[ 1995 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 1996 | 1997 | 2002 ]
The Law of Becoming, Kate Elliott
Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
Magrat inherits a fairy godmother wand, and has to travel far from Lancre to correct a nasty situation resulting from the machinations of an evil godmother. Or is she a good one? Nice comparisons of different kinds of witchcraft, and further opportunity for Magrat to develop her powers.
Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
Death has gotten a bit too much personality, and is scheduled for replacement by another archetype. Since Death now has a limited amount of time left, Death decides to Get a Life. Which means he's no longer harvesting lives, but rather grain. In the meantime, everyone from Reg to Windle is wandering around undead and not particularly happy about it.
Eric, Terry Pratchett
Eric is a summoner of demons. He isn't very good at it, because he's barely pubescent. And he didn't get much of a demon, either: he got Rincewind. And because he got Rincewind, he got the Luggage -- so maybe he got a demon after all. The resulting tour of the Discworld attempting to fulfill Eric's wishes is amusing, and works as a nice critique of Dante's Inferno, as well as the various versions of Faust.
Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
Death's grand-daughter learns the trade, and like her father before her, betrays a tendency to meddle. A bit more successfully than Mort, I might add.
Victorian Countrywomen, Pamela Horn
Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Ryrie Brink (reread)
Cataloging the last of my books, I noticed this pioneer tale of a tomboy and her brothers and sisters was set in roughly the same time frame as the Little House books. Rereading it confirmed my suspicions: Ma's annoying opinions were typical of women of the time, and Caddie's mother parrots them. Caddie's father, and Englishman, however, does not, and encourages a sense of justice and equality that contributes to making these books enjoyable to me as an adult. There is a sequel.
Nellie Bly, Reporter, Nina Brown Baker (reread)
The Story of My Life, Helen Keller (reread)
Helen Keller lived during a time period I've been reading about, so I reread this memoir, written during her college days. As a child, her behavior made sense to me, rejecting sign language in favor of speech whenever feasible; as an adult with a little more awareness of the deaf community I can't help but think that Bell and the rest of the verbalists must have adored her as a perfect example of what they wanted to force the deaf to become. Yuck. It occurs to me I know nothing of her adult life. Maybe someday I'll get around to finding out.
Seven Days a Week, David M. Katzman
Katzman's book on domestic service in America between the Civil War and WWI may be the best social history I have read yet. It grew out of research on occupations of black women, when Katzman realized how few available options there were for black women outside of domestic service. He nicely characterizes working patterns of blacks vs. whites and natives vs. immigrants, analyzing relative pay scales and respectability of various occupations open to women, and addressing "The Servant Problem" from the point of view of the servant.
A Place of Their Own, John Vickrey Van Cleve and Barry A. Crouch
This history of the deaf community in America begins with dry biographical sketches, proceeding through extensive descriptions of the founding of deaf institutions such as the boarding schools to the DPN movement of a few years ago. The collaboration is visible (the analysis is remarkably poor in the first half of the book); the style is overtly pedagogical. It does provide a reasonable introduction to the subject.
Black and White, David Macaulay
Why the Chicken Crossed the Road, David Macaulay
Great Moments in Architecture, David Macaulay
Lots of silly jokes about suspended ceilings are intermingled with upside-down arches and weirdly shaped monuments. The mind that brought us Motel of the Mysteries was tripping when it came up with this.
Faro's Daughter, Georgette Heyer (reread)
An older heroine, orphan taken in by a Lady, helps her run a gambling house. Costs have overtaken them, and they know not where to turn. A wealthy young man declares his (calf) love, and one of his relatives appears to buy her off. The insult is too much; a battle of wills ensues. The shocking events include kidnapping, this time around.
Arabella, Georgette Heyer
Arabella is a vicar's beautiful daughter, who has an opportunity to go to London in search of an eligible connection. On the way, her coach breaks down, and she takes refuge with a notorious gentleman who goads her into a (false) announcement of great wealth and desire to conceal it. It amuses him to let the word out, and she is soon the most sought after heiress around -- but she can't marry any of her suitors, as they have clearly been misled! You know who she'll marry, but it's an amusing road to travel. The family scenes are very reminiscent of Frederica.
Friday's Child, Georgette Heyer
A younger-heroine Heyer, the title character is a mousy, about to become a governess young woman who marries a childhood playmate who must be married to get control of his inheritance now. The young man intended a marriage of convenience, but rapidly changes his mind, without ever giving evidence of love. When the young woman makes one ignorant mistake too many, he announces he will send her home to his mother (who hates and is working for a divorce) to be taught how to behave properly. Realization slowly sets in, and eventually, reunion.
Magical Melons, Carol Ryrie Brink
This sequel to Caddie Woodlawn is not focussed on Caddie, but on many other characters who appeared in the previous book. The stories help fill out more of the pioneer experience, including several which touch upon Evangelicals.
Cheaper by the Dozen, Ernestine Gilbreth Carey and Frank Gilbreth Jr. (reread)
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, early pioneers of motion-study as applied to industry (and everything else) raised a dozen children. This is the recollections of two of the crowd, up until the death of Frank Sr. The tales of teaching the young 'uns typing, morse code and foreign languages are slightly brutal when revisited as an adult -- when I read these books as a kid, I thought they were great ideas; now I cringe every time Dad thwacks a kid on the head.
Belles on their Toes, Ernestine Gilbreth Carey and Frank Gilbreth Jr. (reread)
After Dad dies, Mother carries on the family business, leaving the children to run the household, a plan long in place. Every last one of the eleven Gilbreth's who survive childhood graduates from college. The courtship of the girls is entertaining, particularly when they tree and threaten to burn one persistent Joe College.
Eight Cousins, Louisa May Alcott (reread)
Rose Campbell has lost both parents, now, and must go to live with her relatives on the Aunt-hill. Alcott uses this novel to make some of the same points about raising healthy young women from sickly little girls that show up in Caddie Woodlawn. She also has a few things to say about wealth and what constitutes accomplishment.
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This file recreated from The Internet Wayback Machine in January 2002. Copyright Rebecca Allen, 2002.
Created January 8, 1996 Modified January 10, 2002