right now). And there's also a "first" smaller book about them, introducing the Logans and telling of them and the land . . . I think it has the word "trees" in the title.
Having been raised in Mississippi, and having been called an "n-lover" at nine years old because of my friendship with our house-helper's daughter, these stories resonated with me . . . Elaine
Am I lost or did you have a post on here yesterday about narration from a Leonardo Da Vinci biography? I'm reading that book with my 9yo, and I asked her the question in the blog post. I wanted to share my experience, but...it's not here? If it was another blog, I can't remember.
Since I'm almost sure it was this place, I'll share my thoughts and assume you deleted the post due to sensitive children (I know how that is). Anyway, my 9yo, who is a very good narrator in general, could not answer the question about personality. I think the question is too general and vague for this age. "Personality" is an abstract concept. So, it was more likely a not-so-good question rather than a not-so-good answer.
And if this makes so sense because it wasn't this blog--so sorry!
Krakovianka, it was this blog you read it on. Sorry for the confusion! Sometimes I hit the "publish" button before I have thought through my motivations. I posted it late at night, and then in thinking more about my motivations yesterday morning, decided they weren't godly but merely venting frustration, and so I deleted the post. I *did* have my child's permission to post the narration, but I still didn't feel good about it.
I think part of my problem with that narration exchange was that it was an exchange rather than a question and monologue. I kept pestering her with questions after she was not able to answer the initial one, thereby frustrating the child and myself simultaneously.
I didn't even post the entire exchange-- it deteriorated further.
I think I will go ahead and repost the exchange, including the end. It is a good lesson in what CM moms ought NOT to do when their children are unable to answer the narration question.
Oops. I can't post the end of the exchange because I deleted it off of the word document. She went on to tell an imaginary story of what she thought would happen if she met Leonardo da Vinci. They visit about various and sundry everyday things, he paints her portrait and they share lunch together.
LOL. I think your Mariel and my 9yo daughter would get along famously. K. is extremely dramatic in her retellings and she visualizes things like that, too.
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