In my first two reviews of the Mistmantle Chronicles (Urchin of the Riding Stars and Urchin and the Heartstone), I mentioned that I was surprised and delighted by Urchin and his adventures. I said that the openings were interesting (they are), that the writing was elegant (absolutely so), that the characters were delightful (they are),…
Tag: book club
The Borrowed House
“[Hilda van Stockum] says, ‘It is light that creates beauty in nature. Without light we can’t see, and all form is lost, whereas the most common and despised objects can be made beautiful by the light that plays on them. You don’t have to paint heroic scenes or idealized goddesses . . . a common…
Hobbit Club Recipes & Links
These links and resources are a support to our “Building A Hobbit Club” series. July & August: The Hobbit Lake Town Cram: check out this interesting discussion Beorn’s Honey Cakes Bilbo’s Tea Cake September – Bilbo’s Journey by Joseph Pearce I have a review of Bilbo’s Journey – coming soon October – The Fellowship of the Ring,…
Hobbit Club Discussion Questions
Hobbit Club Discussion Questions (July & August) The Hobbit Tolkien, a master of words, uses the word ‘burglar’ to describe Bilbo. What does that mean? How are Bilbo and Gollum alike? How is Beorn like Lewis’s Aslan? Isn’t it interesting that after their stay with Beorn, Gandalf tells the party that he will be leaving…
Building A Hobbit Club
In the Spring of 2018, almost 2 dozen hobbits from a variety of parishes and walks of life came together to begin a monthly book club adventure into Middle Earth. We continue to meet and each month we discuss the literature as well as the Catholic themes we see. At our gatherings, we pray, laugh,…
Sense and Sensibility Young Ladies Tea
It seemed appropriate to schedule a Jane Austen romance during February for my Young Ladies Literary Tea. Since we did Pride and Prejudice last fall, we were eager to compare the Bennet sisters to the Dashwood sisters, so we chased away the mid-winter blues with Sense and Sensibility. It was a marvelous club. As usual,…
Raising Chaste Catholic Men – A Mom Book Club
My husband is the Associate Principal of a large Catholic high school. There is much about his job which is heartbreaking. Our secular culture today seeks to ravage the innocence and chastity of our young people – no matter where they attend school – Christian school, private school, home school, or any combination thereof. While…
Hobbit Club: January 2019
This is part of the Hobbit Club series This month we opened our book club with what we understand was J.R.R. Tolkien’s favorite prayer: The Litany of Mother Mary. We Catholics love our litanies. They are so soothing while also inviting contemplation. Our Lord despises vain repetitions, but He did not object to repetition. In…
Hobbit Club: December 2018
This is part of our Hobbit Club Series At our December meeting, I was sick. I got sick in October and have been in and out of doctors’ offices since then. At the time of writing this (February) I am preparing for a surgery which should cap off a nearly five-month ordeal. In fact, I…
Understood Betsy Young Ladies Literary Tea
In January, we drank cocoa instead of tea at our Young Ladies Literary Tea. If you have ever read Dorothy Canfield Fisher’s Understood Betsy you will know how important hot cocoa and cookies are. Those awful Putney cousins may make Betsy do farm chores, but they also show their love in cookies and cocoa. On…