Let's wrap up the list of what I read in 2017, shall we?
The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin--A sweet though sentimental children's story about a an invalid named Carol who was born on Christmas Day. Caution for the tenderhearted: it has a sad ending.
The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne--More adventures of Winnie the Pooh and friends. I love the gentle wit of these stories! They come as close to perfection in the world of children't literature as anything I know.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott--I had forgotten how moralistic this novel is. There is lots of do-gooding and self-improvement in order to attain heaven, but there is still much to like here. Beth seems too good to be real and a bit card-boardy, but the other three sisters are realistically drawn and quite likeable. An enjoyable read that took me back to my childhood.
North and Sound by Elizabeth Gaskell--Long and meandering and twice as long as it needed to be. I found I didn't like Margaret much and had little patience with her mother. I hadn't read this before, but I had watched the BBC adaptation, which is quite true to the book (and which I liked better).
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell--I enjoyed this a lot more than North and South. Well written and constructed. The BBC adaptation is also true to the book.
Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace--I missed all the Betsy-Tacy stories during my childhood and my daughters' childhoods. I had not heard of them when I was a girl, and the library didn't have them when I was raising my daughters, and though I wanted to read them aloud, I never was able too. It's perfect for girls who have just taken off in reading and want chapter books about other girls.
The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot by Russell Kirk--This is what I wish people thought of when they used the term "conservative." So much of what passes for conservatism today really isn't. This was hard and took a long time, but it was helpful to trace the lines of conservative thought from its early days.
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher--Another fun girl book with a good message about not underestimating the abilities of children. It's not preachy, though. Fisher brought the Montessori method of education to America, and this book is said to incorporate some of Montessori's methods. I don't know much about this particular philosophy of education, but a lot of what was portrayed in the book made good common sense to me. Kids won't notice the message, though. They'll just enjoy the story.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--Another re-read and what's left to say about this book? Always fun, though this last installment of the series has some serious themes and losses (as do some of the others, come to think of it). It's good to see the threads of the series come together and the loose end tied up. I will always be a Harry Potter fan.
So there you have it! My 2017 reading line-up. I hope you all had a blessed Christmas season and have an equally blessed Epiphany!
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