Category: The Sesquipedalian Speaks

Thursday, 21 December 2023, marked the first day of Winter. December was an unusually busy month with (for me) an uncharacteristic amount of travel, so it’s only now that I’ve had a chance to sit down and think about what I’d like to read this Winter.

Last year was such a strange year of reading for me, but as I looked back at my Upcoming Reads – Autumn 2023 list I was surprised to see that I’ve actually read quite a number of the books on this list:

• Among the Shadows, by L. M. Montgomery (review here)
• Famous Ghost Stories, by Amelia B. Edwards, Sir Walter Scott, Daniel Defoe, Algernon Blackwood, and Edith Wharton (review here)
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, by Washington Irving (review here)
• Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce (review here)

Unfortunately, I didn’t end up rereading The Life Giving Table: Nurturing Faith Through Feasting, One Meal at a Time, by Sally Clarkson.

I will have to come back to:

• Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell
• Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte

I’m still working on:

• The Complete Father Brown Stories, by G. K. Chesterton

As with The Complete Father Brown Stories, a number of the books I’ve begun during this new season are ones that will take me a longer amount of time to finish reading, so it may be a while before reviews are written for these:

• Praying the Bible, by Donald S. Whitney
• Seasons of Wonder: Making the Ordinary Sacred Through Projects, Prayers, Reflections, and Rituals: A 52-Week Devotional, by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse
• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald S. Whitney
• Taliesin, by Stephen R. Lawhead
• The Life Giving Table Experience: A Guided Journey of Feasting through Scripture, by Sally Clarkson, Joel Clarkson, and Joy Clarkson

Some of you may know I (Stacy) have a website called Bookshelves and Tea I started in April 2020. This site originally began as a way to encourage those with younglings in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has since grown to feature author interviews and, as of January 2024, The Sesquipedalian Speaks! I’ll still be contributing to In Want of a Good Book at All the Writings but from now on I’ll be focusing most of my blogging time at Bookshelves and Tea. If you’ve enjoyed any of the posts under The Sesquipedalian Speaks you can now find them and future posts at Bookshelves and Tea.

As busy as this past month has been for me I’ve also been able to make time to read more, which has been so reviving and calming to my mind and spirit. Winter has slowly begun to creep into my part of the world and with the end of the year merrily on its way I’ve begun to think of all the things I’ll need to tackle next year. However, next year is not yet here and so I bring you the final On Reading Life post of 2023.

Below are some of the books I’ve been reading this month; note that the following may contain spoilers:

A Little House Christmas: Holiday Stories from the Little House Books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder – This beautiful anthology covers the chapters from Little House in the Big Woods (my personal favourite as of right now), Little House on the Prairie, and On the Banks of Plum Creek that focus on Christmas. At the end of this collection is a song complete with the music. This is a book I grew up with but never read and I am so happy I finally took the time to read it. I have read the Little House series and enjoyed the books, the reviews of which can be found in these posts.

Christmas with Anne & Other Holiday Stories, by L. M. Montgomery – I had this delightful collection of stories as a child but, sadly, never read them before they had found another home. Earlier this year, however, I found a copy of them and enjoyed the pleasure of finally reading them. Only a couple of them are from the Anne of Green Gables books; most are short stories from magazines and journals. This collection is a definite reread for the Christmas season and New Year.

Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry – Part of the Port William series, this beautiful book tells in first person the story of a woman from her childhood to her old age, 1930s to 2001. It offers the perspective of someone who has lived most of her life in a small farming community and watches sadly and, in a way, expectantly the changes in her family and community as the years pass. There are a few cuss words but I don’t think they detract from the story. When I finished it I wanted to start it again, wishing I could have the pleasure of reading it once more for the first time.

The Life Giving Home Experience: A 12-Month Guided Journey, by Sally Clarkson with Joel Clarkson – I enjoyed reading through and answering the questions in this companion workbook to The Life Giving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming by Sally Clarkson and Sarah Clarkson. In many ways it was therapeutic and something I looked forward to at the beginning of each month.

Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce – It took me three months to finish this acclaimed children’s fantasy but it was worth it. The pacing for much of the book is slow, and at the beginning the main character has an attitude, being very rude to most people, both of which made it difficult for me to keep reading at first. (There is also an uncle who is very temperamental.) However, as the story progresses so does the main character, Tom, which is very satisfying. I originally began it in October because I thought it was a ghost story but I was (happily) mistaken (although I do enjoy some ghost stories!). I think it would be a fun read aloud, it just has a pacing some people may find too slow.

I usually look forward to the holiday season and this year was no exception. I had a number of things I wanted to do in November that I either hadn’t done in a long time or had never done:

• drink an apple cider slushy from a cider mill
• eat apple cider doughnuts
• puree pumpkin, acorn squash, and butternut squash to use in future recipes
• try out new recipes for holiday meals
• sew some new pillows for the living room

I also spent a lot of time catching up with friends and family. Because I chose to focus on making these happy memories instead of checking off books from my reading list it means that, for the first time since I started these posts, I have no new books to recommend.

Is that surprising? It is to me, because I have so many good books waiting to be reread or partway begun that I haven’t yet shared, but perhaps that’s okay. Sometimes it’s nice to have the reminder, or maybe for some of us the permission, that it’s okay as a reader to have busy months or years where reading is just not happening no matter how much we want it to. Sometimes the mind is working through something and instead of reading being an escape reading becomes a chore. I am working on accepting this season for what it is, whatever it is.

Although I don’t have a new recommendation, I do have a reread that is short and sweet and fun:

• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson. I read it for the first time (I think) last year, although I was familiar with the story because of the movie and stage play. I highly recommend it.

In other news, today is the inaugural C. S. Lewis Reading Day! I’ve recommended a number of his works and expect to recommend many more. His Chronicles of Narnia are my favourite rereads at this point in my life.

October has been a rather busy reading month for me. Unfortunately, most of the books I’ve read I haven’t enjoyed enough to recommend or I have yet to finish the ones I might end up recommending. I’m still working my way through Philippa Pearce’s Tom’s Midnight Garden and G.K. Chesterton’s The Complete Father Brown Stories. So, sadly, I only have one recommendation this month…but it’s a good one! (Note that the following may contain spoilers.)

Among the Shadows, by L. M. Montgomery – This book was and was not what I had expected and I enjoyed every part of it. Based on the description the back of the book gives I had expected mostly paranormal stories but actually many of the stories were mysteries and some were romantic – a perfect collection for October, and one that is going on my reread list. I think these stories would be fun to read aloud.

I tried to hold out until October to read these books, but I was too excited once September began! Note that the following may contain spoilers:

Famous Ghost Stories, by Amelia B. Edwards, Sir Walter Scott, Daniel Defoe, Algernon Blackwood, and Edith Wharton – This short, yet compelling, anthology holds some of the most interesting ghost stories from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries and can easily be read in one sitting. I did not find the stories scary, but rather intriguing and think they would be a fun read aloud for adults. This is absolutely going on my reread list every year during Autumn.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, by Washington Irving – These two short stories scream 17th and 18th century American Autumn to me and I have enjoyed rereading them the past few years when my favourite season comes around. The wit of Irving is so much fun and I think these stories would make fun read alouds.

Today, Saturday, 23 September, marks the first day of Autumn! I have been trying the last few years to enjoy each season as it comes, but Autumn has always been my favourite season. I have so many books on my reading list for this season:

• Among the Shadows, by L. M. Montgomery – I have been looking forward to reading this book of short stories since almost the beginning of the year when I stumbled across it (and a whole slew of Montgomery’s books which I promptly snatched up after calculating that, indeed, I had the fun money for!). From what I can tell, it’s a collection of short stories that are mostly ghost stories or supernatural.
• Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell – I have heard about this book for years and may have even read it once in fourth grade, but I only have vague memories of it so I think it’s time to start it over.
• The Complete Father Brown Stories, by G. K. Chesterton – I first discovered this character through the BBC television series. Earlier this year I found the complete collection and have been looking forward to reading it.
• Famous Ghost Stories, by Amelia B. Edwards, Sir Walter Scott, Daniel Defoe, Algernon Blackwood, and Edith Wharton – This was an impulse buy. I really enjoy the unabridged Watermill Classic books as they’re easy to hold and the type is easy to read. This is a collection of short stories from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries.
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, by Washington Irving – This is a reread, but I look forward to reading it every Autumn. Irving’s wit and storytelling are highly amusing!
• The Life Giving Table: Nurturing Faith Through Feasting, One Meal at a Time, by Sally Clarkson – I wrote a review of this book here, but it’s time for a slow reread and possibly a go through of the companion workbook The Life Giving Table Experience: A 12-Month Guided Journey. Since January of this year I’ve been working through The Life Giving Home Experience and have been enjoying it. It’s a nice start to each month that helps me reflect on how to make each month better glorify God.
• Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce – This classic children’s fantasy looks intriguing and was, I freely admit, an impulse buy along with other children’s classics.
• Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte – A while back I watched a film adaptation of this book and it made me want to read the classic. I’ve never read any of the Bronte sisters’ works, and I’m looking forward to it.

A few picture books made it onto this month’s recommendations! I have always enjoyed picture books even though I don’t recommend them very often, but this month I read three that I enjoyed so much I wanted to share them. I don’t think there are many, but, as always, note that the following may contain spoilers:

A Child’s Calendar, by John Updike, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman – This Caldecott Honor book is beautifully illustrated with poems for each month of the year, told from the point of view of children who live on farms in the United States. As fun as the poetry is, I found myself spending quite a bit of time staring at the illustrations and smiling at the personality of the youngest child, and I kept asking myself why I hadn’t ever read this book before.

Brother William’s Year: A Monk at Westminster Abbey, by Jan Pancheri – This picture book is so sweet and very informative. It is set in the 1300s and is a month-by-month first person story of the head gardener monk at Westminster Abbey. There are a couple of recipes included and some history on Westminster Abbey at the end of the book.

Silver on the Tree, by Susan Cooper – The fifth and final book in The Dark is Rising Sequence was not what I had expected for the last book in the series and, sadly, was not one of my favourites. The reader meets up once again with Simon, Jane, and Barnabas Drew, as well as Will Stanton and Bran Davies; it is made very clear who Bran is. Merriman is not featured much in the first three quarters of the book, but his presence is still felt. Be aware that there are a few times when characters take the Lord’s name in vain and swear. There were a couple of scenes early on regarding racism that were difficult to read and seemed a bit out of place when regarding the Sequence as a whole, although I do understand after some reflection why they were most likely in the story. Regardless of these criticisms, I do think the book would make a good read aloud and fodder for discussion. Over all, The Dark is Rising Sequence has made me excited to finally get around to reading more Arthurian legend.

The Family Read-Aloud Holiday Treasury, selected by Alice Low, illustrated by Marc Brown – This fun anthology is full of poetry and short stories by numerous authors for a number of holidays and special times of the year, including Rosh Ha-Shanah, Canada Day, Chinese New Year, and Book Week.

Below are some of the books I’ve been reading this month; note that the following may contain spoilers:

A Girl of the Limberlost, by Gene Stratton-Porter – The sequel to Freckles, this beautiful story takes the reader back to the Limberlost and picks up a few years after Freckles’s story. It focuses on Elnora Comstock and her mother, Katharine, as they navigate the ups and downs of relationships and life. The prose is poetic, describing the nature of the Limberlost and people in a way only Stratton-Porter can. There is heartache, romance, hope, and grit as the reader sees the world through the eyes of these two strong women. It would make a great read aloud.

Kilmeny of the Orchard, by L. M. Montgomery – When I finished this book I held it close, smiled, and breathed in, remembering the simplicity and beauty of the world Montgomery described. Set during the summer months on Prince Edward Island, this lovely novella, the third of Montgomery’s books, follows Eric Marshall, a recent college graduate who takes a substitute teaching post in the community of Lindsey. He happens upon a young woman, Kilmeny Gordon, who is unable to speak, but is able to beautifully play the violin to give voice to her thoughts. Montgomery’s use of imagery and description is so lovely I wanted to start the book again after I closed it. I think this would make a great read aloud.

I thought I’d do something a bit different this post since I simply haven’t read any books this past month that I think are worth recommending.

How about a small book haul instead? I did a bit of shopping one day and wandered into a bookstore, as one tends to do, and found some treasures I have been looking for for a number of years. I’m not averse to buying books online but it is exciting when you stumble upon something that has been on your wish list for a while.

A Bear Called Paddington, by Michael Bond

Paddington at Large, by Michael Bond

Paddington at Work, by Michael Bond

Paddington Helps Out, by Michael Bond

The Complete Father Brown Stories, by G. K. Chesterton

This Wednesday, 21 June, marks the first day of summer! Reading so many comforting books that are restful, slow, and beautiful has helped me remember to see the beauty in words, creation, and relationships. Lately, I’ve spent quite a bit of time watching television rather than reading, but knowing that the books are there waiting for me to return to them is exciting, and allowing myself to not fret if I don’t read everything I had planned on is freeing.

This Spring has been one of many emotions amidst moments of calm, yet looking back at my On Upcoming Reads – Spring 2023 post, I was surprised to see that I’ve read most of the books I wanted to, reviews for which can be found here:

• The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh, by A. A. Milne
  • When We Were Very Young
  • Winnie-the-Pooh
  • Now We Are Six
  • The House at Pooh Corner
• The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame

Some of the books I’m going to continue working on this summer are:

• A Girl of the Limberlost, by Gene Stratton-Porter
• Silver on the Tree, by Susan Cooper