Favorite Books in February

February was a surprisingly great reading month for me. I finished Kristin Lavransdatter, which was a grueling, but powerful book.

To offset the heaviness of KL, I listened to three delightful audiobooks: Whose Body? (the first Lord Peter Wimsy novel by Dorothy Sayers), 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff (which was a read-along with the Literary Life Podcast group), and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, which I reviewed here. This last book caught me completely by surprise and may just be one of my favorite books of the year.

I don't usually read so many favorites in one month, but one more title hit it out of the park for me: L.M. Montgomery's A Tangled Web. I did not love it unequivocally and will highlight some of my reservations in next week's review. Still, it was funny and poignant, and the way that Montgomery brought closure to the story lines was heartwarming and satisfying.

I read all of these for free through my library app, Hoopla, (except for Kristin L. which I bought when it was on sale.)

What was your favorite February book?

Blessings,

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigred Undset

I rarely review a book unless I love it, but Kristin Lavransdatter is an exception. Undset’s three-volume story of a 14^th Century woman’s life in Norway was hard to get through, yet worth the effort.  Although I am not a Catholic, I have a deep appreciation for Catholic authors who write about sin, suffering and redemption without fluffy conclusions.

Kristin Lavransdatter (“daughter of Lavran”) grew up in a devout family but chose to go against her parents’ principles in her choice of husband. It is hard to review the book without spoilers so I will just say the bad choices made in the first book ("The Bridal Wreath") have a ripple effect throughout the rest of the trilogy. It is a devastating critique of the high cost of sin. Yet it miraculously avoids being preachy.

References to immoral behavior are discreet, but frequent and troubling. Undset did such a remarkable job of creating living, breathing characters that I agonized over each one of them. So much so that I finally did something I rarely do. To reduce the anxiety, I read a synopsis of the books so that I could be better prepared emotionally for what was coming up next. For that reason, I did not “ugly cry” at the end of the book, which is what most people say they do. Admittedly, I was in a daze, but that is as far as it went.

I would never have finished the book if it had not been for the members of the Literary Life podcast group who cheered me on. (I was even part of a Lavransdatter Support Group on Facebook!) Although I had the audiobook, I soon learned that it was more painful to hear the story, than to read it, so I used the audio format sparingly.

Why recommend this difficult title? Because it powerfully portrays men and women in all their glory and in all their brokenness trying to make sense of the world through their mixed lenses of superstition and Catholicism. It describes the joys and suffering of motherhood in a way I've rarely seen in fiction. And there are tiny threads of grace woven throughout the narrative that keep it from being completely hopeless.  

Now I can check this title off of my "14th Century book" category. I think I'll take a breather, however, before I pick up "book I've most avoided" (Anna Karenina.) The Literary Life reading challenge for 2021 is posted here. 

Blessings,

The Creative Act as Ministry - quote by Andrew Peterson

I want you, dear reader, to remember that one holy way of mending the world is to sing, to write, to paint, to weave new worlds. Because the seed of your feeble-yet-faithful work fell to the ground, died, and rose again, what Christ has done through you will call forth praise from lonesome travelers long after your name is forgotten. They will know someone lived and loved there…. That is why the Enemy wants you to think you have no song to write, no story to tell, no painting to paint. He wants to quiet you. So, sing. Let the Word by which the Creator made you fill your imagination, guide your pen, lead you from note to note until a melody is strung together like a glimmering constellation in the clear sky. Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor, too, by making worlds and works of beauty that blanket the earth like flowers. 

(from Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson, p.183)

Blessings,

Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie

I was sad to finally finish the Tommy and Tuppence series. Postern of Fate was not only the final T&T book, but the last book Christie ever wrote. Critics panned it, saying that it showed her age and how she was slipping. But they obviously never heard it read by Hugh Fraser because he makes up for any defects the novel might have. Especially when he's imitating the voices of the pensioners at the old folks' home!

I haven't read enough of Christie to know if this is true or not, but it seemed to me to be a very personal book. The funny descriptions of the dog made me think that Christie was describing one of her own beloved pets. And as Tuppence and Tommy talk over all of their favorite childhood books, I wondered if they might have been Christie's too. 

In the beginning of the book, the Beresfords have just moved into their retirement bungalow. As they remodel the old rooms, they stumble across a mystery involving Mary Jordan, a former resident. Yes, the critics are right. The resulting sleuthing is a little confusing, but I didn't enjoy this entry in the series for its mystery so much as I loved it for its references to many beloved books, its charming and unique characters (beautifully voiced by Fraser), and for bringing closure to my literary relationship with this delightful couple. 

By the way, I tried to watch a few of the TV adaptions that were available on YouTube. In the 1984 version, Tuppence seems painfully silly. In the 2015 version, I was appalled by Tommy's complete indifference to Tuppence because in the books, he adores her (which is one reason I love them).

Anyone else read these?

Blessings,

What I Read and Watched in January

I started the year with a trilogy that I've been dreading putting off for years, Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigred Undset. These novels of historical fiction take place in 14th C. Norway and earned Undset the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. Many members of the Literary Life Podcast Facebook group put it at the top of their list of all-time favorites so I decided to make it my first book of the year to get it over with be able to mark it off my TBR list. It has been an incredible slog, not because the story isn't compelling, but because it causes me so much pain that I have to set it aside every few days for a break. (I wish I could read about other people's bad choices without grieving.) Also, it's more PG than I expected. 

To counteract the heaviness of Kristin's story, I've been reading some lighter books:  The Unselected Letters of Emma M. Lion and a vintage murder mystery called When Last I Died by Gladys Mitchell. I also enjoyed Pink Sugar by O. Douglas, cozy domestic fiction by a favorite author.

All of my sons are adults now and I occasionally worry over their choices. The audiobook, Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children by Allison Bottke was VERY encouraging. (I listened through my library's Hoopla app.)

Another antidote to the stressful reading, was watching the first 10 episodes of season one of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir on YouTube. We also watched the first two episodes of All Creatures Great and Small. I've practically given up on PBS since several of the "safe" shows we tried to watch last year (Poirot, Father Brown, Miss Marple) were full of PC garbage, but All Creatures seems to be staying true to the spirit of the books so far.

Anybody else start the year by attacking your TBR list? Read anything that you recommend? Any thoughts on Kristin Lavransdatter?

Blessings,

Two Wonderful Quotes on Prayer

A heart clogged with care is like a man trying to swim with heavy clothes upon him, he must get them off if he hopes to swim to shore. Many a sailor has cut his clothes to pieces, because he felt he should sink if he did not get clear of them. I could wish that many Christians would tear themselves away from their excessive worldly engagements, for they have such a mass of care upon them that they scarcely keep their heads above water. Oh, for more grace and less worry! More praying and less hoarding! More intercession and less speculating! As it is, prayers are sadly hindered. - Charles Spurgeon

(Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash)

Pray without ceasing. How can one do it who is surrounded by the cares of daily life? How can a mother love her child without ceasing? How can the eyelid, without ceasing, hold itself ready to protect the eye? How can I breathe and feel and hear without ceasing? I can do all these things because they are the functions of a healthy, natural life. And so, if the spiritual life is healthy, under the full power of the Holy Spirit, praying without ceasing will be natural… Pray without ceasing. How can I learn it? The best way of learning is to do a thing – in fact, the only way – is to do it. Begin by setting apart some time every day, say ten or fifteen minutes, in which you say to God and to yourself, that you come to Him now as an intercessor for others. If at first you do not feel any special urgency or faith or power in your prayers, let not that hinder you. Quietly tell your Lord Jesus of your feebleness; believe that the Holy Spirit is in you to teach you to pray, and be assured that if you begin, God will help you. - Andrew Murray

Blessings,

Reading Goals for 2021

I hesitated to write this post since I haven't been faithful to keep my goals for the last few years. I prefer to read where the spirit takes me and to not be tied down to a list. That said, last year I began to think seriously about reading certain classic works on a regular basis and the only way to do that is to set goals. My specific goals are now fairly simple: one title each year from Shakespeare, Dickens and Austen.

The Literary Life Podcast gang has a list of 19 genres they want to cover in 2021. I don't intend to complete their list, but due to "positive peer pressure" from the group, I'm going to attempt three chunksters that I have long avoided: Kristen Lavransdatter (I have the 45 hour audiobook), Anna Karenina (35 hours), and Bleak House (800 pages). If these are the only books I read this year, I'll be satisfied. 

Since I'm planning to read lighter material in between, I'll also be reading one Shakespeare play and Silas Marner (also with the Lit Life group). There were two Victorian titles I did not read for Victober 2020 that I'd like to tackle this year: The Love Letters of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and something by Cardinal John Henry Newman. Lastly, there were several Christmas titles I could not fit in that I'd like to make room for this December: Hercule Poirot's Christmas and Silent Night: Christmas Mysteries by Martin Edwards.

I haven't decided which Austen title to read yet.

Anyone else have formal or informal reading plans for 2021?

Blessings,