This Scepter’d Isle by Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis

Published: 2004

Genre: historical fantasy

Length: 672 pages

Setting: England during the reign of Henry VIII

Interest: A random book off my Kindle that I chose mainly because I know I enjoy Lackey’s writing.

Summary: The Seleighe and Unseleighe Sidhe have both received the same Far Seeing vision of the future of England. If a red-haired babe comes to power, England with flower and increase in power, science and the arts. If Princess Mary comes to power, she will bring the Inquisition. The two courts hope the opposite vision comes true and put factions in play in the mortal world to ensure the desired future. Henry FitzRoy, a bastard of King Henry who won’t be king, is nevertheless an important key to the future. Denorial, a Seleighe elf in the guise of a Turkish nobleman, becomes FitzRoy’s fairy guardian and foils several attempts by Rhoslyn and Pasgen (Denorial’s half-siblings raised in the Unseleighe Court) on FitzRoy’s life. The Sidhe learn Anne Boyelyn will be the mother of the child, so there is much politicking to have the child be legitimate or a bastard. When the babe, Elizabeth, is born, FitzRoy becomes her protector.

Final thoughts: An excellent book combining the best of historical fiction with fairy. There was lots of political maneuvering in both the mortal and Unseleighe courts, but the book manages to end with a big battle between the forces of good and evil. We got to follow the characters for several years, watching their relationships (especially that between FitzRoy and Denorial) grow and develop. There was also a strong sense of history and place, since everyone but the Sidhe were actual people. Several times the author’s provided more details about everyday life in medieval England that normally wouldn’t be discussed as a contrast to life Underhill.

Title comes from: Not an obvious one. May refer to the ruler of England, since that was the setting and focus of the book. (And I will say, the cover is particularly lame – not a fan.)

Reading challenges fulfilled: 39/100 in the Read-a-Latte Challenge

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Published: 2007

Length: 485 pages

Genre: YA fiction

Setting: Stonetown, recent past

Interest: The book had been recommended somewhere for middle readers that enjoyed Harry Potter, so I picked it up when I saw it at the local thrift store. Mr. Curiosity chose it for our read aloud before bed. However, because of its length, I encouraged him to read it to himself in bed. He took it with him one night and didn’t go to sleep until he finished it, so I had to read the rest on my own.

Summary: Reynie Muldoon is an orphan who’s not exactly happy with life in the orphanage. One day, he takes a series of tests that promise special opportunities if he passes. Reynie does pass and he meets three other kids in Mr. Benedict’s house who have also passed the tests – Kate Wetherall, Sticky Washington, and Constance Contrair. Mr. Benedict has gathered the children together so they can enter the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened and try to foil the Director’s plans. Mr. Benedict isn’t exactly sure what the plans are, but he knows Mr. Curtain (the director) is using the Institute to broadcast subliminal messages on TV and radio which are causing general malaise among the public (known as “The Emergency”). The students figure out Mr. Curtain’s plans and by working together and with Mr. Benedict’s other helpers, they are able to destroy the Whisperer before Mr. Curtain implements the final stage of his plan. Mr. Curtain does escape, though, setting up the next story.

Final thoughts: A very enjoyable book that Mr. Curiosity and I both enjoyed. Mr. Curiosity enjoyed it enough to seek out the next two books in the series (The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma). I enjoyed all the puzzles the kids had to solve to demonstrate they were capable of being on Mr. Benedict’s team. Mr. Benedict also felt bad he had to put the kids in harm’s way (which so rarely happens in these types of books where the kids are the protagonist and I wonder what all the adults are doing), but it was clearly explained in the story why the kids had to be sent. The protagonists were a good mix of kids and personalities that had to work together in order to succeed. The best reveal at the end was about Constance – I don’t want to spoil it, but it explained so much about her character.

Title comes from: It was the name Constance came up with for their association as they headed to the Institute to spy.

Reading challenges fulfilled: 39/100 in the Read-a-Latte Challenge

Monday Musings: Is Everyone A Critic?

The Book Barista wrote on Monday about the value of book review blogs and whether just anyone can write a good book review. Since I review books regularly for myself, and have started sharing them publicly on this blog, I have obviously think my book reviews are valuable to people beyond myself. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a book critic. That requires knowing a little more about symbolism and styles and different schools of writing. What I provide is an opinion of what I thought of the book. I read, a lot, so I can mentally compare a book I’m reading to others I’ve read in the past and share that opinion with others. The trick is to find a reviewer that shares your taste, whether you’re talking books, movies or music.

There’s so much media being produced right now that it’s hard to find all the good stuff, so I appreciate others telling me what they thought of a book (or movie, or whatever). I may not agree with their opinion, but if the book piques my interest, I’ll certainly add it to my reading list. It’s either that or wander the shelves at the library, looking for a tempting book. And we all know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover!

West of Honor by Jerry Pournelle

Published: 1976

Genre: military science fiction

Length: 213 pages

Setting: A future Earth and exoplanet

Interest: It was a free book from Baen (although it’s no longer free, you can still get it as an ebook from Baen here) that I had put on my Kindle. I chose it because it fulfilled a new letter in my A-Z Reading Challenge. I rarely know anything about my Kindle books beyond the title, so I chose this because it might have been an Honor Harrington book, which I’ve enjoyed in the past but can never remember the author of her stories. (In case you’re wondering, it’s David Weber, not Jerry Pournelle.) West of Honor has since been incorporated into Falkenburg’s Legion which you can find as one of four novels in the compilation The Prince.

Summary: A Division of Line Marines is sent to the agrarian planet Arrarat to help the Governor control the planet. Arrarat was settled by a religious group that eschews technology, but is also used as a dumping ground for prisoners from an overcrowded Earth. The prisoners have no skills so they tend to steal from the farmers. The Governor only cares about cheap grain coming into the city. The Line Marines don’t seem to have enough soldiers to make much of a difference in the situation. However, with superior military training and weapons, some audacious planning by their Commander Falkenburg, and a bit of luck, the Marines were able to subdue the convicts who were preying on the farmers.

Final thoughts: A decent enough story told from the viewpoint of a new lieutenant who doesn’t really know how to fight a battle. He ends up just giving general orders and letting his more experienced sergeants implement them. He’s continually trying to be on the “right” side of the battles occurring on Arrarat, but realizes by the end of the story that the situation is much more nuanced than that. It’s definitely a male-heavy story, with the only two female characters being natives of Arrarat. In addition, the love interest of the main character had been captured and tortured (off page) by the convicts, so there was a bit of revenge in his actions in the last half of the book.

Title comes from: Not an obvious phrase that was used in the book. I’m going to guess it has to do with the idea that there is no honorable side to a battle since, in most cases, both sides are fighting for something good.

Reading challenges fulfilled: 38/100 in the Read-a-Latte Challenge, and a W in A-Z Reading Challenge (which takes me to 20/26)

Feathers by Thor Hanson

Published: 2011

Genre: nonfiction science

Length: 272 pages of story, 336 if you include appendices and the index

Interest: I can’t remember why I put it on my reading list, but I’m sure it was because it sounded like an interesting science book.

Summary: The book goes through the different uses of feathers, both by birds and humans. He starts with the evolution of feathers and the evidence of feathers in dinosaurs. The first section is called “Fluff” and is about the insulating properties of feathers. Next is “Flight”, about the current hypotheses about the development of flight in birds and the specialization of feathers for flying. “Fancy” discusses how feathers have evolved to attract a mate. Because of the beauty of feathers, they were used in women’s fashion up to the early 1900s. Finally, the author discusses “Function”, including other ways humans use feathers (as down or pens, for example) and some specialized uses of feathers in birds.

Final thoughts: Another example of how fascinating a single science topic can be. I couldn’t imagine trying to pitch a whole book about feathers, but it was really interesting. I enjoyed his personal stories into research on feathers that liberally interspersed the scientific knowledge that he provided. The author also did a great job in presenting the scientific process. There are several points in bird and feather evolution that we really aren’t sure exactly how it happened, and Hanson discussed the competing hypotheses and how the scientists are trying to gather data to support their hypothesis and what happens when new data is uncovered from the fossil record. Anyone who “doesn’t believe in evolution” will hate this book, since it provides lots of evidence for the process of evolution occurring to create modern birds from dinosaurs. As a bonus, the book does have pictures, although I was reading on a Kindle which doesn’t support color so I’m sure I didn’t get the full experience.

Title comes from: The topic.

Reading challenges fulfilled: 37/100 in the Read-a-Latte Challenge, 9/14 in the Nerdy Nonfiction Challenge for science

Homeschooling questions

I know I don’t talk too much about my homeschooling adventures here, beyond the random unit study post or a summary of our Outdoor Adventure Group (speaking of which, I need to write up our latest adventure). However, Homeschool Atheist Momma has some homeschooling questions for her readers that she’s curious about. I enjoy reading her posts, and thought I’d add my answers to the conversation. You can see her answers and a list of the questions at Questions for You. Here are my answers:

1. What prompted you to begin homeschooling?

It’s something I’d tossed around in the back of my mind for a while, but thought it would be too hard to manage since I was working part-time outside of the home. However, when Mr. Curiosity started third grade, and the curriculum became “let’s teach to the state test” that occurs in third grade, we started having some problems with school. He wasn’t being challenged. With the gifted program eliminated, we couldn’t expect the in class teacher to offer enrichment programs. The administration encouraged us to offer “enrichment at home,” which we decided to do, without the time suck that was public school.

2. What homeschool books have encouraged you on your journey?

Before I even started homeschooling, I had read Laura Grace Weldon’s Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything. which gives so many options for learning outside the traditional view of school. I also found Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Eduction by John Taylor Gatto to put many of my problems with public into words. (I reviewed the book here.)

3. Do you have a favorite read aloud book?

Oh yes, many. Off the top of my head, I love reading Rudyard Kipling’s stories from The Jungle Book. I also had a lot of fun reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

4. If you could only have three homeschooling books/curriculum, which would you choose?

We are not curriculum people. What we do use all the time is the internet. At this point, we can’t live without Khan Academy for math and the YouTube channel Crash Course for history (American and world) and science (Mr. Curiosity loves the chemistry best, always has). Mr. Curiosity is willing to add “the library” to our list of essentials.

5. Where can we find your favorite homeschooling blogs?

Some of my favorites are Homeschool Atheist Momma, Project-Based Homeschooling, and wonderfarm.

6. What do you to do to demonstrate continual learning to your kids?

In our family, we continually ask questions about what things are, why they happen, what’s going on, and so on. I’ve picked up a variety of nonfiction books that I will regularly pull out to answer my own questions. I read a lot, and like to share some of the fun facts I pick up in my nonfiction. I also develop my own projects to do, so the kids can see me working on activities that excite me (ala Project-Based Homeschooling).

7. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a crazy day?

A cup of tea and a book works every time.

8. Is there a quote you find inspiring?

I’ve been making an effort to write down quotes that I do find inspiring. I’m going to go with one by Colin Beaven from No Impact Man (which I review here): “There is a limit to how much less harm I can do. But my potential for good is unlimited.”

9. What did you do to prepare for homeschooling?

Choose a topic to study for the month or so, find some books that correspond to the topic. Decide what exactly I’m hoping Mr. Curiosity gets done today and let him have at it.

10. Where do you find your best support for homeschooling?

Reading blogs online.

11. Where do you encounter the most difficulty in homeschooling?

Finding local homeschoolers to hang out with and making sure Mr. Curiosity gets to play with friends regularly. So many of the homeschoolers I know are homeschooling for religious reasons (which I am definitely NOT doing) and are doing cyber school or other school at home curriculum (which we also do not do). I feel a little lonely at times.

12. How do you challenge yourself to be a better teacher?

I am continually looking to see what others are doing and thinking about whether or not that will work for our family. I am trying to learn how my kids learn best so I can tailor their work to their skills while making sure they’re learning enough.

13. What is your schedule like?

We don’t have much of one. I try to make sure we get something started by at least 10am and we usually stop trying to do anything scholarly by 3pm. Otherwise, it’s up to Mr. Curiosity as to what he gets done exactly when.

14. What has been your best accomplishment as a homeschooling parent?

I love watching Mr. Curiosity get interested in a topic and then just follow it down the rabbit hole. I’ve also been very happy that the past month or so, he will sit down at the piano and practice some of his songs without being asked.

15. What item has made the most significant impact to your homeschooling?

I’d have to say the Internet and the library are very closely tied. I don’t buy curriculum or many books, since we can find pretty much anything we want either online or at the library.

16. What is the most important thing that you want your children to come away with as a homeschooling graduate?

The ability to ask questions and be able to find the answers on their own without someone needed to guide them at either of those steps.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Published: 1937

Genre: fiction

Setting: Florida, 1930s

Length: 193 pages

Interest: It was a Time top 100 book

Summary: We get a first-hand account of Janie Crawford’s life. She heads off to Eatonville, a town run by blacks. She’s married to the man who becomes mayor of the town. He sets her up on a pedestal, so when he dies, Janie wants to have some fun. She ends up marrying Tea Cake, who is much younger and includes her in everything. They go down to the muck in the Everglades, picking beans and living together happily. Their time together is cut short by a hurricane and a rabid dog.

Final thoughts: A thoroughly enjoyable book. It’s not something I would have picked up on my own, which is why I read other people’s lists of “good” books. Not a lot of action, but the way the story is laid out puts you in the shoes of the protagonist very nicely. While it was written in the present, reading it now, the book is a bit of historical (although not THAT long ago) fiction. The author manages to give Tea Cake a rather unique death (getting bitten by a rabid dog). The book is apparently a very important female coming-of-age book amongst blacks. It felt so short after the Game of Thrones books.

Title comes from: I’m not sure. I don’t remember the phrase showing up in the book at all.

Reading challenges fulfilled: None, since the review is of a book I read in a previous year.