Love Unveiled

Love Unveiled: The Catholic Faith Explained by Edward Sri, 278 pages

Oftentimes in modern society, religion is viewed primarily in terms of limits - "thou-shalt-nots" - and perhaps no religion is more identified in the popular imagination with arbitrary rules than Catholicism.  In Love Unveiled, Edward Sri, host of the multimedia Symbolon series, attempts to demonstrate that what the Church proclaims is really a set of positive propositions and the conclusions that follow naturally from them, the logic of the revelation of the love of God for man and man's response.

The obvious comparison for an affirmative presentation of the Catholic faith tied to a multimedia series is Bishop Robert Barron's excellent Catholicism, but where that book resembled a set of university lectures, Sri's work has a more personal style.  Even when addressing the most controversial topics, Sri never loses his gentle tone.  Even when dealing with fairly straightforward apologetics, he never lapses into didacticism, but treats his subjects as the unfolding of greater truths.  Most compellingly, the whole work forms a unity in which each section seems to follow naturally from the last, as conclusion follows premise. 

Divners and Lair of Dreams

The Diviners and Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray, (2 books - 1191 pages)

In The Diviners an old evil has been reawakened, an evil so strong it threatens to destroy the world. But as its powers grow, magic seeps back into the world in the form of diviners, people who have strange powers. Some can see what was, or what might be, others can hide in plain sight, and while their powers are still in their infancy, they are certainly needed.

Lair of Dreams sees a world in which diviners have emerged from the shadows and are trying to capitalize on their powers, performing readings, talking to ghosts, etc. But when evil lurks in the realm of dreams, how does talking to ghosts help? As more and more people fall into a never waking sleep, can the once victorious diviners figure out how to stop this new evil.

So I have very mixed feelings about the works of Libba Bray so far. On one hand I really enjoyed The Diviners and how she slowly built up an underlying fear but that same slow buildup bored me to death in Lair of Dreams. Maybe it was the added love stories or all the extra characters being juggled bogging down the story, but looking back none of them seemed overly tedious or unnecessary.

I would say Diviners is worth reading, but stop there. It seems likely that Bray is going to continue this series, but I don’t know if I would read a third book or not.

Cave Kiddos: A Sunny Day

Cave Kiddos: A Sunny Day by Eric Jay Cash    24 pages

Author Eric Jay Cash has given readers four delightfully drawn, Paleolithic characters---Alk, Haha, Lala, and Zee.  Together they experience creating the word “water.” But I don’t get it.

I understand how the kids came up with “wa,” “wa.” It’s based on various ways they find something wet. I don’t get how the “ter” really played a part. It could as well been “ded.”

Maybe I’m asking for too much. After reading others reviews, I see that the book is aimed at those who have speaking and reading disabilities. I can understand the need for a simplistic tale.

Based on my “not getting it,” I give the Cave Kiddos: A Sunny Day  1 out of 5 stars.

Together at the Table: A Novel of Lost Love and Second Helpings

Together at the Table: A Novel of Lost Love and Second Helpings; Book 3 in the Two Blue Doors Series by Hillary Manton Lodge    320 pages

When I saw that this third book in Hillary Manton Lodge’s Two Blue Door Series was available for review from Blogging for Books, I jumped at the opportunity to review it (and it didn’t hurt that I got it for FREE!).

I was highly irritated at the end of Book Two. The story just stopped; literally it just stopped. It was a wonderful read until that point. I was eager to know what happened between Juliette and Neil. And would she learn the truth about the man she thought was her grandfather and the man who may have been? Book Three does not disappoint.

When we last saw Juliette, her mother had been diagnosed with cancer; the restaurant she opened with her brother, Nico, was off to a good start; she had traveled to Italy to meet both her paternal and maternal relative and try to solve the mystery of who was her grandfather; but her long-distance romance with Memphis-based immunologist Neil McLaren had ended.

Since then, her mother has died, leaving a gaping hole in the family. No one is quite over the shock. The restaurant is a success. She is dating the sous-chef Adrian. She has read the letters she discovered by her grandmother, but hasn’t had the time to follow up, and she is not over Neil McLaren, no matter what comes out of her mouth.

Taking a break from her hectic schedule, she takes a walk on Portland’s riverfront with Adrian. There in the distance is a familiar figure. Could it be Neil?  Her heart tells her it is.

In a delightful novel, Manon Lodge ties up all the loose ends and give readers a satisfying conclusion. I’ll miss these characters and hope that she reconsiders and gives us a fourth Two Blue Doors. I think it’s doable.  

Dumplin

Dumplin by Julie Murphy, 375 pages

Willowdean has always been heavy but she's always been okay with herself.  Until a boy she's always admired, a very cute, very hot boy, named Bo, starts to show that he likes her back.  Then she starts to question her feelings for him, his feelings for her, and just generally how she feels about herself.  Especially since she has recently lost her aunt, who was very heavy, to a heart attack.  Willowdean decides, on the spur of the moment, to sign up for the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant and finds herself with a following on one hand and ridicule on the other.  But her town may be in for a big surprise, and so may Willowdean.  I really liked this book.  Any teens who have ever felt uncomfortable with themselves will probably like it too.

Peas and Carrots

Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis, 279 pages

Dess is a foster kid who has just come to stay with Hope and her family.  Hope's family has been taking care of Dess's little brother, Austin, for a while now and everyone has agreed that Dess should be with them also.  Dess and Hope are both sophomores and Hope's mom and the other adults at school seem to think that they should be best friends but the two of them are just like oil and water.  Dess can't stand that Hope seems so wimpy and Hope thinks that Dess is pushy and mean.  But the other kids at school like Dess and Hope keeps trying to be understanding and nice, even when she thinks Dess is being mean.  Is it possible that the two of them could ever be friends?  I really liked this book and I think that it would have a lot of teen appeal.

Beginning of Philosophy

The Beginning of Philosophy by Hans-Georg Gadamer, translated by Rod Coltman, 125 pages

In The Beginning of Philosophy Gadamer reconsiders the origins of philosophy as Greek thought moved from Homer and Hesiod to Plato and Aristotle, "from mythos to logos", through the pre-Socratic philosophers.  He makes a compelling case that the pre-Socratics have traditionally been misinterpreted by misunderstanding their entire approach to philosophy, as well as by assuming that they had access to the set concepts which were still in development in their thought.  To understand them rightly, we must attempt to recapture some of their context by reaching back through our best sources for their teachings, Plato and Aristotle, and grasping the uses and misuses those thinkers made of their predecessors.  In the process of this ressourcement, Gadamer attempts to reintroduce the pre-Socratics, especially Parmenides, as living voices, rather than as the static representatives of schools defined into existence by nineteenth century historiographers.

This book has its origins in a series of academic lectures.  As such, it is not likely to interest casual readers, nor is it a good first introduction to the pre-Socratics.

Sabbaths

Sabbaths by Wendell Berry, 96 pages

Sabbaths, a collection of poems written between 1978 and 1986, continues Berry's familiar pastoral themes with an emphasis on rest, patience, and the sacredness of the world,

     The world as it was given for love's sake

     The world by love and loving work revealed.

As might be expected with works composed over the better part of a decade, the quality is somewhat uneven.  This validates the author's observation that, in the writing of a poem as in the culture of a field as in the nature of a man

     Wrong was easy; gravity helped it.

     Right is difficult and long.

And the first step, in art as in labor as in life, is to

     ... pray for clarity to see,

     not raw sources, symbols, worded powers,

     but fellow presences, independent, called

     out of nothing by no word of ours,

     blessed, here with us.

Iliad

The Iliad by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, 594 pages

The Iliad is the classic epic story of the pride of Agamemnon, the cunning of Odysseus, the courage of Diomedes and Aias, the tragedies of Patroklos and Hektor, the tears of Akhilleus and Priam, and the war of gods and men.  Taking place during an eventful few weeks in the ten year long Trojan War, it begins with a confrontation between Agamemnon, the Greek commander, and Akhilleus, the greatest Greek warrior.  Akhilleus withdraws from battle as a consequence, and the Trojans are able to press their advantage, driving the Greeks back all the way to their ships.  The story ends with tragedy for everyone involved, as was fated from the start.

Homer's genius is such that he is able to comprehend seemingly contradictory attitudes.  War is both glorious and horrible.  Men have their own wills and powers but their destinies are also determined by the gods.  The final scene, when the doomed king encounters the equally doomed warrior who slew his son, is one of the great moments in literature.  Even minor characters (and there are dozens of them) are given their moments -  Hektor's farewell to his wife Andromache and their infant son, Antilochus cutting off Menelaos during a chariot race, the river Skamander striving to drown Akhilleus for clogging his course with corpses, Diomedes challenging the gods themselves and prevailing.  Despite this, the only times the narrative slows its pace is in the early catalog of the opposing forces and the later detailed description of Akhilleus' armor.

Some of that brisk pace is the product of Robert Fitzgerald's admirable translation which, though not as acclaimed as his translation of The Odyssey, still set the standard for a modern Iliad.

Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks and Gangstas . . .

Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert.  210 pages

I think the title basically says it all; Library employee Don Borchert tells some pretty funny stories about where he works.

Borchert hasn't always worked in a library, and in fact, worked in many industries before landing his job in a California library.  While he may have anticipated a quiet job (with some occasional shushing), that's not today's modern library.    This is a fun book, filled with stories about some of the patrons (children and adults) that he encounters.  I admit it; at times, I did laugh out loud a little.  The section about the surprising discovery he and a colleague made when they were emptying a bookdrop is memorable.

The book is pretty funny, although Borchert has some insightful thoughts about libraries, patron expectations, and the reality of people's lives.   If you work in a library, you'll probably find yourself nodding along at parts of the book.   However, I think this book holds appeal for non-library readers (and in fact, just might build some appreciation among patrons for their own libraries).

The Thing Is

The Thing Is by Kathleen Gerard    299 pages

Meredith Mancuso (aka Meredith St. John) is a successful romance writer. But since the murder of her fiancé three years ago, she has barely written. Heck, she’s barely lived. She’s become reclusive and clinically depressed. Her lonely relative, a sister, Monica, notices but as she’s a workaholic, she doesn’t pay much attention.

It’s tax season and accountant Monica is swamped. One of her best clients, Helen Hendrix, has broken her foot, and needs help taking care of her Yorkshire terrier, Prozac. Yes, he has a tendency to be a bit neurotic. Monica is too busy to give Prozac the attention Helen insists that he have, so Monica foists him off on Meredith.

Meredith can barely take care of herself, much a dog that requires a lot of attention. To make matters worse, Prozac has a social schedule that would rival Paris Hilton. But the difference is, Prozac is a certified therapy dog and must keep his appointed rounds. His main focus is the independent living facility, Evergreen Gardens. The folks there look forward to his weekly visits.

I found the parts of the story that switched to Prozac’s point of view interesting, but really, they could have been deleted without hurting plot line.

I shouldn’t have laughed at Meredith’s inadequacies but watching her cope with Prozac was funny. Meredith begins to come out of her shell; it’s not that her heart still isn’t broken into eleventy-jillion pieces; it’s that she no longer has the time to nurse her broken heart.

I enjoyed The Thing Is quite a lot until I got to the ending. Every story should end leaving the reader felling that is the only outcome. Author Gerard pulled a cheap trick with her ending, there are several alternative endings, but the only she relied one is ill-conceived and left me wanting to throw the book against the wall.  This book was headed for a 5-star rating, but the best I can do, based on the inappropriate ending, is a 4.

The Hanging Tree: A Novella

The Hanging Tree: A Novella by Michael Phillip Cash   90 pages

Arielle Harmond doesn’t know it, but her family has been living under a curse since it was put on them back in 1649. Way back then Reverend Harmond knocked up Goodwife Bennett’s granddaughter, and there is reason to suspect he may have killed the underage girl.

Arielle, seventeen years old in contemporary times, is fighting off her boyfriend, Chad, the hottest and handsomest guy in school. Chad is going everything he can to get in her pants. Arielle is doing everything she can to thwart him. The setting is Long Island, New York, beneath its infamous hanging tree.

But the two are not alone. Sitting on the branches, watching the action below, are the spirits of Goody Bennett and other members of the Harmond family. Goody Bennett can’t decide if she should interfere with the couple, while others urge her in both directions (she should/she shouldn’t).

The plot shift between the present and the past, giving readers a sense of how those that haven’t yet left this earth got there.

It’s an interesting story/ I give it 4 out of 5 stars…mainly because I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted more, especially those souls in the trees. The novella should have been a novel, and maybe someday author Cash will pursue that thread.

If You Were Me and Lived in Egypt: A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World

If You Were Me and Lived in…Egypt: A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World by Carole P. Roman, illustrated by Kelsa Wierenga  36 pages

It’s easy to be an armchair traveler in Carole Roman’s informative series, If You Were Me and Lived in….A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the Worlds. This17^th volume focuses on Egypt, the “cradle of civilization.”

One thing that I learned that I did not know was that Egypt is “transcontinental country,” which means that it is “located in both Africa and Asia.”  There’s one for the next trivia game!

I found the text interesting and made me want to learn more about Egypt. I often of it as an exotic locale, but after reading about life there, I realize that its inhabitants and not much different American in the things we enjoy doing and the importance of family.

I give If You Were Me and Lived in...Egypt: A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World 4 out of 5 stars. Why 4? The author asks the reader two questions that are not answered. Highly irritating.

The Anatomy of Curiosity

The Anatomy of Curiosity by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton & Brenna Yovanoff, 286 pages

"The follow-up to the acclaimed title The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff. In an unassuming corner of Brooklyn, a young woman learns to be ladylike, to love context, and to speak her mind from a very curious sort of tutor. In a faraway land convulsed by war, a young soldier hears the desert's curious hum as he disarms bombs with the person he doesn't know how to love. In a place so shriveled by drought that any drowning is a curiosity, a young writer tries again and again to tread water beneath the surface of a vast and unusual sea. Three new stories--complete with commentary on the creative process--from three acclaimed young adult authors working at the height of their powers. Curious?"  I really liked all of these stories and the writer commentary was pretty cool too.  Stiefvater's story was my favorite but they were all good and one I would definitely recommend to teens who like fantasy or horror.

The Detour

The Detour by S.A. Bodeen, 215 pages

Livvy is a teen who seems to have it all.  She has great parents who have great careers and plenty of money.  Livvy herself is a published author of a best-selling book and is currently working on the third book in the trilogy.  She’s on her way to a workshop where she is going to be a featured speaker when she has a car accident.  When she wakes up she finds herself locked in a woman’s basement.  The woman demands that Livvy remember something that she did to the woman but Livvy doesn’t remember ever meeting the woman, much less doing anything wrong.  This was a thrilling suspense novel for teens.  I didn’t want to put it down, even though I figured out what was going on before Livvy did.

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones, 216 pages

Told in a series of letters from Sofia to her Great-Uncle Jim, her grandmother, and Agnes, who is the owner of Redwood Farm Supply, we find out all about Sofia and her life.  Her uncle and grandmother have died, so the letters aren't being mailed anywhere.  In fact, Sofia and her parents have just moved to the farm because they inherited it from her Great-Uncle Jim.  Once there, Sofia finds the flyer from Redwood Farm Supply advertising unusual chickens.  She writes to request a catalog, but also finds a chicken that she suspects is one of the unusual chickens advertised.  She finally receives a reply from Agnes confirming that it probably is one of her uncle's chickens and that she should be on the lookout for the rest of the flock and she should keep and take good care of the chicken, which Sofia has been calling Henrietta.  Unfortunately, someone may be trying to steal Henrietta and Sofia isn't sure how to protect her, especially since she hasn't even told her parents about the chicken yet.  This was a really fun read that I would highly recommend to grade school kids.

Girls and Sex

Girls and Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape by Peggy Orenstein.  236 pages (before notes)

"With casual hookups and campus rape relentlessly in the news, parents can be forgiven for feeling anxious about their young daughters. They’re also fearful about opening up a dialog. Not Orenstein. A contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine and the New York Times best-selling author of books like Cinderella Ate My Daughter, Orenstein spoke to psychologists, academics, and other experts in the field and yes, 70 young women, to offer an in-depth picture of “girls and sex” today."

I don't usually just take the summary of a book from Goodreads, but I figured that for this book, it made the most sense.    I had been reading a lot about this book, and then heard the author on a Slate podcast, so I was curious about what this book would be like.   I found it a combination of things: fascinating, scary, a bit depressing . . . and seriously, I think it should be required reading for a lot of parents.   Strike that; even if you don't have a daughter, read this book.  It was really interesting to read what some of the girls that Orenstein interviewed had to say, and there were a bunch of things that I found surprising (and sad).

This made for an interesting read, but I think the most powerful thing about the book is that it creates an opportunity for some dialogue, and hopefully, some determination towards making some positive changes.

Classical Moment

The Classical Moment: Selected Essays on Knowledge and Its Pleasures by James V Schall, 155 pages

The Classical Moment is a collection of essays from the octogenarian Jesuit philosopher Fr James Schall.  In the first essay, Schall introduces the idea of the "classic moment", an encounter with a great work of art which the subject could not have made himself, a moment which therefore includes the realization that there are things of value beyond the self.  Much of the rest of the collection expands this into a classical worldview, which Schall defines as simply an encounter with what is.  Knowledge is to know of what is that it is, and as man was made to know as well as to love it is a source of joy to be open to what is and to allow it to speak to us. 

For Schall's expansive mind and long experience, what is ranges from the sight of Georgetown University at dusk to the dialogues of Plato to the wonder of a hot baked butter bun.  Sadly, the book is marred somewhat by errors somewhere in the editing and printing process which resulted in portions of words disappearing at several points ("...free to spin out any confi    h    e chooses...").  Still, this is a trivial difficulty to overcome in order to enjoy a series of walks with such a wise professor of the belief that, to quote Schall quoting Chesterton, "comradeship and serious joy are not interludes in our travel; but that rather our travels are interludes in comradeship and joy, which through God shall endure for ever."

Father of Route 66

Father of Route 66: The Story of Cy Avery by Susan C Kelly.  288 pages.   not held at SLPL.

While you've most likely heard of Route 66, did you know there was one man who was the main force behind creating this road?    This biography of Cy Avery takes us from his beginnings as a farmer and teacher, to his careers as an oil man and politician.   While the focus is on Avery, the book also provides in-depth information on how, as the need for good roads (i.e., not deep, mud-filled paths) developed, how people who had the vision for roads and highways worked with the U.S. government to make these dreams into a reality.

I picked up this book as part of a project I'm involved with, and came to it with no knowledge of Cy Avery at all, and only a bit of knowledge about the creation of Route 66 and the U.S. highway system.    It was interesting to read about this man, who was very passionate about not only roads, but also providing access to water in Tulsa, Oklahoma.   There was more to Avery than Route 66, as well; he stood up to the Ku Klu Klan, and developed plans for a municipal airport.    Admittedly, I sometimes found the book a bit dry, although it was rich in detail.   However, the author brings so much information to this biography that it was easy to get a clear picture of not only Avery, himself, but of the United States in that time in history.

I don't know if I'd include this in with biographies I'd suggest to all readers, but if you're interested in Route 66, or how some of the national roads came into existence, then it's definitely one to read.

Jane Steele

Jane Steele by  Lyndsay Faye.   432 pages.

Like the heroine Jane Eyre, Jane Steele suffers at the hands of her aunt and a schoolmaster.  And like, the other Jane, she winds up as a governess in a house owned by a mysterious man.  The one big difference between the two Janes is that when Jane Steele flees bad situations, she leaves behind corpses.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I read Jane Eyre, so this "gothic re-telling" seemed pretty fresh (although I would at points remember parts of the original book).    I actually felt like this story was more of a "gothic inspiration," and liked that our heroine was much darker than the original Jane.  Jane Steele is aptly named; I felt like she was someone who might appear pliant on the outside, but whose inner core is pure steel.   She defies the expectations of girls of her day, and instead, isn't afraid to take matters into her own hands (and get blood on said hands).   Admittedly, I would have liked a bit more of the story spent either at boarding school or on the streets of London, since I felt like once Jane became a governess, the story felt like it slowed down a little (and got a bit muddled, as well).    However, I liked this fresh story --- and have already suggested it to some of my readers who have asked for Jane Eyre off the library shelves.

The Last One

The Last One: A Novel by Alexandra Oliva.  304 pages (expected publication July, 2016.  I read an e-galley of this book).

This book begins with a reality TV show where 12 contestants are sent into the woods to face a series of challenges (some together, some alone).  Cut off from society, the contestants don't know anything about what is happening in the real world -- until one of them stumbles across something awful.  However, she assumes it's all part of the game . . . or is it? 

I thought this was an interesting way to tell a story, where there is a reality show going on at the same time that something horrendous is happening in the real world.   There are two perspectives, basically --- we have the outside narration of what is happening on the show, and then the direct point of view of one character.  I liked how I wasn't sure who the main character was (she could be any one of the reality show contestants at first), and even though I had started to figure it out, it took a while for it to be completely clear.   I also liked how it was easy to be as confused as the main character was.  What I mean is, when she comes across something and is convinced it's part of the game, I had some doubts.  However, it's hard to know in this book if the producers for the show would (or could) go as far as she thinks they do, so a lot of things start to sound plausible.

It's tricky to talk about the book without giving a lot of the plot away, but I can say that it has a pretty good pace, which increases as the story unfolds.  The main character is compelling, and because the story doesn't give too much away, the reader is left to figure out things (more or less) as some of the characters do.   Clever way to tell a story.

Empire of Imagination

Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons by Michael Witwer, 242 pages

It is hard to describe how mythical a figure Gary Gygax was for gamers who grew up in the '80s.  Gygax was tied to TSR, the publishers of Dungeons & Dragons, in the same way that Steve Jobs was tied to Apple - in the public imagination, the two were impossible to separate.  Although other RPG publishers like Steve Jackson at Steve Jackson Games or Kevin Siembieda at Palladium were also strongly identified with their brands, TSR's flagship line was synonymous with the hobby itself, like Kleenex and tissues - nerdy kids were "playing D&D" even if they were really playing Cyberpunk 2020 or Call of Cthulhu.  And then, quite suddenly, he was gone, ousted from control of the company, and then, with AD&D Second Edition, gone from the books as well.  Rumors and gossip whispered of bruised egos and financial mismanagement.  Gygax spent a decade on the margins of gaming before eventually transitioning into the respected role of founding father.  The story of how Dungeons & Dragons was created, how it grew under Gygax's care, and how he eventually lost control of it is the central story of Empire of Imagination.

Witwer uses a unique writing style.  Each chapter is only a few pages long, and begins with a vignette, more or less fictional, then places the vignette into the broader biographical context.  For example, Witwer does not describe Gygax's increasing problems in his career as an insurance adjuster, some of them related to his preoccupations with gaming, climaxing in his firing - instead Witwer describes Gary arriving on the front porch of his family home, jug of wine in hand, contemplating how to tell his wife that he has been let go, then backtracks to describe his problems at work and finally summarizes his attempts to deal with his new situation.  This creates numerous problems in addition to being annoying in repetition - in the chapter describing the breakup of Gygax's first marriage, some of the blame is placed on his "escalating use of cocaine", which is the first and last time this cocaine use is mentioned.  Some of these problems raise questions about the depth of Witwer's research, with most of the material seemingly culled from printed interviews of Gygax.  Possibly as a result, Witwer treats Gygax's attempt to deny Dave Arneson royalties on AD&D as at least possibly legitimate, and doesn't mention that, in addition to the ongoing legal feud with TSR, Gygax's Dangerous Journeys was hopelessly unfashionable at the time of its release, a dice-, statistics-, and rule-heavy game at a time when White Wolf's Storyteller system, with its emphatic emphasis on drama and playacting rather than die-rolling and rules, was the new cool kid in the neighborhood.  More seriously, major conflicts, notably that between Gygax and Lorraine Williams, which resulted in Gygax leaving TSR, become incomprehensible.  Some of his may not be Witwer's fault - there may not be any clear facts about the rift between Gygax and Williams, only conflicting accounts - but there has to be something more substantive than vague allegations that Williams was overheard making disparaging comments about gamers and a belated acknowledgement that Gygax may have publicly insulted her at a convention.

There are good things about Empire of Imagination - Witwer is excellent when it comes to retelling amusing anecdotes.  It is fun to relive Gygax's childhood exploration of an abandoned mental institution armed with a flashlight and a hatchet.  It is gratifying to learn that silly fantasy names have been a part of D&D from the beginning - characters in Gygax's first campaign already had names like "Ahlissa" and "Robilar".  Unfortunately, the entire book is built on anecdotes.  The result is a work that is easy enough to read but provides little real insight into its subject.

Easter 1916

Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion by Charles Townshend, 359 pages

One hundred years ago, a small force of armed men (and a surprisingly large number of women auxiliaries) seized control of the center of Dublin on Easter Monday and proclaimed the birth of the Irish Republic.  The British authorities, at first taken entirely by surprise, soon responded vigorously, and within a week the rebels were dead, under arrest, or in hiding.  The surviving ringleaders were almost all executed as traitors to the King.  But many Irish continued to recognize the Republic as the legitimate government of Ireland, and the Easter Rising became the inspiration for a guerrilla war which led to independence - though not as a republic - five years later.

A history of the Rising is difficult for a number of reasons.  The near-mythic status of the Rising as the founding event of Irish Independence and the subsequent prominence of participants like Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera clouded the memory of what actually happened even for people who were there.  Furthermore, the secrecy surrounding the planning of the insurrection and the subsequent deaths of everyone involved in that planning leave unanswered key questions - most importantly, whether the planners understood at the outset that the Rising had no real chance of success, and therefore whether it was a doomed struggle or blood sacrifice.

Townshend is fully cognizant of these difficulties, manages to overcome many of them, and is candid when they are insurmountable.  One of his central concerns is placing the Easter Rising into the broader context of World War I.  Obviously, for the Irish nationalists "England's difficulty" was "Ireland's opportunity", but this created tremendous pressure among nationalists who believed it was "now or never", and splintered the nationalist movement between those who believed in a self-governed Ireland within the UK and the republicans who demanded total separation.  The War also aggravated the economic differences between Ireland and England, while the simultaneous establishment and suspension of Home Rule eviscerated the moderates' support, and the continuing threat of mass conscription not only contributed to the radicalization of the populace but also the Catholic clergy who supported Pope Benedict XV's calls for peace.  Perhaps most important historically, the War conditioned the British response to the Rising, transforming the perception of it from a primarily Irish affair into an attack on the UK as a whole in collusion with her continental enemies.  The result was a broad crackdown that further weakened the moderates and strengthened the republicans.

Overall, Townshend is remarkably successful in balancing the many revisionist views on the Rising and its key figures, and is commendably willing to admit that some facts are unknown and some will never be known.

The Lost

The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst, 350 pages

For a great plot synopsis, see Krista's review: here.

The Lost has three fairly distinct acts, with (sadly) each one being slightly worse than the last. It starts out very strongly, with a legitimately creepy tone and an interesting setting. It's hard to pull off creepy - especially for extended lengths of time - and The Lost does the best job of it that I've seen recently. It changes pretty quickly to a survival story - well written, and bringing more complexity to the characters - but the transition is a bit jarring. It would have been amazing to maintain the creepy atmosphere while moving into survival territory, but it... doesn't. Eventually the narrative changes again (though when and how is spoiler-y). While it's categorized as an adult novel, the author's YA roots show through pretty plainly - there's only three male characters with any real story relevance, and two of them are over-the-top handsome men with (inexplicable?) crushes on the main character.

I should emphasize that I really did like the book, even in the final act. It just lost (pun intended) a lot of its impact as it went on.

Giant Days, vol.1

Giant Days, vol. 1, by John Allison, ill by Lissa Treiman, 128 pages

Susan, Esther and Daisy are vastly different, but that doesn't stop them from being the best of friends in this weird new world called college dorm living.  Is... that enough? Because that's kind of all there is to this.  It's not bad- it's like watching a 30-minute sitcom.  There are some cute parts, some laughs, and some heartfelt/"real" moments of friendship and forgiveness.   Totally worth reading if it's laying around and you're looking for something light. 

The Alley

The Alley by Eleanor Estes, 283 pages

I love almost all of Estes's books and this one is no exception.  I thought I had read all of her books and am surprised that I missed this one until now.  Connie loves living on the alley in Brooklyn, where all of the kids play together and almost everyone gets along and follows the rules.  Connie's life is just about perfect until the day that her house is burglarized.  The burglars get away with many of their valuables but to make the situation worse, Connie's mother is sure that the first two policeman on the scene are responsible for the disappearance of her diamond ring.  Connie and her friend, Billy, decide to try to follow up on clues themselves, because they don't believe the police are doing their job.  They hope to prove who the burglars are, including exposing the two corrupt policeman.  This is a great book for kids who enjoy old-fashioned realistic stories.

See Jane Run

See Jane Run by Hannah Jayne, 272 pages

Riley Spencer is a normal teen with overprotective parents until the day she finds a birth certificate for Jane Elizabeth O’Leary, a girl about a year older then her, hidden in Riley’s baby book.  Afraid of the possible answers she might find, Riley is determined to find out the truth about Jane and herself, no matter the cost.  This was an intriguing thriller for teens and I would recommend it as a good solid read.  Unfortunately, this was an advance copy and the Library does not own a copy of it at this time.

The Last Present

The Last Present by Wendy Mass, 246 pages

This is actually the last book in the Willow Falls series and I haven't read the first three.  Nevertheless, it was a fun read and I have decided to go back and read the other ones.  In this book Leo and Amanda, who are best friends, have discovered that they will have the ability to go back in time in an attempt to save their friend, Grace, who has fallen into what appears to be some sort of coma.  Angeline, who has orchestrated other oddities on their and others of their friends' birthdays, has also found a way to orchestrate this.  With little instruction but a lot of ingenuity, Leo and Amanda will probably succeed, but find out that what they are doing may not be in Grace's best interests after all.  I definitely liked this book well enough to read others by the author and would recommend it to kids who like fantasy and magic.

Against All Odds

Against All Odds by Irene Hannon, 334 pages

This is the first book in the Heroes of Quantico series.  Monica Callahan, who has been estranged from her father, David, for most of her life, finds his world crashing into hers abruptly.  David is negotiating a hostage situation with a group of terrorists and they have made a threat against Monica.  David has managed to get FBI protection for her in the form of Evan Cooper and his partner.  Monica is reluctant to cooperate, but as she and Coop get to know each other, a mutual attraction begins to develop.  And through their conversations, Monica even starts to consider the possibility of forgiving her father, assuming that she can get through the current crisis alive.  This was a fairly typical Christian romance story but Hannon is a good writer and I enjoyed this book as much as I've enjoyed her others.

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson   480 Pages

Erik Larson’s latest book provides me with my second reason why she has no desire to ever, ever take a cruise. The first was all the books I’ve read on the Titanic.

Like Larson, I knew a bit about the sinking the luxury liner Lusitania, but after reading his book, I realize that my knowledge was skimpy at best, embarrassingly wrong at worse. I had always thought that the sinking of the Lusitania and other ships carrying American citizens is what propelled the United States into the Great War. Wrong. President Woodrow Wilson was a cool cucumber after the boat sunk, with the loss of life reaching a total of 1,198 of the 2,000 souls who were on board.

The ship left New York bound for Liverpool, England, on May 1, 1915. She was sunk by a torpedo form the German U-20 on May 7. When she sailed from New York harbor, she was booked to capacity. “This was, according to the New York Times, the greatest number of Europe-bound passengers on a single vessel since the year began.” Rather remarkable given that the war had been raging for ten months.

Larson gives reader lots of background information. I admit to discovering more about the politic of both Germany and the U.S., more about U-boats, and more details about the Lusitania than I ever though I would. Larson is an expert at narrative nonfiction that pulls readers into the story.

And while he is adept at making some boring topics interesting, his true success comes into his details about people. The U-20 commander, Schwieger, was a cold-blooded SOB. He didn’t think twice about sinking boats of all sizes, even those carrying large number of women and children. His main goal on each mission was to put as much tonnage as he could on the bottom of the world’s oceans and seas. The Lusitania’s captain, William Thomas Turner, was a credit to his position. I think I would have like him.

The parts of the book that I enjoyed most were the one about the passengers. Readers get to know several of the passengers. Larson paints vivid pictures of life aboard the liner.

The entire book leads up to the moment that a U-20 torpedo strikes the boat. The horrendous details that follow are enough to give readers nightmares. The sinking read much like the Titanic sinking: people jumping from the ship, the lifeboats (there were enough) not functioning properly, the debris that littered the ocean surface after the boat dropped below the waterline. To me, the most horrifying scenes were the people floating upside down in the water. They had put their lifejackets on incorrectly, thereby causing their heads to be forced underwater.

I give Dead Wake 4 stars out of 5. The details of the ships and the politics were a bit much for me. I think they could have been condensed somewhat. 

Roman Pilgrimage

Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches by George Weigel, Elizabeth Lev, and Stephen Weigel, 401 pages

Across many cultures, across many eras, the concept of pilgrimage was and is highly esteemed.  The modern western worldview, with its flat earth where every point is interchangeable with every other, is the exception.  Yet large numbers of people still travel to places like Compostela, Jerusalem, and Rome (not to mention Mecca, the Ganges, and Gettysburg), seeking something greater than themselves.  In addition to physical pilgrimages, there also exist chronological ones - Lent, for example, or Ramadan.  Combining the physical and the temporal, in the past few decades students and faculty at the Pontifical College of North America have revived the traditional medieval Lenten pilgrimage to the "station churches" of Rome.  It is this practice, both ancient and new, which is the subject of Roman Pilgrimage.

George Weigel, noted papal biographer (Witness to Hope) and Catholic commentator (Evangelical Catholicism), weaves together the station, the Mass readings, and the readings from the Divine Office for each day into a reflection that walks the reader one day at a time down the road of Lent and beyond, through Easter Week to Divine Mercy Sunday.  This is supplemented with architectural, artistic, and historical commentary on each station by Elizabeth Lev, author of The Tigress of Forli.  A generous sprinkling of gorgeous pictures of Rome's historic churches, taken by Stephen Weigel, tie the whole together, along with maps tracing the pilgrimage routes through the Eternal City.  The result is a spiritually, intellectually, and aesthetically rich guide to "the ultimate pilgrimage" - from Holy Thursday through Good Friday and Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday - through death into new life.

Masters of Mannerism

The Masters of Mannerism by Marianne Haraszti-Takacs, translated by Eva Racz, 121 pages

Like many historical artistic styles, Mannerism was categorized and named centuries after its time by critics who held it in contempt.  Mannerism occupies the transitional period as the strict order and harmony of the Italian Renaissance was imitated and adapted throughout Europe, even as this style shaded into the expressive exuberance of the Baroque.  For strict classicists, the sixteenth century turn away from Renaissance ideals of balance and proportion could only be the hallmark of decadence.  On the other hand, artists who wallowed in decadence tended to regard Mannerism as overly intellectual and artificial.

Haraszti-Takacs' aim, beyond showcasing the collection at the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts, is to demonstrate that Mannerism was an innovative, intelligent, expressive style worthy of respect - a simple task when artists like El Greco and Parmigianino are brought under the Mannerist umbrella.  Unfortunately, the lackluster reproductions of the works being discussed severely detracts from the book's value.

Treatise on the Love of God

Treatise on the Love of God by St Francis de Sales, translated by Dom Henry Benedict Mackey, OSB, 555 pages

This work was written as a sequel of sorts to the author's legendary work Introduction to a Devout Life.  While that work was addressed to the spiritual beginner Philothea, this one has as its ideal reader the mature Theotimus, able now to digest real food.  Yet although it is, as Dom Mackey writes, "an immense mass of instruction, dogmatic and moral, on the science of the love of God", it is also eminently practical, with St Francis well aware of the difficulty in distinguishing between love of God and certain forms of self-love that disguise themselves as piety.

In St Francis' anthropology, man is a loving creature, that is, a creature whose nature is to love, and the only question is:  What will he love?  Being made for love, man becomes like that which he loves, so that his love can raise him to heaven or confine him to hell.  Finally, man can only find satisfaction in the love of Love Himself.  St Francis finds nothing worthwhile without love, for him, supernatural charity is the root and crown and bond of natural virtue.  As a result, the smallest acts, done in love, can be worth more than the greatest triumphs of calculation.

The book was first published in 1616, and, as was the style in 17th century France, the saint frequently employs elaborate poetic metaphors - comparing the appetites to a falcon that must be hooded to be pacified, or the devil to a mother bird which leads predators astray by feigning vulnerability, only to take off and leave him empty-handed once they are thoroughly lost.  This may grate on readers who prefer a more straightforward contemporary style.  Likewise, some readers will find St Francis' usage of the scientific knowledge of his day jarring - as when he describes pearls as being formed by drops of dew taken in by the oyster.  To those with even a little charity such minor annoyances will not detract from the wealth of wisdom contained in this masterpiece on the spiritual life.

Took

Took by Mary Downing Hahn, 264 pages

When Daniel’s family moves to West Virginia from Connecticut, he and his sister, Erica, are very upset.  Neither of them wanted to move.  They have trouble making friends at school and even the teachers don’t seem to like them.  Their parents argue all of the time or refuse to spend any time together at all.  And Daniel and Erica are worried when the kids at school tell them awful stories about how a girl who lived in their house, Selene, disappeared 50 years.  She was Erica’s age and everyone says she was kidnapped by Old Auntie, a witch who lived in the area.  Daniel is afraid for Erica, who isn’t acting like herself.  She is withdrawn, afraid of the dark, says she hears voices whispering her name, and spends all of her time talking to her doll, Little Erica.  Some people in town have urged him to watch out for his sister, but he isn’t sure if he can keep her safe.  A really great scary story for kids, I will almost always recommend Hahn’s books and this is no exception.

Bayou Magic by

Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes, 239 pages

Maddy is spending the summer on the bayou with her grandmother.  She's a little scared because she's from New Orleans and has lived her whole life in the city and her four older sisters, who have all spent a summer on the bayou, have come back with stories about how awful it was.  But when Maddy gets there she sees how beautiful the bayou is and how much like her grandmother she is and she enjoys spending time there.  She also sees how magical it is.  Literally.  And she will need that magic to save the bayou from destruction when an accident happens and causes a major oil leak.  This is a really good realistic fantasy story for kids.

The Island of Dr. Libris

The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein, 242 pages

I liked the books about Mr. Lemoncello better than this book but this one was also pretty good.  Billy is spending the summer at a beach house with his mother, who is writing her dissertation.  Billy's dad is staying at their apartment.  Billy doesn't like that they are spending the summer apart but he's making the best of it.  During the summer strange things start happening.  As Billy starts reading some of the books in the house, the characters from the books start to appear on an island across from the house.  Billy begins to have adventures with Hercules, Robin Hood and Maid Marian, and the Three Musketeers, just to name a few.  As more characters come to life, the events on the island start to spin out of control and Billy isn't sure if he and his friend, Walter, can fix some of the problems.  And if Billy can't figure out how to fix the problems on the island, how can he possibly begin to fix his real life problems?  This was a fun fantasy adventure withy enough real life thrown in to make it really interesting.  I would have liked to see a little more of the real villain in the story, but except for that, I thought it was a pretty satisfying read.

Treachery at Lancaster Gate

Treachery at Lancaster Gate by Anne Perry  288 pages

This book begins with an explosion in London that kills two policeman and seriously injuring three more.  At first, it seems to be the work of anarchists, but once Thomas Pitt, Commander of Special Branch, starts investigating, it seems that the motives are much more personal.  In fact, the bombing appears to be a calculated strike against the police.   As Pitt, and his former associate, Tellman, investigate, they reveal layers of corruption inside the police force, which puts them directly in the path of danger.

It's hard for me to believe that this is the 31st book in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series.  I read both the William Monk and the Pitt series by Anne Perry, and while I didn't enjoy the last Monk book, I did enjoy this newest Pitt.

I felt Perry did a good job with building the story, piece by piece, and increasing the pace (and sense of danger).   I wasn't sure of the explanation behind the bombings at first, and once it was revealed, that was only part of what was happening in the story.  I appreciate that Anne Perry knows her time periods quite well, and adds in real historical and political details.  I enjoy the characters, as well, and in this book (unlike in the last Monk story), Perry did not belabor the reader with too many details of backstory.  

That's actually an irritation I have with her books, now that they are well into the two series: she goes into way too much explanation and backstory for some of the characters.  For example, by the time I'm at #21 in a series, I don't need a long explanation of how Hester Monk was a nurse in the Crimean Wars (and on and on and on).   In this book, there's a long explanation of Tellman's relationship to Pitt; instead of a long paragraph, why not just a sentence that indicates that Tellman is a former colleague of Pitt?   Ugh.    I understand that if this is the first book you ever pick up, you might be curious, but even so, I feel there's too much of this backstory that happens.

But I digress.   This book was enjoyable, and a worthy addition to the series.

Growth in Holiness

Growth in Holiness, or, The Progress of the Spiritual Life by Frederick William Faber, 494 pages

First published in 1854, Growth in Holiness is a handbook for the spiritual life.  It is the distillation of a lifetime spent personally pursuing holiness, studying those who received holiness, and serving as a spiritual director for others seeking holiness.  The result is a masterful synthesis of a deep reading of Scripture, a keen understanding of human nature, the treasury of the experience of the Church, and a wealth of personal experience, all related in a clear, readable style.

By twenty-first century standards, Fr Faber's teaching is hard and uncompromising - as it was by nineteenth century standards as well.  Particularly disagreeable to many will be his insistence on the value - even the necessity - of voluntary physical mortification.  Others may find strange his continuous assertion of the importance of having a spiritual director.  The first runs counter to the current tendency to view pain as an absolute evil, and the latter seems unthinkable to those for whom submission is identical with slavery.  In both cases, however, Faber is moderate and free from exaggeration, and it is when such a careful commentator departs from the conventional wisdom of the time that he is most valuable.