Books This Week

I got on a reading kick last weekend which continued through the first part of this week. I even was able to somehow keep the house neat!

Earlier this year, I read Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian. I started it before going to see the movie, but my eyes crossed at all the naval terms. Watching the movie actually helped me to understand the book better, even though the movie doesn't follow the plot of just that book. I enjoyed the movie, by the way, then finished the book.

Uncle Rich mentioned that he preferred the Horatio Hornblower books by C.S. Forester. I borrowed two from him and dove in. I agree that the Forester books are much easier to follow without as much naval jargon. At first, I wondered what kind of hero that Hornblower could possibly be if he suffered from seasickness! I came to admire his ingenuity in problem-solving, his agility in coming up with a plan of action, setting it into motion and following through. In the first book, Forester tells the story in the third person, but in the second book, he tells the story from the point of view of another lieutenant interacting with, observing and forming a friendship with Hornblower. I appreciated that variety in approach. I liked how the lieutenant tried to understand what Hornblower thought and why he acted as he did. The author didn't spell everything out for the reader, he made me wonder along with the lieutenant.

There are eleven books in the series!!!!!

Matthew just finished Little House on the Prairie and read a couple of Chinese story picture books this week. Evan is reading The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit. Sophie's favorite library book this week was about a princess and fairies, surprise, surprise.

James has been reading in the books of Acts to us in the evening. In the morning, I've been reading God With Us by Marianne Radius to the kids.