Let's Bust a Recap : 2021

Wow, wow, wow. Another year in the history books and what a year it's been. Personally, it's been a particularly wild year for me and my little family.

In January, we began praying about a specific career change for Cody that would involve moving out of Florida to Western North Carolina. We decided that God was definitely leading us to take that step and throughout February and March we went through the process of selling our home and packing up our lives. In April, we moved to the top of a mountain and Cody jumped right into his new job. In May, I took a little trip down to Florida and formed a book club with four of my best friends. (What timing, right? Wait till I move three states away to start a book club when we've literally grown up and lived in the same town our whole lives.) In June, after visiting approximately a million ten churches, we landed in one that we already feel like family in which has been such a blessing. I also started applying for jobs.

In July, the aforementioned newly formed book club came up for a visit and the day after they left, I began my new job delivering packages for Amazon. In August, my mommy-in-law, two of my sisters-in-law, and my four fabulous nieces came for a visit. In September, we bought a house. Are you tired yet? Because I am just thinking back through the year we've had. In October, my entire family came to the mountain to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. 

In November, after my husband painted the entire interior of our new home, we got moved in in just enough time to get things quasi-settled before all the family came back up to spend the holidays with us on the mountain. 

Did I mention it's been a wild year? And we haven't even started talking about books yet. We navigated a lot of major transitions in 2021—career changes, two moves, selling a house, buying a house, finding a new church—and it's certainly been one of the most stressful years of my life, but God has been so good to us and I don't know where we'd be without His ever-present, sustaining peace. 

But for the love of Pete, I'm looking forward to calmer waters in 2022. 

Let's get down to bookish things, shall we? That's what this blog is about, and looking back at my reading year is one of my favorite things I do here. If you follow this little corner of the internet, I'm sure you noticed that blogging was hit-or-miss this year (can you blame me?), and it almost completely fell to the wayside after we bought our home and I entered what they call "peak season" at work. I think I delivered roughly a gazillion packages between mid-October and Christmas. Just call me "Santa's Little Helper", I'll answer. I kept reading though, and hopefully you'll be seeing a lot of recaps these next couple of months that I just couldn't get to during all the craziness that has been my life. 

My main reading goal this year was to black out The Unread Shelf's 2021 Bingo Card. And I'm happy to report that I reached that goal. (Even though I was literally down to the wire and completely ignored my family until approximately 9:00 PM on New Years' Eve to finish it.) Thank you, thank you; I appreciate your enthusiastic applause, but it's really not necessary. 

The only thing I'm slightly bummed about is that I couldn't squeeze in The Old Man and the Sea for "a book bought on a trip". I got that book down in Key West a few years ago, but Hemingway is one of those authors I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger on. I didn't really want to use two books from the same series on the bingo card, but I did get Always and Forever, Lara Jean on my trip to Florida in May so it counts. I know, I know: semantics! But why even have a blog about books and reading goals if I can't get into the nitty-gritty of it with you guys? Are you over this? Fine, let's get to the list. Here's what I ended up reading in 2021, the year of letting my whims guide me. 

January

Books Acquired: 0

Books Read: 3

Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (re-read) : completed 1/4

I think it's going to be a new rule that I start the year with a much-beloved re-read. 

The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs : completed 1/9 

Ugh. Worst book of the year. This one was so bad. It promptly went to a Little Free Library after I was done with it.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (re-read) : completed 1/30

February

Books Acquired: 3

Books Read: 2

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella : completed 2/3

This one also ended up in a Little Free Library. Not terrible, not great. 

The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty : completed 2/20

Really got into this one. So much so that I now have all of Liane Moriarty's books. 

March

Books Acquired: 43 (that's not a typo; the owners of the house we initially moved into in NC left behind an entire bookcase full of books and these are the ones I culled and added to my out-of-control collection)

Books Read: 3

The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop and Café by Mary Simses : completed 3/1

Has been made into an actual Hallmark movie. I think that's all I need to say.

The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare : completed 3/8

Possibly old Billy's zaniest comedy yet.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley : completed 3/18

LOVED Flavia. 

April

Books Acquired: 0

Books Read: 3

Hope Remains by Reppard & Summer Gordon : completed 4/25

Tough, but so good.

The Thirteenth Pearl by Carolyn Keene (partial read aloud) : completed 4/26

Started this one with my niece. Finished on my own.

Stories I Wrote When I Was Young by R.P. Osborne : completed 4/29

A wild ride.

May

Books Acquired: 28

Books Read: 5

Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La! by Robin Jones Gunn : completed 5/7

You know I can't go a whole year with no Robin Jones Gunn.

Martin Van Buren and the American Political System by Donald B. Cole : completed 5/12

Surprisingly accessible. 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owen : completed 5/24

One of my favorites this year.

I'll Be There For You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller : completed 5/29

Eh. I could take it or leave it with this one.

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle : completed 5/30

First introduction to Sherlock Holmes did not disappoint.

June

Books Acquired: 16

Books Read: 10

Matilda by Roald Dahl : completed 6/2

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah : completed 6/5

Did NOT enjoy.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall : completed 6/7

Oh my goodness, this and the other four books in the series immediately added to my list of All-Time Favorites. This was our book club's first book.

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall : completed 6/9

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall : completed 6/15

The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall : completed 6/20

The Penderwicks at Last by Jeanne Birdsall : completed 6/23

So sad coming to the end of this delightful series.

None Like Him by Jen Wilkin : completed 6/26

The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle : completed 6/27

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl : completed 6/28

So sweet.

July

Books Acquired: 7

Books Read: 4

The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera : completed 7/11

I truly wish there had been one more chapter in this one.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han : completed 7/15

Loved this cute trilogy. This was July's book club pick and it gave me like a more edgy, teen Penderwick vibe.

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han : completed 7/17

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han : completed 7/19

August

Books Acquired: 11

Books Read: 3

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary (partial read aloud) : completed 8/4

Read most of this out loud to my nieces, but they left before we could finish together so I finished on my own.

Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare : completed 8/19

Not the Bard's greatest.

Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis : completed 8/28

August book club selection. Recap coming.

September

Books Acquired: 6

Books Read: 2

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett : completed 9/9

Loved, loved, loved. Recap coming for this one, too.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan : 9/28

September/October book club selection. This one was so bitter. 

October

Books Acquired: 6

Books Read: 1

Old Tippecanoe by Freeman Cleaves : completed 10/11

Ugh. Much more of a slog than I was expecting. Couldn't get to John Tyler like I'd hoped after finally finishing this one.

November

Books Acquired: 14

Books Read: 2

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell : completed 11/14

Started my "book with over 500 pages" kindof late in the year, but I could not put it down. Another new favorite. 

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery : completed 11/28

I have things to say about this one. Recap coming soon.

December

Books Acquired: 7

Books Read: 4

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor : completed 12/8

Once we recap this one, it will be going to a Little Free Library. Not great. (November book club selection.)

The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan : completed 12/27

This one showed up in my mailbox from my best friend, and I LOVED it.

Awake My Heart by J. Sidlow Baxter : completed 12/31

This devotional was a real anchor for me this year. I got so much more out of it than I did with My Utmost for His Highest, and it's one I will definitely revisit in future.

Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear : completed 12/31

The second installment in the Maisie Dobbs series and the book I ignored my family to finish on New Years' Eve.

42 books total which actually amazes me given all that we went through this year. As you can see, I tracked my book acquisitions this year. In January, I finally rounded up all my unread books and started the year with 508. I naively thought I could get that number below 500 by the end of the year. Only eight books, right? That leaves plenty of wiggle room to add some new books to the library, right? 

My new unread total is 614. 

Six. Hundred. Fourteen.

Y'all. It's just laughable is what it is. Anyway, I probably will not continue to track my acquisitions, but I will be keeping my unread shelf up to date on Goodreads.   

I read a few duds this year, but I also discovered several new favorites. I'm talking books I really loved. Reading helped me maintain my sanity through a year of big change and mondo stress, and I'm thankful for the gift of BOOKS. 

I'd love to hear about books you read or things you went through this last year. You know I'll be posting my 2022 book list soon, so come back to tell me what your goals for this fresh new year are. And as always...

...keep on reading the best books first.

A Word for Wednesday

 "But here, I can help myself. Here, I am looked after.

And maybe that is why it feels more like home than anywhere else has ever felt.

Maybe home isn't a place.

It's a feeling.

Of being looked after and understood.

Of being loved."

~from Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis~

A Word for Wednesday

 "Because I know, deep down, I am made of strong stuff.

Rebuilt with it, at least, the way we all are, 

over the years, with age and experience, 

skin thickening, heart softening, patched up double in the places prone to breakage. 

A sum of all the things that have hurt us, scared us, sheltered and delighted us."

~from Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis~

A Word for Wednesday

 "'I don't think a girl ever gets over losing her mom.

I'm an adult and it's completely normal and expected for my mom to be dead,

but I still feel orphaned sometimes.' 

She smiles at me. 'But that's just inescapable, right? 

When you lose someone and it still hurts, that's when you know the love was real.'"

~from P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han~

Pumpkin Carving 2021

Y'all. We've been carving pumpkins together for a decade. Ten years of keeping this fun tradition; a milestone that bears a little reflection. 10 years, 5 different homes, 2 states. Going to pumpkin patches, fall festivals, or just grocery stores to find the perfect pumpkins. Picking out fun patterns each year and adding two cuddly dogs to the mix. In looking back over the last ten years, we've decided our favorite pumpkins were in 2017 (the eek! and Hawaiian monster face) with Cody's second favorite being the globe he carved in 2015 and my second favorite being the "boo" ghost I carved in 2016. 

This was our first year in North Carolina, carving pumpkins in the little green house we've been living in down the street from my parents. (SPOILER: We bought a house! Next year we'll be carving pumpkins in our new home sweet home.) This year we decided to go with a black Halloween cat theme for our pumpkins and they turned out super cute.

Here we are with our blank slates. We got our pumpkins at Sam's Club this year, and they were the perfect size for carving.

Cody made us a roaring fire (because we live in North Carolina now and it's cold, y'all), and we had a mini-marathon of Psych Halloween episodes while we carved (Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast S1E15, Tuesday the 17th S3E15, In Plain Fright S5E11, This Episode Sucks S6E3, for any interested parties).

Cody even carved the top of his pumpkin into a cat head (bottom right).

The glowing finished products. Mine is the cat walking along the fence and Cody's is the black cat under a crescent moon. We were down to the wire this year, carving them at 10:00 on Halloween night but it was the perfect cozy way to spend our first Halloween in the mountains. 

October 31, 2021

Happy Fall, Y'all!

A Word for Wednesday

 "Margot would say she belongs to herself.

Kitty would say she belongs to no one.

And I guess I would say I belong to my sisters and my dad,

but that won't always be true.

To belong to someone—I didn't know it, but now that I think about it,

it seems like that's all I've ever wanted. 

To really be somebody's, and to have them be mine."

~from To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han~

A Word for Wednesday

 "A man who's not completely honest can keep within the bounds of decency 

if he's lucky enough to be unattractive and of slender means. 

But add money and good looks, and the road to ruin is clearly signposted."

~from The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera~

Let's Bust a Recap : Old Tippecanoe

Oh you guys. I've finally finished Old Tippecanoe by Freeman Cleaves, and let me just tell you: it was not the best of times. While I can't in good conscience say this is the worst presidential biography I've read (Lynne Cheney's biography on Madison and Harlow Giles Unger's biography on Monroe were pretty awful), this one was just not good. My expectations for presidential bios have been completely upended so far this year. I was dreading Martin Van Buren and then it turned out to be a pretty easy read, and I was looking forward to Old Tippecanoe and it turned out to be a slog. 

Old Tippecanoe: William Henry Harrison and His Time by Freeman Cleaves was originally published in 1939 and is the oldest presidential biography I've read to date by a solid 45 years (which may have something to do with how hard it was for me to stay interested?). There really aren't very many options for a full-scale biography of our nation's ninth president so I was kindof stuck with this one. 

William Henry Harrison was born into Virginia aristocracy (his father was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence), but after his father died when he was only eighteen leaving him nothing as the youngest of seven children, he decided to go out west looking for excitement and an opportunity to make his way in the world. And make his way he did. 

Before turning twenty, Harrison was already an officer in the army and a student of Indian affairs. By twenty-five, he had been appointed Secretary of the Northwest Territory, and by thirty he was governor of the Indiana territory. Much of what he was doing during this time was negotiating land cessions with the native tribes in the territory and trying to keep the peace between the settlers and Indians. He became a general during the War of 1812 and served a vital role during the conflict. He was a great motivator and won the respect of everyone who served with or under him. After being continuously undermined by Secretary of War John Armstrong, he retired from military service and eventually ended up going to Washington D.C. to serve in Congress mainly to clear his own name and fight for veterans' rights. He did a very brief stint as the U.S. minister to Colombia and then ended up running for president in 1836 against Van Buren (he lost) and again in 1840 (when he won). He was our nation's ninth president for a mere thirty-one days before succumbing to illness (probably pneumonia) and dying, making him the first president to die in office and the shortest-serving president in U.S. history. 

In his personal life, William Henry Harrison at the age of twenty-two eloped with Anna Tuthill Symmes after her father refused to give him permission to marry her. He ended up winning the respect of his father-in-law, and he seemed to have a good relationship with his wife. They had ten children together, nine of which grew to adulthood. Cleaves did a deplorable job of developing Harrison's personal life in this biography which was a real bummer for me. In fact, he abruptly ended his sketch of Harrison's life at his funeral. If not for a little internet research, I would never have known what became of his wife (she outlived him by twenty-three years) and I'm still left wondering if she ever even saw him again after he left home in February of 1841 to take his oath as president with the plan that she would follow in May when the weather was a bit more mild. 

William Henry Harrison seemed like a really likable man, and someone that I probably would have greatly respected. He was faithful to his wife, his first duty seemed to be to his family and he took his role as provider very seriously, he lived by a moral code, and stood by his plain values. He never got caught up in politicking and the door of his farm at North Bend was always open. He claimed he would only serve one term as president and it would have been very interesting to see what he would have done with his presidency had he lived longer. Being born in 1773, he was the last U.S. president born a British subject before the United States claimed its independence, and being 68 at the time of his inauguration, he held the distinction of being the oldest person to assume the presidency until Ronald Reagan was inaugurated at the age of 69. I wish Cleaves had done a better job of bringing him to life instead of documenting dry facts and going off on tangents about other people around Harrison. He did a terrible job of contextualizing Harrison's life, and to be very frank, the whole section around the War of 1812—arguably the most pivotal time of Harrison's life—was boring. I did learn much more about Secretary of War Armstrong. Given what I'd read about him up to this point, particularly in Madison's and Monroe's biographies, I had the idea that he was just incompetent, but Cleaves shared more in-depth detail about Armstrong since he had a lot of direct dealings with General Harrison during the war and not only was he incompetent, he was downright despicable. 

Another fun fact I learned while reading this biography is that Henry Clay was famous for his "handsome blooded jackasses and bulls" and a picture of his prize donkey—Magnum Bonum—has a place in the Library of Congress today. What does this have to do with the life of William Henry Harrison? Absolutely nothing except that Harrison asked for Clay's advice on a prematurely impotent jackass in a letter one time. But I thought it was a hilarious anecdote, particularly because I am 100% positive that Cleaves included this entirely unironically and with no intention of humor. (Also, if this doesn't give you an idea of how dry, factual, and random this biography was, I'm not sure what else to tell you.)

All in all, this biography was pretty disappointing and I wouldn't recommend it. William Henry Harrison led an interesting and exciting life and Cleaves did him no justice with this portrait. I was hoping to fit Tyler's biography in this year, too, but Old Tippecanoe took me a lot longer than anticipated and I'm not sure I'll get to Tyler before year's end. 

What was the last book to really let you down?

Let's Bust a Recap : The Awakening of Miss Prim

Awww, The Awakening of Miss Prim. Where to begin with this quaint, old-fashioned, deeply philosophical novel? I read this book over the first two weeks of July and it filled the slot for "book recommended to you" on the bingo card I'm trying to black out this year. My sister-in-law Caroline gave this book her firm stamp of approval and then gifted it to me for Christmas last year so it was an easy choice when I was considering which book to read to fill that particular square. 

And Caroline is now seven for seven with her book recommendations—and that's just this year! (She's been gently urging me to read The Penderwicks for years and is one of the trusted friends that put in a good word for Jen Wilkin.) After finishing The Awakening of Miss Prim, I briefly considered blowing off my bingo card goal and just reading every book she's ever recommended to me (I have a few sitting on my shelves that are there based solely on her endorsement). I fell headlong into the charm of San Ireneo de Arnois and found myself wanting to pay a visit to the fictional village that Miss Prudencia Prim finds herself in after responding to an advertisement for a private librarian.   

The Awakening of Miss Prim was originally published in 2011 in Spanish as El despertar de la señorita Prim. It is the debut novel of author Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera (who is based in Madrid), and has now been translated into eleven languages (including English, obviously) and distributed in more than seventy countries. The English translation I read was translated by Sonia Soto and published in 2014. 

In this #1 international bestseller, our protagonist Prudencia Prim leaves everything behind to work as a private librarian in a remote French village that has decided to declare war on the modern world. The inhabitants of San Ireneo have a deep-rooted love for the culture of the classical era and old-world European civilizations and have banded together to protect it. They, along with Miss Prim's employer "The Man in the Wing Chair" challenge Prudencia's most firmly held convictions. 

Set against a cozy backdrop of a dusty, well-loved home library, steaming cups of tea, and inviting fireside chats, I fell in love with the story Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera lovingly crafted. My only bone to pick with it is that it ended too soon. The profound parleying between Miss Prim and The Man in the Wing Chair drew me in and stimulated me, and many of the metaphors Fenollera worked into her novel seemed reminiscent of C.S. Lewis (one of my favorite thinkers and writers). The Awakening of Miss Prim is unhurried and thought-provoking and calls out to be re-visited so the reader can absorb more of its timeless wisdom. This one gets my firm stamp of approval as well, and I highly recommend it. 

Who is your go-to friend for book recommendations? 

A Word for Wednesday

"What about fairy tales? Don't you like fairy tales?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"We like them," said Eksi shyly. "We like them a lot."

"What's your favorite?"

"The story of the Redemption," replied her older sister simply.

Astounded, Miss Prim couldn't think how to respond. The child's strange statement showed that despite his efforts, despite his insistence and his arrogance, the Man in the Wing Chair hadn't succeeded in instilling even the most basic rudiments of the faith that was so important to him. He hadn't managed to explain the historical background of his religion. How could this be? All those morning walks to the abbey, all that reading of theology, all that ancient liturgy, all that playing at medieval jousting and what had he achieved? Four children convinced that the texts he so loved were just fairy tales.

"But Tes, it's not exactly a fairy tale. Fairy tales are stories full of fantasy and adventure; they're meant to entertain. They're not set at any specific time and aren't about real people or places."

"Oh, we know that," said the little girl. "We know it's not a normal fairy tale; it's a real fairy tale."

Miss Prim, pensive, adjusted her position on the old iron bench.

"What you mean is it's like a fairy tale, is that it?" she asked, intrigued.

"No, of course not. The Redemption is nothing like a fairy tale, Miss Prim. Fairy tales and ancient legends are like the Redemption. Haven't you ever noticed? It's like when you copy a tree from the garden on a piece of paper. The tree from the garden doesn't look like the drawing, does it? It's the drawing that's a bit, just a little bit, like the real tree."

~from The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera~

Let's Bust a Recap : None Like Him

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30

"If you had told me five years ago that I would one day write a book for Christian women that led off with a quote from Proverbs 31, I probably would have punched you in the face."

And with that opening line, I knew Jen Wilkin and I would get along just fine.

None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different from Us (and why that's a good thing) by Jen Wilkin was published in 2016 and explores ten of the unique attributes of God. In this slim volume, she touches on God's self-existence, self-sufficiency, eternality, immutability, omnipresence, infinity, sovereignty, omniscience, omnipotence, and incomprehensibility. Seem like a lot to cover in less than 200 pages? For sure. But Wilkin by no means claims to plumb the depths of these traits. She has said that her goal in writing this book is to point women back to the majesty of God in the hopes that they will meditate on His character and realize their own limitations in light of God's limitless power. None Like Him is designed to stimulate personal reflection and at the end of each chapter, Wilkin concludes with Scripture verses to meditate on further, four application questions, and a prayer prompt. 

Jen Wilkin has really grown in popularity among Christian circles in the last few years and is a passionate advocate for Bible literacy. Several trusted friends of like faith have recommended her books to me, and while participating in a book exchange during my year on the Instagram, I ended up receiving None Like Him and In His Image, two of her books on my wishlist. Even though I was excited to add her books to my shelves, I was a little hesitant to read them. One of my friends once explained Jen Wilkin's Bible study method to me, and while it is a sound method, it seemed a little overwhelming. I had the idea that her books would be very Academic and Intellectual, and I'd have to wade through them slowly, possibly with a dictionary near by. 

But contrary to my expectations, None Like Him proved to be extremely accessible and very readable. I intentionally only read one chapter a day so that I could attempt to meditate on the character trait covered. After finishing None Like Him, I immediately added two more of Wilkin's books to my wishlist. 

This is definitely a book I will revisit in future and one I recommend. None Like Him is a great book for women who have just newly discovered their faith and ones who have been walking with God for years. I don't know if I'll get to In His Image before the end of the year, but I'm now very much looking forward to reading it soon. 

Have you read any of Jen Wilkin's books or done any of her Bible studies? Who is one of your favorite Christian authors?

A Word for Wednesday

"Is she all right?"

Miss Prim searched for her words before replying.

"I think so, but she seems very sad. She believes you blame her for something that happened many years ago."

The Man in the Wing Chair was silent for a moment.

"I don't. I forgave her many years ago, when I was still a boy. It's she who blames herself, but she can't see that. It's easier to project blame into the eyes of others and defend yourself against that than to find it within yourself, where there's no possible defense."

~from The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera~

"Dear Lady Disdain" by John Lavery

A Word for Wednesday

 "Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate:

Life every man holds dear; but the dear man

Holds honour far more precious dear than life."

~from Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare~

Let's Bust a Recap : Troilus and Cressida

It's August and you know what that means: time for a Shakespearean tragedy! This year it was Troilus and Cressida. I thought King Lear had the best bit of name-calling I've read in any of Shakespeare's plays, but he outdid himself in Troilus and Cressida. We couldn't get through a page of this play without some epic putdowns, and I'm always here for that.

In Troilus and Cressida, we basically have two separate stories going on: one which involves the title characters' love story (which you'd think would be the bigger plot line...given the title), and one which involves the war between the Greeks and the Trojans—specifically, a lot of drama between Hector, Ajax, and Achilles (actually the bigger plot of the play). So let's get into it.

We open with a prologue, a soldier basically setting the stage for us. The Greeks and the Trojans are at war because Menelaus' no-good, philandering wife Helen is sleeping with Paris. So basically they've been fighting for years because the Greeks are trying to get Helen back. She must be one hot dame. 

Then we happen upon a conversation between Troilus and Pandarus in which Troilus is whingeing on about how in love he is with Pandarus' foxy niece Cressida, and Pandarus is snappy because he's fed up with Troilus' thankless bellyaching. But that doesn't stop Pandarus from being totally #TeamTroilus in the very next scene as he and Cressida are watching all the Trojan lords parade by on their return from the latest battle. After Pandarus leaves, we the audience get it from Cressida herself that she's definitely into Troilus but she's playing hard to get because—and I quote—"Things won are done".

Next we hop over to the Grecian side and sit in on a powwow between Agamemnon and his commanders who are trying to figure out how to light a fire under Achilles who is their best warrior but is refusing to fight. He's upset the entire balance of power in the Greek camp, and it's really ticking the top brass off. Hector (the Trojan heavyweight) has issued a challenge to the Greeks vowing to fight in one-on-one combat their best guy (presumably Achilles), but that puts the Greeks in a tough spot. For one thing, as already mentioned, Achilles can't be bothered. For another, even if they could get Achilles to accept the challenge, if he loses to Hector, it would really put a damper on Greek morale. They come up with a plan to rig a lottery in which Ajax would be chosen to fight Hector. If Ajax loses, they can save face by saying that Achilles would have won, and in the meantime, they can ruffle Achilles' feathers by passing him over.  Win-win. 

Back in the Trojan camp, King Priam and his sons are debating whether or not this whole war is even worth it anymore and maybe they should just send Helen back to her husband and be done with the whole bloody mess. Troilus pipes up saying their entire honor is on the line and the fight must go on. Paris is obviously with Troilus on this (no shock there, he's the one knocking boots with Helen) but why Troilus is so hot about this, I still don't know. It's a point he presses until Hector and everyone else give in. 

Agamemnon decides to go see if Achilles is warming up at all, but Achilles blows him off which naturally tries the last bit of patience Agamemnon has and he determines to stick with the original plan of sending Ajax out to battle Hector.

That pretty much sums up the first two acts. Still with me?

In Act 3, Pandarus finally gets Troilus and Cressida in the same room and pretty much tells them to just kiss already. Which they do once he leaves them alone. Little Miss Hard-to-Get gives it up awfully fast when Troilus whispers a few sweet nothings in her ear and they're vowing to basically be the greatest lovers in the history of the world when Pandarus comes back. 

But over in the Greek encampment, Cressida's pimp father is cutting a deal with Agamemnon to release a Trojan commander they've captured in exchange for his daughter since all the Greeks are super aware of how smokin' hot she is and he knows what a prize she'd be for them. What?! Obviously, Agamemnon thinks this is a great plan and sends Diomedes to go get her.

Also in the Greek camp, everyone has snubbed Achilles and started singing Ajax' praises which finally starts to get under Achilles' skin and he goes to Ulysses to find out what's going on. Ulysses tells Achilles he's yesterday's news and everyone thinks Ajax is the hero now and maybe if he'd quit messing around and fight already, people might respect him again. Which Achilles takes to heart.

So Diomedes goes to get Cressida, and all the Trojans are talking about how Troilus is going to take it real hard. Which he kinda does, but he also kinda doesn't. I guess he got what he wanted from her, because when it's time to go, he's all, "Sorry 'bout ya, sis, but this is the way things are. Stay true to me though, even when you're over there with all those hot and horny Greek guys." And Cressida's all, "Troilus forever."

When Diomedes shows up in the Greek camp with Cressida, there's this awkward scene where all the commanders insist on kissing her....and then call her easy behind her back. 

Then it's time for the much-hyped duel between Hector and Ajax. And it's a wash. Turns out, they're cousins and Hector can't kill his own kin so they end up hugging it out. Super lame.

Then there's a scene where Achilles is bragging about how he's going to wreck Hector, but then he gets a letter from his girlfriend telling him not to fight and he's all, "Aw man, I can't fight now."

Then Diomedes slips off to go see Cressida and Troilus follows him to see what's up. Diomedes is putting his best game out there and Cressida is into it. As Troilus watches in agony, Cressida—after a lot of flirty back and forth—gives in and and promises herself to Diomedes. Troilus can't believe it and vows to find Diomedes on the battlefield and kill him.

Then everyone's getting ready for battle and Hector's wife and sister and dad and anyone nearby are begging him not to fight because they're sure he's going to die and Hector just laughs them off. Troilus comes in and says he's ready to rage on the battlefield today, and off they all go to fight. 

Then...everything falls apart. There's a bunch of fighting. Something about Hector killing a guy for his fancy armor, and Troilus yelling at Diomedes about stealing his horse, and Achilles setting the Myrmidons on Hector to stab him to death while he's trying on his fancy new armor, and everyone finds out Hector died, and Troilus is still vowing to get revenge and then it's just over.

Seriously. That's the end. 

This play was just weird and it's the first Shakespeare play I've read that had absolutely zero closure. It seemed like old Willy just ran out of gas and stopped because he didn't care anymore. Which, you know, whatever. That's cool. But if you're trying to hit the highlights with the Bard, this is one you can definitely skip. I enjoyed it for what it was, and I'm always glad to check another Shakespeare off my list on my quest to reading them all, but this one just wasn't great. Would not read again, would not recommend. Unless you're looking for some spicy insults to shout at other drivers on the road. Then this might be the play for you. 

I think I'm down to six tragedies and seven comedies left. (Plus the histories and all the poetry.) I might try to squeeze in two comedies next year to even that up a bit. Any suggestions for what they might be?

And BONUS: when you're trying to read your Shakespeare but the puppies just want to snuggle.

I'm not mad at 'em.

A Word for Wednesday

Pandarus :  Be moderate, be moderate.

Cressida :  Why tell you me of moderation?

                    The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste,

                    And violenteth in a sense as strong

                    As that which causeth it: how can I moderate it?

                    If I could temporize with my affection,

                    Or brew it to a weak and colder palate,

                    The like allayment could I give my grief:

                    My love admits no qualifying dross;

                    No more my grief, in such a precious loss.

~from Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare~

Let's Bust a Recap : Sherlock Holmes

Well, at long last I have waded into the weird and wonderful world of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock is one of those classic literary characters that I've always meant to read, but never got around to. We own The Complete Sherlock Holmes in "two handsome volumes" that Doubleday put out in the late 1920s. 

Because our Sherlock Holmes is all bound up in those two hefty editions, they sat on my shelf largely ignored for several years as classics I'd get around to someday. I didn't even know how many books Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had written about Sherlock or how they were compiled or anything until just this year. All I knew was that it was a lot and I didn't know where to begin. As it happens, right before our big move to North Carolina a few months ago, Cody and I snagged the BBC mini-series Sherlock on DVD from our Friends of the Library bookstore for a measly buck a season. After moving and getting settled in, we decided to start the show, and after watching the first episode, I decided it was time for my proper introduction to the OG Sherlock Holmes. 

So let me break down some of the quick facts for you: there were ultimately nine books Conan Doyle put out about the famous "consulting detective" Sherlock Holmes. Four novels, and fifty-six short stories which were originally published in magazines then later collected in five anthologies. The first (A Study in Scarlet) was published in 1887, and the final (The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes) was published in 1927. Interestingly, Conan Doyle was ambivalent toward his popular creation. As the demand for Holmes stories grew, Conan Doyle actually wrote to his mother that he often thought of killing the character off and being done with him because "he takes my mind from better things." An idea which horrified his mother. In an attempt to scare off publishers, he raised his price level to what he thought was an unreasonable amount, but that didn't keep them away. He ended up becoming one of the best paid authors of his time. 

My "two handsome volumes" arrange the books of Sherlock Holmes chronologically according to the dates they were originally published individually and that's how I decided to tackle them. So in this post, I'll be talking about the first two novels: A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four. 

So this short novel was the world's first introduction to the now famous duo of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Conan Doyle wrote it at the age of 27 in less than three weeks. 

The first part of the novel is written from the perspective of Dr. Watson as his diary. (Most of the subsequent stories about Holmes are written in this way—as Dr. Watson's reminiscences.) He recounts how he and Holmes came to meet and room together at 221B Baker Street in London, and then goes on to describe the first case he accompanied Holmes on involving a murdered man named Enoch Drebber. Shortly thereafter, Drebber's secretary Joseph Strangerson also turns up dead, and Holmes in his unorthodox and brilliant way figures the case out and apprehends the murderer. 

In the second part of the novel, we're abruptly taken back in time and across the ocean to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah in 1847 where a story unfolds about a man and little girl who are at the brink of death in the desert when they are rescued by a band of pioneer Mormons on the condition that they adopt the Mormon faith. 

Let me tell you, the transition between Part 1 and Part 2 of the novel was so abrupt and so unexpected that I spent a good bit of time wondering if this was actually two separate short stories and if we were ever going to figure out how Sherlock Holmes had solved the case in Part 1. As it turns out, Part 2 is the backstory of the two murdered men and their murderer, and it does all come together in the end. I was completely wrapped up in it, and just as impressed as Dr. Watson with Sherlock Holmes' uncanny ability to unravel the mystery. 

I have to add: Conan Doyle's unsparing and merciless depiction of Mormonism in this novel was a thing to behold. It took me by surprise, and I have to wonder, given Sherlock Holmes' universal popularity, if he has many Mormon enthusiasts and what their opinion of this first novel is. 

One other fun tidbit about A Study in Scarlet is that it was the first work of detective fiction to incorporate the magnifying glass as an investigative tool. 

The Sign of Four was Conan Doyle's second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes and his boon companion Dr. John Watson. It was commissioned in August 1889 by the American businessman Joseph Marshall Stoddart who was the managing editor of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, and first published in the magazine in February 1890. 

This novel has a much more complex plot involving a stolen treasure, secret pacts among convicts and corrupt prison guards, poison darts, a one-legged man, and even a boat chase down the River Thames. It was quite a ride and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

We also get to meet Dr. Watson's future wife Mary Morstan in this novel, and we learn that Sherlock Holmes has a drug problem. It was a bit of a shock to open upon Holmes casually shooting up a solution of cocaine because he was bored by the recent lack of interesting cases with a disapproving Dr. Watson sitting by, annoyed. 

These first two novels were not particularly successful to start with, and it was the ensuing short stories that launched Sherlock's widespread popularity. I'm currently reading the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and hope to also read the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes to complete Volume 1 of The Complete Sherlock Holmes by the end of the year. I can't believe it's taken me this long in life to actually read some Sir Arthur Conan Doyle especially given my penchant for mystery stories as a kid. I thoroughly enjoyed his first two novels about Holmes and Watson. Conan Doyle's writing is sparse and to-the-point which makes for quick reading. His style reminds me a lot of Agatha Christie. It's easy to see how his influence has impacted the mystery writers that have followed him. So far the short stories are even more fun as they're easily read in one sitting, and it's no wonder they're so popular. I, for one, can now join the ranks of other Sherlock fans in recommending his strange cases to mystery lovers everywhere. 

Do you like a good mystery? Have you ever read any of Dr. John Watson's reminiscences about Sherlock Holmes? Do you prefer the novels or the short stories? 

Let's Bust a Recap : The Penderwicks

Ah me, I've fallen headlong into the delightful world of the Penderwicks and they have completely eclipsed every other literary acquaintance I've made this year. Yes, even the hysterical Flavia de Luce and also the spellbinding Kya Clark. The Penderwicks immediately rocketed onto my list of All-Time Favorite Books and there they will always stay.

Now, being that we're discussing all five Penderwicks books in this one post, we naturally may hit a few spoilers, so Penderwicks newbies beware. 

The first book entitled The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and A Very Interesting Boy was originally published in 2005 and won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. In it, we are introduced to the Penderwick family who are headed off on their summer vacation to Arundel Cottage. The Penderwicks are made up of widowed father Martin, oldest sister Rosalind, second sister Skye, third sister Jane, youngest sister Batty, and family dog Hound. During their stay at Arundel Cottage, they befriend the lonely boy Jeffrey Tifton who lives in the mansion on the Arundel estate and unofficially adopt him into the Penderwick clan. This first book is a gratifying ode to childhood and summer and family, and I fell deeply and madly in love with the Penderwick sisters and their new friend Jeffrey. It was one of those bookish experiences where I was sad I hadn't introduced myself sooner while still fully enjoying the introduction. I found myself giggling aloud throughout the entire book and trying to explain to my husband that it was all my favorite literary elements wrapped up in one thoroughly charming package.

The second book, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, follows the Penderwicks home from Arundel and into the school year. But what does their favorite Aunt Claire have up her sleeve? She's decided it's time for their dad to start dating, and the sisters are having none of it. Enter the Save-Daddy Plan and hilarity ensues. This book saw me shedding a few tears alongside a lot more laughter. I was happy to see that Jeffrey, while not a main character in this second installment, was still very much a part of the Penderwick family. We also get to know some of the Gardam Street regulars including the Geiger brothers and Rosalind's best friend Anna. 

In The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, the family splits up to go on separate vacations: Mr. Pen off on his honeymoon, Rosalind to the shore with best friend Anna, and the rest of the Penderwick sisters to Maine with Aunt Claire and Jeffrey. This means that Skye is now the OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick) which terrifies no one more than Skye herself. Can she keep Batty alive for two whole weeks on the coast and preserve her sanity? This book squeezed my heart as we accompanied Jeffrey on his journey to deal with some tough family issues.

Now, these first three books all take place in the span of one year. Beginning The Penderwicks in Spring was a veritable shock to the senses when I realized we had jumped ahead five years and everything had changed. Rosalind is away to college, there's a new Penderwick sister (baby Lydia), and Hound is gone. This was a particularly hard pill for me to swallow as Batty and Hound's perfect friendship was my absolute favorite aspect of the series. His loss was a true sucker-punch to the gut, and I had to mourn him along with Batty throughout this book. Because Rosalind, Skye, and Jane are so much older in this one, the book focuses more on Batty, Ben, and Lydia—the three younger Penderwicks—and was very different in tone though no less wonderful than the first three books. However, we had to deal with some gut-wrenching family issues in this one, and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I sobbed when we hit the climax of this novel. 

And finally, The Penderwicks at Last. We've jumped ahead another seven years and now we're getting ready for Rosalind's wedding. And where better to have her perfect wedding than where it all started: at Arundel. I have to admit, this was probably my least favorite of the series, mostly because it was the end and I just wasn't ready for it to be over. The book itself was about as lovely as the rest, but as I neared the end of it, I found myself googling if it truly was going to be the last Penderwicks book. (And sadly, it seems that it is.) It was published just a few years ago in 2018, but Jeanne Birdsall has said definitively that it will be the last. 

Birdsall's strongest writing is easily when all the family is together which makes the first two books especially outstanding. In those two books, the family is together all the time, and they are delightful from the first word to the last. But there are scenes in every book that involve the whole family getting together which makes each book wholly satisfying in its own right. I fell in love with every character that Birdsall added throughout the series, and I loved the way she grew this family and pulled you in, too. My favorite books are always the ones where I feel as if I have personally befriended the characters and I felt like a part of the Gardam Street crew. Jeanne Birdsall truly has a gift and I'm glad she shared it with the world. The first Penderwicks book (which was her debut novel) was published when she was 54 and the last one when she was 67. She has said she has more books lined up in her head, and I, for one, will be on the lookout for anything else she puts out. 

I know I'll be visiting the Penderwicks again. What are some of your All-Time Favorite Books? And what characters have wormed their way into your heart? A few of my other best literary friends include Anne Shirley, Christy Miller, and the March sisters.