May Book Bracket 2024

Book Bracket May 2024

It was really nice to feel like I was getting back into the swing of reading things. I started and stopped quite a few audiobooks, but made it through several of them on top of physical books I've been meaning to read.

Mossflower, by Brian Jacques

The mouse warrior Martin resolves to destroy the evil rule of the wildcat Tsarmina in the Mossflower woodlands.

Why I picked it up: This was a book I read aloud with my husband! He was interested in having the second Redwall book be our next read aloud.

My (our) impressions: I posed this question to my husband: Which book did you like better - Redwall or Mossflower? He said he preferred the original, Redwall, because, while Mossflower had higher highs (a sassy Martin at the beginning and end of the story, exciting action-packed episodes), he said that the first book had better pacing and a more competent villain - i.e., he could have seen Cluny winning, while Tsarmina and her planning/personality basically doomed herself. I think that's a pretty good comparison, but I might still give Mossflower the edge. I absolutely love the first chapter or two of the book - it sets the mood and leaves the reader with one of the most dramatic beginnings seen in a Redwall book. I do think that the quest to Salamandastron is rather slow-paced, especially when compared with all the exciting things happening in Mossflower in their absence. Stylistically, Jacques was still hitting his stride in this book, but it definitely is closer to what one might call a "typical product" of his. I will say that some of the deaths of villains in this book seemed more gruesome when read aloud than it was the multiple times I've read the book to myself. This book is a great adventure for upper elementary/middle school readers and older, especially if they like fantasy, old-timey weapons, and good doses of food and humor.

Justin Morgan Had a Horse, by Marguerite Henry**

Young Joel of Vermont tames the little horse that teacher Justin Morgan accepted in lieu of the payment of a debt, and follows the horse's successes as a hard worker and fast racer with the hopes that he can own the doughty "Little Bub" someday.

Why I picked it up: It came up as a suggested listen in Audible, but I checked it out from the library's audiobook system.

My impressions: I remember seeing some of a movie that goes by the same name, and it didn't seem that exciting when I was younger. However, listening to it was a grand experience. It was delightful to hear how the horses were described with such precision - it's clear Henry spent a lot of time around horses. It's a classic underdog story, but the pathos really comes from Joel's special relationship with the horse, with him longing to own him not because he's a useful horse, but because he cares about the animal. It was also a believable story (good, considering it's based on a real horse) and gave a good taste of the apprenticeship system used in that long-ago era of American history. While there isn't a strong plot, there was enough to satisfy me, and enough interesting parts to keep the story moving. Some parts of this story might be hard for some readers to read or listen to - specifically, the difficult character of Joel's father - but it's a good story that elementary readers could enjoy - especially if they love horses!

The Lifegiving Home, by Sally & Sarah Clarkson**

Mother and daughter team up to write about the way their home life was constructed and conducted to make home a place of love, life, and creativity.

Why I picked it up: This audiobook was available through my Audible subscription and I'd been interested by some of Sally Clarkson's ideas from Awaking Wonder.

My impressions: Read this book in physical form, not by audiobook. I tried to take notes and screenshot time "locations" of ideas I wanted to revisit; I checked out the book in physical form and tried to find those locations in the book, and it was just too difficult to do without rereading the entire book. That was frustrating. There were lots of good ideas, and some of them dovetailed very nicely with The Theology of Home. It was also fun to notice the differences in writing style between Sally and Sarah - I really appreciate Sarah's style. The ideas they share for activities to complete in the home sound doable and desirable - I have baked some simple bread recipes a few weeks in a row now because their detailed descriptions of home-made meals sounded so appealing. One downside was that they referred readers to visit the lifegiving home website. I did indeed visit it, and while it had lists of many things they talked about in the book, I felt like they didn't include everything they had intended readers to find at the website. It felt almost like they had intended to really flesh out their lists, but then other projects came up and they moved on. I really would have just preferred to have everything included as appendices in the physical book, so everything would have been all in one place and I wouldn't have to go online to find out more. I think this book is a great read for those who want to make their house a home that people enjoy being in and living in, rather than just a place to be. This would be best for those who order their own living spaces as they see fit, but teenagers could probably appreciate this book, too.

“The Incarnation means that our salvation is accomplished within flesh and blood, time and space, and includes the physical spaces and particulars of our lives, as well as the spiritual. God didn’t come merely to save us to a life beyond this world; He came to redeem the one we already inhabit.” (from somewhere in the book that I couldn't find in the physical copy)

Around the World in 80 Trees, by Jonathan Drori

Brief descriptions of the most important physical features of the tree accompany facts about their history, current endangerment, or role in human affairs.

Why I picked it up: Holly Ordway wrote about this being one of five books she'd read recently that she'd enjoyed, and it sounded interesting to me.

My impressions: Even with the colorful illustrations, this book was good, but just not quite everything I wanted it to be. There were few pages dedicated to each tree, making it move quickly from one tree to the next, and yet, it still felt like it was a slow-moving work. That is not a bad thing, considering that this book really is the sort that you might sit with and ponder a while, but it wasn't what I needed right now. I thought it was interesting to learn about modern dangers to various tree species, but I felt like I was being preached at sometimes. I also noticed that, more often than not, the histories related seemed to eventually lead to tie-ins with Great Britain's history. Again, this isn't bad and is not surprising, considering that I think the author grew up in that country, but it does make me wonder what another author from a different country might have considered worth communicating. I must also say that it was a bummer to have the North American trees include none of the interesting ones (in my opinion) from my area (osage orange/hedgeapple, anyone? no, only black walnut), but I liked learning about all the different ways that trees or their fruits/saps/etc. have been used. There are some more adult topics that came up with different trees, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for anyone who's not an adult, but this was a good dip into the trees of the world that could be a great launching point for more in-depth research of particular species.

The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green

This collection of stories about the legendary hero Robin Hood grows out of research the author did into the tales from early appearances to more recent authors like Sir Walter Scott and poet Tennyson.

Why I picked it up: I harbor (not-so-secret) hopes of revisiting a terrible rough draft of a story I wrote several years ago that includes this excellent hero. I'd also read two collections of tales of Robin Hood from earlier in the 20th century, so I was curious if and how this one would differ.

My impressions: To answer the questions I had about this book, it is similar to the other collections in that it is mostly a collection of stories of events that involve Robin Hood, but there's no unifying narrative plot. Each chapter was, for the most part, a story unto itself. Those stories were pretty good for the most part, but I was uncomfortable with the one that featured a witch and admit that I didn't read the last three chapters all the way through. Let's just say I don't like having the main character die, especially this one. The action in some of these chapters is absolutely riveting and every bit as exciting as an adventure should be. I felt like the hero of this collection fell somewhere between Pyle's and Gilbert's as far as noble spirit and personal virtue go. (I hope to maybe brush up on the other versions and share more of my thoughts on the respective Robin Hoods in a separate post.)  One thought here is that while Green's Robin certainly starts as a noble fellow, some of Robin's doings here and there are uncomfortably suspect and even straight bad - such as when, upon losing a dear friend, Robin takes out his grief on fifteen (yes, 15!) enemies who were fleeing back to safety by shooting them all dead. Maid Marian is a fun character who is a good match for him, so it was fun to encounter the lady and have her enjoy a real personality. Drawing from many different sources is a neat idea, but the chapters based on Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe really had a different feel and didn't hang stylistically with the rest of the stories. There is some swearing that I had problems with, and a few insinuations here and there were pretty mild but a bit surprising to me in a children's book, so I don't think I'd just hand this book to a youngster to read. However, I think that this collection could be fun for more mature elementary/middle readers or as a read aloud.

Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell**

A horse of good breeding describes his life, from gentle training and breaking on the farm of his youth through good and poor masters and stable keepers, carrying riders, pulling cabs, and fighting to survive back-breaking work conditions.

Why I picked it up: This book was available through an Audible membership. I'd heard of this book, and maybe even tried it once, but I put it down early. I decided I wanted to try it again so I'd actually know what it was about.

My impressions: The aspect of this book that stood out to me most what the voice of Black Beauty and a few other animal characters. The horse was believable as a character, seeming to come from an aristocratic background (as far as breeding is concerned), and he was a very likeable main character. In a society where everyone gets around by car, it's interesting to consider how a society that relies on horse transportation would differ. I was worried about the ending while reading Black Beauty because some parts were so sad or rough - indeed, while children are often considered the target audience of this book these days, this is a work that can cause adults to ponder the way they treat animals. Whenever one horse character related a new development in her sad tale, it was about enough to break my heart. In fact, her experience was so descriptive and emotional I felt like I could have been reading the story of a woman who had been used and abused, rather than a horse. It's a well-written work of fiction that brings the reader in the world of Victorian England. So, I struggle with stories in which the main character is helpless to change their situation, but this is a really good book; the ending helped quite a bit. I think middle schoolers would be fine reading this book, and maybe upper elementary, but any animal lover would probably have a hard time reading about some of the abuses animals face in this story.

The Long Patrol, by Brian Jacques**

A young hare runs away from home to adventure with the elite fighting squad known as the "Long Patrol."

Why I picked it up: I was finishing up the work year and needed an audiobook to accompany me during the empty hours. This one was available through the public library system, and is one of my favorites in the whole Redwall series.

My impressions: I'd never listened to one of these tales as an audiobook, and that was a pretty neat experience. The best part of the audiobook was that Brian Jacques, the author, read the narrator's parts. However, a few of the lines of the characters' speeches were difficult to understand, and some of the music wasn't my favorite. On the flip side, the fact that the songs had music accompaniment helped make those parts more interesting and enjoyable. The tale is about as great as an adventure can get - a grand adventure for the main character, a massive battle, and a unique problem at the abbey contributed to this fantastic story. Upper elementary/middle school readers, especially those with a penchant for adventure, would enjoy this story.

Saints Around the World by Meg Hunter-Kilmer**

This book, written for children, tells synopses of the lives of 100 saints and blesseds from around the world.

Why I picked it up: One of my cousins had mentioned she was reading this book, and it seemed like a good one to spend my Audible credit on.

My impressions: This is a good book for the intended audience, but also for adults. It was neat to learn about lots of people I hadn't heard of before. I was surprised that so many were blesseds and not recognized saints yet. While they have amazing stories, I did think that it made the title a bit misleading. I liked that there were a few moments the author paused to indicate that certain things would not be safe for kids to do, or that some actions are never right or different ones could be okay in specific situations - it was nice to have things like that spelled out for young readers, which might give parents more peace of mind (no jumping on the wagon taking girls to the convent without telling your parents! Unless you're an adult already!). I must admit I was sad that Little T wasn't included, but it seems like the author went to some trouble to make sure that many lesser-known saints were included - including Blessed Stanley Rother, from Oklahoma. This book would be great for kids to read on their own, or for the family to read together. The stories are relatively short (five-ten minutes read aloud, at most), so it could be fun to read one a day. The author read the audiobook version, and you can tell she really likes sharing these stories.

Bracket Play

This month's bracket was difficult in a few points, even in the first round. I wanted the Robin Hood story to win, but I gave the win to the Clarkson book because it had me thinking more outside of the time I was reading it, and it did influence my behavior (I baked bread). The Long Patrol is a better Redwall book than Mossflower, although the latter book has some really excellent sections. Choosing which horse book was better was hard - I feel like I probably should have given Black Beauty the victory, especially since it was a book that had a significant effect on society at the time, but I enjoyed the Justin Morgan book more. So, the choice reflects the level of enjoyability I had while listening to them. The saints book easily beat the tree book. The Long Patrol made it to the playoffs over the Clarkson book - it's hard to compare books that are so incredibly different, so again, enjoyability was the deciding factor for that battle. The saints book won this round as well - there were many great stories, and I like to think that at least one of those stories would appeal to anyone who read them; Justin Morgan Had a Horse was good, but I think I'd be more likely to recommend the saints book first. In fact, the saints book ended up winning. I think it was one of those situations where I was comparing apples to oranges, so the more religious book gets the default win. I know it's a bias, but I also recognize it as such.

Books Started and Put Down

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn, by Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler**

A merchant's son witnesses a crime and is brought along by the judge to help solve the mystery.

Why I picked it up: This book was recommended sometime, somewhere, and sounded interesting. I decided to get it as an audiobook.

Why I put it down: This book had a lot going for it - imagine a mystery set in feudal Japan with a judge who's basically a detective. What caused me to put down such an interesting and engaging book was the fact that there's a lot of discussion of "maintaining honor" by committing suicide. I know that was part of the culture, but I didn't need all that popping up. If it had been a one-time thing, that would be one matter - it was the fact that it kept coming up throughout the book that caused me to move on to something else.