Sunday Salon: Week In Review #46

Reviews from Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunne in Splendour: "A fascinating portrait of the controversial King Richard III--a monarch betrayed in life by his allies and betrayed in death by history." by Sharon Kay Penman. 1982. 944 pages.
Murder Must Advertise. Dorothy L. Sayers. 1933. Harper & Row. 323 pages.
The Fellowship of the Ring. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1954/1965. Houghton Mifflin. 423 pages.

Reviews from Operation Actually Read Bible  

Going Deep. Gordon MacDonald. 2011. Thomas Nelson. 383 pages.
The Names of God Bible. General Editor: Ann Spangler. Translation: God's Word. (Though that translation is considerably modified especially in the Old Testament.) 2011. Revell. 1730 pages. (I read Genesis, Ruth, Isaiah, and Revelation.)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Library Loot: Third Trip in November

New Loot:

Until the Dawn's Light by Aharon Appelfeld; translated from the Hebrew by Jeffrey M. Green
I Am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
The Time Thief by Linda Buckley-Archer
All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen
The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma; translated by Nick Caistor

Leftover Loot:

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Johnny Swanson by Eleanor Updale
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
Here There Be Dragons by James A. Owen
Bed-knob and broomstick by Mary Norton
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Death of a Cad by M.C. Beaton
Love Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare
Tom Trueheart and the Land of Dark Stories by Ian Beck
The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill
The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
September by Rosamunde Pilcher
 Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Mary Poppins Opens the Door by P.L. Travers
Mary Poppins in the Park by P.L. Travers
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol and Other Stories by Charles Dickens
Here Lies Linc by Delia Ray


Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.    


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1954/1965. Houghton Mifflin. 423 pages.

When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

This is my first 'proper' reading of Lord of the Rings. And it did take a few false starts, but, putting all that aside, I thought it was a wonderful, wonderful book. I loved so much about it: the characters, the setting, the storytelling, the richness of it. I think it's a book that needs multiple readings perhaps--a story that you're not quite ready to be done with.

I found Fellowship of the Ring fascinating. Which isn't exactly how I found the first movie--the first time round! I loved the different settings. I loved the pacing of it. I loved how the adventure builds and builds. The danger of it, the intensity of it, I mean. The opening in the shire--the birthday festivities--well, they're just so pleasant, so delightful. It isn't until readers learn just how badly this 'one ring' is wanted that the pace picks up. But even when they know the threat and risk involved, it still takes a while for them to truly get how life and death it all is, how real it all is.

Sam and Aragorn are probably my favorite characters--though I really am fond of everyone in the fellowship. I definitely am enjoying this series!!!

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. (60)

On Gollum and the ring:

He hated it and loved it; as he hated and loved himself. He could not get rid of it. He had no will left in the matter. (64)

On 'why' Frodo was 'chosen' to have the ring:

You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess: nor for wisdom, at any rate. (70)

From one of my favorite songs:

O! Water Hot is a noble thing! (111)

It is perilous to study too deeply the arts of the Enemy, for good or for ill. (278)

Where there are so many, all speech becomes a debate without end. But two together may perhaps find wisdom. (413)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Murder Must Advertise

Murder Must Advertise. Dorothy L. Sayers. 1933. Harper & Row. 323 pages.

"And by the way," said Mr. Hankin, arresting Miss Rossiter as she rose to go, "there is a new copy-writer coming in today."

I love and adore Lord Peter Wimsey. I do. Dorothy Sayers' mysteries had me at hello. In fact, after the first one, I knew I just HAD to read the entire series. So in this Lord Peter adventure, he is going undercover to solve a murder. He has been hired as a copy-writer for an advertising agency. The man he is replacing had a horrid accident on the stairs. Was it really an accident? Or did he have some enemies? Did those enemies come from within the agency? Or was he just hanging out with the wrong crowds after hours?

It took more than a few chapters for Lord Peter to reveal himself to readers. For the first third of the novel, readers just know him as the new employee. Yes, this new employee is asking questions here, there, and everywhere. And, of course, I was a little suspicious and a lot hopeful that he would turn out to be Lord Peter.

Did I like this one? Of course!!! It's Lord Peter! What's not to love? I'm not sure it's my favorite or best. But with the exception of one little chapter, I found it satisfying and just about perfect. Lord Peter can definitely make me giddy!

"Truth in advertising is like leaven, which a woman hid in three measures of meal. It proves a suitable quantity of gas, with which to blow out a mass of crude misrepresentation into a form that the public can swallow." (68) 

Others in the series:

• Whose Body (1923)
• Clouds of Witness (1926)
• Unnatural Death (1927)
• The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1928)
• Strong Poison (1931)
• Five Red Herrings (1931)
• Have His Carcase (1932)
• Gaudy Night (1935)

I still need to read:

• The Nine Tailors (1934)
• Busman's Honeymoon (1937)
• Complete Stories of Lord Peter (1972)
• Thrones, Dominations (Dorothy Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh) (1998)
• A Presumption of Death (Jill Paton Walsh) (2002)
• The Attenbury Emeralds (Jill Paton Walsh) (2010)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunne in Splendour

The Sunne in Splendour: "A fascinating portrait of the controversial King Richard III--a monarch betrayed in life by his allies and betrayed in death by history." by Sharon Kay Penman. 1982. 944 pages.

First sentence: Richard did not become frightened until darkness began to settle over the woods.

The Sunne in Splendour is one of the best books I read all year. I started it in July and finished in October: I loved almost every minute of it. This historical novel is just a wonderful, wonderful read. Is it for every reader? At over 900 pages? Probably not. But ANY reader who loves historical fiction, this book is a true must read.

So this novel is about the man who became Richard III. The novel follows him through the decades of his life. And it was quite a dangerous life because of who he was, who his family was. He was of the House of York. And Richard lost many, many family members during the war- for the throne. His brother was Edward IV--and he fought more than once for the throne, for the kingdom. And Richard was always loyal to his brother. Even when he thought his brother was making a few too many mistakes. Still, the two were surrounded by enough traitors, enough men who were ambitious and unwise.

If you're looking for historical romance--and ONLY historical romance--then The Sunne in Splendour might not be the best match for you. If you like historical fiction that has it all--a little politics, a little action, a little romance, a little mystery, a little drama--in other words a lot of life--than The Sunne in Splendour may just be for you.

I loved just about everything in The Sunne in Splendour. I thought the characterization was excellent. Penman did a great job in bringing these historical figures to life. And while there were many, many characters to follow, I wasn't overwhelmed. Same with the descriptions. Yes, the book is detailed, and yes, the book is descriptive, but I wasn't bored. The story, the characters, were just fascinating. Which is saying something since  the ending won't be surprise to many! I loved seeing the different perspectives as well. This isn't only Richard's story. Though it is definitely told sympathetically towards Richard.

The Sunne in Splendour was one of those books I finished and knew that I would want to reread again (and again).

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews