Adam Shields 
Summary: Basis of the movie and beloved TV show, and well mined by them both for ideas.
Every night my senior year of college MASH was on at 10 PM and was watched by whoever happened to be around. Long before that I had seen most of the episodes, but it is a testament to its quality that college kids were devoted fans to a show that started the year before most of us were born.
Last week the novel was the Audible deal of the day so I picked it up. And mostly I enjoyed it.
Summary: A farce in the style of PG Wodehouse (or vice versa) poking fun at the triviality of Victorian society.
I know that Wilde has the reputation of being funny, but the only other work of his that I have read was the Portrait of Dorian Gray. And while I appreciated the book, I did not think it was great and it certainly is not a comedy.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy. It is also a play and it has been a while since I have read a play with stage directions and character dialogue. And I am not sure I have ever listened to an audiobook of a play, which is what I did here.
Two friends both are leading double lives, in part because they can. Algernon is meeting with his friend who is known as Earnest. Earnest wants to propose to Algernon’s cousin, but Algernon discovers that Earnest’s cigarette case has the inscription “From little Cecily, with her fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack.” So Earnest admits that he is actually named Jack (or John) but uses the name Earnest when he comes to London to get away from his country house.
Algernon admits a similar deception when he wants to get away from London, he pretends to visit a sick friend named Bunbury.
I am reposting this 2011 review because Life’s Biggest Questions is part of the July $3.99 or Less Kindle sale. It is $1.99 through the end of July 2014 Takeaway: Basic Introduction to Systematic Theology does not need to be hard to read. This book has been sitting on my self waiting for me to … Read more
Summary: Georgie is tasked by the Queen to help with the transition of lost distant relative to his new role as heir to a Duke. (Of course someone ends up dead.)
Over the last six months I have read all six of the Her Royal Spyness books that have been written. The series is a fun, cozy mystery series that frequently pays homage to great British mystery writers. The first book was a clear homage to Dorothy Sayers. Sherlock Holmes has been mentioned throughout the books. And the last two book have had hints of Agitha Cristie.
That is not to say the plots are stolen, they are not. But that slight feeling exists that Rhys Bowen is trying to honor those that have gone before her by dropping in little scene hints or clues. If I were more versed on classic British mysteries, I am sure there are more that I would get.
In Heirs and Graces, the book opens with Georgie’s latest venture, secretary to her mother as her mother attempts to write a memoir. But as should be predicted, her mother either can’t talk about many of the interesting events of her life or wants to go shopping and not do the hard work on writing. So Georgie is left yet again without a means of supporting herself, or a place to live.
Summary: Death, Life, Meaning and other light topics.
Nothing reminds me more of the importance of not wasting time on bad books like reading a really good book. I cannot tell you why I have not read everything that Madeleine L’Engle has written by now. I have had the time, but I haven’t done it. I need to rectify the situation.
A couple years ago I blogged through the Time Quintet and then a couple of stand alone early novels. I picked up the first of the Austin Family books and was not excited about it. So it took me a while to read another.
I skipped to A Ring of Endless Light because I picked it up on kindle a while ago while it was on sale. But I actually ended up listening to it on audiobook from the library.
The Austin family series is focused on a family of 4 kids and their parents. There is nothing apparently special about the family except that they seem to be a pretty healthy, well-loved family.
All of A Ring of Endless Light is set on Seven Bay Island. This is the home of their Grandfather. Every summer they usually spend time with their wise retired pastor/missionary/scholar grandfather. This summer they are spending the whole summer because their grandfather is dying.
Summary: A rough bio of St Francis with a little bit of Pope Francis thrown in for good measure. St Francis has had a ton of biographies and spiritual growth books written about or inspired by him (some have suggested there are more books about St Francis than anyone other than Jesus, but that is … Read more
Neil Gaiman has credibly been accused of sexual assault and abuse.
Takeaway: Is comfortable better?
After I reviewed Neil Gaiman’s latest novel (The Ocean at the End of the Lane), I started having friends ask for recommendations of other Gaiman books. So I decided I should go back and re-read some of those books that I keep recommending.
My traditional advice with Gaiman is that is you like the adult fairy tales, then you start with Stardust, then read Neverwhere or The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Then read his creepy kids book Coraline.
But if you like Gaiman’s alternative takes of mythology, then read American Gods, Good Omens and Anansi Boys.
Neverwhere is the story of a man (Richard) that has a comfortable, but plain life in London. When he stumbles on Door (a young woman that is bleeding on the sidewalk in front of him). He is introduced to the world of London Below. And suddenly his life in London Above is not quite the same.
Neil Gaiman has credibly been accused of sexual assault and abuse. Takeaway: America is a difficult land for the gods. American God’s is a classic postmodern fictional look at religion. All of the Gods are here. If someone once worshiped them at some point in the past, then that God is wandering around, except for … Read more
Summary: A helpful look at a reforming movement within Catholicism, but a lot of inside baseball.
I have read a number of positive reviews of Evangelical Catholicism from people I trust. But more than anything, this book reminded me how little I actually know about Catholicism.
This is a book that is very inside baseball. For those of us outside the Catholic Church, a book that was about 1/3 the length would have been appropriate.
As a non-Catholic, and one that was made very aware of my lack of knowledge it is hard to review this book. But there are things that really stood out to me.
One, I think the main reoccuring theme of the book, that the church has done a very poor job catechizing (teaching) its members is true. John Paul II started a program of “˜new evangelicalization’, which is a dual, active focus on evangelizing those outside the church, and catechizing those inside the church. I think almost no one really disputes this. How it is done I am sure has lots of controversy. But the fact that it is needed, I think is probably less controversial.
Summary: Collection of humourous short stories, but the dog one is not to be missed.
I was complaining that I needed something different to read a few weeks ago and Seth Simmons, one of Bookwi.se’s regular contributors suggested PG Wodehouse. Like so many authors, I was aware of him as a great humorist, but I had not actually read anything.
The Man With Two Left Feet is one of about 30 of his books that are in the public domain and available for free as kindle books. And several of those have Audible discounts if you buy the kindle version first.
I wasn’t paying attention when I picked this up, because it is a collection of 13 short stories. I am not a particular fan of short stories. I prefer a full length book that really develops characters.