classic books

Classic Book Review: Lady Susan

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Lady Susan by Jane Austen

Lady Susan
by Jane Austen

4 out of 5 stars

Lady Susan is charming and vivacious. Lady Susan lies to everyone. Lady Susan flirts with anything in pants! Lady Susan tries to persuade her daughter, Frederica, to marry. Frederica doesn’t like the gentlemen, so Lady Susan manipulates and schemes. Lady Susan is greedy and immoral, but… she is not boring.

The epistolary style is my favorite thing about this little book. It was so fun to see from all the different perspectives of the characters. They all have a strong opinion of Lady Susan, and they aren’t afraid to express it in their letters! Lady Susan’s letters to her friend, Alicia, are so full of malice and deceit. Ooh, it’s thrilling!

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Classic Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

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Pride and Prejudice with Related Readings by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice with Related Readings
by Jane Austen

5 out of 5 stars

Elizabeth Bennett and her sisters are eager to make the acquaintance of their new neighbors, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. They meet and dance together at various country balls and events. However, Elizabeth is frequently embarrassed by her mother’s vulgar manners and her little sisters flirtations with army officers. Elizabeth must navigate the social criticism of her sisters’ romances, while fending off a few proposals of her own.

I just love the witty dialogue between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. There is so much sparkling dialogue in the whole book, and it is a delight to read. The entire writing style is so polished and easy to read! The plot flows along so naturally and with so much energy that you barely notice all the little genius sub-plots that are happening.

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Shakespeare Review: Much Ado About Nothing

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Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Much Ado About Nothing
by William Shakespeare

5 out of 5 stars

My favorite of Shakespeare’s plays! I love the interaction between Benedick and Beatrice!

This play is just so witty and fun. It always makes me laugh every time I reread it. The dialogue is snappy and the plot flows along quickly. It is such an easy one to read because it really grabs your attention.

The characters are vibrant and real. I love Beatrice’s character so much. She truly feels like a real person to me. There is so much depth to her personality, and I love the way she tries to act all tough in public, but really she has a gentle heart.

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Book Review: The Naughtiest Girl Again

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The Naughtiest Girl Again by Enid Blyton

The Naughtiest Girl Again
by Enid Blyton, Max Schindler (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Elizabeth is back at school in this second book in the series, and she is determined to have a great semester, follow the rules, and make friends. But her reputation as the naughtiest girl in school still follows her, and her temper still gets the better of her from time to time. When Elizabeth catches Robert bullying the younger students, she flies into a rage and gets both of them into trouble. Will she ever learn to control her temper and earn the respect of her classmates?

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Manga Review: Sense and Sensibility

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Sense and Sensibility by Stacy King

Sense and Sensibility
by Stacy King (Goodreads Author) (Adaptor), Po Tse (Illustrator), Jane Austen (Original Author)

5 out of 5 stars

I loved this manga adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic story! The manga follows the original story pretty closely, and the artwork is beautiful.

There’s a lot of crying in this book! I mean, I suppose there’s a lot of crying in the original story too, but seeing almost all the characters constantly collapsing into violent tears, hysterics, and/or fits of depression was over-the-top dramatic. Then again, Marianne Dashwood is the epitome of drama! haha!

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Book Review: The Little Bookroom

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The Little Bookroom by Eleanor Farjeon

The Little Bookroom
by Eleanor Farjeon, Edward Ardizzone (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

This charming collection of short stories includes elements from fairy tales, from Victorian England, and even from WWII. The settings are just as varied, sometimes in England, sometimes in a fairy land, sometimes in Italy or Ireland. There are magical giants, kings, and dragons, and sometimes just a donkey, a parlormaid, or a plain peach tree. The fantastical and the ordinary are blended so beautifully in each story.

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Board Book Review: Lit for Little Hands Jane Eyre

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Lit for Little Hands by Brooke Jorden

Lit for Little Hands: Jane Eyre
by Brooke Jorden, Olga Skomorokhova (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars

This board book tells the story of Jane Eyre, simplified for little readers. It has interactive pull tabs and flaps to reveal the mysteries surrounding Thornfield Manor! Some of the story is told with quotes from the original novel and includes original dialogue as well.

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Book Review: Aunt Jane’s Nieces Out West

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Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West by Edith Van Dyne

Aunt Jane’s Nieces Out West (Aunt Jane’s Nieces, #9)
by Edith Van Dyne

4 out of 5 stars

Uncle John and his nieces discover the delights and dangers of the motion picture business when they befriend two young actresses. When a mysterious young man makes their acquaintance, the group are puzzled to explain what he is doing in California.

This penultimate book in the series is so much fun! It has mystery and stolen jewels, a daring rescue, and all the intrigues of the early days of silent films. It was really interesting to see how the girls and their Uncle John got entangled in the lives of these two actresses and the mysterious young man. I loved learning more about the motion picture business in its early days. It’s like a little snippet of history.

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Manga Classic Review: Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Manga Classics by Crystal S. Chan

Manga Classics: Midsummer Night’s Dream (Modern English Edition)
by  Crystal S. Chan, William Shakespeare, Po Tse (Illustrator), Michael Barltrop (Editor)

5 out of 5 stars

This manga adaptation of Williams Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream is the perfect way to introduce Shakespeare to readers who might feel intimidated by the original play. The text is modernized, but still captures the original style of Shakespeare. The entire play is intact, and all the beauty of Shakespeare’s words comes through wonderfully in this modern adaptation.

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Book Review: Aunt Jane’s Nieces on the Ranch

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Aunt Jane's Nieces on the Ranch by Edith Van Dyne

Aunt Jane’s Nieces on the Ranch (Aunt Jane’s Nieces, #8)
by Edith Van Dyne (Pseudonym), L. Frank Baum

3 out of 5 stars

Louise is married, living happily on the ranch with her new baby and adoring husband. Patsy, Beth, and Uncle John come to visit and see little baby Jane. Uncle John worries that the local nurse that Louise has hired will be incompetent, so he brings along a trained nurse from New York to care for the little baby. However, the local Mexican nurse is upset and jealous, causing drama in the family. When both nurses and baby Jane go missing, the whole house is in an uproar to find them.

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