Author: booknutgirls

booknutgirls http://thebooknutdotcom.wordpress.com I read. I blog. I sell books. I chauffeur my kids. What more do you need to know?

My King Arthur Fixation

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I don’t know where it came from, or really even how long I’ve been interested in Camelot and the whole King Arthur story. But it seems that I’m drawn to books that are set in and deal with the whole King Arthur myth.
First off, there are (at least) two big holes in this list. I have never gotten around to reading T.H. White’s The Once and Future King. Actually, I think I tried to read it once and found it frightfully dull and have never attempted it since. The second hole is Sir Thomas Mallory’s King Arthur and the Round Table. (At least I think that’s the title.) No excuses on that one.

That being said, the King Arthur books I have read and my thoughts on them:

Ladies of the Lake, Caitlin and John Matthews: I bought this on a whim; it turned out to be an equal balance between new-agey hippy stuff (full of meditations on this line: “Imagine you’re Guenievere. You’re wandering through the garden, about to meet the love of your life…”) and decent scholarship on the women in the Arthur story: Guinevere, Morgan/Morgause, Nimue and Vivian. Kind of silly, but an interesting book overall.

In the same New Age vein, there’s… Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley: A heady piece of feminist fiction. The first time I read this, I was enraptured by the way she tells the story from the women’s point of view. Granted, I was 20-something at the time, and very much into the whole feminine power thing. This time through, it wasn’t as good as I had remembered. Perhaps it’s because I have children now that I just found it to be a bit heavy-handed. Anyway, maybe it’s a great book for 20-somethings. In addition, there’s Lady of Avalon. It’s Bradley’s “prequel” to Mists of Avalon. I had a hard time getting into the story for all the New Age Goddess schlock. If you choose to read either, read Mists. It’s better.

As for youth fiction, try…

The Lost Years of Merlin series (The Lost Years of Merlin, The Fires of Merlin, The Seven Songs of Merlin, The Mirror of Merlin, and The Wings of Merlin), T.A. Barron: I really wanted to like this series, since Barron is dealing with Merlin’s backstory. But, in the end, it was just okay. I think I had to start and re-start the first book just because I wasn’t interested in the story Barron was trying to tell. I did really like the Seven Songs of Merlin, though, so it wasn’t all a waste.

or…

Passager, Hobby, Merlin, Jane Yolen: Another look at Merlin’s backstory. Usually Yolen is a great writer; I’ve enjoyed many of her picture books. But I found this series to be a bit forced and choppy.

And, my favorite look at the King Arthur legend:

The Merlin Trilogy (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment), Mary Stewart: It’s a good trilogy, though it drops off by the last book (and the fourth, The Wicked Day, is abominable). Mary Stewart is obviously more interested in Merlin, and by the end when Arthur is playing a more prominent role, she (and as a result the book) is less interesting. But the first book and most of the second are quite compelling.

Newbery Medal Winners I’ve Read (1922 to 1980)

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As one post, it was huge. I thought I’d split it up into two…

1979 — The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin: I have a vague memory of reading this book when I was younger – the “twist” ending felt familiar. I hope I enjoyed it then because I did when I read it this time: it’s a delightful book and a whole lot of fun to read.
1978 — Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson: see my review here.
1976 — The Grey King, Susan Cooper: see my review here.
1973 — Julie of the Wolves, Jean Craighead George: A fascinating little tale about an Eskimo girl who leaves her village and tries to survive in the wilderness. She succeeds and in the process learns to appreciate the “old ways”.
1972 — Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Robert C. O’Brien: A very good book and very reminiscent of Watership Down. Nothing like the Secret of NIMH movie, which isn’t nearly as good as the book.
1969 — The High King, Lloyd Alexander: This is the last book of the Prydian Chronicles. (The others are: The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, and Taran Wanderer) The series is a good fantasy coming-of-age tale; much like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings (though for a younger audience). The tale can get pretty dark — as most tales dealing with good and evil do — but overall, it’s engaging. My favorites were The Black Cauldron and Taran Wanderer; the others were good too, those just happened to resonate with me the most.
1968 — From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg: My 8-year-old daughter absolutely loves this book. It has a fabulous premise: two children run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and manage to live for about a week before they’re “found out”. It’s a fun book about their adventures.
1966 — I, Juan de Pareja, Elizabeth Borton de Trevino: An excellent book about art and slavery and respect.
1963 — A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L’Engle: The series (Including Wind in the Door and Swiftly Tilting Planet) probably should be read as a whole. But, I liked Wrinkle the best – it really is the best written, the best story. Worth reading again and again. (Which I have.)
1962 — The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare: A wonderful story. There’s really not much more to say about it without giving too much away. It was moving, interesting, intriguing. Story-telling at it’s best.
1961 — The Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O’Dell: He’s a very good historical fiction writer. This one is about a girl who is left alone on an island and her story of survival. Very interesting.
1959 — The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth George Speare: I read this one over and over again as a teenager. I still enjoy it, though I prefer the deep resonance of The Bronze Bow now. That said, this one is still a great book about a strong girl.
1954 — …and now Miguel, Joseph Krumgold: An interesting, introspective, little book about learning to grow up. A boy wants to become a man, like his older brothers and his father, and go up to the summer sheep pasture, his idea of a rite of passage. He wishes he could, and his wish comes true, though with a price.
1946 — Strawberry Girl, Lois Lenski: Another one I remember from when I was younger. It’s an interesting portrait of backwoods Florida in the early 1900s and the way one girl survives life.
1938 — The White Stag, Kate Seredy: Essentially a folk tale about Attila the Hun. Kind of odd, kind of interesting. Completely glorifies all the damage and destruction that Attila wreaked upon everyone, which disturbed me. Still, it’s an interestingly told little tale.
1936–Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Ryrie Brink: A year in the life of a red-haired pioneer woman, much in the style of Laura Ingalls. Some fun, and sweet, adventures. A full review is here.
1934 — Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women, Cornelia Megis: I picked this up because I love Little Women, but I didn’t like it. It was so DRY and BORING. (That’s one reason that I rarely read biographies.)
1923 — The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle, Hugh Lofting: Wasn’t terribly thrilled with it. My review is here.

Newbery Medal Winners I’ve Read (1980 to present)

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I think it’s good to read the award winners (I probably should branch out and read other awards –I do read the Caldecott winners, but they’re picture books so they won’t show up here). And many of these books I’ve truly enjoyed.

  • 2007 — The Higher Power of Lucky, Susan Patron: Liked it. In spite of the whole controversy over the word scrotum. 🙂
  • 2006 — Criss Cross, Lynne Rae Perkins: Don’t understand why it won the Newbery.
  • 2004 — The Tale of Despereaux, Kate DiCamillo: It was an okay tale of light and dark with people, mice and rats, though it seemed a bit forced to me. It’s much better read aloud. However, I enjoyed Because of Winn-Dixie better.
  • 2003 — Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Avi: see my review here.
  • 2002 — A Single Shard, Linda Sue Park:A good book about loyalty, doing your duty, and love. Set in 13th-century Korea, it also has interesting information about celadon pottery.
  • 2001 — A Year Down Yonder, Richard Peck: A good book about a city girl adjusting to life in a slow country town while living with her grandmother and learning to be independent.
  • 2000 — Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis: This one was well worth the award. While it wasn’t as funny as Watsons, it’s still a sweet, well-written, fun coming-of-age story. It also has a nice end note about family history.
  • 1999 — Holes, Louis Sachar: see my review here.
  • 1998 — Out of the Dust, Karen Hesse: Free-verse poetry about the Dust Bowl in Kansas. I’m not crazy about the free-verse idea; I found it difficult to “get into” the story.
  • 1997 — A View From Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg: A really quaint story about kindness, change, cooperation and realizing that you belong.
  • 1996 — The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman: The best of all the Cushman books I’ve read. I really enjoyed the story as well as the historical details she tends to load into her books.
  • 1995 — Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech: I didn’t really like it; thought it was too pretentious for my taste. But it may have been because I was pregnant and battling the flu at the time.
  • 1994 — The Giver, Lois Lowry: see my review here.
  • 1993 — Missing May, Cynthia Rylant: A very slight book, and infinitely memorable. About a girl and her uncle dealing with the death of her aunt. Very moving.
  • 1991 — Maniac Magee, Jerry Spinelli: It’s a good little book about racism, belonging, and a boy’s search for a home.
  • 1990 — Number the Stars, Lois Lowry: A compelling story about a Danish family during the Nazi resistance and how they help save their Jewish neighbors. Made me proud to have Danish ancestors. (Though, admittedly, none were there in 1943.)
  • 1987 — The Whipping Boy. Sid Fleischman: I found this to be a bit silly. Not “bad”, just really odd.
  • 1986 — Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia MacLachlan: A wonderfully sweet book. A girl’s mother has died and her father writes away for a wife. Sarah, from Maine, answers the letter and comes to live with the family in the prairies of the Midwest. The short book deals with Sarah’s acceptance of the family and of life on the prairie, and with the children’s acceptance of Sarah. Delightful.
  • 1985 — The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley: see my review here.
  • 1983 — Dicey’s Song, Cynthia Voigt: This is really the second in a pair of books. The first is The Homecoming, which I enjoyed more. It’s a good tale of a girl (and her siblings) growing up and finding not only a place to live, but a home.
  • 1981 — Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson: I read this book first when I was about 13 and I came to it from the perspective of an oldest child. I was touched by the story of an elder twin who often feels slighted by the attention to her younger, more talented, more beautiful twin. I read it this time from the perspective of a parent, and got a different story: one of parents who try their best but don’t realize the pain they are inadvertently causing their daughter whom they rely on. An excellent book.

The Jonesboro Relief Society Book Club

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I’ve helped set up a book club in our ward’s Relief Society, and I thought I’d keep track of the books we read and what we generally thought of them.

October 2004, Emma by Jane Austen
We generally thought it was a silly book; a few didn’t finish it, or only skimmed parts. It’s not Jane Austen’s best, and it has many many long, drawn out passages. We did have a good discussion, though, about what life as a woman in the gentry in Regency England would be like. And we generally decided it would be boring. No wonder Emma was so silly. (For the record, Mr. Knightly is my absolute favorite Jane Austen hero.)

November 2004, Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz
For the most part, the Southerners (those who were born and raised here and who have Confederate Roots) loved it. They loved it because it was all true to them, because it told their “side” of the story, because it was their lives (in part). The rest of us Transplanted Southerners were mixed. I liked it because I thought Horwitz was a good writer, and while I thought the stories he told were a bit odd, the book was, well, enlightening. Another couldn’t believe it was non-fiction, the stories were so outrageous. And a third felt it confirmed everything she thought about “you crazies down here”. It made for an interesting discussion. Thankfully, no blood was shed (and we were all still friends afterwards).

January 2005, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
We all agreed that it was, well, not a very significant book. Nice, but not really as deep or profound or important. That, we agreed, was probably because we’re all members of the Church and the things the book “teaches” — love is forever, sacrifice is good, repent and forgive and our lives are all connected — are all second nature to us all. We did find it interesting that it was on the NY Times best seller list. Perhaps, one woman commented, someone out there will read the book and come away looking for more and find the missionaries and join the Church. Who knows. Could happen.

February 2005, America’s Women by Gail Collins
One of our better selections; it was unanimously liked by all. And it spurred great discussion about women’s lives, our lives and the ease of which we live them. We all agreed that we are grateful for modern medicine and were amazed anyone survived 19th-century doctoring. And we recognized the need and use of journals, for without them and letters, this book could not have been written.

March 2005, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
We generally liked this book, though several didn’t like the ending. (One woman wanted Cassie to go off Simon and we all agreed that Steven got the shaft.) It did lead to good discussions on our reactions to our surroundings, love versus infatuation, and class and women in the early 20th century. Not bad for a sweet little coming of age romance.

April 2005, Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
We all really liked this book, for the most part. (One woman, who didn’t come, said earlier that is was “not her type of book”, and another didn’t come because she was only half way through and didn’t want the ending spoiled.) Anyway, we had a good discussion about life in the 17th century, espeically for maids and the lower class (we discussed the limited outlook of Griets life, how if she lived in another place in time, she probably would have aspired to greater things). We talked alot about Vermeer’s art, and his genius — I wish the book on his art I requested from the library had come. And we talked about the relationship of the artist and his subject. The movie version turned the book into a love triangle, which I personally have problems with, and others agreed. One pointed out that if Vermeer had been in love with Griet, he would have been more compassionate with her ear piercings!

For May, we’re reading two youth fiction books (yay!): Ashes of Roses, by Mary Jane Auch and The Breadwinner, by Deborah Ellis.

My 10 Most Favorite Non-Fiction Books

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I try to read non-fiction on a fairly regular basis, so I don’t feel like I “escape” too much. My favorite non-fiction books, I call “place” books. They’re not really travel books, but more about the author’s experiences in a certain place or places.

  1. Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi: An interesting reflection by a professor of English Literature at several universities in Tehran, Iran. She finally quit teaching at the universities and formed her own special discussion group: a hand-picked circle of women devoted to literature. The book reflects upon several of the works they read from Lolita to Pride and Prejudice, as well as dealing with the author’s experiences during the revolution in Iran during the 1980s. Fascinating read.
  2. Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand: An excellently written history of the horse Seabiscuit, his owner, trainer and jockey and their experiences in becoming the most popular racing horse in the country during the 1930s. (A good movie, too.) I learned a ton about horse racing, jockey life and about how three men and a good horse can make their dreams come true. Excellent book.
  3. The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness, Joel ben Izzy: I loved this book. I loved the stories he told (I love stories), I loved the way he told his own story, and I loved the journey he took. In a nutshell, it’s about finding happiness where we are at rather than where we want to be. He realizes there is no such thing as “perfect” happiness, and that we need to be happy with whatever life deals us. A wonderful little book.
  4. Garlic and Sapphires, Ruth Reichl: An absolutely delicious, entertaining, interesting look at her time as the restaurant critic at the New York Times. Delightful.
  5. The Price of Motherhood: Why The Most Important Job is Still the Least Valued, Ann Critteneden: This wasn’t a comfortable book to read for me; I often felt like she was challenging – and possibly disagreed with– the decision I, and many other women, made to stay home with the kids. That said, challenging isn’t necessarily bad. I’m putting this here because it spawned a lot of passionate discussion, and discussion is always good.
  6. A Trip to the Beach, Melinda and Robert Blanchard: The story of a couple who move to Anguilla (rhymes with vanilla) in the West Indies and start up a restaurant there. It was a wonderful tale about starting over and life in the Caribbean.
  7. Tales of a Female Nomad, Rita Golden Gelman: Not only an incredibly fascinating and enlightening travel book, it’s an affirmation that anyone really can go out and do whatever she sets her mind to. Excellent.
  8. Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman: I read this on a recommendation from my mom and I’m glad I did. It’s a very scientific book, and therefore sometimes difficult to read, but it’s an excellent book. I learned a lot about relationships and how to handle conflict in a more “emotionally mature” way. Something everyone should read.
  9. America’s Women, Gail Collins: Every so often you read a good historical survey. This was one. It was fascinating, and enlightening and enjoyable all at once. Great read.
  10. Eats, Shoots, & Leaves: A No-Tolerance Guide to Punctuation, Lynne Truss: I have never had so much fun reading about punctuation. An excellent book. Sticklers unite!

My 10 Most Favorite Fiction Books

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I’m not going to include Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I’ve already said I read that pretty much every year, so obviously it’s one of my most favorites.

  1. Persuasion, Jane Austen: An elegant, simple, well-told story of love lost and found again. Anne is such a wonderful, kind, long-suffering woman, no one could wish that Captain Wentworth didn’t love her. A timeless story, and my next favorite Austen book.
  2. Speaker for the Dead, Orson Scott Card: I liked Ender’s Game, but this, in many ways, is the truly superior novel. There’s so much going on, and the characters are so real. As a reader, I can empathize with the situations, can feel the emotions, and am engrossed in the story. And, I feel, that’s a mark of an excellent book.
  3. So Big, Edna Ferber: A simple book about a simple woman who never loses sight of who she is and what she values in life. It’s also about Beauty and Truth and how love of money can corrupt the Beauty and Truth in us. Good characters, a good story, an excellent book.
  4. A Canticle for Leibowiz, Walter Miller Jr.: Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a fascinating tale of the end of the earth (through nuclear holocaust), and the earth’s rebirth. It’s very profound on many levels. It’s a tale of how history inevitably repeats itself no matter how educated the people are about the past. And the kind of damage humans will do to one another in the name of power. It is a classic novel.
  5. My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok: A very powerful look, I think, into the life of a Hasidic Jewish artist and the struggles of belief and talent/desire/art. It’s my favorite Potok book, though The Chosen and The Promise are good, too. I didn’t understand all the art lingo and found myself skimming sections, but the overall effect of the book is powerful. It should be read with it’s companion book, The Gift of Asher Lev, which isn’t as good, but worth reading just because it fills out the story.
  6. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien (Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, The Return of the King): There isn’t room to say everything I want about these books. They are truly classics; books to be savored rather than rushed through. You can read them at many different levels; truthfully, each time they’re read, one can get something new out of them. Story-telling at its absolute finest. Fantasy buff or no, everyone should, at some time in their lives, read The Lord of the Rings.
  7. To Say Nothing of the Dog and Doomsday Book, Connie Willis: These books were recommended to me by my sister-in-law. I loved To Say Nothing. It was one part time travel, one part mystery, one part Victorian romance and a whole lot of fun to read. Doomsday deals with the more serious side of time-travel. It’s kind of a “prequel” to To Say Nothing; it involves the same time/place and some of the same characters. It deals heavily with the consequences of time travel, especially when going to a time much less technologically advanced than the “present”. A bittersweet, but excellent book.
  8. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith: So this book really isn’t “about” much of anything; it’s basically a growing up, coming-of-age story. But it’s such a charming one, I had problems putting it down. It’s beautifully written, and you truly end up loving and “capturing” the characters by the end of the book. Wonderful.
  9. The Shepherd of the Hills, Harold Bell Wright: A book set in and about the people of the Ozarks. But, that’s almost too simple of a description. It’s about redemption, choices life, love, forgiveness, God’s mercy… A simple, but deep book.
  10. Life of Pi, Yann Martel: A character in the introduction says this story will make you believe in God. It didn’t do that, but it did amaze me, thrill me, engross me and fill me with wonder. Excellent.

My 10 Most Favorite Youth Fiction Books

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Ones that I’d recommend to just about everyone. Granted, some are not single books, but series. In no particular order:

  1. The Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley: The Blue Sword is full of adventure, magic, romance, swordplay… it would probably make a pretty good movie if anyone ever thought of it. It was an engaging book, well-written and the heroes were believable and interesting (there’s a lot of believable tension and chemistry between the two lead characters, which makes it fun). Hero and the Crown is a pre-quel to The Blue Sword. Anyway, this is a story about Aerin, a backwards princess with flame-red hair, and how she finds her calling in life (fighting dragons, of all things) and how she overcomes her insecurities and wins the hearts (rather than the suspicions) of the people in her father’s kingdom. It’s a great “hero” book where the hero is a girl, and it works wonderfully!
  2. Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson: I picked this one up on a whim (and because I decided to read all the Newbery Award winners) and I was captivated by it. It’s a wonderful story about being different, about imagination, about friendship, and most of all, about strength. I sobbed at the end (there’s a tragic ending); I’ve never read a more accurate or touching portrayal of grief. An excellent book.
  3. The Harry Potter Series, J.K. Rowling (Sorcerer’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince): Rowling has created a wonderful, intricate – though not deep or profound – world. It’s an easy read (eye candy) and fast-paced. It’s fun, though not necessarily something to be savored. Though, I have read it more than once. She’s gotten better, to. I read that she really enjoyed writing Book 6, and it shows. It’s much tighter than the last two, and has an incredible cliff-hanger ending. I can’t wait until she gets around to writing the last one.
  4. The Goose Girl, Shannon Hale: Aside from the annoying author blurb and the mildly predictible ending, this is a wonderful fairy tale. A princess, made dull and lacking inner strength by the fact of her birth, finds strength, hope and frienship through adversity. Excellent.
  5. The Dark is Rising Series, Susan Cooper (Including Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King; and Silver on the Tree): A great series of myth and magic and power for good or evil. I have problems with books with Welsh in them; I love them but I can’t pronounce anything in it. It’s a fabulous series.
  6. Inkheart, Cornelia Funke: A book-lovers book. And a wonderful story. (see the full review here.)
  7. The BFG, Roald Dahl: My absolute hands-down favorite Dahl book. It’s sweet, it’s weird (what Dahl book isn’t, though?), and it’s a lot of fun to read.
  8. Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine: A fun take on the Cinderella story. The heroine is admirable: strong, intelligent, funny, assertive, yet she is human, and not “perfect”. The romance is tactfully, and simply done (They’re friends first! Yay!) and you come to really like all the characters. It’s funny, well-written and a charming book. And for an additional Cinderella variation, Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix is an excellent read.
  9. The Giver, Lois Lowry: An excellent little fable about a society without feeling and how one boy comes to realize the good in differences. The other one I’ve read by her, Number the Stars, is also excellent.
  10. Crispin, Avi: I loved this book. It was a good, simple tale of a boy in the Middle Ages learning to think and act for himself. Avi’s a great writer – the good and the bad of the Middle Ages are eloquently portrayed. It’s a fine, engaging historical novel. It won the 2003 Newbery Medal.

Trying Something New

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I have, for about 5 years, kept a list of all the books I’ve read and published it in PDF on the webpage that I maintain for my family. It currently threatens to overtake the page, so my dear husband, Russell, suggested I put up a blog. So, here I am.

A bit about me: I’m a stay-home mom of three girls, I read as much as possible (all things considering), and I love youth fiction. My favorite authors are Jane Austen — I read Pride and Prejudice annually — and Robin McKinley. Like my 8-year-old, I’m obsessed with Harry Potter, though not as much as some. I try to branch out and read non-fiction every once in a while, and on occasion, I feel guilty and read an “adult” book, usually with mixed results.

I’ll try and put up (eventually) all my old reviews; I’m not promising anything earth-shattering. As I’ve said, I’m only doing this so I don’t accidentally re-read something I’ve already read. That, and so I can intelligently recommend (or not) a book to someone else.

Enjoy!