Category Archives: reviews

The Complete Persepolis is a graphic memoir, a coming of age story of a girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution. It’s sweet, funny, educational, serious, and sad all in turn. The reader acutely feels the longings of the author for love, for normalcy and for acceptance, but in an irreverent and lighthearted way.

The second half of the book focuses on Satrapi’s time spent in prep school in Austria. Her experiences as a third culture kid, in a country without parents, are a valuable insight into the loneliness and isolation of that situation. The story doesn’t end with a difficult and confusing childhood, but rather sees the author through her maturing process.

The simple pen and ink drawings fit the story well, the author is obviously talented and the starkness of them serves to convey the mood. It’s a graphic book that’s accessible to those less familiar with the format and is well received by readers of a variety of backgrounds. (9/10)

Just finished reading Charlotte’s Web with Kate. Reading old favorites aloud to my children is one part of parenting I have so looked forward to and it did not disappoint. She has done very well comprehending the story, asking good questions, and even asking me about new words. I love how she keeps asking until she understands the meaning of things, and isn’t satisfied until she gets there.

Anyhow, when Charlotte died, Kate was truly sorrowful and cried out, “Oh Charlotte! Momma, she had to die alone? Poor, poor Charlotte. Wilbur must be so sad. Charlotte was his FRIEND.” After we finished the last chapter, Kate asked me why Fern stopped going to the barn cellar. When I managed to get something across, she replied, “I hope I will always love animals, and I hope I am friends with a spider, even if it will make me so so sad when the spider dies, because spiders do not live long. But maybe I will get to be friends with her baby spider children, too. Yes, I would like to be friends with a spider like Charlotte.”

Seriously, warm happy mom fuzzies out the wazoo. I tried to hold out on chapter books until Lexi could participate some, and she was able to sit with us and sort of listen, but it was certainly not the same. I know I am behind on book reviews, I’ll get there soon, if y’all are even interested in hearing what I think about what I’m reading at all.

Love in the Ruins is a novel set in an apocalypse caused by the overindulgence of modernity. From today’s perspective it is in one sense quaintly antiquated and in another deadly accurate in its grasp of the human condition. I really like Percy, but this wasn’t my favorite novel of his. CK recommended I read The Last Gentleman before this one, but I received LitR as a gift and it called out from the shelf and I neglected her wise advice. I think this novel is best read by Percy lovers further into his canon than I am. (7.5/10)

I had a sliver of hope that Meyer would finish the Twilight Series in a way that it would be redeemed for me. Breaking Dawn, if anything, was more “eh” than the other books. At least I found out what happened (3/10.)

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman is simply an excellent read. Fadiman skillfully describes the collision of two worlds, western medicine and traditional Hmong culture, by using the case of one little girl as a springboard to explain the historical, cultural and spiritual background of this collision. As these two cultures had to coexist for optimal treatment, the reader is shown honestly and sympathetically how difficult that coexistence can be to develop and maintain.

For me, the book’s greatest merit is how Fadiman weaves the historical, sociological and anthropological background into Lia’s story so well that it reads almost like a novel. It’s informative, but also powerful, personal and thought-provoking. As a westerner, Fadiman is sympathetic to the doctors, their training and their perspective, but at the same time, she isn’t afraid to criticize them or the Western medical system. This book was highly recommended to me (thanks Charlene!) and I would pass it along with the same high recommendation. Even if learning about the Hmong isn’t high on your list of intellectual pursuits, I found a lot of the same observations and lessons about medical care were applicable to families who prefer alternative and natural treatments, a growing population. It’s truly a must read if you are in any medical field, and a good read no matter who you are. (10/10.)

Murder in the Cathedral is a short play by T.S. Eliot dramatizes the murder (and martyrdom) of Thomas Beckett, former archbishop of Canterbury. Having studied that period of church history during my college career, I found the play well done, interesting, and worth reading to be sure. Surely the use of the knights as tempters and the chorus to set the mood enhanced the play. The verse is well done, a bridge between Shakespeare and the modern world, and thus a good model to follow. It’s not lengthy or tedious, and would be appropriate for middle or high school students to read as well.

“The last temptation is the greatest treason:
To do the right deed for the wrong reason.” (9/10)

Anne is the series I am going to attempt to read in 2009. Unlike the Chronicles of Narnia last year and Harry Potter the year before, I haven’t read most of the Anne books, but I am looking forward to diving into them. This one was a re-read.

Anne of Green Gables is a well deserved classic, it is a book whose heroine endears herself to readers young and old. Bright and energetic, imaginative and fun, creative and talented, Anne is everything that a girl wants to be. Who among us doesn’t identify with Anne in some way? Feeling like an outsider and talking too much definitely resonate with me! We are drawn to her for all our different reasons and we love her, and so we read.

That’s not to say that the writing itself isn’t strong. On the contrary, I found Anne of Green Gables to be quite well written this read, my first of adulthood. The descriptions are lovely and transport the reader to the terrain Mongomery herself knew so well. Even the descriptions themselves are so colored by the eyes of Anne and her dramatic, fun-loving spirit.

Anne could be the sort of protagonist that annoys readers with her perfection, but instead, she draws us in with her flubs and missteps. She makes a lot of mistakes, but “never the same one twice!” The way she deals with these imperfections is a great lesson to young readers, moreso than many moralistic novels I can think of.

Lucky for her, Kate received a hardback copy when she was just an infant from one of the many older women who love Anne in her life, Miss Reba. This book is one I cannot wait to share with both of the girls. (10/10)

Boomtown is a fun story, overall. Zany and goofy characters and plot twists abound, and in general I like that in a book. It may be a tad too colorful and crazy, but I can forgive that. Clearly, the author was influenced in some respects by one of my favorite children’s books, the Twenty-One Balloons.

In spite of these positives, it’s supposed to be a story for tween readers, and I am struggling to see how they will connect with a story told by a forty-something minister narrator. He was hard for ME to relate to. In general, he seemed weak and ineffective as a father, and not especially pastoral. Actually, the church/pastor angle bothered me quite a bit, I would have rather him have another profession than have the church seem to be just another civic organization or gathering as it appeared in this book. Continue reading →

This novel is simple, but the descriptions are lush and realistic, the characters interesting, the setting unique for a classic. The balance between the male narrator and female subject worked well for Cather. I tend to read more Southern and British literature, and very few things set on the prairie, it’s not a place I am naturally drawn to. But My Antonia made the prairie come alive to me, full of beauty and very hard work. I enjoyed it a great deal and wondered why I hadn’t read it before, the content is very appropriate for a young adult reader and it seems like it would be a good fit for a high school literature class. (9/10)

About 3 or 4 of the books I read every year are actually unabridged audio books we listen to on road trips. The night before we left for North Carolina, I made a whirlwind trip to the library with the girls to grab a few possibilities Michael and I might enjoy. I remembered that Michael appreciated Allende’s House of Spirits, so I grabbed this one. There was no time to even read the back that day, so as we started listening, I was really confused. After a while, I realized this was a Young Adult novel, part of a trilogy that Allende wrote in the genre. Once that came to light, I tried to appreciate this for what it was. The plot had a great deal of potential but I was disappointed that it seemed like the protagonists, unlike their adult counterparts, didn’t find their way through the mystery and adventure by wit or strength but rather depended on their magical “totemic powers.” Overall, not a bad story, but Allende seemed slightly condescending in her writing for a YA audience. I’d still like to read her adult novels, though! (6/10)

Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath by Sigrid Undset
A classic coming of age story that everyone should read. Kristin’s struggles with sin and relationships are portrayed with beauty and grace in this lovely historical novel. It was well translated and I plan to finish the trilogy. (9/10)

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
see other Twilight review here. (6/10)

The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis
I only really like this book for the end, when the reader gets to see the dawn of Narnia. I guess I do enjoy the history and connectedness it brings to the series as a whole, it’s necessary but not as enjoyable as others. (6/10)

Death By Love by Mark Driscoll
This book is a collection of pastoral letters pointing different people to different aspects of the theology of the cross. Clear and straightforward, the letters themselves are generally marked with concern and godly counsel. The situations the recipients face run the gamut, but many are very dark, and they are considered with the gravity they deserve. At the end of each letter there is a section with theological FAQs to address aspects of the theology not dealt with in the letter itself. These took away from the beauty of the book for me, so I started skipping them halfway through. If you are looking for a book to remind you of how Jesus meets us where we are at the cross, I would commend this to you. (9/10)

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Flashing back to her time at a British boarding school, this book centers on the reflections of one woman as she nears the end of her career. Though the characters are continually reminded of their difference from the rest of society, the novel portrays universal experiences like relationships, love, and the loss of innocence with simple elegance. The plot is haunting in many ways, and leaves the reader to ponder life, death, and the power we have over our own fates, as well as the technological/societal implications of the book. I obviously enjoyed it a great deal. (8/10)

The Reason for God by Tim Keller
This is a reasoned apologetic for belief written by and for an urban, learned audience. Smarter and more convincing than most of the similar books in Christianity, it has a useful place in an evangelical’s library. Keller skillfully goes through the most popular arguments against faith and belief and generally handles them with grace and ease. Probably would not hand it to a non-Christian unless they were really interested in that sort of thing. (7/10)

The Warden by Anthony Trollope
I found this ethical dilemma charming, particularly because of the strong descriptions of each character. This was my first Trollope and I expected it to be… funnier? But, I liked it enough to give him another shot. (7/10)

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornsby
I like Hornsby but this book was really lousy. (3/10)

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis
The beginning is weaker than most, but the plot and ending of this book is very fitting for the Chronicles. Many solid theological issues addressed with ease and grace, the parallels to life are strong, and the ending is sentimental but lovely for those who love Narnia. (9/10)

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
My sister adored this book, and I picked it up to appease her. I am very glad I did. Well-woven tale of loneliness, love and the things that tie people together. Written with multiple narrators and perspectives, the book feels in turn like a number of different genres, but it is well done and a good example of how the novel may evolve in the 21st century. (9/10)

Held together by rusty paper clips and hidden in a trunk, the manuscript of The Moon Shines Down by Margaret Wise Brown was forgotten for decades. Unexpectedly discovered in a Vermont barn, the book was recently introduced to the world by Thomas Nelson. The text is based on the prayer “I See the Moon and the Moon sees me, God bless the Moon and God bless me.” Journeying around the world, readers are exposed to how the moon shines down on children in every country, and even the fish in the sea. Even the timing of night being different in different places is mentioned! Competently illustrated by Linda Bleck, of Pepper the Dog and other projects, the pictures offer lots of depth for children to explore time after time. In the days we’ve had this, Kate and Lexi have asked to read it many times, Kate proclaimed it “really fun” and said everyone should have a copy. As an adult reader, I found the text a little clumsier than other books by Margaret Wise Brown, but not unreadably so. I also noticed that most of the countries visited were very white (Holland, Switzerland, France, England, Australia) and though “the far east,” Mexico and Africa are visited, I wish more exploration of these unfamiliar and exciting places was included. Considering the fact that the text was written sixty years ago or more, that’s not a huge surprise, just something worth noting. Overall, this is a welcome addition to our family library (8.5/10)