Gatty's Tale, by Kevin Crossley-Holland
In the year 1203, nine companions set out from Wales on pilgrimage across Europe to Jerusalem. Not all of them will return home. This is the story of Gatty, the field-girl already known and loved by readers of the Arthur trilogy.
These four books are Young Adult, but I enjoyed all of them greatly—I'll pass them on to grandchildren at some point, but not yet.
King of the Middle March, by Kevin Crossley-Holland
In the year 1202, newly knighted Arthur de Caldicot finds himself in Venice at the launch of the Fourth Crusade. But jealousies and greed threaten the Crusade—and Arthur struggles to pursue an honorable path, while his own life proves equally perilous.
At the Crossing-Places, by Kevin Crossley-Holland
It is the 1200, and Arthur de Caldicot is about to leave his home to fight in the Crusades. But before he leaves, he must untangle himself from a web of murder and blackmail . . . and the mystery of his birth.
The Seeing Stone, by Kevin Crossley-Holland
The year is 1199—on the border between England and Wales, Arthur de Caldicot waits impatiently to grow up and become a knight. His father's friend Merlin gives him a black stone—a seeing stone—that shows him visions of his namesake, King Arthur. It will be his fate to discover the connection between the two Arthurs.
If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O, by Sharyn McCrumb
60s folksinger Peggy Muryan moves to the small Tennessee town where Sherriff Spencer Arrowood keeps the peace—but someone is stalking her.
Three Woman, by Marge Piercy
A woman, her mother, and her daughter—three lives intertwined.
The Seamstress, by Sara Tuvel Bernstein
A Holocaust memoir. Bernstein was born into a large family in rural Romania, went to Bucharest where she eventually became a dressmaker, and ended up in Ravensbruck. . . and survived.
The Word Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918, by G.J. Meyer
An exhaustive look at World War I, complete with lots of backstory and sketches of the major players . . . good for someone like me, who doesn't remember ever having studied World War I in school, other than someone shot the Archduke and then everyone fought . . .
An Incomplete Revenge, by Jacqueline Winspear
In her fifth outing, Maisie Dobbs delves into a strange series of crimes in a small rural community—features gypsies, hop-picking, arson, and a wartime Zeppelin raid that no one in the village seems to have gotten over.
Messenger of Truth, by Jacqueline Winspear
Nicholas Bassington-Hope has fallen to his death. The police call it an accident, but his twin sister doesn't think so. For Maisie to solve this case, she must explore the art world and the desolate beaches of Kent.
The Mystery of Grace, by Charles deLint
Grace and John—a magical story of the intersections between reality and faery. (Hint: she's dead. He's not.)
PaganTime, by Micah Perks
A memoir of Perks' childhood on her family's commune in the Adirondack wilderness. Strange, interesting, but not altogether enjoyable.
The Song of Rhiannon, by Evangeline Walton
Retelling of the third branch of the Mabinogion: how Manawyddan united with his long-beloved Rhiannon, and what befell them afterward.
Prince of Annwn, by Evangeline Walton
A retelling of the first branch of Welsh Mabinogion, the story of Prince Pwyll and the Grey Man, the Prince of Annwn, and how Pwyll won the Lady Rhiannon to be his wife.
The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman
What would happen if our species disappeared? A close look at the processes by which things fall apart. I am heartened by the notion that things would continue without us.
City of Darkness, City of Light, by Marge Piercy
A novel of the French Revolution, written from the woman's point of view—three women, in this case. An actress, a politician's wife, and a chocolatier.
The Story of World War I, by Robert Leckie
(Adapted for young readers from The American Heritage history of World War I). I bought this one (used at Mr. K's) mainly for the illustrations, which are not only photos, but also contemporary illustrations, cartoons, and so on. It was well worth the $4.
Pardonable Lies, by Jacqueline Winspear
Maisie searches for an aviator presumed dead in the War, but always thought alive by his mother. In the course of the case, she's forced to revisit France.
Birds of a Feather, by Jacqueline Winspear
Maisie searches for a runaway heiress, and in doing so, revisits the agony of the Great War.
Maisie Dobbs, by Jacqueline Winspear
Maisie, daughter of a struggling greengrocer, went into service at 13, studied her way to Cambridge, and served as a nurse on the Western Front. Now it's spring 1929 and she has just opened her detective agency . . .
The Great War, by Jay Winter and Blaine Baggett
Companion to the PBS series, this is a look at World War I and its shaping of the 20th century.
The Last Gift of Time, by Carolyn G. Heilbrun
Subtitled "Life Beyond Sixty," this is Heilbrun's look back at her 60s. Her conclusion: it's been a good life, all things considered.
Children of the Wolf, by Jane Yolen
Fiction based on the true (and controversial) account of feral children in India in the 1920s. Sad, sad, but Yolen is always good.
The Starlight Barking, by Dodie Smith
Followup to The 101 Dalmations (which I need to read again, I think), this features Pongo, Missis, et al, as they solve the mystery of The Great Sleeping.
All My Patients Are Under the Bed, by Dr. Louis J. Camuti
Memoirs of a cat vet (who's allergic to cats), told in highly entertaining style. If you like cats, you will like this.
Blitzcat, by Robert Westall
The Blitz. The firebombing of Coventry. England, bloody England.
Lord Gort doesn’t understand war. She’s just a lost cat, trying to find her way home.
Her trip will take her into the heart of the war, into the hearts of the people she meets, and perhaps break her own heart . . .
I love this book.
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
A murder-suicide in Dark Hollow, Tennseess; an old woman with “the sight”; a troubled minister’s wife; a dying elderly man; a poverty-stricken young mother . . . all combine to make Sheriff Spencer Arrowood's life more interesting than usual . . .
The Rosewood Casket, by Sharyn McCrumb
A dying old man and his four sons who have come home to build his casket; Nora Bonesteel, his long-ago sweetheart and the woman with “the sight”; and the box of human bones she brings to be buried with him.
King's Oak, by Anne Rivers Siddons
Andy Calhoun leaves her disaster of a marriage and moves with her daughter to a small town in Georgia “in search of banality.” What she finds, however, is Tom Dabney, poet, magician, and worshipper of the wilderness. He declares war on the poisoner of his woods, and she must choose . . . vintage Siddons, and my favorite of all hers.
Yvegenie, by C.J. Cherryh
Kavi Chernevog has returned from the dead, to trouble Eveshka and Pyetr again . . . and their fifteen-year-old daughter Ilyana, who is, like her mother, a born wizard.
Chernevog, by C.J. Cherryh
Eveshka, the former rusalka, is now married to Pyetr and living with him and his friend Sasha, the half-taught wizard, and she is in the grip of some dark magic. Kavi Chernevog, her muirderer, bespelled by the forest guardians, is awake and has snared Pyetr and Sasha. And the vodoyani, or River-Thing, is awake too . . .
Rusalka, by C.J. Cherryh
Set in the world of pre-Christian Russian folktales, this is the tale of Pyetr Kochievokov, exiled from his native city, and Sasha Misurov, perhaps a fledging wizard, and the murdered daughter of their mentor, the old wizard Uulamets.
The Pigtail of Ah Lee Ben Loo, by John Bennett
A children's book from 1928, featuring stories and poems illustrated with silhouettes. I can't believe my brother was willing to part with this!
Growltiger's Last Stand, by T. S Eliot
Also containing "The Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" and "The Jellicle Cats". Illustrations by Errol Le Cain.
Rabbit Hill, by Robert Lawson
One of my fav children's books—the story of the Little Animals on the Hill, when New Folks move into the house. Will they be gardeners? Will they have good garbage? And will there be a Cat? (Lawson, BTW, illustrated The Story of Ferdinand.)
Milking the Moon, by Eugene Walter
A Southerner's story of life on this planet. Walter is from Alabama, and it shows. Fascinating!
The Long Descent, by John Michael Greer
"A User's Guide to the End of the Industrial Age." Greer, also writer of The Archdruid Blog, offers concrete suggestions for dealing with climate change, peak oil, and the decline of our present technological civilization. Well worth reading once, maybe twice.
The Love Letters, by Madeleine L'Engle
Juxtaposes a 20th-century love story and the love affair of a 17th-century nun and a soldier, as both struggle with their vows. Superbly done, as usual.
The Woman Who Loved Reindeer, by Meredith Ann Pierce
"In a wintery land where two moons shine, a young girl named Caribou falls in love with a man who isn't a man at all . . . " YA, but I enjoyed it on an adult level—and I liked the fact that Caribou was independent, took care of herself, and didn't let her falling in love interfere with what she needed to be doing.
Lolly Willowes, by Sylvia Townsend Warner
A single woman's struggle to break away from her controlling family—but so much more than just those bare bones. Definitely a re-read.
Heartbreak Hotel, by Anne Rivers Siddons
More drama from the Deep South. This time, sorority girls and segregation. One of her better novels, IMHO.
Sweetwater Creek, by Anne Rivers Siddons
12-year-old Emily has survived her mother's abandonment and her beloved older brother's death by finding refuge in training her father's Boykin Spaniels. But her troubled new friend threatens to blow a hole in Emily's world and let reality in, with all its troubles. Written in Siddons' usual purple prose, but engrossing as usual—it kept me distracted for a couple of days while I was sick.
The Goblin Mirror, by C.J. Cherryh
As a vague sense of menace threatens the small country of Maggiar, three young princes, a wizard, and a huntsman become caught up in a magical battle to save their land from the Queen of the Goblins. Not her best fantasy, but enjoyable still.
As usual, I forgot to take any pictures until we were ready to leave . . . I did get this nice one of John and Madalyn (who will be a year old soon).
Now, Anita, are you sure we were not seperated at birth???? I am just laughing here...we cook alike right down to the spices and dressing. We read a lot and both of us hoard books (yes hoard). My dad who was born in 1901 was an only child, and his parents were huge readers, so at dad's death, I acquired the family books...like a garage full. So, it is a good thing that Windemere Farm has all these buildings, barns, garages and a 4,000 square foot house...lol. Glad the pc is up and running and that things are back to normal there. Our new woodburner is eating fuel like crazy...so we too are doing the split , carry, stack thing. Talk to you soon!
Posted by: Trudy Neill of Windemere Farm | Saturday, 24 November 2007 at 03:50 PM
I LOVE all the Betty MacDonald books. I have The Egg and I and would be thrilled to find copies of all the others. One of these days :)
Posted by: Katie | Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 03:01 PM
OHHHHHHH! Treasures! You have TREASURES! So many 'old friends' I recognized! My copies of Little Women & Little Men are not so old, but I DID get them when I was ten, making them 47! And still in tip-top condition despite MANY readings through the years! LOVE Betty MacDonald! WOW! What a find! As for the cooking & lack of spices - I SOOOOOO relate! The 'missing' pumpkin pie - why THAT'S a travesty! Glad YOU made one! And John's granddaughter has really grown! She's darling!
Posted by: Kai Naconi | Monday, 26 November 2007 at 11:03 AM
Misty of Chincoteague was one of my childhood favorites as well. That, and all the Walter Farley books - if I couldn't own a horse, I could read about them!
Speaking of spicing up a meal, I recently had the most exquisite dark chocolate mousse, made with chili paste. Divine.
I was fortunate - my son and DIL came to visit, and he warned me before I shopped that he expected all the childhood standards, including good stuffing with lots of sage, pumpkin pie spiced the way I do it, and the sweet potato casserole, with lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. Since so much of the traditional T'day meal is in the brown family, what's the sense of having it bland, too? (He did not, however, want me to make Harvard beets, darn it...)
Posted by: Sue K | Wednesday, 28 November 2007 at 08:40 AM