bree

Hello Dori

I completed What Katy Did : 3 stars from me. Have just picked up Sounder by William H Armstrong. It's a 1970 Newbery award winner - and I'm hoping to enjoy this children' classic.

19. What Katy Did Susan Coolidge ★★★ Published: 1872 Synopsis: 12-year old Katy Carr is the oldest of the six motherless Carr siblings. She is spunky, confident, and spirited. She's full of lofty dreams on becoming "beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel" when she grows up. An accident renders her invalid - and she's suddenly in bed seeing her future crash down around her. What will Katy now do? That is the question the book aims to explore in this 19th-century coming-of-age story. Thoughts: This book had many things going for it. The six children, each with a defined, and endearing, personality. Adventures and picnics. Life lessons. Some mischief and mayhem. A few fun rhymes. It was pleasant read. However, it didn't capture me or entertain me, as I'd expect as children's book to. I also thought the humour was a bit forced and the morals a bit too much. Quotes: "There is a saving grace in truth which helps truth-tellers through the worst of their troubles..." "I think we are scarcely ever so grateful to people as when they help us to get back our own esteem." "I know the tree those vases grow upon, and you shall have another" "For you know we never do people good by lecturing; only by living their lives with them, and helping a little here and a little there, to make the better." Dedication: This book has one of the dearest dedications I've read: TO FIVE. SIX of us once, my darlings, played together Beneath green boughs, which faded long ago, Made merry in the golden summer weather, Pelted each other with new-fallen snow. Did the sun always shine? I can't remember A single cloud that dimmed the happy blue,– A single lightning-bolt or peal of thunder, To daunt our bright unfearing lives: can you? We quarrelled often, but made peace as quickly, Shed many tears, but laughed the while they fell, Had our small woes, our childish bumps and bruises, But Mother always "kissed and made them well." Is it long since? – It seems a moment only; Yet here we are in bonnets and tail-coats, Grave men of business, members of committees, Our play-time ended: even Baby votes! And star-eyed children, in whose innocent faces Kindles the gladness which was once our own, Crowd round our knees, with sweet and coaxing voices, Asking for stories of that old-time home. "Were you once little too?" they say, astonished; "Did you too play? How funny! tell us how." Almost we start, forgetful for a moment; Almost we answer, "We are little now! " Dear friend and lover, whom To-day we christen, Forgive such brief bewilderment, – thy true And kindly hand we hold; we own thee fairest. But ah! our yesterday was precious too. So, darlings, take this little childish story, In which some gleams of the old sunshine play, And, as with careless hands you turn the pages, Look back and smile, as here I smile to-day.

frankie,

I believe I do.

I've just now put down my thoughts in my book log. Thanks again frankie for encouraging me to carry on with it, or I'd have never known the beautiful Mr.Carton.

18. A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens ★★★★★ Synopsis: A sweeping story set in the period of the French revolution, it traces the lives and destinies of a group of people, through the cities of London and Paris. Themes of tyranny, suffering, revenge, justice, duty, loyalty, love, sacrifice and redemption, come alive in this book, and always with the shadow of the ruthless guillotine hanging heavy on it. Dickens himself considered it to be his best work. Thoughts: I picked this up with a lot of hesitation, and quite a bit of fear. (It had been sitting on my book-shelf for six years, and stoically looking at me, every time I passed it over to pick another.) I started it, and the first twenty pages took me two days to get through. I was ready to give up when frankie's words gave me a boost. And wow! The story slowly unravelled, built beautifully, and I met some of the most intense characters (Carton and Madame Defarge), lived through some unforgettable scenes (the wine-on-the-street scene, the wild savage dance towards the end) and reached a most poignant yet exalted closure at the end. This was my first unabridged Dickens' and I've surprised myself by finding it so compelling. I will be reading more of his work very soon. And I hope to read this one again when I find it fading from my mind. Quotes: A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other. The men were terrible, in the bloody-minded anger with which they looked from windows, caught up what arms they had, and came pouring down into the streets; but, the women were a sight to chill the boldest. From such household occupations as their bare poverty yielded, from their children, from their aged and their sick crouching on the bare ground famished and naked, they ran out with streaming hair, urging one another, and themselves, to madness with the wildest cries and actions. Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death; — the last, much the easiest to bestow, O Guillotine! No fight could have been half so terrible as this dance. It was so emphatically a fallen sport—a something, once innocent, delivered over to all devilry—a healthy pastime changed into a means of angering the blood, bewildering the senses, and steeling the heart. Such grace as was visible in it, made it the uglier, showing how warped and perverted all things good by nature were become. "Tell the Wind and the Fire where to stop; not me!" The two stand in the fast-thinning throng of victims, but they speak as if they were alone. Eye to eye, voice to voice, hand to hand, heart to heart, these two children of the Universal Mother, else so wide apart and differing, have come together on the dark highway, to repair home together, and to rest in her bosom. The heart-breaking-ly beautiful The last line, which I love more than the famous first line- And my absolute favourite: But, I am sure that he is capable of good things, gentle things, even magnanimous things.

17. The Best of O'Henry Collection of short-stories by O'Henry ★★★ Synopsis: A compilation of 37 of O'Henry's (William Sydney Porter) best short-stories. It has ~ A Bird of Bagdad A Little Local Color A Newspaper Story A Technical Error After Twenty Years An Unfinished Story Bestseller Blind Man's Holiday Calloway's Code Cupid A La Carte Girl Memoirs Of A Yellow Dog Nemesis And The Candyman No Story Psyche And The Pskyscraper Schools And Schools The Adventures Of Shamrock Jolnes The Cop And The Anthem The Detective Detector The Diamond Of Kali The Duel The Furnished Room The Gift Of The Magi The Handbook Of Hymen The Hypothesis Of failure The Last Leaf The Marry Month Of May The Poet And The Peasant The Moment Of Victory The Princess And The Puma The Skylight Room The Sleuths The Snow Man The Sparrows In Madison Square The Whirligig Of Life Tictocq: The Great French Detective, In Austin To Him Who Waits Thoughts: O'Henry is my favourite short-story teller. His clever language, witty plots, and splendid twists-in-the-tale come alive in this collection. The Last Leaf and The Gift Of The Magi are the two I love best. Sublime and just perfect. Both of them. I also enjoyed The Cop And The Anthem, The Furnished Room, The Marry Month Of May, and Girl. (And I didn't "get" The Diamond Of Kali at all ) All-in-all a pretty good collection of his works - though on hind-sight I shouldn't have read the stories back-to-back, just picked a single one at a time - I think it would help me appreciate some of the other ones better.

I haven't read any of her other books - but will look out for Just Patty! And I know what you mean about your love for boarding schools - I'm the same. I love that movie too! The book is so much more, though. I'm quite sure you'll love it!

16. Daddy-Long-Legs Jean Webster ★★★★★ Synopsis: Seventeen year old, Jerusha "Judy" Abbot, is the oldest orphan at the dreary John Grier Home. The future looks even more dreary, till suddenly she's told that one of the Trustees of the home, has taken on himself to sponsor a college education for her. Nick-named as "Daddy-Long-Legs" by his fiesty, fun-loving ward, the man insists on keeping his identity a secret and only asks that Judy sends him a letter (address to Mr. John Smith) every month. The book unfolds as a series of letters that Judy writes to her mysterious guardian in the four years of college. As she experiences the beauty of the new world, of college, of literature, of creating an identity and yes, of love, she wonders if she'll ever know the true identity of her dear "Daddy-Long-Legs". Thoughts: This is one of my absolute favourite books. I first met Judy when I was fifteen. I used to haunt closed-down libraries in those days, hoping to pick up books for cheap, and not knowing anything about this one, I bought it for almost nothing. The book is delightfully written, full of spirit, humour and charm. It also has the most endearing illustrations peppered through-out (which are Judy's little sketches in her letters) I can't say enough nice things about this book - I've read it so many times over the years, and never fails to make me chuckle and warm my heart. Quotes (snippets from the letters): “This is the first chance I've ever had to get acquainted with Jerusha Abbot. I think I'm going to like her. Do you think you are?" “Thank heaven I don't inherit God from anybody! I am free to make mine up as I wish Him. He's kind and sympathetic and imaginative and forgiving and understanding - and He has a sense of humor.” "Oh, I'm developing a beautiful character! It droops a bit under cold and frost, but it does grow fast when the sun shines." “Dear Daddy-Long-Legs, You never answered my question and it was very important. ARE YOU BALD?” “I went to bed last night utterly dejected; I thought I was never going to amount to anything, and that you had thrown away your money for nothing. But what do you think? I woke up this morning with a beautiful new plot in my head, and I've been going about all day planning my characters, just as happy as I could be. No one can ever accuse me of being a pessimist! If I had a husband and twelve children swallowed by an earthquake one day, I'd bob up smilingly the next morning and commence to look for another set. " And here's one of those sketches I mentioned -

15. Journey To The Centre of the Earth Jules Verne ★★ Synopsis: ​Eminent geologist Professor Lindenbrock finds an ancient coded parchment which has directions to the centre of the earth. His nephew, and assistant (also the narrator) - Axel- helps him decode it, and reluctantly accompanies him on the journey. The book goes on to describe the actual journey and their discoveries and experiences along the way. Thoughts: Old-school science fiction. A classic. Originally written in French in 1864. I feel quite mean giving it two-stars. But I just couldn't get into the book. Or the characters. Or even the journey itself. It was rather flat and uninteresting and I only just managed to complete the book. I had quite decided not to pick up another Jules Verne for a long time, as I just don't seem to have the mind to enjoy them, but the June's reading circle choice seems to be telling me otherwise. Maybe I'll just give it a go!

14. The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett ★★★★★ Synopsis: Ten-year old Mary Lennox, plain-faced and sour-tempered, is orphaned overnight. She is sent to live with a loner of an uncle in the Yorkshire moors. She discovers a secret garden in the grounds of the large lonely house and is in intrigued by it. How the garden transforms her, and how in turn she helps revive another, forms the rest of this beautiful story. Thoughts: This book was a title from the Matilda Wormwood Challenge, and I've put down my thoughts there. Quotes: "If 'tha was a missel trush an' showed me where thy nest was, does 'tha think I'd tell anyone?Not me", he said. "Tha' art as safe as a missel trush" "Might I", quavered Mary, "might I have a bit of earth?" It made her think that it was curious how much nicer a person looked when he smiled. You can lose a friend in springtime easier than any other season if you're too curious. "Tha' knew how to build tha' nest before tha' came out o' th' egg" "...the immense, tender, terrible, heart-breaking beauty abd solemnity of Eggs" And- One of the strangest things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever.

Old thread. But a nice one. I'm another who loves reading dedications. And the book I'm reading now - What Katy Did - has a dear little poem for one~ TO FIVE. SIX of us once, my darlings, played together Beneath green boughs, which faded long ago, Made merry in the golden summer weather, Pelted each other with new-fallen snow. Did the sun always shine? I can't remember A single cloud that dimmed the happy blue,– A single lightning-bolt or peal of thunder, To daunt our bright unfearing lives: can you? We quarrelled often, but made peace as quickly, Shed many tears, but laughed the while they fell, Had our small woes, our childish bumps and bruises, But Mother always "kissed and made them well." Is it long since? – It seems a moment only; Yet here we are in bonnets and tail-coats, Grave men of business, members of committees, Our play-time ended: even Baby votes! And star-eyed children, in whose innocent faces Kindles the gladness which was once our own, Crowd round our knees, with sweet and coaxing voices, Asking for stories of that old-time home. "Were you once little too?" they say, astonished; "Did you too play? How funny! tell us how." Almost we start, forgetful for a moment; Almost we answer, "We are little now! " Dear friend and lover, whom To-day we christen, Forgive such brief bewilderment, – thy true And kindly hand we hold; we own thee fairest. But ah! our yesterday was precious too. So, darlings, take this little childish story, In which some gleams of the old sunshine play, And, as with careless hands you turn the pages, Look back and smile, as here I smile to-day.

And I hope you love it too

13. Charlotte's Web E. B. White ★★★★☆ Synopsis: A little girl, called Fern, saves a little runty pig called Wilbur, from her father's axe. She mothers him and nurtures him till he's sent of to the neaighbour's farm. Wilbur is now a sad, lonely pig as none of the other farm animals want to be his friend. And then he meets Charlotte. A beautiful grey spider who promises to be his friend. And she does more than that. She devises ingenious, yet simple ways to prevent Wilbur from becoming Christmas dinner. What is Charlotte's plan, and will it work? Thoughts: This deceptively simple tale of friendship is both wise, as it is sweet. I hadn't read it as a child, hadn't even heard of it - and having read it now, can see the appeal it has for young eyes - the farm, the animals, the sounds and smells, and that glorious, joyous swing! I love so many things about this book. The little girl's name : Fern. Choosing a pig and a spider as unlikely heroes. The words and the language. And theme of friendship and reality. I love the contrast between the young, yet-to-mature and slightly-self-centered pig, and the graceful, wise, and gentle older Charlotte. The web of friendship between them is a beautiful one indeed, and you can't help but fall prey to the charm of this dear book. Quotes: The book opens with an ace: "Where's Papa going with that axe?" "An hour of freedom is worth a barrel of slops" "Children almost always hang onto things tighter than their parents think they will." “Well, they've got to grow up some time,” said Mr. Arable. “And a fair is a good place to start, I guess.” and the splendid- "By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that"

12. Mister God, This is Anna Fynn ★★★★★ Synopsis: This book is a true-story which unfolds when the author - Fynn - encounters five-year old Anna, on the streets, one night. An almost instant beautiful bond begins between the nineteen year-old author and the homeless waif, and he takes her to his home and life. The book then describes the bewitching thoughts, discoveries, analysis, and poetry of little Anna's beautiful mind. This darling girl, all of five, and wise beyond her years, has special connection and relationship with her dear "Mister God" and his bewitching world, and she happily leads the author through a whirlwind of wonder and wisdom, and you can't help but follow along, a little bit dazed, and completely enchanted. Thoughts: How does one begin to describe a book like this? It completely took my breath away. My mind on a whirlwind of discovery, and my soul a little closer to seeing light. I remember vaguely hearing of this book, a long time ago, and when I read poppy'spost in her 30-day challenge, something connected, and I ended up buying it. I spent a lot of time (more than usual) reading this. There was just so much to understand, absorb and just wonder about. I'm not religious, nor am I an atheist - I just live by my own sense of what I consider divine, and this book illuminated many questions I've pondered on, and answered so many more that I hadn't yet thought of. And it's not just Anna. I found myself respecting and admiring deeply the character of Fynn. He is such a beautiful being. Simple, honest, sincere, and his brightness shines through in his writing. Such a beautiful book! And, as I told poppy, I'm just surprised it isn't spoken about more. Because at its very core it is about celebrating existence, creation and free thought. And a word about the illustrations. They are by William Papas. And they are as delicious as the words themselves. Quotes: I started jotting down some of the words that thrilled me, and I realised I was quoting something from almost every other page. A few of them~ "The difference between a person and an angel is easy. Most of an angel is in the inside and most of a person is on the outside." "Humanity in general has an infinite number of points of view, whereas Mister God has an infinite number of viewing points." “In the dark you have to describe yourself. In the daylight other people describe you.” and- When I Shall Die by Anna --------------------- When I shall die, I shall do it myself. Nobody shall do it for me. When I am redy, I shall say, ‘Fin, stand me up,’ and I shall look and lagh merry. If I fall down, I shall be dead.

Yes. Though we call it a "rice cooker" here (You can make rice fluffy without it too - just add a little more water than usual, and cook on low heat, after it begins to boil. When it's done you can drain away the excess water - but yes, using a cooker is much easier)

Hello Mariana, and welcome. Your blog is beautiful - though I couldn't read it

Hello dex and welcome

We just steam them whole with a bit of salt. Skin and eat them. Yum!

Hello Milhouse What do you like to read?

Happy Birthday chaliepud Have a splendid year! Been travelling the last few days - thankfully with a book this time - and managed to complete A Tale of Two Cities yesterday. It's my first Dickens' and also the first classic I attempted to on my own (the others are what I did at school) - and I feel good about that! I struggled with the first 20 pages - and was ready to give up, and thanks to frankie, picked it up again. Happily the book too picked up in building the plot - and either got easier to understand, or I got accostmed to the writing - but I actually began to enjoy it. Am back home now, and have just picked up What Katy Did.

I was looking for some Arabic cartoons for my little girl (I love the sound of that language though I don't understand a word!) and found this - It's so delightful - we both love it!

Just back from a lovely holiday - just lots of exploring and dreaming and no reading! Looking forward to getting back on A Tale of Two Cities. (I missed this place)

Hello there fellow Indian I've seen your posts around the forum, and just popped in to say a quick hello. Whereabouts are you from?