Book Review: The Storm-Tossed Family by Russell Moore

The Storm-Tossed Family
How the Cross Reshapes the Home
by Russell Moore

I didn't find this book myself.  I've become more familiar with Russell Moore recently, especially after I was given a copy of his book Onward and really enjoyed it (sidenote: Onward is an excellent perspective on faith, culture, politics, and the Gospel).  My wife bought this book for me but one of my children grabbed it from its hiding place and I ended up finding it in the hallway, spoiling the present it was supposed to be several months later, but the timing was good as it was a great time to read through this book.

You are part of a family and family is difficult because family – every family – is an echo of the gospel.
In The Storm-Tossed Family, bestselling author Russell Moore teaches readers whether you are married or single, whether you long for a child or are shepherding a full house, you are part of a family.

Family can be the source of some of the most transcendent human joy, and family can leave us crumpled up on the side of the road. Family can make us who we are, and family can break our hearts. Why would this social arrangement have that much power, for good or for ill, over us?
--from Russell Moore's website

The central message of the book seemed to be that while family was important and family is defined in Scripture we shouldn't let it trump the Gospel.
Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.  Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
--from Luke 14:25-27 NASB

A variety of subjects are covered in the book from spiritual warfare, the church, men and women, marriage, sexuality, divorce, children, parenting, aging and more.  I found it very helpful to examine many things that we take for granted in our society in the light of Scripture to see what is worth keeping and what needs to be rejected or changed in light of God's commands.

If family means something terrible to you because you've endured horrors, then this book can help you reclaim a biblical view.  If family means everything to you then this book can help you reclaim a biblical view.  If family is something you can take or leave then this book can help you reclaim a biblical view.  Honestly, since we all have families I would suggest this book to every Christian.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: An examination of how the message of the Gospel impacts family relationships.
Technical: Hardcover with dust jacket, 306 pages, includes end notes on sources.

~Matt

Book Review: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Tenth Anniversary Edition

The Name of the Wind
Tenth Anniversary Edition
by Patrick Rothfuss
Illustrated by Don dos Santos

I first read The Name of the Wind several years ago and loved it.  I bought the sequel The Wise Man's Fear when it was first published and read it within a week of purchase.  Since that day in 2011 I've been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the publication date of the anticipated third book in the series that should wrap up the trilogy.  Sadly while that announcement has (as of the time of writing) not yet been made, there was an opportunity to pick up a new copy of The Name of the Wind on the tenth anniversary of its publication.  My previous copy was a mass market paperback, so I gladly swapped it out for this gorgeous hardcover edition.

No one writes about economic reality within this genre like Pat Rothfuss. The real-world weight of the sometimes impossible distance between the things you want and need and what you have in your pocket.

No one writes about music like Pat Rothfuss. The way it sneaks into your soul, the way it feeds you like nothing else.

No one writes about stories like Pat Rothfuss. How the right story at the right time can change the world, how the teller can shape a life.

No one writes like Pat Rothfuss. Full stop. Read this book.
--Lin-Manuel Miranda

The story starts with a frame story set in the present day.  "It was night again.  The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts."  Then it transitions into the telling of the first part of the life of the mysterious character Kvothe, who is now of legendary stature.

The story is very well written and an amazing story that will pull you in until you don't want to leave.  Kovthe is very interesting and not always exemplary.  He has had a hard life and made many different choices.  The tale is rich and full of details and clearly rests on the background of an amazing world.  It may appear to be a typical coming of age tale, but constantly takes different twists and surprising turns that you wouldn't otherwise expect and thus hasn't yet disappointed.

Several appendices have been added to the end of this special volume along with an updated map of The Four Corners of Civilization.  The appendices cover the prior history of the region (there was once an area-spanning empire that left behind remnants like a common language), the calendar in use, various currencies of the region, and how certain words are to be pronounced.

If you have already read or own The Name of the Wind I would encourage you to check out this edition for the additional content which make it well worth buying as your copy of this volume.  If you've never read the story before but are interested this version is an excellent one to select for your first reading.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: An enhanced edition of the now classic adventure tale telling the first part of the life of the mysterious Kvothe.
Technical: Hardcover with dust jacket, 729 pages, multiple black and white illustrations and red edging on all pages.  Includes a detailed map and appendices covering history, calendars, currency, and language of the world.

~Matt

Book Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Elise Hurst

The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Illustrated by Elise Hurst
by Neil Gaiman

While I've been picking up Gaiman books for a while I steered clear of this one for some reason.  At one point I think I read a description that made me think this was a fairly "normal" contemporary novel.  I really should have known better as nothing Gaiman writes could be considered normal or ordinary.  This book is definitely classified as fantasy and while it starts out in our regular world it quickly takes a different tack.

“They say you cannot go home again, and that is as true as a knife . . .”

A man returns to the site of his childhood home where, years before, he knew a girl named Lettie Hempstock who showed him the most marvelous, dangerous, and outrageous things, but when he gets there he learns that nothing is as he remembered.

Wondrous, imaginative, impossible, and at times deeply scary, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is classic Neil Gaiman and has captured the hearts of readers everywhere. This beautiful illustrated edition features haunting, emotive artwork by renowned fine artist Elise Hurst, whose illustrations seamlessly interweave the childhood wonder and harrowing danger that infuse Gaiman’s beloved tale.
--from Harper Collins website

This book was first published as a standard novel and the story is definitely good and I'm sure the first version of the book is good.  However, I find the illustrated edition is an improvement.  The illustrations are done by Elise Hurst, an illustrator whose work I haven't seen before.

The illustration style is charcoal, which I think lends itself well to the story.  There are a number of full two-page spreads, including many with the background in black with white text and illustrations focused on light.

A number of the illustrations really serve to pull you into the story.

The plot follows an adult man who has returned to the area where he grew up due to a funeral.  He drives to where his family house use to stand and then to a nearby farm where a friend lived.  This property is at the end of the road and has a pond that his friend called an ocean, hence the title "The Ocean at the End of the Lane."  As an adult he sits down by the ocean and starts to remember what happened to him when he was a child.

"Memories were waiting at the edges of things, beckoning to me."

Interestingly enough the family of his friend (the Hempstocks) feature in several other Gaiman books, though I'd forgotten about them until I read an article on the subject (The Graveyard Book and Stardust).  Though the story is primarily about a child it isn't a book for children.  There isn't much content that is objectionable (depending upon your taste) but it is not written at a child/young adult level but for adults.  I found myself reading the story slowly to savor it, though I could have raced through it faster than I did--I still ended up finishing it less than a week after I received it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Summary: A haunting remembrance of a childhood adventure long forgotten.
Technical: Hardcover, 328 pages, ISBN 9780062995315

~Matt

Book Review: Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell

Odd and the Frost Giants
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
by Neil Gaiman

In 2018 I bought a number of Neil Gaiman's books.  I had read Stardust a number of years before and really enjoyed it, but in the meantime hadn't picked up more of his works.  One of those that I found was Odd and the Frost Giants.  There are a couple of different editions of the book, but I was drawn to this one because of the illustrator Chris Riddell.  He has illustrated a number of Gaiman's books and in my opinion if you have the choice pick up one that he has illustrated.

Odd, a young Viking boy, is left fatherless following a raid. In his icy, ancient world there is no mercy for an unlucky soul with a crushed foot and no one to protect him. Fleeing to the woods, Odd stumbles upon and releases a trapped bear…and then Odd's destiny begins to change.

The eagle, bear, and fox Odd encounters are Norse gods, trapped in animal form by the evil frost giant who has conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Now our hero must reclaim Thor's hammer, outwit the frost giants and release the gods…

First published in 2009, Odd and the Frost Giants has been reimagined by acclaimed artist Chris Riddell in the style of his epic black-and-white artwork from New York Times bestselling The Sleeper and the Spindle, enhanced here with metallic silver ink.
--from Harper Collins website

You get a taste for the humor in this book before you even start into the story proper, unless you skip over the author's biography, which would definitely be a mistake.

The story is good, following an ostracized Viking boy Odd (the name means the tip of a blade) who wanders away from his settlement in the middle of a long winter and runs into three animals: a bear, a fox, and an eagle.  These creatures turn out to be the Norse gods Thor, Loki, and Odin, who have all been exiled from their homeland of Asgard.  Odd has to figure out how to get them home and how to free the land of the gods from the control of the Frost Giants.

The book is filled with gorgeous illustrations in black and white with metallic silver ink highlights.  There are quite a number of two-page spreads like this one that, if you're like me, you'll find yourself lingering over as you read.  You may also think you can feel the cold winter winds blowing down upon you as you explore the pages.

While this isn't a graphic novel there are also a number of smaller illustrations that top each chapter, or are interspersed in the text such as this chapter header.

The tale is a heartwarming one and well told.  It feels like a modern version of something out of the ancient Norse sagas.  It is also full of humor and is a story you'll definitely want to read more than once.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: A tale of a young Viking who encounters three exiled gods from Norse mythology and helps them to get back to Asgard.
Technical: Hardcover, 121 pages, fully illustrated, ISBN 9780062567956

~Matt

Book Review: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Norse Mythology
by Neil Gaiman

I've been reading Neil Gaiman's stories for a few years and discovered a while ago that he is an amazing storyteller.  I own a number of his fiction books and I probably should get around to reviewing several of them here on my blog.

When I discovered that he had written a new version of ancient Norse myths I was determined to find the book.  I actually listened to the audiobook first (narrated by Neil Gaiman himself) and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I then determined to also read through the book and enjoyed that as well.

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people.
--from Neil Gaiman's website

You'll find fifteen different tales included in this volume.  One of the sad things about Norse mythology is that we're pretty sure that many other tales existed, but not all of them were written down so that we could read them later.  The book starts with the Norse creation myth, continues through a series of adventures, and ends in the cosmos-ending tale of Ragnarok.  One of my favorites is The Treasures of the Gods.  The interaction between Thor and Loki is hilarious to read.  In this section Thor's wife Sif woke up without her beautiful hair and Thor immediately suspects that Loki is at the bottom of it, so he goes to confront Loki and the following hilarious exchange results.

You'll also read tales of giants, other worlds, and even times when the gods themselves can be bested.  You've never heard mythology told with such skill and humour.  The book isn't illustrated, but the chapter headers include a bit of artwork.

Here you can hear Neil himself talk about some of the inspiration for the book.



In summary unless you don't like mythology or the Norse then check out this book.  Actually, give it a try even if you're not sure if you'll like it, so long as you enjoy a good story.  While Neil's other books may not be everyone's cup of tea, I'd suggest many people check out this volume.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: A new retelling of ancient Norse mythology with witty turn of phrase and sly humour.
Technical: Trade paperback, 301 pages, includes introduction, description of character, notes on setting, and a glossary.

~Matt

Book Review: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil by J. R. R. Tolkien, illustrated by Pauline Baynes

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
Illustrated by Pauline Baynes
by J. R. R. Tolkien

I have been reading J. R. R. Tolkien's books for a number of years, as you might guess from the fact that I've already reviewed two books on my blog (and I just started posting book reviews here at the end of last year).

Last year I started purchasing several more books that I'd heard about but didn't yet own, one of those was The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.  While I have and continue to read other works by Tolkien I especially enjoy his works about Middle-earth, so what really drew me to this volume was that it is really an "in world" volume.

The present selection is taken from the older pieces, mainly concerned with legends and jests of the Shire at the end of the Third Age, that appear to have been made by Hobbits, especially by Bilbo and his friends, or their immediate descendants....  In the Red Book it is said that No. 5 was made by Bilbo, and No. 7 by Sam Gamgee.  No. 8 is marked SG, and the ascription may be accepted.  No. 12 is also marked SG, though at most Sam can only have touched up an older piece of the comic bestiary lore of which Hobbits appear to have been fond.
--from Preface by J. R. R. Tolkien

There are sixteen chapters in the book including such delightful stories as The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, The Man in the Moon stayed up Too Late, Oliphaut, Cat, and The Last Ship.  You'll find stories that very obviously connect with the mythology of Middle-earth, and some that take a bit of work to discover where they fit.

The book includes many delightful illustrations by Pauline Baynes, Tolkien's preferred illustrator during his lifetime such as this one of Goldberry's daughter.

Oliphaunt is a wonderful little poem about one of Sam Gamgee's favorite animals.

If you enjoy Middle-earth and especially if you have ventured beyond the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings then you definitely want to uncover a copy of this volume.  You'll enjoy expanding your understanding of the universe.  But beyond that these short tales and poems are enjoyable on their own.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Summary: A collection of short tales and poems set within Tolkien's Middle-earth.
Technical: 64 pages, hardcover, published in Great Britain (ISBN 0048210196), seventh impression in 1973.

~Matt

Book Review: Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail by Theodore Roosevelt

Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail
with 83 illustrations by Frederic Remington
by Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was quite a prolific author, producing several dozen books during his lifetime.  As he died quite a while ago there isn't an active copyright on his volumes, the one I'm reviewing here is one you can actually read for free online at the Internet Archive, though it looks like the artwork wasn't uploaded.

The copy I own is one I found at a library sale in Cincinnati in 2018.  It was published by the University of Nebraska Press and is a good edition from all that I can tell.  The original book was published in 1883 and the first copy of this edition was published in 1983, so almost a century later.

Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail describes Roosevelt's routine labor and extraordinary adventures, including a stint as a deputy sheriff pursuing three horse thieves through the cold of winter.  Whether recounting stories of cowboy fights or describing his hunting of elk, antelope, and bear, the book expresses his lifelong delight in physical hardihood and tests of nerve.
--from back cover copy

While the illustrations are in black and white they are an excellent complement to the text.  Some are small and others are relatively large.  There are even a few that take up an entire page, but most of the larger ones are about this size.

The stories are definitely dated, with all of the author's original beliefs and wording intact.  Roosevelt was definitely not a terrible person from everything I've read, but at times he was also a creature of his times.  Lands populated by Native Americans were "wilderness" that only counted as explored if another white man had ventured through them.  Wolves were creatures to be hunted down.  However, don't let that stop you from checking out this book.  It is a series of true adventures that illustrate the rough-and-tumble life on the frontier, even at the relatively late date of the 1880s when Roosevelt ranched in Dakota Territory (land now occupied by Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which I hope to be blogging about later this year).  Roosevelt not only owned the ranch, but he also pitched in and worked the cattle drives, hunting, and other necessary tasks.  He describes a number of hunts, some of which were for trophies, but mostly were to provide provisions for ranch hands.

If you enjoy first-person historical narratives or want to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt in his own words then definitely check out this book.  It isn't terribly long, but isn't too short either.  You'll definitely be left with a taste for the West and for Roosevelt's outlook on life by the time you finish.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary: A first person narrative of ranching life and hunting trips from Theodore Roosevelt's years ranching in the American West.
Technical: Softcover, 187 pages, includes all 83 advertised illustrations.

~Matt

Book Review: 1493 by Charles C. Mann

1493
Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
by Charles C. Mann

Last year I read (and reviewed) Charles C. Mann's 1491.  When I found out that he'd published a sequel of sorts I rushed to buy it.  I enjoyed it and tried to not rush through the reading of it so that it would last longer.  I just finished it up recently and decided that it deserved a review of its own.

Presenting the latest research by biologists, anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians, Mann shows how the post-Columbian network of ecological and economic exchange fostered the rise of Europe, devastated imperial China, convulsed Africa, and for two centuries made Mexico City—where Asia, Europe, and the new frontier of the Americas dynamically interacted—the center of the world. In this history, Mann uncovers the germ of today’s fiercest political disputes, from immigration to trade policy to culture wars. In 1493, Mann has again given readers an eye-opening scientific interpretation of our past, unequaled in its authority and fascination.
--from Charles C. Mann author website

We all know the world changed after Columbus voyaged in 1492, but I don't think we always realized exactly what happened.  In this book Charles Mann sets out to explore the world that was created as a result of the Colombian Exchange.  Both hemispheres were inexorably altered in many different ways.  One of the most fascinating things I learned was the extent to which Africans outnumbered Europeans in many areas of the New World.  I knew that many hundreds of thousands of slaves had been brought over the Atlantic, and knew that in some areas like the American South or Brazil they outnumbered Europeans, but I didn't realize how this was true in many other areas.  It was fascinating to learn about all of the independent colonies founded by escaped slaves throughout both continents.

I also knew that tomatoes and potatoes were New World crops that made huge inroads elsewhere via the Irish Potato Famine or can you imagine Italian cooking without tomato sauce?  However, I didn't realize the extent to which crops and trade impacted places like China and may have impacted the rise and fall of several dynasties.

Overall Mann does a great job explaining the many, many changes the world has seen in the past slightly over five centuries and the great mixing that has occurred.  He also brings out many things you may not have thought about--like the impact of the potato on Chinese imperial history.  Or in discussions of invasive species why are food crops never mentioned?  If you garden in North America the chances are that virtually none of the crops you plant were domesticated within thousands of miles of where you are located.  Throughout the book the text flows very well and is quite engaging.  I had to stop myself from finishing it too quickly several times as I wanted to savor the read.  If you enjoy history I encourage you to check out the book.  You may not agree with all conclusions, but it is well worth your time to read through and you'll likely end up learning something new.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: An examination of the global changes wrought by the mingling of the eastern and western hemispheres after 1492.
Technical: 535 pages, hardcover with dust jacket.  Includes black and white photographs, drawings, and map throughout the text.  Two appendices, end notes, works cited, and index included.

~Matt

Book Review: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien 2005 50th Anniversary Edition

The Lord of the Rings
50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
by J. R. R. Tolkien

I first read The Lord of the Rings when I was in Junior High or High School.  I still have the battered paperback editions that I first read and I've re-read them several times (see below).  I also have the edition of The Fellowship of the Ring that I bought for a college course on the Inklings.  However, I decided after patching up the battered covers of my paperbacks yet again that I should get an omnibus edition before my books fell apart in a way that I couldn't repair.

I then ran across this volume while browsing the shelves at Joseph-Beth and I decided that I needed to pick it up.  Last winter I went ahead and purchased it--I think I used my January $5 voucher for the purchase to take a bit off the cover price of $30, and it was worth every penny.  I'm sure that I'll be rereading this many times over the coming years so that I'll definitely get the full value out of the purchase and likely many times over.

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
     Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone.
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
     One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne.
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
     One ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
     One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
--from J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

My original paperback editions on my shelf of Tolkien books.

This edition incorporates a number of edits over the years made to correct typos in past editions.  Before the text proper begins you can read a note on the text, a note on the 50th anniversary edition, and a forward to the second edition.  The text is of course a classic tale that should be well known to many.  I love the breadth of the scope of the story, the strong sense of verisimilitude, the fascinating and by now familiar characters, it is a joy to reread this story each time I go through it.

In the back of the book you'll find the normal series of maps of the Third Age of Middle-earth.  This is perhaps the only slight downside of the book that the maps are small, but giving the size of the pages it truly can't be helped.  If I ever want to reference better maps I pull out my hardcover copy of Unfinished Tales with its fold-out map or my Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad.

If you're in need of a new edition of The Lord of the Rings or haven't yet read this classic I would suggest you look for this edition.  One further advantage of an omnibus edition is that it reminds you this is one story, not a trilogy of stories like the publication process could make you believe.

Rating: 5.5 out of 5
Summary: A new omnibus edition of the classic story of high adventure and good versus evil.
Technical: 1187 pages, faux leather cover.  Includes appendices, index, and maps.  Text is based off reset edition published in UK in 1994.

~Matt

Book Review: Asimov on Science Fiction by Isaac Asimov

Asimov on Science Fiction
by Isaac Asimov

I picked up this book in an AbeBooks order back in 2018.  I don't recall the exact circumstances of why I picked it up.  It might have been because I was reading a similar book of his nonfiction and decided to procure this one to go along with it.

Regardless I started reading this book again not too long ago and have been going through it somewhat slowly, reading a chapter or two a night and I recently finished it so I thought I'd go ahead and review it here.

No one knows science fiction as well as Isaac Asimov, the bestselling author of the FOUNDATION saga and many other classic works. He has taken part in all the significant developments and knows most of the important writers personally. His familiarity with the history of sf is unsurpassed, including UTOPIA, FRANKENSTEIN, the stories of Jules Verne and the concerns of today's writers.

ASIMOV ON SCIENCE FICTION is just that: the Grand Master's views on his subject. There is no other book like it.
--from Goodreads

The book is a series of non-fiction essays that were composed by Isaac Asimov over the course of many years divided into the following sections.

1. Science Fiction in General
2. The Writing of Science Fiction
3. The Predictions of Science Fiction
4. The History of Science Fiction
5. Science Fiction Writers
6. Science fiction Fans
7. Science Fiction Reviews
8. Science Fiction and I

I enjoyed reading through this work, though it is certainly very different from Asimov's science fiction works.  He was a very prolific author, not only of science fiction, but also many non-fiction works.  In addition he frequently wrote essays, columns, or introductions and many of those were the source of this book's chapters.  Each chapter/piece includes an introduction that tells where the piece originally appeared or who commissioned the writing of it.

I enjoyed the insights both into Asimov's life but also the early years of the science fiction community from a man who was an acknowledged "old-timer" and grand master of the genre.  The book is definitely a product of its time and the author.  He was an early member of the science fiction community who didn't live to see many of the changes it has undergone in recent years.  But as a historian I really enjoyed seeing his perspective.  Be aware that while essays are grouped by topic this is a collection of disparate items linked just by the author and general subject matter of science fiction.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary: A series of non-fiction essays on various aspects and subjects of Science Fiction.
Technical: Copyright 1981.  334 pages, hardcover with dust jacket.  Includes an introduction to each of 55 different essays in eight different categories.

~Matt

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone written by J. K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Illustrated by Jim Kay
by J. K. Rowling

Last February my wife let me know she had found a great deal on Facebook Marketplace.  We'd wanted to pick up the illustrated editions of Harry Potter books ever since we saw them, but they were a bit expensive so we'd decided to wait.  She found a listing for The Sorcerer's Stone along with a couple regular Harry Potter books for only $5.  I told her to grab it.  The book is a bit battered, but still held together.

For the first time, J.K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter books will be presented in lavishly illustrated full-color editions. Kate Greenaway-award-winning artist Jim Kay has created over 100 stunning illustrations, making this deluxe format a perfect gift as much for a child being introduced to the series, as for the dedicated fan.
--from Amazon.com description

I just finished reading the story to our two oldest kids (four and six) recently and have since moved on to The Chamber of Secrets (a library book that we don't have to return for a while due to the library closure).  The kids really enjoyed the read--always begging for me to keep reading when I would quit in the middle of a long chapter or at the end of a chapter.

Obviously as this is an illustrated volume it includes quite a number of illustrations.  There are a decent number of two-page spreads illustrating key points in the story.  You'll also find extra images like the dragon eggs above that provide extra details you wouldn't otherwise see.  Even pages without large artwork often have background textures and other small elements that add to the look of each and every page.  The chapter headings are also lavishly illustrated.  Jim Kay's website includes a number of the book images and descriptions for each featured photo.  I also found a detailed list of Easter Eggs hidden in the book's illustrations that I plan to read through.

I greatly enjoyed reading through this book.  Not only had it been several years since I'd read the story, but the illustrations added to the experience.  If you're looking for a read-aloud edition of the book then you will definitely not go wrong picking up this volume.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: A lavishly illustrated large format edition of the first Harry Potter book.
Technical: 248 pages, dust jacket, frequent illustrations, bookmark ribbon affixed to spine.

~Matt

Book Review: William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace by Ian Doescher

William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace
Star Wars Part The First
by Ian Doescher

I've had this book on my shelf for a number of years.  I picked up The Phantom of Menace back in 2016 as a bargain buy at Joseph-Beth bookstores. It was shortly after this that I listened to the first William Shakespeare's Star Wars (Episode IV) via my Audible subscription and knew that I enjoyed the combination of Shakespearean drama and language with the story of Star Wars.

I thought about starting to read Episode I, but felt that I would be missing something if I didn't have the rest of the prequel trilogy handy.  In the years since I hadn't found others on-sale, so it had languished on my shelf until late in 2019.

I'd started watching through the Star Wars movies with my six-year old and I decided that I'd pick this book off the shelf and see if it was more enjoyable with the film fresh in my mind.  It did in fact make a difference and I think really helped with the enjoyment of the artfully crafted work.  In addition I decided to postpone re-watching Episode II myself (not with the kid--she isn't old enough for it yet) until I'd watched through all of the Clone Wars on Disney+.  Of course little did I know that would take a while if only because I want to watch through in the correct chronological order.  But enough about other parts of Star Wars, this review is supposed to be about William Shakespeare's version of the tale.

I've had a passing familiarity with William Shakespeare since my days in high school (when I read Hamlet) and college (when I acted in Hamlet and was crew for a production of Much Ado About Nothing).  While it takes some work to translate some of what is written the stores are well done and entertaining to read even today hundreds of years after they were first written.  While I wouldn't consider Star Wars normal science-fiction, they're definitely engaging space opera and I think the match up of Star Wars and William Shakespeare was a genius inspiration.  Doescher does a great job translating the story of the film into the format of a play.  I found the final product quite compelling.  It takes a good bit of talent to take a story produced by someone else and render it into a format developed by yet another person and ensure that people will want to read it today.

A number of illustrations were also sprinkled throughout the text, not only headings for each act, but images of several characters and scenes.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Summary: A dramatic rendition of Star Wars Episode I in Shakespearean language and five acts.
Technical: Hardcover with dust jacket, 173 pages

~Matt

Book Review: Around the World in 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori

Around the World in 80 Trees
by Jonathan Drori
Illustrations by Lucille Clerc

A botanical journey filled with science, history, and wonder.
--from the back cover

I spotted this book while browsing in the Cincinnati Joseph-Beth bookstore last December.  I was immediately drawn to it due to Lucille Clerc's gorgeous cover illustration and started flipping through it.  I immediately knew that I wanted to buy it, but realized that I should wait until I had a discount to employ that would take a bit off the price, so I wanted until a few days into January before I bought it.

In Around the World in 80 Trees, expert Jonathan Drori uses plant science to illuminate how trees play a role in every part of human life, from the romantic to the regrettable. Stops on the trip include the lime trees of Berlin’s Unter den Linden boulevard, which intoxicate amorous Germans and hungry bees alike, the swankiest streets in nineteenth-century London, which were paved with Australian eucalyptus wood, and the redwood forests of California, where the secret to the trees’ soaring heights can be found in the properties of the tiniest drops of water.
--from publisher Laurence King's website

I started reading the book as soon as I got home after purchasing it, but I made sure to take my time.  Think of the book as 80 separate vignettes.  Each tree is covered in a different entry, separated geographically.  It starts in Europe, progresses through Africa and Asia, and then across the Pacific to the Americas where it ends in North America.  Some trees are covered in their land of origin while others are covered in places where they have been transplanted and are now popular.  Each tree has 1-2 pages of text and illustrations, so don't expect a connected narrative.  You can read the book from cover to cover starting at the beginning as I did, or you can browse through and just read sections in any order you desire without loosing anything.  I took about two months to finish the book because I didn't want to get through it too quickly.

In this two-page spread on the Paper Mulberry you can see what some of the smaller sections look like.  The text is always at least this long and covers the current distribution of the tree and what it is used for.  The gorgeous illustrations usually show some of the full tree as well as various elements like flowers, fruit, and leaves.

Some sections are longer such as this two-page text spread on the cork trees of Portugal.

The two pages of text are accompanied by a two-page spread of illustrations.

Page after page of simply beautiful illustrations make this book a joy to peruse.  I look forward to using it with the kids when they are older and we need to learn about different trees.  Obviously it isn't an exhaustive exploration of all trees, but it does a good job of covering its selection.

Detail from Chinese lacquer tree illustration.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: A gorgeously illustrated ode to 80 different trees from around the world, covering the distribution, usage, and history of each species included.
Technical: Hardcover with dust jacket, 240 pages.  Includes index and selected bibliography.  No end notes.

~Matt

Book Review: Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen

Jungle of Stone
The Extraordinary Journey of John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, and the Discover of the Lost Civilization of the Maya
by William Carlsen

Every year I buy a membership from a local bookstore, Joseph-Beth.  A number of years ago my wife bought me the first one as a Christmas present and it came with four $5 vouchers, one each for January, February, March, and April of the following year.  I've renewed it each year and since the first one was bought in December I get the same voucher deal each year.  If you're local to Cincinnati or Lexington the deal is fantastic, because for a $25 membership you get a $25 voucher in the bookstore's restaurant (Bronte Bistro) as well as an extra 10% off staff picks, and a $10 voucher every time you spend $100.  Anyway, each year four the first four months of the year I always buy at least one book from Joseph-Beth to make sure that I'm using my voucher.  Sometimes new books I want to read are coming out and the timing is great, whereas other times I hunt their bargain shelves to make a purchase really worth it (on February 29 of this year I bought a bargain book that ended up being about $2 including tax).  In 2019 I found Jungle of Stone on the bargain shelf at Joseph-Beth for only $7.99.  I have found Mayan civilizations interesting for quite a while, and on our honeymoon cruise we got to visit Mayan ruins at Tulum in the Yucatan peninsula.  I bought the book on April 4 and had finished it ten days later, so I can definitely recommend it as an engaging read.

The narrative tells the story of how the widespread Mayan ruins of Central America came to the attention of the wider world in the nineteenth century.  The two main protagonists of the tale are American diplomat John Lloyd Stephens and British artist Frederick Catherwood.  The book includes several sections and a number of chapters that cover the expeditions, but also contains two sections about the background of each of these men before they met.

Interspersed throughout the text are a number of black and white reproductions of Catherwood's pictures of Mayan ruins that wonderfully complement the text.

There is also an insert section of glossy pages that includes a number of color versions of Catherwood's illustrations taken from his folio edition of View of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatán published in 1844.

I own at least one other book about Stephens and Catherwood, but haven't read it yet, so this was my first in depth dive into their story. I enjoyed the pace of the book and the details included.  I do have a minor complaint about the notes.  While the notes are all properly noted in the text (I do not like books where you only find out there is a note by flipping back to the notes section for a particular page/chapter) I wish that some of the informative notes were included as footnotes instead of always being relegated to the back of the book.  However, that likely won't detract from the enjoyment of the book for most people.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary: An engaging narrative covering the careers of Stephens and Catherwood who brought the Mayan ruins of Central American so a wider audience.
Technical: Trade paperback, 528 pages, includes selected bibliography, notes, and index.  Several color artwork/photos included in center section, black and white illustrations throughout the text along with some current photographs for comparison.

~Matt

PS You can hear some from the author in this promotional video he put together to help advertise the book.

Book Review: Tolkien Maker of Middle-earth by Catherine McIlwaine

Tolkien

Maker of Middle-earth
by Catherine McIlwaine

Last year I heard about the new exhibit Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth coming to The Morgan Library & Museum in New York in the exhibit's only appearance outside of Oxford.  It sounded like something amazing to experience, and I tried to figure out how to make a trip to New York work so that I could see it.  I looked into flights, babysitters, time off, workload, and many other factors but sadly I just couldn't make the logistics work.

Even though I had to give up on the idea of seeing the exhibit in person I was still fascinated by the topic.  I've enjoyed the world of Middle-earth since I first cracked open the books in my childhood and recently I've started picking up more of Tolkien's books and books related to Tolkien.  Fortunately I discovered that there was an exhibit book that had been produced and so I decided that buying the book and reading through it would be my consolation prize.

The author is Catherine McIlwaine, Tolkien Archivist at the Bodleian Libraries for more than fifteen years, who also curated the exhibit.  The book is a massive collection that takes some time to peruse.  It opens with a series of essays by Catherine and other Tolkien experts, the titles of which I've listed below.  Even if you're already familiar with Tolkien's life you'll find some interesting nuggets and details in these passages.

• J. R. R Tolkien: A Biographical Sketch Catherine McIlwaine
• Tolkien and the Inklings John Garth
• Faërie: Tolkien's Perilous Land Verlyn Flieger
• Inventing Elvish Carl F. Hostetter
• Tolkien and 'that noble northern spirit' Tom Shippey
• Tolkien's Visual Art Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull

After the essays the meat of the book begins, the catalogue section that covers the artifacts in the exhibit.  There are nine different sections covering different aspects of Tolkien's work and his life.  Included are a number of photographs of Tolkien, his family, and other important people in his life.  The photograph below is of Tolkien and his brother Hilary in 1905.  On the right is Father Francis Morgan, the man who took over responsibility for the boys after their mother died and took care of their upbringing.

Many of the pages also show examples of Tolkien's own artwork.  While I enjoy many other artist's versions of Middle-earth, it is especially wonderful to experience Tolkien's direct visions of his masterpiece of secondary creation.  While he apparently didn't always think much of his talents I would argue that he was a decent artist.  I found his drawings on newspapers and other materials especially fascinating.  These are a series of Númenórean patterns that he doodled over the years.

In addition to these patterns Tolkien also made quite a number of paintings.  Here you can see his vision of Bilbo talking with Smaug on his hoard and the dragon dying after he is pierced by the arrow of Bard the Bowman.

By far my favorite section of the book was the last section, on maps.  As you may or may not know I'm a bit of a geography buff and really enjoy maps.  I especially enjoy novels with maps in them and have ever since I read the Lord of the Rings and pored over the map of the third age of Middle-earth.  This map is annotated by Tolkien and the artist Pauline Baynes.  You can see a larger version of the map itself at this link.  Apparently the map was only discovered in 2015, so amazingly it appears as though items may still be uncovered in the archives.

I bought the book in May of 2019, but took my time reading it, letting it stretch out over many months so that I didn't finish it all at once.  I did take a break of a couple months in the middle of that time as it sat beneath another stack of books.  I finally finished it last month in January 2020.  I enjoyed the entire time going through the book and was sad to see it come to an end.

Rating: 5.5 out of 5*
Summary: A fascinating exploration of the life of J. R. R. Tolkien through manuscripts, photographs, artwork, and other exhibit materials.
Technical: Hardcover, 416 pages, £40.00, $65.00§.  Includes select bibliography and detailed index. 180 catalogue items and many other additional images included.

*Yes, I'm cheating slightly on the rating.  This book is simply too enjoyable to just give a rating of 5 stars.
§I bought it for $41 something on Amazon, but see that it is currently listed for just over $32 as I post this.

~Matt