The Wondrous Adventures at Puffin's Book Nook

Reading Works by Women. 2018 There are a few good publishers focused on women's literature and are reprinting works that have been out of print.  I wanted to take advantage of this and to read these books whilst they are readily available.  Some of the publishers where these are to be found are Virago Press, Persephone Press, and NYRB Classics. 1. Christmas Pudding and Pigeon Pie by Nancy Mitford 2. Good Behaviour by Molly Keane 3 . A View of the Harbour by Elizabeth Taylor 4. Arabella by Georgette Heyer 5. Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang.

The notable books that  I have read up to end of 2017 not covered in one of my challenges for the year. The dates are the first published date. 1. The Road Back by Erich Maria Remarque. (German author, 1931) This is the sequel to All Quiet on the Western Front. If you have read that I recommend that you be sure to read this. The two go hand in hand.  The story begins in Flanders with men still fighting and dying and being maimed, whilst the talk of peace ripples along the front line with a mixture of hope and disbelief. Those who 'survive' slowly make their way home only to discover that nothing is as they remember because they themselves have been forever changed by the horrors of war. There is a real insight into the both the PTSD and the state of Germany as it collapses in the aftermath. I learned a lot of this time period from one who was there. The author's writing at times is sharp and jarring, and at others flows like pure water; as if Remarque him...

My daughter and I have retained a favourite activity of ours from her childhood days; story reading by mother to daughter. I try to choose books that are uplifting or appeal to her sense of humour and honest kind-hearted dealing. The marvels of technology have made this possible even though we are 300km apart. She still has a very innocent love of fairy tales, tales of wonder and stories that believe in the goodness of humanity. Also a deep love of animals and just plain fun tales. Here is my suggested list for 2018. 1. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling 2. Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. 3. The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford 4. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin 5. The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn 6. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell 7. Russian Fairy Tales by Alexander Afanasyev 8. The Hundred and One Dalmatians   and The Starlight Barking by Dodie Smith 9. The 13 Clocks by James Thurber 10. Charlie an...

I am British born of English and Welsh ancestry but emigrated to Canada at the age of 35. This is now my homeland and I am a proud Canadian. I believe it is correct to be loyal to both one's country of birth and chosen land of habitation and find no disloyalty in my love for both. It is my desire to learn more of my chosen land and included in my reading challenges I read at least 1 book by a Canadian author every month or 12/year. To be wise one needs to be educated and if I am to be a good citizen of this country and an understanding active member of the human race I feel it is imperative to understand other cultures. The best way to do this is through the people who make up that culture or country; in their stories, their history, their dreams and beliefs.  1. The Imperialist by Sara Jeannette Duncan 2. St Urbain's Horseman by Mordecai Richler 3. The Temptations of Big Bear by Rudy Wiebe 4. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston. ...

My 19th century reading challenge is similar in style to the 20th century one. Reviews to follow throughout the year. 1. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte.   2. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville . 3. The Queen of Spades and Other Stories by Alexander Pushkin. 4. Middlemarch by George Eliot.

This is my list of the works of Shakespeare which I hope to work through in the next 7 years. The Early Comedies The Comedy of Errors  The Taming of the Shrew The Two Gentlemen of Verona The First Histories Henry VI, Part 1 Henry VI, Part 2 Henry VI, Part 3 King John Richard III The Apprentice Tragedies Titus Andronicus Romeo and Juliet Julius Caesar The High Comedies Love's Labour's Lost A Midsummer Night's Dream The Merchant of Venice Much Ado About Nothing As You Like It Twelfth Night The Major Histories Richard II Henry IV, Part 1 Henry IV, Part 2 The Merry Wives of Windsor Henry V The 'Problem Plays' Troilus and Cressida All's Well That Ends Well Measure for Measure The Great Tragedies Hamlet Othello King Lear Macbeth Antony and Cleopatra Tragic Epilogue Coriolanus Timon of Athens The Late Romances Pericles Cymbeline The Winter's Tale The ...

In an attempt to emulate the scholars of past times I am pursuing a self-education course across time and genres. This is a starting list of works of the Ancient World. I will write reviews as I complete in 2018. The Epic of Gilgamesh The Iliad The Odyssey Lives-Plutarch The Histories-Herodotus The Landmark Thucydides A History of My Times- Xenophon The Histories- Tacitus The Twelve Caesars- Suetonius The Rise of the Roman Empire- Polybius The Jewish Wars- Josephus The Civil War- Julius Caesar Meditations- Marcus Aurelius

I have several reading challenges throughout the year and this is my list for the 20th Century. I read a book from each decade in an attempt to diversify my reading and to gain knowledge of changing standards, morals, and values over time. For a book to make the list and complete the challenge each book chosen must be by a different author. I also try to read across diverse cultures. I have decided to focus on Nobel Prize winners this year. Reviews will follow and at the end of the year I will list my 'lodestones.' Nobel winners: 1.  Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family  by Thomas Mann;   German author 2.    The Home and the World  by Rabindranath Tagore; Bengali author 3.   And Quiet Flows the Don  Russian author 4.   World Light  Icelandic author 5.   Go Down, Moses  American author 6.   The Fall  French author 7.   The Spire  English author 8.  The...