Jan 9, 2012
Started: January 1, 2012
Finished: January 8, 2012
[*It didn’t take me that long to read; I just had a few Do Nothing Days this last week. Actual reading was three days.]
What I loved best: While I always enjoy the return of our beloved Children and Aslan, I’d have to say my favorite part of this book was the character of Reepicheep, the Valiant Mouse. Most consider a mouse to be too small to be of any great assistance but Reepicheep doesn’t know that about himself. He thinks he has much to offer, and behaves so.
I also loved the many adventures in this story. It seemed that no sooner did one small event wrap up than everyone found themselves heading toward the still distant horizon.
Life is never what we expect it to be, and even though we can direct the paths in a general way, there will always be other people, other elements, other adventures that take us to places unthought of. Unthought of, but never unworthy. Just because it’s not the path we chose, that doesn’t mean it’s not the right path. It just means we don’t know it yet.
Jan 3, 2012
Started: December 29, 2011
Finished: December 31, 2011
What I loved best: There were several elements that I pondered during, and after, reading this book.
The first was that while the prior three books seemed to have one linear storyline, Prince Caspian had two storylines going at first: The Prince, and the Children. Of course they meet up in the book, and I won’t ruin it for those who have yet to read the series by giving any more details. But in the course of reading, I was consumed by one story and then reminder of the other. It was a refreshing roller-coaster ride.
The second was the character of Trufflehunter the Badger. I loved that he claimed his ancestors’ faith as his own, insisting that “Badgers don’t change.” He often repeated this when others questioned him. He never questioned his beliefs. He just kept believing. His faith gave him strength in times of uncertainty.
The third element was of course the return of Aslan and how the other characters reacted to Him. Again, I won’t give any more details for those who haven’t read the book, with this exception: Aslan’s individual relationships offered differing interactions with each character, and I held my breath at each introduction. How the others reacted to His presence was at times endearing, tearful, and full of joy.
It was a wonderful sampling of how mankind turns to (or away from) the God who created us, who still loves us, and who fights for us even if we don’t want the fight or feel worthy of someone else’s attentions.
I’m more than halfway through the Chronicles of Narnia series and all I can say (without giving you details you don’t yet want) is: read the series for yourself. No matter what your age, you’ll get a great joy out of the easy-to-read stories and continuing characters. Lewis’ writing style is not one to be missed.
Trust me.
Dec 30, 2011
Started: December 28, 2011
Finished: December 28, 2011
What I loved best: This story truly did center on a Horse named Bree, and the boy, Shasta. I loved the way Lewis took a common animal and gave it voice, not only in being a Talking Animal, but in performance, character, behavior… if it had been a Dumb Animal, his portrayal would still have kept me reading.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the few Cats in the book, in particular of course, The Lion. The other cats, and the several lions throughout the book, were quite different than reading about horses, but very enjoyable.
I enjoyed the animal portrayals. Just like humans, there are some who are smart and some who are dumb; some who are Good and some who are Not. Lewis’ descriptions of the actions and the environments were delicious to read and quite visual. There is no doubt I now see things as he wanted them seen.
I again found myself thinking, reading, and even speaking with English accents. [My daughter should be glad when I’m onto my next series, perhaps a good Western twang will be fun for a month.] I want to tell you so much more about this book, but I don’t want to ruin it for those who have yet to read the series. So all I can say right now is, read them. Narnia is a beautiful place, and you must visit. Often. Now. Always.
Aslan’s waiting.
Dec 29, 2011
Started: December 26, 2011
Finished: December 27, 2011
What I loved best: The introduction of Narnia. While this book was published sixth in the series, chronologically it is the first. The hardbound collection I have has the books in order of events, not publication so I was able to read this first.
I was hooked, absolutely hooked, at the first sentence: “This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child.”
Because it is written for children, it’s a very fast and easy read. I adore how Lewis refers to characters as “Mother” instead of “his mother” and such. His descriptions and dialogue are just how I would have imagined London to be, and I found myself reading with that English accent. I loved the subtle introduction of characters that will come into more prominence in later books, and even the beginning introduction for the characters in this book.
I audibly gasped and cheered and laughed throughout the story, but more often than not found myself holding my breath to see what would happen next.
I was thrilled with the ending, as the final chapter is titled “The End of This Story and the Beginning of All the Others”. And that’s exactly how it felt.
The foundation had been laid. Now it’s time to continue the journey into Narnia.
Dec 28, 2011
Yesterday, I posted My New Reading List for 2012. To make sure I keep up with my List, I already started “The Magician’s Nephew” by C.S. Lewis. By the time you read this post, I should have finished that book and moved on to “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe”. I’m highly excited. I love writings that are so well done, you forget to breathe while writing. That’s how I aspire to write.
I know my List is not nearly exhaustive, but of all the books I have at my house, those are the ones I want to read. Of all the books I have…
So you know where this is going. This post’s title and that one half-sentence say all you need to know. This post is a list of books I will someday have in my Library.
Louis L’Amour. Any and all. Except for the one short story collection I already have and treasure. The one that inspires me again and again to keep writing. He is so magical, so descriptive with his words. He is someone I would have loved to have met. 89 novels, 2 nonfiction works and 14 short-story collections. 105 books! Now there’s a writer!
The Oz series. Recently I watched “The Origins of Oz” on the Smithsonian Channel. All I can say is, “WOW.” I’ve always loved The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and can’t ever remember not having a copy (or two!) on my bookshelves. But after watching this show and realizing what I’ve missed, I’m more interested than ever in reading all the books, not just the first. Yes, indeed. All 16.
Charles Dickens. I humbly admit I had never read A Christmas Carol until this year. December 21st, as a matter of fact. And I read it all in one day. It was stunning, and much better than any movie portrayed. Now I’m anxious to read all his works. In addition to 27 novels and novellas, his was also the author of many shorter stories and essays.
My teen daughter tells me I still need to read her Twilight and Harry Potter series of books. She also received the Hunger Games trilogy for Christmas. There’s 13 right there.
Claudia has reminded me that Ray Bradbury is always a good read. He wrote a plethora of short stories and novellas that would be hard to put down. I’ve tried googling his bibliography but can’t come up with a number because all articles point out that most of his creative writings were either magazine articles and/or adapted for stage and screen, like Something Wicked This Way Comes, which I wrote about in my post, Why I Don’t Go To Carnivals in October. As best as I can figure, there’s a good 20 books at least.
At the proposed rate of one book every two days, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to read all these books in one year, even if I had them in my Library. But it gives me something to look forward to for 2013. I guess I better get reading …
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
