Little Women & Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott

 

Title:  Little Women

Author:  Louisa May Alcott

Narrated by:  Jennifer Woodward

Publisher: Saga Egmont

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 11 minutes

Source: Checked out from Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library

 

Title:  Good Wives

Author:  Louisa May Alcott

Narrated by:  Lorelei King

Publisher: Audible Studios

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 11 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.

What is a positive book that improves your mood when you read it?  Little Women is just such a book for me.

Little Women is the story of the trials and tribulations of the four March sisters.  Meg is the eldest and is beautiful and caring. Jo is independent and fearless, Beth is musical and timid, and Amy is artistic and vain.  The country is in the midst of the Civil War and their father is gone having joined the Union war effort.  The girls and their mother, Marmee, and housekeeper, Hannah, work to keep their household going and to help their community.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was great on audiobook and both narrators were very expressive and a joy to listen to. The first audiobook that I listened to ended at the middle of what I think of as Little Women.  I had to go and get Good Wives separately to finish the story as the girls grow older and marry.  This is originally how the books were published, but most modern editions have both books packaged together as Little Women.

·       This book was the July pick for the Back to the Classics Book Club at the Kewaunee Public library.  We enjoyed it.  It’s an overall happy book which we discussed at book club is rare for a classic novel. We watched and enjoyed the 2019 adaptation of the novel.

·       As an adult with every reread, I am struck by Marmee’s talk with Jo on how she has a bad temper and how as an adult, she has had to work hard to keep her calm appearance and keep her anger in. It is so interesting and it provides such a depth to Marmee’s character.  She is a great mother who supported her daughters to become great women.

·       I loved how the sisters had their disagreements as all sisters do, but they support and love each other.

·       Amy and Jo spar but are a lot alike.  They are both passionate about their art and want a different life than the traditional pathway of marriage for females at the time.

·       I’ve read this book many times in my life, and I have loved it every time.

·       This novel is based on Louisa May Alcott’s real life and family.  At times now, I get real life and the novel confused. 

·       I loved how they help the immigrant Hummel family and give them their Christmas dinner.  The Hummels are a poor fatherless German Immigrant family.  I love the Christian message of helping the “stranger” in our midst.

 

Overall, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is an uplifting and timeless classic that is well worth a read, or multiple reads.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 

Title:  The Book Thief

Author:  Markus Zusak

Narrated by:  Allan Corduner

Publisher: Listening Library

Length: Approximately 13 hour and 57 minutes

Source: Checked out in Libby from the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

What makes a book a classic?

Liesel has lost her family in 1939 Germany.  At her brother’s funeral, she picks up a copy of The Gravedigger’s Handbook that was accidentally left behind.  Her new life as a lover and stealer of books has arrived.  She is taken care of by a new foster family and grows up learning the complexity of trying to do good in a world that has forgotten its humanity.  Will Liesel, her friends, and foster family make it to the end of the war?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This is a powerful story.  This was a powerful book when I first read it fifteen years ago and was just as powerful on a reread, this time on audiobook.

·       This was the @dees.reads Classic Buddy Read for May, but I finished it up in June.  I am behind on my buddy reads!  I am still thinking about this book months later.

·       Liesel’s foster father, Hans Huberman, didn’t have much, but his kindness and care for others meant so much in troubled times, especially as so many ignored the suffering of others.

·       It was disturbing how many people blindly followed Hitler, and how many people didn’t want to say anything and rock the boat, even when they knew it was wrong.  It’s disturbing how much this is paralleled in modern times.

·       Allan Corduner was a powerful narrator on the audiobook.  Have your tissues handy as you listen to this one.

·       One major theme was how do you keep your humanity during terrible times?

·       The book was beautifully written and unique to have the story narrated by death.

·       Liesel has everyday cares and friends, but she lives during extraordinary times.

·       This book is classified as a young adult novel, but it is an important story that all adults should read as well.

Overall, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a must-read historical fiction classic that sticks with you long after you turn the last page.

The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie

Title:  The Labours of Hercules

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser 

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 43 minutes 

Source: Purchased from Audible

Do you read short stories?  Do you have a favorite short story?

In this Hercule Poirot collection, the famous detective takes on twelve mysteries in the twelve short stories.  Each one is related to the Labours of Hercules in Greek mythology.  Poirot wants to solve these cases before he “retires.”  Since he spends fifty years coming in and out of retirement, I’m not sure that solving these mysteries will put him over the edge.  

My thoughts on this collection:

• I read this in June for the #ReadChristie2026 challenge.  “Best short story collection” was the theme for the month.

• I enjoyed this collection and found it to be very entertaining.  I like the links between the stories and how each case was unique.

• I listened on audiobook and Hugh Fraser was a great narrator as usual.

• The stories were very loosely connected.

• In the first story, Poirot finds a missing dog which I enjoyed.

Overall, The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie was an entertaining short story mystery collection.  Was it the best Christie short story collection?  I guess I need to read all the rest of her short story collections to decide for myself.

The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare

 

Title:  The Comedy of Errors

Author:  William Shakespeare and Samantha Newman

Narrated by:  Mark Meadows

Publisher: Arcturus Digital

Length: Approximately 41 minutes

Source: Checked out through Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library

 

Title:  The Comedy of Errors

Author:  William Shakespeare

Narrated by:  Various Readers

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Length: Approximately 1 hour and 27 minutes

Source: Checked out through Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library

What is your favorite Shakespeare Play?

Two of my favorite Shakespeare plays are Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing.  I took Shakespeare in both high school and college, but it has been a while since I have read a Shakespeare play.  My Back to the Classic Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library decided to read The Comedy of Errors for our May pick.

The Comedy of Errors is a short play full for slapstick comedy.  Two sets of twins are separated by a raging storm with one parent tying themselves, their son, and their servant’s son to two different masts and the two masts being separated.  Now Antipholus of Syracuse has been searching for his brother and mother with his servant, Dromio of Syracuse.  When they arrive in Ephesus, much hilarity ensues due to mistaken identities.  Antipholus of Ephesus is a settled and respected merchant and has a servant named Dromio of Ephesus.  How will these identities be sorted out?

One of my book club members recommended an audiobook version that is adapted by Samantha Newman and is Part 1 of the Shakespeare’s Tales Retold for Children series.  This was an entertaining version that was great for really understanding the plot.  I also listened to the actual play from Blackstone audiobook that had a variety of readers and sound effects.  I like listening to Shakespeare and the beauty of the language.  I also checked out a copy of “No Fear” Shakespeare version of The Comedy of Errors from the library as well.  It was very interesting in that it showed a page of the original Shakespeare text and then the other page would be it translated into modern day English.

Overall, A Comedy of Errors is a good Shakespeare play to start with as it is short and simple, but it is not my favorite play.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Murder on the Orient Express

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Dan Stevens

Publisher: William Morrow

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 37 minutes

Source: Checked out in Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.

What book have you read that has the best ending?  Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie has one of my favorite endings where justice is ultimately served in an unconventional way. 

Hercule Poirot is heading home from the Middle East aboard the famed Orient Express.  An American, Rachett, tries to hire him for protection as he has received death threats, but Poirot refuses.   When Ratchett shows up dead when the train is stopped due to a snowstorm, Poirot must investigate.  Someone on the train must be the murderer, but who and why?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I read Murder on the Orient Express for the #ReadChristie2026 challenge.  This year is Agatha Christie’s Biggest, Best, Beloved stories.  The theme for April is “Beloved in your Collection.”  I’m showcasing a picture of my son Daniel’s very nice copy of Murder on the Orient Express and other novels.  Daniel has started reading Agatha Christie novels on audiobook and he is a fan.  He is going to pass me up soon on how many I have read.  It is fun discussing the books with him.

·       As this was my second read (first time on audiobook), it was interesting to focus on how Poirot was investigating the crime rather than who did it.

·       I loved how methodical Poirot was interviewing the witnesses.

·       This book was inspired by the Lindburg baby kidnapping case which is such a sad crime in history.

·       This is one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels.  It is so well written.

·       The ending is perfect with a mike drop moment.

·       Dan Stevens was a good narrator to give unique voices to the characters.

Overall, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie is one of Agatha Christie’s best mysteries.  It is a classic for a reason, and it is best to read it for the first time not knowing much about the plot.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

 

Title:  The Hobbit

Author:  JRR Tolkien

Narrated by:  Andy Serkis

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 25 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com

What is a classic that you have always meant to read?  This was my second time reading The Hobbit, but it was the first time for many in my Back to the Classics Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.

Bilbo lives a contented lie in a comfortable hobbit hole.  One day he receives a knock at his door only to discover many visitors including dwarves and a wizard named Gandolf.  Gandolf tells Bilbo that he is going to be the “burglar” for their adventure.  Bilbo soon finds himself on a journey where he visit many new places and learns more about himself.  Will they recover the dwarves’ gold?  Will Bilbo make it back alive?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       Andy Serkis was a great narrator for the audiobook, especially the Gollum parts in Chapter 5, “Whispers in the Dark.”  He also was great at singing the songs.

·       I wish there was a prequel about Belladonna Took, Bilbo’s mother.  What kind of adventures did she have with Gandolf?  I forgot about this brief snippet.

·       I loved how Bilbo was an everyman on an adventure.  He discovered himself and how brave he was.

·       The Hobbit is a great prequel to the Lord of the Rings series.

·       This book was great for discussion at our book club.  We may continue reading the Lord of the Rings series one book a year moving forward.

·       This is a coming of age, adventure, and fantasy story.

·       It was also a great comfort read.  I really enjoyed reading it again, it’s been about 25 years since I last read it.

·       I really loved the humor that Tolkien sprinkled throughout the story.

Favorite Quotes:

“In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.”

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell.”  - I agree with this sentiment!

Overall, The Hobbit by TRR Tolkien is a great adventure story full of great humor.  It’s a book that is fun to reread and Andy Serkis was a great audiobook narrator.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

 

Title:  A Wrinkle in Time

Author:  Madeleine L’Engle

Narrated by:  Hope Davis, Ava DuVernay, Madeleine L'Engle, Charlotte Jones Voiklis

Publisher: Listening Library

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 27 minutes

Source: I used my monthly audible allotment from Amazon.com for this book.

What book would you like to see adapted for the big screen?  I had not read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle when I was young, but I did read it with my kids before the movie came out a little less than ten years ago.  It was good to reread it again for the Classics Buddy Read with @dees.reads in March.

Meg Murry’s father disappeared years before and her family waits for his return.  Neighbors whisper that he abandoned his family, but his wife and kids believe it has something to do with this work.  One night a strange woman visits Meg’s home and invites her, her brother Charles Wallace, and her friend Calvin on an adventure to find her father.  Will they find him?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I enjoyed reading the physical version with my kids last time around, but it just didn’t really click with me this time around. 

·       The audiobook had a good narrator and I enjoyed that Madeleine L'Engle also discussed how hard it was to get this book published.

·       This is a young adult fantasy, science fiction, and coming of age story.

·       It was published in 1962 and won the Newbury medal in 1963.

·       I liked the time travel through the universe.  The tesseract and explanation were intriguing.

·       This is the first book in a series, but I have never read the other books. Have you?  What did you think?

·       I did love how this was great story of the power of love.

·       This book was referenced in the last season of Stranger Things, and it was fun to read it after watching that.

·       I liked that Meg was a strong female character who thought differently but was very gifted in math.  I felt like her and Charles Wallace may have been on the spectrum.

Overall, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle did not engage me this time around, but it is a unique young adult novel with a great female lead.

Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Mrs. McGinty’s Dead

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: Harper Audio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 8 minutes

Source: Checked out through Libby from the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thanks!

What cold case would you like to be solved?  From history, I would like the definitive answer on who is Jack the Ripper.  From my lifetime, I would like a definitive answer on who killed my eighth-grade teacher, Dar Foley.

Mrs. McGinty was murdered by a blow to the back of her head, and her lodger, a young local man, was jailed for her murder.  As he nears execution, Superintendent Spence asks Hercule Poirot to take another look at the case. Is he guilty or is the murderer still out there?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I am a part of the #ReadChristie2026 challenge again this year, although I am running a bit behind and read February’s book in March.  The theme for 2026 is Biggest, Best, Beloved Stories.  The February theme was “Beloved Characters.”  Hercule Poirot is definitely a beloved character, and this book did a good job of showcasing him.  Two favorite reoccurring characters also appear - Inspector Spence and Ariadne Oliver.

·       I loved Ariadne Oliver’s banter about her famous detective creation, Sven Hjerson, and how she hates him.  I loved the argument about how old he was since she started writing about him thirty years ago when he was thirty-five.  Is he thirty-five or sixty-five years old now?  She said she regretted making him Norwegian when she had never been to Norway.  It seemed tongue in cheek about Christie’s own creation of Hercule Poirot.  It made me laugh.

·       This was Hercule Mystery #29 and was published in 1952 in the United States as a novel.

·       I loved Hugh Fraser as the narrator of the audiobook and how he does the voices for all of the characters.  He does a great job as the narrator of the Poirot novels.

·       The mystery was highly entertaining with Poirot at the top of his game.  I did not guess the ending. 

·       The novel had fun dialogue, especially with Ariadne Oliver.  I greatly appreciated the humor.

·       Poor Poirot was annoyed at the untidiness and poor cooking the house where he was staying.  No one cared about his complaints, but they were very legitimate.

·       The title was based on the old English schoolyard chant, “How did Mrs. McGinty Did?”

Overall, Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie was a very enjoyable cozy mystery with great humor and characters.

 

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  The Body in the Library

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Stephanie Cole

Publisher: Harper Audio

Length: Approximately 5 hours and 21 minutes

Source: Amazon Music

Are you involved in any book challenges or book clubs this year?  I am once again a part of the #ReadChristie2026 challenge this year, although I am running a bit behind.  The theme for 2026 is Biggest, Best, Beloved Stories.  The January theme was “Best Opening.”  The Body in the Library certainly has a great opening…

The Bantrys wake up one day to find the body of a dead woman in their library.  Who is this woman and how did she end up in their library?  The Bantrys ask Miss Marple to help solve the case.

My thoughts on the novel:

·       This is the second novel in the Miss Marple series.  I love how sharp Miss Marple is and how she is able to use her knowledge and observations of human nature and behavior to solve mysteries.

·       This seemed a slightly more gruesome Agatha Christie mystery to me with the burned body of a “Girl Guide” (equivalent to a girl scout) victim in a car.  The book didn’t go into great detail, but I was very disturbed by it.

·       Stephanie Cole is a new audiobook narrator for me.  She did a good job and this was an enjoyable audiobook.

·       The plot of this novel was very clever.  I did not guess the ending and was intrigued as Miss Marple laid it all out in the end.

·       It is funny how Miss Marple recognizes the small things or clues and is able to put together the scenario while the police have no idea what is going on.

·       The poor Bantrys.  St. Mary’s Mead starts to cut them out of society as they are sure Colonel Bantry had something to do with it.

·       This is one of my favorite Miss Marple mysteries so far.

Overall, The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie was an enjoyable classic mystery with Miss Marple in her prime.

 

Jazz by Toni Morrison

 

Title:  Jazz

Author:  Toni Morrison

Narrated by:  Toni Morrison

Publisher: Random House Audio

Length: Approximately 3 hours

Source: Purchased from Audible and checked out a physical copy of the book from Kewaunee Public Library

Do you have a favorite jazz song or musician?  I have always loved the classic songs by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

In 1926, a middle-aged man named Joe murders his teenage girlfriend, Dorcas.  His wife, Violet, attacks the corpse at the funeral and stabs it across the face, earning her the nickname, “Violence.”  How did they end up in this situation?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read Jazz by Toni Morrison this month for the Classics Buddy read hosted by @Dees.Reads.

·       The audiobook is read by the author, but it is abridged so I also had the physical book from the library to fill in the gaps.

·       I loved the jazzy music and sound effects in the audiobook and Toni Morrison reading her own work.

·       There is a great forward by Toni Morrison that sets up the book.  She was inspired by seeing an old picture of a pretty girl in a coffin and the description that went with the picture.  How creepy and interesting.

·       This is the second book in a series after Beloved.  Beloved centered on mother love and Jazz centers on couple love.  They are both set at different points in Black history, otherwise they are not related.

·       Jazz is a beautifully written book that flows like a jazz song.  Like jazz, the narrative does not flow the way you would expect it too, which made it hard to understand at times.

·       Just like when I recently read Beloved, I found using SparkNotes to be helpful after I read it to make sure I understood what I had read.

·       I am still confused though – why didn’t Joe go to jail for shooting Dorcas?

·       The setting for the book was mostly 1920s Harlem, but there are plenty of flashbacks to the past.

·       Violet and Joe’s marriage gets better after the shooting.  I guess they were finally about to talk through their problems, but I was disturbed about Joe.  He, a man in his fifties, was so upset that his teenage girlfriend had decided to date men her own age that he shot her.  I think Violet deserved a better man, but she also does bad by slashing Dorcas’s face at the funeral.  This was meant to represent her sadness as she wanted to be a mother, but her and Joe had decided not to have children and she realized she wanted to be a mother too late.  Violet learns she has to take control of her own life and happiness.

Overall, Jazz by Toni Morrison was an interesting novel written in a unique way.  I am glad I read this book.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

 

Title:  Wuthering Heights: With an Introduction and Student Guide (As Told by Emily Bronte) and Bonus Material by Lord Byron and Alison Larkin

Author:  Emily Bronte with bonus material by Lord Byron and Alison Larkin

Narrated by:  Alison Larkin, Andrew Wincott

Publisher: Alison Larkin Presents

Length: Approximately 14 hours and 41 minutes

Source:  Review copy from Alison Larkin Presents.  Thank-you!

Are you planning on going to see the new Wuthering Heights movie?  It’s on my list, but I am probably going to wait until it comes to streaming.

Lockwood is a new tenant at Thrushcross Grange in Yorkshire, England. Due to weather, he is forced to take shelter at the neighboring estate, Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord, Heathcliff.  He meets the curious inhabitants. The housekeeper at Thrushcross Grange, Nelly, is able to fill him in on the history of the two families.  Heathcliff was a foundling who was raised with the Earnshaw siblings, Catherine and Hindley.  When Mr. Earnshaw dies, he is treated poorly by Hindley. Heathcliff fell in love with Catherine, but she chooses to marry their neighbor, Edgar Linton of Thrushcross Grange.  Heathcliff spends his life exacting revenge.

My thoughts on this classic novel:

·       I read Wuthering Heights for The Classic Buddy read for January @Dees.reads.  I didn’t finish the book up until February, but I had read it a few other times in my life, so I still enjoyed the group discussion which largely focused on what terrible people the characters were and how it is not a very romantic book.

·       Alison Larkin is a wonderful narrator of this audiobook. She does different distinct voices for all the different characters.  She is one of my favorite audiobook narrators.  She wrote the introduction and study guide at the end.  It was very interesting and puts the book into context.  A poem by Lord Byron was also included.

·       Wuthering Heights is a classic as it looked at childhood trauma and how that trauma could impact a person throughout their life.  Heathcliff takes this trauma and turns it to vengeance on every person he thinks has wronged him, including the one person he loved the most in this world.  He continues this vengeance on the next generation.  Luckily, the book shows that the trauma cycle can be broken, and the next generation can have a new chance.  I think most movies miss the entire point of this book as they focus on the “romance” and most don’t even show the entire second half of the novel.

·       This was Emily Bronte’s only novel.  This novel was different than most Victorian novels of the day which were morality tales.  This Gothic novel had a Byronic hero and intense passionate feelings.

·       I always think of Hindley as an all-bad character, but on this reread, I was reminded that he truly loved his wife Frances and fell apart after her death.

·       It seemed that many of the characters in this novel had mental health problems.  It made me wonder if a lot of the characters could be helped in current times with therapists and modern medicine.  What mental health problems did Emily see within her own family or neighbors that inspired this book?  I also think it’s based a lot on her brother Branwell with his excessive drinking, sleeping with his employer’s wife, etc., but it could have been others as well.

·       Wuthering Heights is a strange novel.  Cathy and Heathcliff are terrible selfish people who do not think about the impact their actions have on everyone else around them.

·       SPOILER ALERT:  I have always wondered – how does Cathy will herself to death?  Does she starve herself to death? SPOILER END

·       The book has an interesting narration as it is a story within a story.  It starts and ends with Mr. Lockwood telling the story and then Nelly Dean taking over for the entire middle section of the story.

·       I wish Heathcliff would have left and never came back.  Catherine, Edgar, and Isabella were happy before his return.  Poor Mr. Earnshaw didn’t realize that he was destroying his family for generations by bringing Heathcliff home.  Heathcliff clings to his hate and bitterness and is a terrible person.

·       Why is this book considered a great romance?  I don’t think Heathcliff really loves Cahterine.  He is obsessed with her but is toxic and would rather destroy her and her family than accept that she has moved on without him.

·       Why didn’t Nelly keep Edgar informed sooner on Young Catherine’s shenanigans?

·       I had gotten about the lawyer’s duplicity.  He was paid off by Heathcliff not to make it to Edgar’s side before his death.

·       Everyone is too alone out there on the moor.  They really needed to socialize with more people.

·       Even though I disliked pretty much everyone in this book, I couldn’t stop reading it.

Favorite Quotes:

“He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

“Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!”

“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being.”

Overall, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is an unforgettable beautifully written classic that shines a lot on how early trauma can impact lives through generations.