classic book review

Book Review: Why Not?

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Why Not? by Margaret Widdemer

Why Not?
by Margaret Widdemer

4.5 out of 5 stars

Rosamund is finally out from under her strict family’s guardianship, and her uncle has left her a little money in his will. She decides to follow all her own dreams and not stop for anything. She buys a house by the lake, and decides to set up a fortune-telling booth to make her living. But her new neighbor Mr. Squire is a very traditional person who seems to disapprove of everything she does. Rosamund tells herself that she doesn’t care about his approval, but in her secret heart she wants him to think well of her. Can they manage to be neighborly or will Rosamund’s wild ways tear them apart?

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Book Review: Heart of Midlothian

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The Heart of Midlothian by Walter Scott

The Heart of Midlothian
by Walter Scott

4 out of 5 stars

Jeanie Deans is horrified to learn that her sister, Effie, has been arrested on a charge of child-murder. Effie insists that she is innocent and that her baby was taken from her immediately after his birth. Effie refuses to tell anyone who the father is. The lawyers assure Jeanie that there is a loophole in the law and that if Jeanie will only testify that her sister told her about the pregnancy before the child was born, then Effie cannot be prosecuted under the law. But Jeanie is from a staunchly religious family and she feels that she cannot tell a lie under oath. Effie is condemned to death, and Jeanie undertakes a long and dangerous journey to London to seek a pardon directly from the king.

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Book Review: The House of a Thousand Candles

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The House of a Thousand Candles by Meredith Nicholson

The House of a Thousand Candles
by Meredith Nicholson

4 out of 5 stars

If he wants to inherit his grandfather’s estate, John Glenarm must stay at a country house in Indiana for at least a year without leaving. His grandfather did not approve of his grandson’s wandering ways, so he devised this clause in the will to force his grandson to put down some roots. On his first night in the country house, John is shot at through the open window of the dining room. This begins an adventure that includes espionage, fugitives, hidden treasure, and a family secret that will change John’s entire life. In the middle of all the mystery is Marian Devereux, who will inherit the entire estate if John fails to stay in the country for the entire year.

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Book Review: The Hermit of Far End

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The Hermit of Far End by Margaret Pedler

The Hermit of Far End
by Margaret Pedler

5 out of 5 stars

Sara is left alone when her adopted uncle dies, but she befriends his cousin, Elizabeth, and her son, Tim. Tim promptly falls in love with Sara, but she feels only friendship for him. So she goes away to make her own way in life in a small seaside town where she rents rooms in the household of the local doctor. She learns that there is a wealthy man, Garth Trent, living in a big house on the cliffs who lives the life of a hermit, never entering into the social events of the neighborhood.

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Book Review: Strawberry Acres

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Strawberry Acres by Grace S. Richmond

Strawberry Acres
by Grace S. Richmond

4 out of 5 stars

When four siblings inherit a run-down farm, they aren’t sure whether to sell it or try to live there. Max opposes every plan to live in the farmhouse, since it will need extensive repairs, and it’s so large that they could never afford to furnish it. But Sally has her heart set on a peaceful country life, and she tries to persuade her brothers that they could make a living growing strawberries in the fields. Although the guys hate their stuffy city office jobs, they can’t imagine themselves as rugged farmers. They argue back and forth until finally, a disaster in the family compels them to make use of the farm, and they discover that they love living in the country.

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Book Review: Julius Caesar

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Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Julius Caesar
by  William Shakespeare, Barbara A. Mowat (Editor), Paul Werstine (Editor)

4 out of 5 stars

So many wonderfully quotable lines! What strong and powerful characters! This goes on my list of favorite plays of the Bard.

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Book Review: Hickory Dickory Dock

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Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie

Hickory Dickory Dock (Hercule Poirot, #34)
by Agatha Christie

4.5 out of 5 stars

Hercule Poirot’s efficient secretary Miss Lemon is upset and distracted, because there have been some strange thefts at the student hostel that her sister runs. Poirot agrees to investigate the petty thefts to help out Miss Lemon’s sister, Mrs. Hubbard. At first it seems like random little things that have gone missing, but there are a few items that stand out from the list: a valuable doctor’s stethoscope, a diamond ring, a rucksack that was slashed to pieces, and all the lightbulbs in the common rooms. Only Poirot can sift through the clues and find a connection between the missing items. He begins to find out more about the students who board at the hostel, wondering which of them could be thief, or perhaps… a murderer.

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Book Review: The Golden Snare

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The Golden Snare by James Oliver Curwood

The Golden Snare
by James Oliver Curwood

4.5 out of 5 stars

Phillip is an officer with the Royal Mounted in Canada, tracking down a rumor about a murderer named Bram who is hiding in the wilds. Bram is well known to be a madman, a murderer, and the owner of a pack of ferocious wolves. Phillip meets with an eyewitness who shows him a strange rabbit snare that Bram left behind. The snare is made from a woman’s golden hair. This propels Phillip to travel into the wild and barren wastelands of the north, searching for an answer to the mystery of the golden hair.

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Classic Book Review: Evelina

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Evelina by Frances Burney

Evelina
by Frances Burney

4 out of 5 stars

Evelina is a naive young lady, entering society for the first time. She has been raised and carefully educated in the country by her affectionate guardian, but now her rich relations begin to show an interest in her. Evelina travels to London where she meets a wide variety of people, not all of them exactly nice. Evelina finds herself in a kind of culture shock as she tries to navigate the different manners of high society in London, but her sweetness and good nature will always win her friends no matter where she goes.

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Book Review: Under the Lilacs

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Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott

Under the Lilacs
by Louisa May Alcott

4.5 out of 5 stars

Ben has run away from the circus, and he finds compassion and generosity in the house under the lilacs. He is basically adopted by Miss Celia and her brother, Thorny, and while he is grateful for their kindness, it’s difficult for Ben to adapt to a country life after all the excitement and thrills of traveling with the circus.

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