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bibliophage's reviews
626 reviews
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Clever, insightful, funny, well-written. In some ways, Chaucer seems was ahead of his time.
Othello by William Shakespeare
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.”
It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.”
Isabella: The Warrior Queen by Kirstin Downey
This is a fantastic biography–-very accessible and well written. I thoroughly enjoyed Downey's work. She consults a variety of sources and covers Queen Isabella's life from childhood to death and beyond, her family and those she worked with, as well as history of the region (even backing up to share appropriate context). Downey is fair to Queen Isabella and other historical figures, she is sensitive to strengths but doesn't hide weaknesses or wrongs. Lots of exploration here in what Queen Isabella had her hands in and what she didn't and where she receives due credit/blame and where she doesn't.
Queen Isabella is a fascinating figure and whether she was making positive or negative impacts she was a powerhouse of a woman. Many of her achievements, or the strategic moves she made have not been credited to her, and I appreciate Downey bringing that to light. I learned so much. I HIGHLY recommend this read.
Queen Isabella is a fascinating figure and whether she was making positive or negative impacts she was a powerhouse of a woman. Many of her achievements, or the strategic moves she made have not been credited to her, and I appreciate Downey bringing that to light. I learned so much. I HIGHLY recommend this read.
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
A really interesting, true story well told. Winchester tells the story of the two main men behind the Oxford English Dictionary: one, Professor James Murray, a determined and ambitious philologist and the other an American surgeon, Dr. W. C. Minor, with a very curious story. Winchester hooks the reader right away and he doesn’t disappoint.
Winchester does a great job giving plenty of context for each part of this story—background on the history of English dictionaries (I loved how he pointed out that Shakespeare had no language resources, and then later Jonathan Swift’s objection to the word “bamboozle” ha!), plenty of background of the main historical figures (Professor James Murray and Dr. W. C. Minor), and also brief discussions of words throughout. Winchester’s work is well researched and well presented. Any lover of the English language, the history of words, or detailed history will enjoy this read!
Added note June 5, 2019: The movie is absolutely dreadful.
Winchester does a great job giving plenty of context for each part of this story—background on the history of English dictionaries (I loved how he pointed out that Shakespeare had no language resources, and then later Jonathan Swift’s objection to the word “bamboozle” ha!), plenty of background of the main historical figures (Professor James Murray and Dr. W. C. Minor), and also brief discussions of words throughout. Winchester’s work is well researched and well presented. Any lover of the English language, the history of words, or detailed history will enjoy this read!
Added note June 5, 2019: The movie is absolutely dreadful.
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
A charming and totally entertaining collection for children and those who love to read writing for children!
A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
"To celebrate such a life is to acknowledge the power–and the poverty–of written records. Outside her own diary, Martha has no history. Although she considered herself 'the head of a family,' a full partner in the management of a household, no independent record of her work survives. It is her husband’s name, not hers, that appears in censuses, tax lists, and merchant accounts for her town" (343).
A Midwife's Tale is an intriguing look at late 1700s/early 1800s New England through the eyes of the midwife and healer Martha Ballard. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich shares and expands upon Ballard's diaries to create a fuller picture of the role that Ballard played in her own home and in her community. Through this Pulitzer Prize winning piece, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich brings to light the significant work and influence of women in labor, life, and medicine, that is so often missed or misattributed. An excellently written piece.
Pulitzer Prize for History 1991
A Midwife's Tale is an intriguing look at late 1700s/early 1800s New England through the eyes of the midwife and healer Martha Ballard. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich shares and expands upon Ballard's diaries to create a fuller picture of the role that Ballard played in her own home and in her community. Through this Pulitzer Prize winning piece, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich brings to light the significant work and influence of women in labor, life, and medicine, that is so often missed or misattributed. An excellently written piece.
Pulitzer Prize for History 1991
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Didion's piece elegantly explores the beginning of her grieving process, as she experiences one significant heartbreak and then another. Her writing is lovely (as usual). Didion shares memories while at the same time exploring the ephemeral nature of memory (how it shifts and changes and responds to our different stresses and situations). I liked the reflective nature of this book, Didion writes with melancholy but also with interesting perspective and inquiry as she looks back on this specific "year of magical thinking." This is a somewhat sad, but also beautiful read and caused me to look back on my own moments of grief and how I physically, mentally, and emotionally responded to those situations.
National Book Award for Nonfiction 2005
National Book Award for Nonfiction 2005
Holes by Louis Sachar
I loved the side stories that filled out the main plot line. The story is unique and the characters are somehow both realistic and larger-than life. A great middle-grade read.
National Book Award in Young People's Literature 1998
1999 Newbery Medal Winner
4/96
National Book Award in Young People's Literature 1998
1999 Newbery Medal Winner
4/96
The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World by David Abram
This book was life-changing for me. Abram helped me gain a new perspective about seeing, reading, sensing, language, writing, communication, experience, snd sensitivity that I am still fostering and growing. Abram's writing is elegant and beautifully crafted. I can't recommend this book enough.