I can’t remember how I discovered Franz Xaver von Schönwerth’s book of “newly discovered fairy tales,” but I am glad I did. It is called The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales (2015), and it is just that. Von Schönwerth apparently collected these stories from the Bavarian countryside in the 1850s, and a... Continue Reading →
I haven’t been posting regularly about the BBC book list, but I finally got to The Return of the King (1955) by J. R. R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings series is number 2 on the BBC list. And as many of you know, at least those of you who have followed my blog... Continue Reading →
I read The Hobbit (1937) by J. R. R. Tolkien, number 16 on the BBC book list, several years ago, after The Lord of the Rings movies came out. I wanted to know what the fuss was about, although I didn’t really like the movies and I was not willing to read the LOTR trilogy. ... Continue Reading →
I never read this book as a child. It’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) by C. S. Lewis and number 36 on the BBC book list. I had heard of it. Of course I had. I knew that people raved about C. S. Lewis, but I had never experienced him myself. So... Continue Reading →
I worked as a secretary for several months before I got a new coworker. Janette shared the lobby area with me and came with a positive attitude and a big education. I looked up to her, and eventually I met her husband. He is a remarkable person, just like she is. He towers some six... Continue Reading →
I admit it. I don’t really like The Lord of the Rings series, number 2 on the BBC book list. I am dutifully reading them for this blog and for the sake of crossing them off of my list, but I can’t say that I’m enjoying it. In fact, I dread it. I’ve been listening... Continue Reading →
On a recent trip to the library, my daughter informed me that she does not like mystery books (at my suggestion that she try a Nancy Drew book) and that she did not like historical fiction (except for the “Laura” books), but that her new passion was fantasy. This new love of fantasy stems from... Continue Reading →
All that glitters is not gold. This is one of the major themes of the first book of The Lord of the Rings series, The Fellowship of the Ring (1954). I appreciate this theme because I’ve known people who tend to sparkle. I’ve seen others fall all over these supposedly golden people. They can do... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, my husband and I watched a popular television show. Whenever I tried to explain the show’s premise and action to somebody who hadn’t seen it, I sounded like a crazy person. “There’s a polar bear, a black smoke monster, and a hatch in the ground. The people crashed there on a... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 