Uncommon Traveler – Mary Kingsley in Africa
Incredible story of Mary Kingsley who was born in England in 1862. Although Mary remembers her childhood fondly, by most standards, her childhood was sad and bleak.
She never attended school, yet she loved books and learning so she taught herself. This book covers her two trips to West Africa in 1893 and 1894. Her travels added to the knowledge of West Africa and most people were astonished merely by her survival.
Wonderful woman and book!
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
I can’t remember that I’ve ever read this. When Thomas read it for the first time many years ago; he suggested I read it and that I would like it. He was right! I was hooked and had a hard time putting it down. We’ve seen the older movie; but haven’t yet seen the new movie. Wonderful book!
Fearless Flyer – Ruth Law and Her Flying Machine
We learned about Ruth Law and how on November 19, 1916 she took to the sky to fly from Chicago to New York in one day. Something no one had ever done. Especially not a woman. Beautifully illustrated and wonderful book!
“When I was a little girl I used to dream of flying, not with terror ….. but with wonder and delight. I would be a swallow flying south, or an eagle swooping down from the clouds, and then, all of a sudden, I’d wake up, just a little girl ready to cry because she had no wings.”
“I could anticipate what would happen to the motor by the sound of it.”
“To become an aviator one has to dismiss all fear.”
“The sky was my limit and the horizon my sphere. It’s any woman’s sphere if she has nerve and courage and faith in herself. She’s got to have faith in herself.”
May 5 2019:
St. Peter’s Umbrella
I have been incorporating more fiction into my reading as that was my first love. More coming … The list is already growing of what I’ve read so far …. And, there’s a fiction or two wanting to be birthed from my heart.
Written by one of the most popular story-tellers of Hungarian literature. This was one of the most popular he ever wrote. Wonderful story that held my attention. Nearing the end I couldn’t put it down as I wanted to know how it all unfolded. Great story built from the ground up surrounding an elusive and honored red umbrella.
This book was purchased at a library sale years ago for Lillian. I’ve been wanting to read it ever since … 😍😍😍
April 28 2019:
When the Shadbush Blooms
A great book about a Lenape Indian girl, about cycles and about tradition and change. We enjoyed it!
The Old Man and the Sea
Another I cannot remember having ever read. My interest has been peaked over the years to read this story; yet, it never moved up on my list.
I checked it out from the library after reading “The True Secret of Writing” by Natalie Goldberg and the way she speaks of the book, the story, and Hemingway.
Blessed and happy I did. Beautiful story of courage and friendship. I felt like I was there in the boat with the old man. Wonderful and powerful writing.
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
We finally took the time to read this as we’ve watched the black and white version of the movie several times. I read it aloud over a few weeks. We found it interesting that the movie had few similarities to the story written by Wilde.
“The humorous tale of a malevolent ghost who discovers there is no peace for the wicked when a rambunctious American family moves into his ancestral home.” (from the flap). I enjoyed reading this to Thomas and Lillian!
April 7 2019:
My first love of reading was in the fiction genre as a child, teen and young adult. In about 1998, I switched solely to the non-fiction genre as I discovered an entirely different world and reason for reading.
I’ve come full circle and have incorporated fiction back into my life. Although as a young adult I read some horror books, I will not be incorporating that genre again. This was my first read in re-entering fiction a couple of months ago. 💜📖📖📖💜
Mary Poppins
I mainly wanted to read it as I was deeply curious after seeing the movie “Saving Mr. Banks” and how it was portrayed that P.L. Travers absolutely did not want Walt Disney veering from her story and all of the other things she did not want done to her story. It seems the movie did veer quite a bit away from the original story.
We’ve seen Mary Poppins many times and we love it so this was the sleuth researcher in me coming out to play! Travers was in a tough spot as she was about to lose her house and needed the money. After years of telling Disney “no”, she finally gave in.
Yet, it had some threads that remained true to the book. I truly don’t remember reading this when I was younger. Glad I read it now and that my interest was peaked by watching “Saving Mr. Banks.”
Between Earth & Sky – Legends of Native American Sacred Places
Beautifully illustrated book with ten Native American legends which tell the majesty and miracle of a land we call home. Enjoyed by all Team TLC.
A Thousand Mornings – Poems
One of my favorites from this collection:
Poem of the One World
This morning
the beautiful white heron
was floating along above the water
and then into the sky of this
the one world
we all belong to
where everything
sooner or later
is a part of everything else
which thought made me feel
for a little while
quite beautiful myself.
Lovely book of Mary Oliver poems.
