Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

I've read Frankenstein before but I can't find the proof of it on my blog (which is weird). This is a book I avoided during my growing up years because I believed it to be spooky, scary, and therefore most likely evil. It wasn't until I was an adult and heard my friend talking about how much she loved this book that I thought perhaps I was being too harsh. After all, it's a classic and classics are terrifically good for you as we all know. What was I missing? I decided to find out.

I read Frankenstein and ended up loving it. It was not a scary read at all! Perhaps for its time it was terrifying but in today's day and age it really isn't. There are scarier things out in this world than a strange looking, overgrown persons. I found this read to be thought-provoking and full of great discussion about morality and ethics in science and medicine in particular. Reading it removed my prejudices towards "classic horror stories" and I mentally re-labeled it into my "most surprising books" category. Fast-forward to this past September wherein my family and I were traveling in Scotland. We visited a place which was planning to host an event in celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Frankenstein and I decided that I really needed to squeeze this story into my October reads in honor of its birthday and so I have done.

Frankenstein is a fast read at a mere 200(ish) pages. If you read 50 pages a day it'll be done in short order. I liked the story all over again and was very grateful for my faulty memory which caused me to forget the end. (Yes, I forget books easily. Hence I am a proponent of blogging or else I'll forget the details of a story and why I liked or disliked it.) The positive benefits to having forgotten how the story concluded, exactly, was that I was on the edge of my seat begging my children to please let me finish the final 20 pages before we ate lunch. (My family is very obliging at times. It also helps if one reads fast.) The story was thrilling, thoughtful, well-told and thoroughly engaging all over again. Hail to my bad memory! It can be a real treat sometimes!

There's very little I could add to a discussion about this classic work so I won't really delve into the particulars here. (It's more fun for me to have long discussion over books that are new and have less things said about them.) I'll merely take a moment to exhort anyone who has felt scared off of this book due to Hollywood or any other reason to re-consider it. My oldest turns 12 tomorrow and I think he's completely ready to tackle this book in all of its particulars. He is a discerning reader and can engage with the arguments. The questions raised in this book are chiefly over who has the power and authority to give life and who can (or should) take it away. What gives someone the right to create at all, let alone create life? And what duties do we have as creator beings to rip life away? Is there a moral law or standard by which we should hold ourselves to when answering these questions? Or do we simply rely on emotions to determine what types of beings should be permitted to exist on this planet Earth? All of these questions and more are explored within the pages of Frankenstein and they are questions that have the world's attention right at this moment in time.

I would highly recommend this read for a book club discussion. I think it would be grand fun (although perhaps testy at times!) to sift and sort through these questions. If you're feeling skittish about the book because you do not see yourself as a "horror" lover, I'd strongly suggest you put that label aside. If you scare easily, read it in daylight just to be safe. Also, search for a copy with decent cover art to help you get past your worries. I took the picture in this post of my copy at night (because I wanted to play around with candles) and I think it makes the book look spookier than it actually is. This artwork lends itself well to the story, but look at it in daylight if you're unnerved at all.

I'm really glad to have taken the time to read Frankentstein again and would encourage the more conservative parent not to dismiss this book outright. It's spot on for discussing current events and the value of human life in general. Don't be quick to steer kids away from the read. It's a valuable story and entertaining to boot!

Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

VICTORY IS MINE!!!

I don't want to write a big long blog post about this but I did want to say that three many long years ago Shonya challenged me to read Atlas Shrugged. I meant to do the deed in one year but it has taken three.

But I did it.

I have been asked if I would recommend it to others.

My response goes something like this....

• It is a classic.
• It is a work of art.
• It requires you to think. A lot. Hard. 
• It is detailed and memorable.
• It requires something of you.
• It makes demands.
• I wouldn't say that it's a Must Read. But I'd give you a round of applause of you went after it.

It's definitely high school reading material (on up) due to some of the content. I wouldn't suggest it to my kids until they were in high school.

I feel I have now earned the right to watch the movie TRILOGY. (There is no way to wrap this book up on a screen an a measly hour and a half!)

Now I'm spinning circles feeling free as a bird wondering what on earth I should read next . . . !

The Literary Sense, by E. Nesbit

Before our travels to pick up Bookworm5 I found myself scouring Amazon for free books on Kindle. Most free books on Kindle are a nice thought that I'm not interested in thinking about. However, I did discover that there are a plethora of E. Nesbit books available at no cost and so I proceeded to download every single title of hers that I saw. One such title was The Literary Sense which I recently completely.

Now, I have grown to adore reading Nesbit's books both by myself and with my kids. She was a fairly prolific writer which is an exciting fact if you love her books. I repeat: most of her books (if not all?) are available for free download on the Kindle which is a double treat and one that I highly recommend you take advantage of. I'd not heard of The Literary Sense before but I don't feel very badly about that seeing as how hardly anyone else has either. (Not even one Goodreads review?! And nothing on Amazon. Tsk, tsk!) I launched into the story, oblivious to what I mind find, and found myself delightfully surprised.

The Literary Sense is a collection of short stories definitely not intended for children. There are adult themes running throughout this book and its clear from things that Nesbit found a great deal of merriment in poking fun at her fellow human being. In these stories, which function more as character sketches, Nesbit tickles her own funny bone by pointing out the irrational behaviors of others who suffer from a case of having a "literary sense" (aka a sense for the dramatic). The people she wrote of are always just a little bit over the top in their beliefs and actions towards the realities of life. With Nesbit's typical wit the reader can easily see how silly some folks can be when desperately in love. There is a certain degree of the preposterous running throughout which makes for entertaining reading. Nesbit most certainly had to have chuckled her way through the creation of this book and there seems nothing better to do than to laugh right along with her. If you don't, you'll miss out!

If you like Nesbit in general, you'll want to check out this title because it offers another side to her as a writer. Whether the characters are likable or not is a matter of debate. They aren't really meant to be liked so much as humored. The romances of the foolish generally produce wry smiles so its fair to suggest that you expect to have a wry smile on your face as you read along.

I loved this title because it was unique and somewhat unexpected. Nesbit pokes fun at human nature in a way that hits the nail right on the head without being the least bit offensive. From this title I would deduce that Nesbit was a careful study of human behavior and loved a good laugh. If we are to write books which we ourselves would enjoy, I think she did that for herself with this one. I felt more as if I was reading something she took delight in and caught wind of an inside joke somehow. The joke was so funny its worth passing along and so, with that, I'd recommend The Literary Sense to you. (Remember, it's free! What's to lose?)

"All the same, he was nice, which is something: and she loved him, which is everything." (The Force of Habit)

Other books by Nesbit which we have devoured:

• The Book of Dragons
• The Phoenix and the Carpet

Far from the Madding Crowd, by Thomas Hardy

I need to get something off my chest: in the case of Far from the Madding Crowd I watched the (2015) movie before I read the book. (GASP.) Yes, it's true. The reason was though that the movie was available on the plane. (Is that a good excuse?) Redemption was offered when one of the ladies in my in town bookclub chose it for our upcoming read. I was delighted to rectify the situation because while I enjoyed the movie, (with a few exceptions), I could tell from the storyline that the book was going to be far and away better. On this point, I was definitely right.

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is indeed an interesting and good story. If you are unfamiliar with the tale, it revolves around the character of Bathsheba Everdene who is a headstrong female with a desire to conquer the world. I must say that I liked her immediately. Although the book is about Bathsheba, we really get to know who she is and we watch her mature through her relationship with three men, each a stand out character in their own right. The book opens with an introduction to one Gabriel Oak, a beginning farmer who meets Bathsheba and instantly falls in love with her. He asks her to marry him and she flatly refuses, feeling as if he is beneath her. Not too much time passes before Bathsheba herself inherits a farm and she can sustain and support herself. The fortunes of Oak and Everdene are reversed but their paths still must cross.

Far from the Madding Crowd is a story of fiery, headstrong passion and a deepening maturity which comes of age and life experience. Not everything is as Bathsheba would expect in life but, ultimately, everything that the reader desires to have happen, does. Admittedly, the story starts slow so if you are just getting into it, push through! Hardy's vocabulary can seem a little daunting and he loves describing the landscape more than I'd really care to hear about it. I found myself skimming his more descriptive passages but when he focused on the people and relationships he had me hook, line and sinker.

The length of the book varies by printed edition, as you might expect. My copy was 349 pages which, when it comes to a classic, can be a little scary. Don't be put off by the length! I was delighted to discover that the chapters are extremely short. This is a classic which can be tackled quite easily in bite sized chunks. I don't know how this works for you, but a long book with short chapters is sometimes easier to get through than a short book with long chapters. Thanks to this feature, I usually always left off reading feeling as if I had made huge progress, albeit only two chapters worth! (Reading Mind Games . . .)

The history of the book is quite interesting if you care to peek into it a bit. I've never read anything by Thomas Hardy before but am made to understand that Far from the Madding Crowd is his fourth novel and most successful. It was originally published anonymously in a monthly serial magazine. (I can't fathom how original readers must have felt waiting for the conclusion of the novel as it slowly unfolded.) Although it was published over some period of time, it was well received. Many readers attributed the book to George Elliot but Hardy eventually stood up and took the credit. He revised the story and cleaned it up some for the 1895 edition of the book and then revised further for the 1901 version. I can't quite tell if the story we are able to read now was fully put together by Hardy or if he had some help with editors over the past century. At any rate, Hardy is the author.

If you're even remotely interested in reading this story, I would heartily recommend it as a haunting, desperate, romantic, satisfying, brutal tale. The 2015 edition of the movie is one I would also recommend, with the caveat being that there are two scenes, (which I knew then and can confirm now are not in the book), which you might wish to fast forward through. Apparently movie producers think we won't consent to sit through anything that doesn't promise a few racy scenes. (How arrogant that assumption is!) Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie and think that it definitely contains the flavor of the book. Still, I'm even more happy to say that I've read the book which grants me pardon for having seen the movie in the first place, correct? Right!?

Watch the movie. Enjoy it. But read the book! It is a far more intricate, beautiful and fascinating story than what was portrayed on screen -- just as every book lover might properly expect!

The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales :: Reading to Know Classics Bookclub (November)

Yes. Yes, we are into the second week of November but last week was all about some fun giveaways so I didn't set the stage for this month's book club read. I hope you can forgive me. I'm here to do this now!


Rebekah from Bekahcubed is hosting this month's book club read and discussion and she selected The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales
for us to read. Below are her introductory thoughts:

*****

I have long loved fairy tales as I knew them - generally from popular saccharine representations in children's picture books and (of course) Disney movies. Later on, I came to love young adult fairy tale novelizations such as those by Jessica Day George and Robin McKinley. But, apart from my childhood reading and re-reading of Anderson's Fairy Tales, I haven't read many original fairy tales.

Since I am familiar with Hans Christian Anderson's original tales, I've selected a less familiar collection of originals for this month's Reading to Know Book Club - Grimms' Fairy Tales (link to Wikipedia).

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales include 200 separate tales - familiar tales such as Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, and Little Red Riding Hood, but also much less familiar ones. Since the volumes are rather large, I don't expect that many of us will read them in their entirety (I’m going to try but to give myself plenty of grace if I don’t end up doing so!). So this challenge will be to read one or more of the Grimm brothers' original fairy tales and to write about them so we all can learn a bit more about the tales behind the children's storybook versions.

Any takers?

*****
Let us know in the comment section if you plan to read along! We'd love to hear from you.

The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This month the Reading to Know Classics book club is reading The Hound of the Baskervilles which was chosen for us by my friend Sky. Coincidentally, this is also the book that my in town bookclub is reading (because it was my turn to pick!). I haven't read anything by Conan Doyle in awhile and it was nice to be given the excuse.

My reading of The Hound of the Baskervilles was most definitely enriched and helped along by Sky's introductory post. I appreciated her giving me a background knowledge of the story and how it came to be. (If you missed her explanation, be sure to check that out.)

I never feel like I can say much more than "I liked it" or "I didn't like it" about well-known classics. I know the same problem exists for many of you (which is a comfort to me - heh). In the case of The Hound of the Baskervilles I can say of it, "I liked it." It was entertaining and enjoyable. I'm pretty sure I've read it before, but I didn't remain the end so it remained a mystery all the way through.

This is a short read (so if by chance you were still hoping to read it, know that it goes quick!). It is both suspenseful and spooky. That said, it's not so spooky that I wouldn't feel comfortable reading it at night. (I read it during the day though, just to be safe!) Modern novels are ever so much more spooky than Doyle, I think. Doyle presents just enough of a thrill to keep you on your toes but not do you in.

As you can see, I'm not coming up with anything remotely brilliant to say about this book that goes beyond a sentence of favor. In order to make this review even moderately worthwhile (although not by much), here's an interesting factoid I learned about it:

In 1902 the original manuscript was broken apart into individual leaves. The leaves were then used as part of window displays by American bookstore as part of a promotional campaign. It is estimated that there were 185 leaves, and only 36 are known to still exist, including all of the leaves from Chapter 11. These are now owned by the New York Public Library. The rest of the leaves are owned by university libraries and private collectors. Americans have interesting concepts of what would make for good marketing ploys sometimes. Whether posting the original leaves from this story were helpful or not, it is safe to say that this story has done well with the public.

Many thanks to Sky for recommending this read so that I could spend a little time with one of the great masters of mystery this past month. Much appreciated!

For those of you who read along, plan to come back on Friday, October 30th for the wrap-up post.

The Hound of the Baskervilles :: Reading to Know Bookclub (October)

We're very near the end of the year and on one of our last book club reads, can you believe it?! This month my friend Sky from Circus Caravan of My Thoughts on Things will be leading the discussion and she has selected The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for us to read. I always like the books she picks. She likes to go on adventures and so I'm looking forward to reading this title.

(I may have read it before. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I have. But I can't remember the end of the story so it will be freshly enjoyable! Ha!)

Here are Sky's thoughts on the book to kick us off and get us started:

*****

Do you know those books, the ones that are time portals?

They replace your current situation, the smells, space and surroundings with something completely alien to your existence and yet you feel perfectly at home.

For me, Sherlock's world does that. He is one of those characters that I would recognize strolling down the street in my world. Like Gandalf, Samwise Gamgee, or Mr Tumnus, I would grab him by the arm, hit the nearest coffee shop and ply them with hot brew, scones and questions!

I first read the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes the winter of '96. And since I was in the cold mountains of the North I always associate Sherlock with a biting cold outside and a warm tea inside.

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock's stories, had problems getting his stories published at first and many of his early works were in serial magazines. Soon people realized how precious his writings were and would pay atrocious sums for the next Sherlock, resulting in him being one of the highest paid authors of his time.

Yet he despised his hero and in November 1891 he wrote to his mother: "I think of slaying Holmes... and winding him up for good and all. He takes my mind from better things."

In December 1893 he did kill Sherlock, without any intention of bringing him back, but the public outcry was so disruptive and intrusive on his life that he had to bring his hero back, much to his own chagrin!

Eight years later The Hound of the Baskervilles was released to the public and when I read it, I can imagine the relief of the world as they held yet another story in their hands, as if their hero had come back to life. (It was set into the time before his written demise so he didn't truly come back to life until The Adventure of the Empty House that Doyle wrote a year later.)

Since then, Sherlock has seen not the grave nor gathered dust on an unread bookshelf. He has surpassed time, technology and space.

Unlike many Sherlock purists, I absolutely love the way he has been brought into this decade. In fact I think that the newer movies and shows are a better representation of Sherlock than the Basil Rathbone films, which I love as well. But we must remember that Sherlock was always doing strange and adventurous things to pursue his odd hobby of death and crime. He was a boxer, swordsman, pistol duelist, martial artist and forensic scientist.

As we enter into this past world of Victorian England and meet the strange people of Dartmoor, dabble our toes in the supernatural, and shiver and sip tea, I hope that you feel a small transport in time.

Enjoy the ride!

*****
Let us know in the comment section if you'll be reading along with us this month!

The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis

This month's book club read is The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis. Barbara from Stray Thoughts selected this read for us and I was glad of it because I had been wanting to read it again but hadn't made the time. She gave me the time and that's rather a lovely gift.

I sat down with The Screwtape Letters late last week and read it in about two sittings. It's not a hard read or a long one. In case you are unaware of the premise of this book, it is one of Lewis's fictional works which was published in 1942. The story is told in letter form, wherein a head demon by the name of Screwtape is writing letters to his demon nephew, Wormwood. Wormwood's job is to keep the human from committing his life to "the Enemy" (who is, of course, the Christ) and his uncle is attempting to give advice and tips as to how Wormwood might go about accomplishing this task. It is, for the reader, a book about temptations in life and how to identify them properly and keep our eyes focused on Jesus.

In this book I think C.S. Lewis does what C.S. Lewis does best: he describes human nature to his readers in a clever way, using a dollop of wit and a garnish of irony. Some people aren't very prone to self-evaluation but Lewis most definitely made a regular habit out of doing so. In pondering his own attitudes he was able to pinpoint areas where humans think themselves noble or superior when they are, in fact, suffering from delusions of grandeur. We are a sad lot of humanity who think we have so many answers to all of life's many and varied problems. Yet so easily we give into the temptation to think ourselves "not as bad as all that" - an attitude which repeatedly dunks us into hot water time and time again. In The Screwtape Letters Lewis focuses a lot on how humans are so easily distracted from pursuing Christ by thinking of themselves when it comes to war, sex, intellectual capabilities, or taking some sort of moral high ground. He uses the demon characters of Screwtape and Wormwood to explain exactly how we humans let pride block our view of truth. This book a compelling and ingenious way to knock some sense into Lewis's readership.

Interesting to note, Lewis did not enjoy writing this book. He found it laborious and vowed never to write another book in letter form again. Unbeknownst to me, he did write an essay sequel to The Screwtape Letters called Screwtape Proposes a Toast. This was written in 1959. (Apparently in that one, Lewis uses Screwtape to raise some particular criticisms of public education.) The two are frequently printed together but as I have an old copy of Screwtape Letters I didn't know!

As you may or may not also be aware, The Screwtape Letters has been turned into an off-Broadway play, a fact I find rather unbelievable. (How was this done? Why?)

In case your imagination needs as much help as mine did:

Apparently there's been some talk of making a feature film out of it - rights have been purchased! - but that idea seems to have been shelved. I think that's a good choice. I think The Screwtape Letters is a story better left on the page.

I tried to pick out one particular passage that stood out to me as being rather convicting in order to talk about it, but this particular reading produced no such thing for me. I enjoyed it generally speaking but have nothing specific to highlight.

I do very much think it's a book that ought to be read by Christians everywhere. Although about demons, it's not at all spooky or scary. Rather it pushes the reader to a little self-evaluation which is always a profitable thing.

Thanks, Barbara, for selecting it for us! I look forward to hearing other people's thoughts on this title next Wednesday, September 30th.

English Fairy Tales

Some time ago I picked up this copy of English Fairy Tales intending to read it before our trip to England. I must have started it more than a year ago. What happened was I took it on our flight to South Korea last Spring (still had the airplane napkin in it which I had used as a bookmark!) and then life with a new little bookworm in the house sidetracked me. I tried this title again around Christmas time but didn't make it through then either. This summer, I determined to finish it! I think it's quite lovely to know a culture's own fairy tales before you go visiting.

Honestly, I've never paid attention to what makes an English fairy tale. I usually associate this type of storytelling with the Brothers Grimm. Reflecting back, I suppose that was an ignorant position but, nevertheless, it's what I assumed. It was therefore with some surprise (and some personal kicking in the shins) that I discovered a great many well-known children's fairy tales come out of England. There are 41 stories included in this Wordsworth Children's classic edition of English Fairy Tales. My copy looks like the one I've pictured in this post, not the one pictured on Amazon. However, it's the same book (and used copies are available quite cheaply). Some of the stories included in this title are as follows:

• St. George of Merrie England
• The Story of the Three Bears
• The Golden Snuff Box
• The Three Sillies
• Jack and the Beanstalk
• The Three Little Pigs
• Nix Naught Nothing
• Henny-Penny
• The Old Woman and Her Pig
• Little Red Riding Hood
• The Red Ettin
• Master of All Masters
• Molly Whuppie and the Double-Faced Giant

As is the case for all original fairy tales, they aren't as neat, clean and Disney-fied as we're used to hearing. Take for instance Little Red Riding Hood - in the end she is eaten by the wolf and no woodsman comes to her rescue. People are beaten up, chased down and killed in these stories so you might want to save them to read aloud to your kids during daylight hours. (Heh.)

I tried to find out exactly how many English Fairy Tales exist and this is the only source I could find that listed at least 140 and likely more. Someone much more knowledgeable than I will have to explain the history of them and which is the best volume of collected works. The edition I purchased is fantastic if you want a taste of what they are like but it is clearly just a sampling.

While I was reading I kept trying to decide which was my favorite of the stories and I never could decide. By the time I got to Molly Whuppie and the Double-Faced Giant (which is near the end of this collection) I had decided that was my favorite but truthfully there were many besides. By the way, I've linked the title of that story to a source online. If you want to read it there, you may do so and that story gives you a good flavor for what to expect in the rest of some of these lesser known tales.

Honestly, I'm not quite sure what to add to this post. These are fairy tales therefore they are fun to read. (That's my logic anyway.) It was enjoyable to come across tales which were both familiar to me and new, and to attribute them to the correct source. (So, you see?, reading fairy tales is also educational.) If you want a collection of short stories with a fanciful twist to them, I have no reason to hesitate in offering you these. It's a great little book that is easy to get through and, as I say, is lots of fun.

Laddie :: A Wrap Up Post

We're a little delayed in getting this post ready for the book club discussion but here are Heather's concluding thoughts on Laddie: A True Blue Story, by Gene Stratton Porter.


*****

I'm sorry this wrap-up post is a little late, but even though I've read Laddie before, I wanted to re-read the book in its entirety before writing some final thoughts. I don't often re-read books, but when I do it's always interesting to see what stands out to me most with each reading. So for my wrap-up post, I'd like to discuss some of the themes or ideas that have impacted me most, and I'd love to hear what you took away from the story, as well.

Like I mentioned in the introductory post, Laddie includes almost all of my favorite story elements - it is, quite simply, an enjoyable read. Yes, it's a bit idealistic, and perhaps the ending is wrapped up a bit too neatly, but overall I think it is an amazingly well-crafted story with a wide array of fascinating characters. As much as I enjoy the story, however, I'm repeatedly amazed at the solid, Christian values that Gene Stratton Porter conveys so effortlessly and unapologetically. I said before that it wasn't particularly a Christian book, because, of course, Christian fiction wasn't a "thing" when this was originally published in 1913. But it certainly gives us a picture of a Christian family in the late 1800's, living their faith throughout various trials and circumstances in their ordinary lives. It's astounding to think that this was the norm just 100-150 years ago (the book was published in 1913), and how far our culture has departed from basic Biblical understanding and values in the past 50 years or so. Though fiction, Laddie is a book that encourages me to continue to deliberately live Biblically even in the face of opposition.

I thought this might be a good book to read in August because there is so much about formal and informal education woven throughout the story. As a home schooling mom, I find the high standards of education to be both inspiring and humiliating. Memorizing almost the whole Bible was not so uncommon, and those old-fashioned McGuffey Readers weren't just for reading it seems! In this and the Little House books, I get the impression that when students learned their lessons, they memorized the whole book, both poetry and prose. How small our brain capacity has become, and how pitiful are my expectations for myself and my children! But book learning aside, Little Sister shows the value of learning from God's creation, and I'm challenged to send my kids outside more often, too!

Upon rereading Laddie this time, I was most struck with the humility and contentment in the adult characters of the Stanton family. Mother is content and rejoices in making a home for her family. She describes her husband as a man among men, though he did not have a prestigious title or great wealth, because he has faithfully cared for and improved all that he was given. Likewise, Laddie is willing even to lose the love of the Princess to follow in his father's footsteps, though he, too, could have succeeded in most anything he set out to do. How easy it is to always be looking beyond the place where we are, seeking great things for ourselves instead of being faithful in the small things that are before us. At the risk of being redundant, I have to share my favorite quote again, when Mrs. Stanton tells Mr. Pryor, “but neighbor, believe me, my highest aspiration is to be a clean, thrifty housekeeper, a bountiful cook, a faithful wife, a sympathetic mother. This is life work for any woman...” Amen!

I've heard that Gene Stratton Porter wrote many of her novels to please the romantic sentiments of early 20th century readers. Books such as Freckles and Girl of the Limberlost provided her bread and butter, but Laddie expressed what was dearest to her heart. It has a fair share of romance, but there is so much depth and wisdom in the characters and the narrative! I hope that you both enjoyed the story and came away encouraged for wherever you are in life today.

*****
Did you read along with us? Let us know in the comment section! We'd love to hear your thoughts on this read.

Persuasion, by Jane Austen

I think you can't go to England unless and until you brush up on your Jane Austen. Hence, I picked up Persuasion as I honestly can't remember when the last time was that I read it. It's entirely possible that I have never read it, although I do feel quite certain that I watched the BBC production.

Alas, our visit to England does not involve a visit to the Lake District for the simple reason that we lack the time. If we wish to see that, we'll have to go back again. (I have no objections to this idea.) Picking and choosing the places we most wanted to visit, I think you could consider our upcoming travels to be more history based than literary. Still, I maintain that you really can't consider a trip to England without reading some Austen.

Persuasion was a delightful read. I say that not being a devoted Austen fan. I tend to leave wide gaps between my Austen books but having just finished Persuasion I'm not totally sure why that is. My last read was Emma back in 2012. Three years! Mildly ridiculous. However it was a happy accident than I picked Persuasion without realizing that this was the novel that Austen wrote on the heels of completing Emma. Persuasion is also Austen's final, completed novel to write (but hopefully not mine to read).

Anne Elliot of Kellynch Hall is the main female character in this novel. She is 27 years old, unmarried and unloved by her widowed father or either of her ridiculous sisters. She has but one friend, a Lady Russell who was friends with Anne's deceased mother. Although Lady Russell might mean well, she had previously persuaded a 19-year old Anne to break off an engagement with the man she loved, Frederick Wentworth. At the time, Wentworth had no name and no connections. Lady Russell did not think him a suitable match. In his distress over the broken relationship and his determination to prove Lady Russell wrong, he went out into the world to seek his fortune and found it. Now these many years have passed and circumstances bring Anne and Frederick into the same society again and there is great tension over whether or not they will end up together again. This is Austen though which makes it entirely predictable. The joy is in Austen's ability to turn a phrase and fill her stories with deep emotion and great hilarity. She is altogether charming and reading her books are such a pleasure.

Not that I'm the world's greatst advocate for reading Austen, seeing that I leave such large gaps between my reads, but if you haven't read an Austen then do try one! Any will do. They are each fun in their own way. I'm glad to have spent some time with Austen again and I'm also glad to know that there are several additional titles that I still have to look forward to re-reading.

Laddie: A True Blue Story, by Gene Stratton Porter

To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to reading Laddie, by Gene Stratton Porter. Just a couple of years back, we in this book club read A Girl of the Limberlost and I can't say that I cared for it all that much. (The thing I did appreciate about that read was it "forcing" me to learn more about the author. I included several facts about her in my review of Limberlost which you might find interesting still.) This to say, it was not with high hopes that I approached Laddie. I read it in advance of this month because I sort of just wanted to get the read over with and not dread it until the last week of August. In retrospect, I'm chuckling at myself. Almost from the first page I absolutely loved this book and I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute of it! (Thus giving me hope for Porter in general.)

Laddie was first published in 1913 and would seem to be the endearing sort of classic that everyone loves and no one hates. If you look at the Goodreads reviews, you'll note that this title receives high marks all around. In this story we are told about the Stanton family of Indiana through the eyes of their youngest daughter. Our narrator is known to us throughout the book as "Little Sister" and she comments on the adventures and escapades of both her parents, her older brothers and sisters, and the family's neighbors. This book is part romance, part adventure, part pioneer story and is generally plain, good fun.

Laddie is not only the title of the book but also the name of Little Sister's favorite older brother and it is this person that this story revolves around to a great degree. Laddie can do no wrong in his sister's eyes and they tend to wrap each other up in one another's doings and are great for keeping secrets with and for the other. Laddie's most important secret is that he has fallen in love with the new neighbors' daughter, Pamela Pryor. He doesn't necessarily want his parents to know just yet because he is unsure of his lady love's returned affections.  The Pryor family are not just new to the area, but prove shamefully unsocial and almost belligerent in the face of Christianity. Being that the Stanton family are devout believers, Laddie is taking his time in informing his family of his attachment simply because he knows that Pamela's family and his own might harbor huge objections to the match and he is hoping that time and care will heal a few wounds, bring light to darkness, and clarify the future.

Laddie's romantic pursuits make up a good portion of the book but there is also some adventure available through another of Little Sister's brothers. I don't want to give away all of the plot so I'll keep this short and sweet by letting you know that there is some lawbreaking going on and some tense moments for the pioneers who are hard at work building community with one another. I personally found this book to be very exciting and engaging. I found the characters to be easy to identify with and find sympathy for, no matter their position within the community.

I liked Laddie so much that I can see myself re-reading it. It didn't feel as forcefully fake or phony as A Girl of the Limberlost read off to me. (I'm aware that by saying that much, I'm offending a few who might find this other story of Porter's to be perfection itself. I'm sorry! Reader preference!) I found Laddie to be far superior in terms of story telling. It was less poetic, more straight forward prose, and was much more complex, with several of the storylines being combined together in a clever plot twist at the end. As a reader, I felt amply satisfied. I don't know how to explain it really, except to say that it feels like Porter thought through this story a little bit more. If all of her books were like this one, I can see myself liking her without exception.

There is still time in this month for you to get to this read if you haven't already. If you haven't, I highly recommend that you strive to do so. I think you'll find yourself delighted.

Thanks Heather for selecting this read for it! I'm much obliged for the nudge to read another of Porter's works.

Laddie, by Gene Stratton Porter :: Reading to Know Bookclub AUGUST

Greetings all! This is a book I'm excited to read. (Alright. Truthfully, I already read it in advance because I had some time to kill one day and I decided to launch in.) I loved the book and will be sharing my thoughts on it shortly. However, we mustn't put the cart before the horse, so here is Heather (of Lines From The Page) explaining why she chose this book.

*****

I grew up in the Midwest, but somehow I missed reading anything by Gene Stratton Porter until five or six years ago. It wasn't until I moved to Indiana and my local book club focused on Indiana authors for a few months that I first read Freckles, A Girl of the Limberlost, and Laddie. I've read Laddie at least twice more since then, and I'm thrilled to return to it again this August.

Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost are quite similar in tone to L. M. Montgomery's writings, with common themes of orphans overcoming difficulties and finding success in life and love. But Laddie is considered the most autobiographical of all Gene Stratton Porter's novels. She was the youngest of twelve children, just like Little Sister, who here narrates her own story and that of her family. You will laugh at her brother Leon's antics, glean wisdom from her mother and father, and root for Laddie to win the hand of the Princess. It is really an amazing combination of beautiful prose, humor, wisdom, romance, and even a little mystery - all my favorite story elements in one package! What I love the most, however is that faith and family values are at the heart of this story. Though it is not particularly a "Christian" book, Biblical truths are woven all through it. I think you will find it inspiring, encouraging, and thoroughly enjoyable, and I look forward to sharing favorite parts and comparing notes at the end of the month.

Here is one of my favorite quotations to whet your appetite for some of the treasures you'll find in Laddie. This is mother speaking to her agnostic neighbor Mr. Pryor: "Had I life to live over, I see now where I could do more; but neighbor, believe me, my highest aspiration is to be a clean, thrifty housekeeper, a bountiful cook, a faithful wife, a sympathetic mother. That is life work for any woman, and to be a good woman is the greatest thing on earth."

*****
I hope you'll consider reading along with us this month. In order to remove any excuses you might have in not doing so, I'll note that Laddie is available for FREE on Kindle. You're welcome.

If you are or will consider reading along, we'd love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Anne of Avonlea, by L.M. Montgomery

Wrapped up another reading of Anne of Avonlea. Looking back at my "records" around here, I haven't read this title (or any of the Anne books passed Anne of Green Gables) since 2010. FIVE YEARS AGO!? How is that even possible? No wonder I'm craving Anne like nobody's business. It has been far too long.

I mentioned last week that I loved re-reading Anne of Green Gables but I was mostly interested in visiting with the adult Anne. Not being able to pick up a book mid-series, I had to start at the beginning again and I've no complaints about that. That said, I really did enjoy Anne of Avonlea more than Green Gables because Anne is "aging up" in the world. In case anyone out there is unfamiliar with this title (there are always a few people . . . and I feel sorry for them) I'll steal from Amazon:

At sixteen Anne is grown up. . . almost. Her gray eyes shine like evening stars, but her red hair is still as peppery as her temper. In the years since she arrived at Green Gables as a freckle-faced orphan, she has earned the love of the people of Avonlea and a reputation for getting into scrapes. But when Anne begins her job as the new schoolteacher, the real test of her character begins. Along with teaching the three Rs, she is learning how complicated life can be when she meddles in someone else's romance, finds two new orphans at Green Gables, and wonders about the strange behavior of the very handsome Gilbert Blythe. As Anne enters womanhood, her adventures touch the heart and the funny bone.

I hate the above description. Let's try this again . . .

The book opens with Anne at age 16, about to launch into her teaching career at the local Avonlea school house. She is full of vim and vigor and glorious plans for how she will go about teaching. Anne always has high ideals. This is something that I can appreciate in her because whenever I start a new project, I usually have a lot of high ideals to go along with it. I've learned to reign in my enthusiasm (a little bit) and I do strive to look at things practically but sometimes my imagination and excitement for something just gets the better of me and I want to soar with all of my many and bright ideas. She enters her classroom and certainly has some class management skills to learn, but learn them she does.

The majority of the book is not really about her classroom antics but about life as a whole. We are none of us one-dimensional creatures and thankfully Montgomery didn't write one-dimensional characters. The readers watch as Marilla takes in two additional orphans, Davy and Dora Keith. We witness Marilla and Anne working together to train Davy, in particular, as to how to behave and be a young gentleman. Anne has plenty of responsibilities between helping Marilla with chores, tending to kids, and teaching school, and yet she still finds plenty of moments to take off exploring around the Island. As a result of her affinity for the natural world, she stumbles into some right interesting characters who she begins to share life with. Chiefly, she meets Mr. Harrison, an apparent bachelor with a foul-mouthed parrot and Miss Lavender Lewis who is an imaginative older lady. Through Anne's interactions with both of them we see their lives and stories unfold in ways pleasing to the reader.

My favorite character in this book is Miss Lavender. (I'm going to assume that my liking of her doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I'm loving all lavender flavored anythings these days.) I love how she and Anne connect and share the magic of an imagination. Their age gap does affect Anne's ability to understand Miss Lavender completely and yet the two of them overlook their differences in age and life experience and treat each other with the utmost care and respect. They genuinely love one another and I enjoyed every minute of the time they spent together, gathering wild strawberries or dressing up for tea, or enjoying the garden. When two people get along well - despite differences and ages - that just speaks to me somehow. We tend to put people in boxes and request and even require that people always interact with their own peers. All of my life I've made friends with people who are significantly older and sometimes significantly younger than myself. Of course, I do have friends that are my same age but I find that to be very rare and so perhaps that's why Miss Lavender's and Anne's friendship tickles me so.

Speaking of friendships despite age gaps, Marilla definitely views Anne as more of an adult and more of an equal in this story. The way they help each other through life is also pleasing. My favorite interchange between these two ladies happens near the end of the book. They are discussing a romance that has blossomed for Miss Lavender and Anne is sighing poetical sighs about how storybook perfect the romance is. Marilla rewords Anne and describes Miss Lavender's situation in what you might call a "more plain and sensible manner" which just so happened to remove the flowery speech from the equation. Anne sighs and says,

"I suppose that's how it looks in prose. But it's very different if you look at it through poetry . . . and I think it's nicer . . . " Anne recovered herself and her eyes shone and her cheeks flushed . . . "to look at it through poetry."
- Poetry and Prose

I definitely lean towards the "poetical" speech when I'm describing something that I'm really excited about so I sympathize with Anne.

I have always loved the conclusion of this particular book. Although the Amazon description makes you think that things are heating up nicely between Gilbert and Anne, that is simply not the case. It is clear to the reader that Gilbert is interested in Anne but it's also clear that she is not thinking of him in "that way." Romantic tension between them is lacking at this point. Gilbert is showing his cards slowly, wisely. Only on the last page does Anne begin to get a clue about what Gilbert might be thinking.

"Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music; perhaps . . . perhaps . . . love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath." (Chapter 25)

When I was younger I always hoped that would be how love would unfold in my own life. Slowly. Born from friendship. And then I met Jonathan. First we harbored a (mutual) dislike of one another. We slowly became friends. Friendship, of course, turned to love but that also took a little time. In the end, I got my wish! I just didn't anticipate the dislike which started everything off. No complaints though. All's well that end's well as they say.

I'm loving spending time with Anne again, if you couldn't tell. I'm glad to take a little bit of time to enjoy her all over again. Reading the Anne series is just pure bliss for me, that's what!