January Recap

BOOKS READ: 4

* J R R Tolkien (trans.): Beowulf: A translation and commentary  ⭐⭐⭐

    As much as I have enjoyed the story of Beowulf over the years, whether this edition by Tolkien or other editions, I did not so much this second time. I don't know what happened, other than I found the language somewhat tedious. I definitely experienced the LOTR elements in Tolkien's writing. I still prefer Beowulf the Warrior by Serraillier, a young person's retelling. 

Cherry Jones

* Laura Ingalls Wilder, Cherry Jones (narrator): Little House in the Big Woods ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐; Farmer Boy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [Audible]

    All I have to say is that I am relishing in (for the millionth time) Cherry Jones' magnificent performance of the Little House series. She is fabulous! I think Farmer Boy is my favorite. I like to listen to the series while hauling mulch and tending to  my chickens, pretending my work is laborious like Almanzo's work. LOL. Not even close!

* Johnson & Robinson: The Scalpel and the Soul  ⭐⭐⭐

    Someone at church handed this to me, and I read it in a few days. It was about a married couple of surgeons during the 70s and 80s who performed abortions as an expedient way to make ample income on the side, and how they were convicted to quit and instead became proponents of the pro-life community. They also proclaimed Christ as Savior. I only gave it three stars because the writing was not very challenging, but I don't think that was the point. The message was. 

BOOKS I AM STILL READING: 16 

* J. Vernon McGee: Thru the Bible

    I use this commentary along with my daily Bible reading. Currently I am reading chronologically through the Bible, and I am in Deuteronomy. 

* Spurgeon: Morning and Evening

    This I use as my devotional.

* Dillehay: Broken Bread: How to Stop Using Food and Fear to Fill Spiritual Hunger [Kindle]

    I am reading this with a friend, and we discuss it one chapter a week. It's really introspective and engaging. 

* Ingalls Wilder, Cherry Jones (narrator): Little House on the Prairie [Audible]

    Again, I'm going through the entire series -- maybe two books a month. 

* Cervantes: Don Quixote

    I returned to the beginning of TWEM project, and this is the first book of the novels; it fits nicely with my self-education project for the Middle Ages because it is all about the lost art of knights and chivalry. This is my third read.

* Tsarfati: Revealing Revelation: How God's Plan for the Future Can Change Your Life Now

    I have a fascination with eschatology. 

SELF-EDUCATION PROJECT:

    Part of the reason I have so many books open at one time is because I am doing a self-education study through history and literature, and currently I am in the Middle Ages. Therefore, many of my books I am only reading within the time period that I am studying. Many of these books cover church history or Christianity. 

* Miller: TruthQuest: The Middle Ages 

    I am using this book as my spine, and from it I read deeper into history and literature with many of the following books:

* Miller: The Story of the Middle Ages

    Overview of the chronological view of history in short chapters with a brief introduction to an event or person. Reads like a story and meant to be read aloud.

* Kirk: Roots of the American Order

    This book digs into America's governmental roots, back to the Law of Moses, or God's Law. Kirk follows it all the way through history up until America's birth.

* Schaeffer: How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture

    There is an archaic video edition of this book, but I prefer the book so much more. Schaeffer put together an excellent discussion topic. 

* Foxe: Foxe's Book of Martyrs

    This is a new version of Foxe's Martyrs, edited by Voice of the Martyrs, and it too follows along chronologically through history. 

* Jackson: No Other Foundation: The Church Through Twenty Centuries

    This book is a full and complex review of Church history.

* Johnson: The History of Christianity

    I wish I did not open this can of worms with Johnson because he is an intricate writer, and I think I am in over my head regarding this topic. I almost feel like he is making the case against Christianity. LOL!! But I have had this copy for years and it follows along nicely with my history study; therefore, I will try to stick it out. I greatly appreciated Johnson's A History of the American People, which was brilliant and so enjoyable. I was hoping this title would read the same, but...we'll see where it goes.

* Langford: Fire Upon the Earth: The Story of the Christian Church

    I love this little book. A bite size overview of Church history. Short and sweet, concise and honest. Also reads in chronological order.

* Shelley: Church History in Plain Language

    One of most readable books on Church history. 

* Pyle: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

    I very much enjoyed reading this to my kids, but that was a long time ago, and I'm not having the same experience. Yet, I carry on. Almost done. It is somewhat interesting reading it alongside Don Quixote.

* * *

The Twelve-Course Meal Bookish Tag

Two of life's pleasures are reading worthy books and eating delectable foods. Often times reading a book is comparable to tasting, swallowing, chewing, and digesting food. Books are a buffet of flavors, colors, textures, and tastes -- rich, hearty, fiery, and spicy, smooth and chewy, bitter, sweet, and sour, meaty, tender and succulent, and on and on. Therefore, if we imagine our books as an edible spread to ingest, maybe we can build a twelve course meal of our favorites.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Here are the twelve courses included in this elaborate menu designed to give diners a tantalizing eating experience with food. If you were to assign your favorite books to the menu, as if they were food to be tasted, where would you place them? Pay attention to the italicized words in the descriptions, but you can be creative. Then briefly explain why you placed them in that category...giving the readers a taste. 

The Twelve-Course Meal

1. Hors d'oeuvre  : savory food, usually served in small portions, like bacon-wrapped scallops.

2. Amuse-bouche : smaller complimentary appetizer, like a cocktail, a teaser from the chef, or single bite finger food.

3. Soup : a light soup, like a bisque or consummé, to bridge between appetizers and the main dish.

4. Appetizer : food or drink that stimulates the appetite for more, like shrimp with cocktail sauce.

5. Salad : very small and usually a mixture of greens with dressing, or a hodgepodge of pieces of cold food, used to cleanse the palate after all those tempting appetizers.

6. Fish / seafood : a flavorful, light meat, delicate and simple, like scallops or oysters, or rich and dignified, like Salmon or tuna steak. 

7. First main dish : Yes, after all that, it is time for the first main dish, which is a lighter meat, like duck, chicken, or turkey.

8. Palate cleanser : time to reset your taste buds with refreshing fruit, bread, or sorbet. 

9. Second main dish : Yes, another meat...RED MEAT, high quality, prepared to sophistication, such as short ribs or stuffed lamb.

10. Cheese course : served as a simple variety of textures and flavors accompanied by crackers or nuts, kind of like a charcuterie board of diversity.  

11. Dessert / wine : Yay! Pleasant deliciousness accompanied by an after dinner drink. Think of rich chocolate mousse or sweet berries and champagne.

12. Mignardise : Finally, the post-post meal treat is a tiny delicate, bite-size elaborate confection, like a macaron, served with coffee or after dinner liqueur, to aid digestion. 

MY ANSWERS:

1. Hors d'oeuvre : The Little House series by Ingalls-Wilder

This could go with comfort food, like warm soup on a cold day; however, with all the descriptions of delicious foods within every story, this series is altogether small packages of savory, just like bacon-wrapped scallops. 

2. Amuse-bouche : Far From the Madding Crowd by Hardy 

Since many of Hardy's works tend to be distressing, this is one that could be a teaser to additional Hardy's works, if you did not know any better. His style is satisfying, and this one is a love story that ends better than the rest. 

3. Soup : Wind in the Willows by Grahame

Enjoyable, pleasant, and just right. Like comfort food.

4. Appetizer : 1984 by George Orwell

This classic will stimulate your mind. If you desire more, you may choose The Handmaid's Tale, Brave New World, or Lord of the Flies. Otherwise, you may be ready to cleanse your palate with salad.

5. Salad : Madame Bovary by Flaubert

The main character is a hodgepodge, a mixed bag, a mess. Then again, many of us can relate to her because we suffer from Madame Bovary Syndrome. 

6. Fish / seafood : Persuasion by Jane Austen

A delicate and simple love story, but also refined and dignified. 

7. First main dish : Don Quixote by Cervantes 

The outward appearance is daunting...but it is both light and substantial. 

8. Palate cleanser : Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery

Definitely refreshing and a reset from the heavier reads on our plate. 

9. Second main dish : Anna Karenina by Tolstoy

Pure RED MEAT. This you will digest for a lifetime. 

10. Cheese course : Reading Lolita in Tehran by Nafisi

Nafisi wrote this story about reading books under the repressive and tyrannical Iranian regime, providing a variety of experiences from literature through the POV of women under threat. (P.S. if you are curious about what is happening in Iran now, read this book!)

11. Dessert / wine : The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald

Each time I read this, it ages well. I know the story is difficult to swallow, but it's more than a story; it is an experience. You don't want to look again, but you have to look; just like you don't want that piece of cheesecake, but you have to have one more bite. 

12. Mignardise : Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This is a treat! A well-thought out love story with truth and honesty and perfection. It will be just what you need; satisfyingly smooth and easy to digest. 

* * *

Want to participate? Copy the INSTRUCTIONS and menu from the top of this post, and create a post with your answers on your blog. Comment here when you've answered the tag, and include a link to your post. 

Bon Appetit!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Read in 2025

 

Top Ten Books I Read in 2025

These were some of the best reads of 2025, in no order. In fact, I had to do eleven because I could not eliminate any of these. I rated them four and five stars on GoodReads. It does not mean I agreed with them all of the time, but rather that I felt engaged and learned something new or enjoyed the story experience. 

    

1. The Aeneid by Virgil (translated by Christopher Pearse Cranch) : Enjoyed the writing/translation style and much of the story; however, the war scenes were at times laborious. I skimmed through a bit.

2. The Essential Writings by Josephus : According to Josephus, the Jewish people were so divided and weakened by civil strife that the Romans did not have to exert themselves to take Jerusalem. In fact, the Temple was already in ruins at the hands of the Jewish sects, that it was not even salvageable. The Roman general Titus gave orders to burn it down. I believe Josephus suggested that the Romans would have preserved it, if they thought there was anything to save.  Fascinating stuff!

3. My Dear Hemlock by Tilly Dillehay : This is a woman's take on C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. Very engaging, especially if you read it with her Discussion Guide.

4. Our Town by Thorton Wilder : A very American-themed play set in the early 20th century showcasing our common human experience. Bring tissues. After reading the play, I was lucky enough to see a local theater perform it. 

        

5. My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir : If you love nature and stories set in nature, you'll truly appreciate John Muir's journaling of his time in the Sierra's. He knew every tree, flower, shrub, and bird ever created. It was also adventurous.

6. The Pioneers by David McCullough : An intriguing insight told through personal accounts about the first New Englanders who risked their lives and comfort to explore and settle the new and wild Northwest Territory (Ohio Valley).  

7. Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean : While this is a version for children (junior high and older), it does not dilute or leave out the agreeable characteristics of this ancient tale about love and friendship, and life and death. 

8. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair : This story reminds me of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath in some ways because it was a preachy novel. It was a train wreck so well written, I couldn't put it down, the same way people slow down to stare at the car wreck on the side of the road. I disagreed with this story, but I don't mind reading penetrating stories that cause me to reel with disbelief. 

 
9. John Adams by David McCullough : Again, McCullough is a master of vivid story telling about history and people, particularly through the use of letters and other correspondence, news articles, and journals. He helps the reader understand his human subject(s), flawed and broken, at times, but capable of triumph and goodness. Kind of like all of us.

10. Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris : Another successful author with a pleasant writing style about a fascinating American, Theodore Roosevelt. Talk about privilege! This is the second book in a trilogy, and  I believe it covers his entire two-terms as president. Exceptional!

Bonus: The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Clark : I had to include this. It's a western, but more than that. It's shocking! This story will make you take a good long look at yourself -- on the inside. Where God looks. If you don't have a conscience, this book won't bother you. But for the rest of us...prepare to shudder. 

* * *

Happy New Year 2026 Reading Goals

The beginning of a new year is a great excuse to lay out well-meaning reading plans, which I have done already.

Last June, my husband bought me the audio version of The Little House series, read -- performed is more fitting -- by Cherry Jones. And since I get the itch to read The Little House series every two years, I plan to listen to all nine books in 2026. 

I've also been working through a Self-Education Project since summer. My last student graduated in June, and as I am now a retired homeschool mom, I thought, What ever shall I do with myself without homeschooling? Therefore, I pulled out our history spines (TruthQuest History by Michelle Miller) and started from the very beginning of Creation. I have completed the first three books of the series (Beginnings, Greece, and Rome), and now I shall begin jousting into the Middle Ages. I have a list of supplemental history and literature to read and continue reading. 

Now that I am done with The Well-Educated Mind reading list (though I intentionally skipped many of the plays), I long to return to the novels...again. 

I am also working through my Bible, Bible Commentary, and three possible books for the Simply Bible Book Club by Simply_Bible on Instagram. 

And, of course, I always add unread books from my unread shelf, which has slowly reduced to 33 books. I think it is safe to say, however, that I won't be reading 50 books this year; therefore, I am lowering my threshold to 40. 

So here is what my TBR looks like for 2026. (For reference, I completed 62% of my 2025 reading goals.)

THE LITTLE HOUSE SERIES (AUDIBLE)

1. Little House in the Big Woods

2. Farmer Boy

3. Little House on the Prairie

4. On the Banks of Plum Creek

5. By the Shores of Silver Lake

6. The Long Winter

7. Little Town on the Prairie

8. The Happy Golden Years

9. The First Four Years

SELF-EDUCATION PROJECT / MIDDLE AGES (some re-rereads/unreads)

1. TruthQuest History Middle Ages (Miller)

2. The Story of the Middle Ages (Miller)

3. Fire Upon the Earth (Langford)

4. No Other Foundation (Jackson)

5. How Should We Then Live? (Schaeffer)

6. Beowulf (Tolkien) 

7. The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (Pyle)

8. Purgatorio (Dante)

9. Paradiso (Dante) 

WELL-EDUCATED MIND (all re-reads)

1. Don Quixote (Cervantes)

2. The Pilgrim's Progress (Bunyan)

3. Gulliver's Travels (Swift)

4. Pride and Prejudice (Austen)

5. Oliver Twist (Dickens)

6. Jane Eyre (Brontë)

FOCUS ON FAITH

1. Thru the Bible (McGee)

2. Morning and Evening (Spurgeon)

3. Voices of the Martyrs (Foxe)

4. The History of Christianity (Johnson)

SIMPLY BIBLE STUDY BOOK CLUB (re-reads)

1. Mere Christianity (Lewis)

2. Confessions (Augustine)

3. Cost of Discipleship (Bonhoeffer)

MISCELLANEOUS UNREADS

1. Undaunted Courage (Ambrose)

2. Colonel Roosevelt (Morris)

3. Mornings on Horseback (McCullough)

4. Broken Bread (Dillehay)

5. Roots of the American Order (Kirk)

Total projection: 36, with room to add, if possible. And I know that is definitely possible.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 

AND WISHING YOU BEST SUCCESS IN YOUR READING ENDEAVORS!

TEN BOOKS OF SUMMER

 

via Anna Book Bel & Words and Peace

Summer is "right around the corner," but where I live, summer has arrived. 

Technically, summer begins when we take a break from school and all activities have halted. I only have one homeschooler left, and she is doing school at her own pace. (This fall she will be a senior.) Her year-end dance recital is this weekend, with a summer break to follow. Yay! And my son completed his final karate tournament a few weekends ago. Therefore, no more traveling until next year; then, summer officially begins next week for me. 

However, I am so behind!! I have seven unreviewed books sitting on my nightstand, which will be my homework for the summer. Then, I saw this on Fanda's blog -- Twenty Books of Summer, which will help me focus to knock out more reading and to add more books to my unreviewed pile. For me, I am going to aim for ten. Annabel is hosting on her blog Anna Book Bel. You can sign up there, if you haven't already. 

These are the books on my summer TBR list:

1. Muir: My First Summer in the Sierra 

2. Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451

3. Bainton: The Reformation of the 16th Century

4. - 6. Shakespeare: Richard III / A Midsummer Night's Dream / Hamlet 

7. Stewart: Letters of a Woman Homesteader

8. Barakat: Balcony on the Moon

9. Lewis: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

10. Kovaciny: My Rock and My Refuge

There are only two summer-related titles in my group, but I am already committed to three reading challenges this year, and many of these titles are also my unreads, which I need to get them read or else.

Enjoy your summer reading!!

 

John Adams by David McCullough

JOHN ADAMS
David McCullough
Published 2001
American Biography
The Gentle Challenge: (Book Recommendation)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When I joined Silva's Gentle (reading) Challenge, my goal was to fit more of my un-reads into specific categories. One of the categories was a book recommendation (or a book you would read because you trusted the word of others). 

John Adams by David McCullough has been on my un-read list for a decade or more. A book blogger I admire recommended this book; but, in fact, she was not the only one who gave it excellent reviews. Therefore, I trusted these opinions. 

I am excited to announce that it was absolutely worth it, and they were correct. I am so grateful that I finally read this book.

Frankly, I do not know where to start or what to say about this epic narrative, except to begin with an emotional response. 

I embrace this book fervently and will add it to my personal canon. It was pleasantly written, exceptionally well done, and absolutely enjoyable. I often imagined that I was transported back to the 1700s and lived through every moment. I walked away with an appreciation for what these men (and women) did to form a new government based on the ideas of self-government and personal liberty and freedom, even if we "could[n't] keep it." 

McCullough's writing style was intelligible, concise, and delightful. He included an abundance of supporting evidence from correspondence, newspaper articles, books, and diaries (sadly, a lost art). If a written work supported a statement or idea, it was included. I do not think he left anything out. Often, I was amazed at how much written correspondence took place, and McCullough used many sources to cross reference who said what and when and where just to piece this history back together. 

By the way, this story was not only about John Adams, although it was very much about him; it was a window into the heart and soul of his faithful, intelligent wife, Abigail, and fellow compatriots, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, and many others. 

I was not aware of the degree Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and some others disapproved of and betrayed Adams, and that Vice President Jefferson, in my opinion, may have committed treason under Adams during his presidency. Scandalous! (Reminds me of Mike Pence and Donald Trump. There is nothing new under the sun.)

I enjoyed the relationship between Adams and his wife, a beautiful, faithful couple, faithful to God and to one another through long periods of separation. Abigail was an excellent partner and helper, encouraging her husband in honorable pursuits. She was a well-educated and well-rounded woman, a protective mother, and a patriot. Both Abigail and John were of one mind on many moral, ethical, and  political perspectives. They had a model union, as is evident from their written correspondence. Mr. Adams absolutely adored his wife, and I can see why.

McCollough presented a genuine and true character analysis of Adams. Of course, he was not a perfect personality, while grievances about him were probably warranted. But he was an admirable, fair, and trustworthy man. Most notably, his relationship with Jefferson later in life was charming, and their collection of letters to one another was and still is inspiring of reconciliation and friendship. 

I especially appreciated the sections on Adams' love for books and reading, which actually contended with Jefferson's obsession with books. 

Unlike Jefferson, who seldom marked a book, and then only faintly in pencil, Adams, pen in hand, loved to add his comments in the margins. It was part of the joy of reading for him, to have something to say himself, to talk back to, agree or take issue with, Rousseau, Condorcet, Turgot, Mary Wollstonecraft, Adam Smith, or Joseph Priestley. "That is no doubt that people are in the long run what the government makes out of them...," Adams read in Rousseau. "The government ought to be what the people make it," he wrote in response. (LOL!)

Adams was guilty of defacing books while reading and once wrote 12,000 notes and comments in one book alone! He read French Revolution by Wollstonecraft twice "with delight" because he disagreed with almost everything she said. Adams and Jefferson "were two of the greatest book lovers of their bookish generation." Adams owned over 3,200 books and Jefferson, before he sold them, owned (if I remember correctly) over 5,000. Yikes!

John Adams by John Singleton Copley, 1784

Other adventures experienced in this chunk of history included Adams' overseas life in France and England; the terrible French Revolution, whose outcome Adams predicted; the provocation of America by the French and British; the ongoing issue with slavery; the complications with disease; and the nasty disputes among men like Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, and Aaron Burr. How many times did I scribble in the margins: There's nothing new under the sun.

This is only a small fraction of what I went through. The biography is over 650 pages, with an impressive bibliography. The pages are full of memorable quotes and passages. (I had to stop writing them down while reading, though I plan to return to the book and collect them.) This work is chronologically written, beginning in the early 1770s, the eve of the American Revolution, until right after Adams' death, July 4, 1826, just a few hours after his friend Thomas Jefferson died. Adams was 90 years old. 

WHO WANTS TO READ THIS?

Obviously, if you like: 

• biographies, 
• biographies about U.S. presidents, 
• histories, 
• American history (particularly early American History), 
• books about war or Revolutionary war histories, 
• political science or government systems 
• (or want to witness the birth of man's best attempt at good government ever), 
• stories about brilliant minds together in one time or place, 
• and love stories -- yes, love stories! 

...then this is your next book.

THE GENTLE CHALLENGE

 

Poetics by Aristotle

POETICS 

Aristotle

Written 4th century B.C.

Greek essay

The Well-Educated Mind Plays

⭐⭐⭐

I read this for my WEM (plays) reading challenge, but it is not a play at all. It is an essay on poetry, particularly drama, including forms and parts, marks of success and failure, as well as Aristotle's criticisms and resolutions. 

According to the author, the art of poetry, particularly tragedy, is the imitation of life. Drama is the vehicle which poets use to imitate "people doing things." Imitation comes naturally to human beings...and it is pleasurable. 

There are two kinds of poetry: comedy and tragedy. Aristotle's narrative on comedy has been lost, but the remainder of his essay focused on tragedy. He noted that over time, spoken word plays developed and then plot-construction and stories. 

Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is admirable, complete and possesses magnitude; in language made pleasurable, each of its species separated in different parts; performed by actors, not through narration; [a]ffecting through pity and fear the purification of such emotions. 

The plot is the source and the soul of tragedy... 

A good tragic plot should be complex and imitate true life events. However, it should not present decent characters beginning with good fortune and falling into horrific circumstances because this would exasperate the audience. Nor should depraved characters begin with poor fortunes and excel because this is least tragic. The best tragic plot begins with an intermediate character who experiences a life change not of his own moral fault, but by a mishap outside of his control. 

The plot should also take the character through a realization of his downturn and an understanding of why the reversal of fortune. An excellent tragic plot succeeds when it produces pity and fear. Pity is what we experience when we empathize with the character and fear when we recognize that the same could happen to us. 

WHO WANTS TO READ THIS?

I suppose this is an excellent source for those studying drama or poetry, and certainly it has been used as required reading in high school and college. Simple, insightful, and well organized. Who said the Greeks were difficult to read?

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Doctor Zhivago

Boris Pasternak

translated by Hayward and Harari

Published 1957

Russian historical fiction

Classics Reading Challenge 2025

⭐⭐⭐

 

In 2016, almost ten years ago - gosh, time flies! - I read this classic for the first time. I was mesmerized by it and added it to my personal canon. That's how confident I was about its ability to affect and transform me. 

Meanwhile, I re-read it last month for my Classics Reading Challenge: Russian classic, and I cannot believe I read the same book. I dragged myself through this, completely disoriented, having forgotten much of the story. Come to find out, there really is no clear plot in Doctor Zhivago. There are a million characters with a dozen or so interchangeable names each. And love story? There is NO love story. If Pasternak intended to include a love story, it is a lousy excuse for one. 

Having said all of that, I decided to read my original review from 2016, and I preferred my review to re-reading Zhivago because my review was short and sweet. I am still in agreement with my initial response to the exquisite writing style and aesthetic descriptions of Russia. Pasternak was a naturalist, it seemed. Very effective writing, indeed! Is it safe to assume that was why he won the 1958 Nobel Prize in literature for his poetic method? I also approved of the author's dissertations on essential themes, particularly on liberty and freedom, Marxism, beauty and art. I did underline quotes here and there; hence, there was some active reading going on, which means I was thinking and reading at the same time. I had a pulse, I mean, while reading.

But other than that, I was not mentally or emotionally engaged this second time, and I think it has more to do with how I have changed over these ten years. This time, I was more irritated by Yuri, our protagonist -- our tragic hero - and his adultery. And by page 486, I was extremely grateful when I turned the page to find that I had written "JERK" across the top margin because even back in 2016, I had had enough of Yuri's self-serving character. 

OK...maybe I am being a bit dramatic. 

A majority of the story is its background and setting, which is Russia, during WWI and the Russian Revolution, 1917-1922. The history is actually a beneficial part of the story. In fact, if you are looking to expand your understanding or experience of this time period, and of Russia, add it for that reason. 

But if you are looking for an entertaining story with characters, human experiences, relationships..., this is not it. I went from a five-star experience to a three-star, mainly because of the lack of cohesive plot or storyline and the disappointing characters. 

 

The Birds by Aristophanes

 

The Birds

Aristophanes

Written 414 B.C.

Greek Comedic Drama

The Well-Educated Mind Plays

⭐⭐

The Greek poem The Birds was a strange, carefree comedy. It was very odd. I found myself asking: What am I reading? Where is this going? What is the point? There was no point. 

Aristophanes wrote The Birds during a time of worldly peace and ease, with no concern for war or turmoil. The setting was not Athens, though there were historical references to Greece and its surroundings. 

The two main human characters, Peisetarius and Euelpides, traveled an unknown road, bellyaching about their dull lives in Athens, while taking pointless directions from their pets, a crow and jackdaw. (Already the poem felt wayward.)

Peisetarius had an idea to seek out the mythological character Tereus (who had transformed into a bird)  and convince him to create a city just for birds, where humans (such as themselves), tired of human life (also them), may find sanctuary in the sky.

Once connected with Tereus, the main characters easily persuaded him to build this bird city where birds would live together rather than fly freely everywhere (which seemed like a worse idea to me). However, the conciliation was that birds could concentrate control of all humans below and also besiege power from the Greek gods above. After all, birds were the original gods, he told him. Tereus enthusiastically agreed and called all the birds together and employed the two humans to convince the world's birds of the plan. 

As birds appeared, they were fearful at first sight of Peisetarius and Euelpides, until Peisetarius presented his flattering birds-were-the-original-gods speech and assured them to regain their lost powers from the Olympian gods. They ecstatically agreed and prepared to do battle with the gods. 

After the city was built, the gods, who were pathetically feeble, puny, and half-witted, visited the city.  They did not stand a chance against the birds, obviously, and unsurprisingly capitulated power to Peisetarius, who was naturally crowned the new king of the birds. (He wasn't shrewd for nothing.)

There was a symphony of music, bird song, and colorful plumed costumes throughout the play. And there was a Shakespearean semblance to the play, which tells me the Bard read Aristophanes, no doubt! But there were also extreme sexual overtones towards females and F-bombs, too, that were unfortunate. That is why I could only give it two stars. My final words are that I'm grateful to be done with it, and I'll never read it again.

The next title on TWEM plays list is Poetics by Aristotle.

The Theodore Roosevelt Trilogy (Volumes 1 & 2) by Edmund Morris

VOLUME ONE

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

Volume One

Edmund Morris

Published 1979

American biography

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I began my Teddy Roosevelt journey last year when I read The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, by Edmund Morris, the first volume in the Roosevelt trilogy, which covered the first forty-two years of his life. He had the most excellent privileged beginning -- well-off, well-educated, and well-loved. His father was his greatest inspiration, and though Theodore experienced extreme health complications from asthma, his father encouraged him to overcome his weakness with physical exertion and a rigorous spirit of mind. This approach to life produced the epitome of a manly man. After a disciplined regiment of boxing and weight lifting, Roosevelt conquered the great outdoors -- mountain hiking, swimming, and hunting became part of his lifestyle.

Roosevelt also developed excellent character, principle, and esteem. He honored women with respect, and he expected all men to be true. He feared no man and earned the admiration of his enemies. 

This first book of the trilogy covered the death of his father, his first marriage, the tragic death of his wife and mother on the same day, after his wife gave birth to their first daughter, and his second marriage to childhood friend, Edith. The book also included the political positions Theodore accomplished. While he was the Police Commissioner of New York, his focus was to end corruption in the police force. Many loathed him for being a hardliner, but he was obligated to follow the law. And of course, one of his most famous adventures was leading the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War in Cuba and liberating the Cuban people from Spain. 

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt ended with Theodore becoming President McKinley's vice president and shortly thereafter learning that McKinley had been shot...catapulting him into the role as president. He was the youngest ever to become president, at that point in history.

VOLUME TWO

Theodore Rex

Volume Two

Edmund Morris

Published 2001

American biography

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The second volume in the trilogy, Theodore Rex, began with Roosevelt's first administration in 1901, and ended after his second term was finished, in 1908. He was a most beloved and popular president. Though he was a Republican, he was more of a progressive (by today's standards) and sided with the people on many issues. He was definitely the people's president.

Here are a few highlights from Theodore Rex: 

• He would bar correspondents or whole newspapers from the White House for misquoting him.
• He was friends with Booker T. Washington. White Southerners were angry that he met with Washington in the White House, but Roosevelt did not care what they said about him. 
• He also permitted black politicians to bring their black wives to the White House for dinner, which was not heard of and caused quite a stir. 
• He believed equality would occur naturally, eventually.
• He cared more about quality and merit, not quantity.
• He had an extensive booklist and devoured books even while listening to others speak, and he wrote books, too.
• He gave excellent speeches.
• He won the Nobel Prize for helping to end the Japanese Russo War.
• He believed that to postpone war, one must prepare for it. He encouraged the military to build up its fleets. 
• He had an energetic personality, and was always drawn with a huge smile full of teeth. He exhausted some because they could not keep up with him.
• Some of the foreign entanglements on his plate included dealing with Columbia during the creation of the Panama Canal; and issues with Cuba, the Philippines, and Japan and Russia.
• Near the end of his second term, he lost support of black voters due to an incident which occurred in New Orleans, firing black soldiers who were accused of rioting.

Someone came up with a perfect motto for Roosevelt: 

Rem facias rem, si posis recte, si non quocunque modo rem --

"The Thing, get the thing, fairly if possible, if not, then however it can be gotten." 

All three of the volumes are over 500 pages each, and Edmund's notes are bountiful alone. The writing style is exceptional and enjoyable. Theodore Roosevelt is an extraordinary moral character, whose boundless energy jumps off the pages. God certainly broke the mold after He made Teddy Roosevelt.  

The third volume is Colonel Roosevelt, and I hope to finish that this year.