What I finished reading

Freedom and Necessity by Steven Brust and Emma Bull. I adore this book. James Cobham, a man involved in the Chartist movement wakes up with memory loss; he assumes it's due to attempted murder. Through letters and journal entries, his stepsister, his first cousin, and their second cousin work through the mystery. All four ( Read more... )

"Miss Alcott's books are all delightful, and Jo's Boys is one of the best of them." - Boston Evening Transcript ( Read more... )

Chapter 1: SylviaThe Warwick/Ottila opening is gone, and the original Ch 2 is now Ch 1. Prue attempts to get her younger sister Sylvia out of bed, she resists, etc. When she's working in her garden she wears a short skirt, not trousers. Thus Moor's thoughts are different - "What a changeful thing it is! haunting one's premises unseen, and stealing ( Read more... )

Chapter One: The CatastropheThere are three sledding paths in Harmony Village. Joe says to Jill that she wouldn't dare take the biggest one, so she insists that her friend Jack Minot take her down it several times. The final time they crash; Jack breaks his leg and hits his head, and Jill hurts her back. Jack's sled is named Thunderbolt. Jill's ( Read more... )

Chapter 1: A Pair of FriendsIt says friends but I’m shipping the hell out of them. Diana, 28, is a sculptor and partly inspired by Harriet Hosmer, according to Sarah Elbert’s introduction. Percy, 25, is a painter and her mixture of fun-loving and artistic dedication resembles May Alcott. Percy’s only family is her grandmother, while Diana lives ( Read more... )

“M. M. appears and causes much guessing. It is praised and criticized, and I enjoy the fun, especially when friends say, 'I know you didn't write it, for you can't hide your peculiar style ( Read more... )

Coming HomeRose, Phebe, and Uncle Alec return from two years in Europe. Jamie, Archie, Mac, and Charlie meet them at the docks. “[S]he received the impression that Archie was about the same, that Mac had decidedly improved, and that something was amiss with Charlie ( Read more... )

“It is evidently written in very good faith, but it strike us as a very ill-chosen sort of entertainment to set before children. It is unfortunate not only in its details, but in its general tone, in the constant ring of the style. The smart satirical tone is the last one in the world to be used in describing to children their elders and betters ( Read more... )

I just can't finish the book. Too painful. Posting what I have so far and moving on to Transcendental Wild Oats.

Although published in 1872, LMA started Work in 1861, before Little Women, before Hospital Sketches ( Read more... )

NatWhen Nat (12) arrives at Plumfield a boy sliding down the banister falls off, introduces himself as Tommy Bangs, tells Demi (who’s reading on the stairs) to see to the new boy, and heads back upstairs. They only talk for a minute before Nat gets called in to see Aunt Jo. “Daisy took him by the hand with a pretty protecting air, which made Nat ( Read more... )