Somehow, it wasn’t until last month that I read The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis (San Francisco: Harper 2001). I found it fascinating. During the summer and autumn of 1941 (a fascinating time in England; remember, there was a good…
Your Humble Blogger has, if memory is to be believed, read six or seven novels by Sheri S. Tepper. I’m not sure why I keep at it. Yes, she’s remarkable at creating worlds, and yes, she writes very well, but…
Just for kicks, Your Humble Blogger looked at the instances of the word ‘peace’ in Our Only President’s recent report to Congress on the State of the Union. It’s one of those hot words; when a nation is at war…
In the second half of January, Your Humble Blogger read to his Perfect non-Reader … Rosemary Wells, Don’t Spill It Again, James; the title story, along with Skokie and Goodnight, Sweet Prince. Up to her standard. Else Holmelund Minarik, A…
Your Humble Blogger received his new Voter Registration card today [Note: last week sometime?]. The apparatus of democracy always moves me. Yes, that’s because Your Humble Blogger is, at heart, a goofball. One could also assign psychological meaning; my mother,…
Beryl Bainbridge, According to Queenie (New York: Carrol & Graf 2001) Awful, just awful. I won’t waste my time or yours on details. Redintegro Iraq,-Vardibidian….
Your Humble Blogger picked up Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories (New York: Berkley 1986) by Agatha Christie, who was for many years the single most popular writer in the English language. Or so I remember hearing; it may not…
[The following was written on Tuesday, January 20, while the news was fresh] Well, and Sen. Kerry won Iowa, with Sen. Edwards second, Dr. Dean a distant third, and Rep. Gephardt nowhere. Rep. Gephardt has withdrawn his name from consideration;…
Judith Tarr, Kingdom of the Grail (New York: Roc 2000). Nothing much to say about this fantasy novel; Merlin’s descendant takes on Ultimate Evil and finds True Love in the Medieval Pyranees. I found it readable, but my Best Reader…
Amongst the picture books Your Humble Blogger read to his Perfect Non-Reader in 2004 in the first two weeks of 2004 (to keep the list at reasonable length; I’ll break it up into two entries): Margaret Mahy, 17 Kings and…