One of these things is not like the other

.

043) Urban Legend Hunters: The Dreaded Mr. Snipe by Joel McKerrow and Wayne Bryant, finished July 23

Honestly, I didn’t care for it. It’s trying so hard to be funny and clever and I found it tiring. HOWEVER. The 9yrold read it and loved it and insisted I read it which is why I read it. And, honestly, if you find all the scatology and “wit” entertaining, this was a terrific series launch. So I suspect we’ll be seeing these around the house for a while.

two or three days

☞

044) The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen, finished July 23

The 9yrold finished this and declared it excellent and I thought I recognized the author’s name. Sure enough I’ve read her Garlic books for kids and her vampire tale for adults so I figured I’d take an hour and knock this one out as well.

It’s good. Paulsen does seem to have a strong need to push certain concepts forward (which is fine) and this books seems to borrow a plot choice from Frozen (which is fine) but somehow.... Little things like the child looking like a dwarf and some pacing issue kept me from really loving this one—I just couldn’t settle in. Anyway, I’m sure her next one will be no less charming and maybe more satisfying.

one night

☞

045) The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter, finished August 4

I absolutely loved reading this version of the Torah. Although I certainly will continue reading other translations, I’m sufficiently persuaded by Alter’s translation goals that I may well spend the first half of 2030 reading it again. I felt so educated in terms of literature and history and archaeology and theology by his voluminous footnotes (I’m certain they’re longer than the Torah itself) and I happily shared recently read ones with all I talked to but! they were so many that I couldn’t possibly hold onto them all. I must read this book again!

The best twenty dollars I’ve spent on a book? Maybe. Certainly I’ve zero regrets. And I heartily recommend Alter’s work to each and every one of you. There’s a certain magic that only someone who has spent their entire life mastering one realm of knowledge can impart, and this book offers that magic.

the year so far

☞

046) Surfside Girls: The Mystery at the Old Rancho by Kim Dwinell, finished August 6

Daughter o’ Mine continues making me read comics from the library but I really liked the first of these and I liked the second too. I hear it’s now a show on Apple+, which makes sense. Could be a modern Scooby-Doo? It has sort of a utopian view of both California’s rancho/mission era and modern politics, but it’s okay for kids to believe the world is good. That should be part of their diet.

one sit

Leave a comment