Tag Archives: Books
Dog Songs by Mary Oliver
Every year I try to read from several different genres, poetry included. While I’ve read some poetry this year, this was my first book of poetry of 2015. Dog Songs by Mary Oliver is a collection of poems written about and in celebration of dogs. The poems are short and simple, and there is also a great […]
Henry IV, Part I
Prince Hal is the Shakespearean character I want to love–but it’s tricky. At the beginning of the play, he’s a prodigal son. He wastes time in taverns, pulls pranks, and commits petty crimes. It’s easy to like this Prince Hal, the easygoing, carefree friend of Falstaff. But there’s an edge to Hal that doesn’t let you laugh along with him.
Passages: November Edition
Happy November! In an effort to avoid bogging down the Internet with all things Shakespeare, I thought it would be fitting to share with you some quotes about the new month. L. M. Montgomery is the author of the Anne books, and she writes some great descriptions of the seasons. For some reason these three quotes […]
Richard II (in Retrospect)
If I had to pick a theme song for the first two history plays I’ve read so far, it would be “Another One Bites the Dust.” The play begins with a king who has blood on his hands. Once Henry deposes Richard, we see a new king with the same old problem. He’s guilty as well, and his hands are not clean.
Shakespeare’s Histories
One of my long-term goals is to read through all of Shakespeare’s works. Last year I started on his history plays, which was a larger undertaking than I realized. I only managed to read one–Richard II– during 2014. This year, I’m determined to finish three more by January 1. I thought I’d share the process here […]
Eighty-One Percent
That’s how much of 2015 is gone–81.13%, to be exact. Now, I’m not a math expert, but I did a quick Google search to see what percent of my book goal I’ve accomplished. The answer? 68%. Bottom line: I have 16 books to finish in about 11 weeks. So, here’s a look at what’s left […]
The Summer of the Great-Grandmother by Madeleine L’Engle
I must never lose sight of those other deaths which precede the final, physical death, the deaths over which we have some freedom; the death of self-will, self-indulgence, self-deception, all those self-devices which, instead of making us more fully alive, make us less. Yesterday I posted an old review of A Circle of Quiet, the first […]
Hamlet
I’d like to add a note to my definition of a classic. I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I think a classic is a book that is widely accepted of being noteworthy. I also strongly believe that a classic book is one that never stops speaking to you–it’s that book you can […]
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Illustrated Version
Yesterday I was tempted to sit down and read this entire book just to enjoy the beautiful illustrations. I’ve been re-reading the Harry Potter books this year, and this was such a wonderful book to receive in the mail. The illustrations are so well done, and they capture the spirit of the book perfectly. I’m […]
Three Reasons to Read the Classics
A few days ago, I wrote a post titled “What is a Classic?” I also mentioned that it was the first post in a two-part series about reading the classics. So, without further delay, here’s part II. We’ve spent some time defining the classics, now let me convince you why they matter. 1. Read the classics to […]
Book Fifty 