novels, comets, movies
In this category, any post about books that I’ve been reading to my kids, stories that they read to me, or just books and adaptations that we’re talking about
To start this short post, two moments from last week's totality, separated by three minutes: 3:23 pm, moments before totality. That's my son running around. 3:26 pm, the sun's disc just beginning to reemerge And how does one prepare in the weeks before a total eclipse of the sun? So glad you asked. With a … Continue reading totality times toys
Below are my ten most memorable reads of 2023, fiction and nonfiction, out of my 33 first-time reads. Actually I've thrown 11 chariots into the race, and an honorable runner-up. For each book, I've listed some excerpts, not necessarily the "best" -- there are countless great quotes in all of these -- but just a … Continue reading Favorite reads of 2023
My son Jacob recently chose "The Prince of Egypt" when it was his turn in our revolving "family movie night". He intends to run through all the Dreamworks animated pictures -- a project that should take us about four years, at our current pace -- and "Prince of Egypt", released in 1998, was Dreamworks' second. … Continue reading Prince of Egypt Movie Night
My son has been reading a lot of Greek mythology so I pulled up this 1981 flick for our family movie night. The kids' favorite character was Bubo, the mechanical owl. My son was disappointed with the depiction of Poseidon, and he said this movie made him hate Zeus. He was also ready with small … Continue reading Clash of the Titans Movie Night
I cannot say anything about Homer's "Odyssey" that hasn't been said before, so I'm going to take a personal angle on this one. I'm going to try to describe why I loved "The Iliad" even in high school but have never gotten around to its sequel until now. To sum up, I think I loved … Continue reading The Old Beggar and the Sea
When I was 8 or 9, I remember finding an old movie playing on television one afternoon, about an old man and what looked to me like a swordfish. I came in only near the end and my goodness it left an impression, though I retained no clear memory of how the story ended. I … Continue reading The Old Man and the Sea
My 10-year-old daughter and I recently read Carlo Collodi's 1883 story, "The Adventures of Pinocchio." Now, it turns out that the story is fairly dark, much more than the famous Disney movie of 1940. Parents may wish to be careful with this one, and a full plot description of Collodi's story can be found on … Continue reading Pinocchio and Moby Dickens
My son recently told me that Napoleon -- you know, France's short Emperor -- was "poggers." Now, definitions may be in order for those who, unlike my son, are not avid video gamers. Poggers: Originating from an emote on the streaming platform Twitch, poggers or pog is an Internet slang term used to express enthusiasm, … Continue reading Napoleon was poggers, says Le Miz
It does make a difference to re-read a book after 40 years, especially if you've become a parent in that time. I was about 14 when I first read George Eliot's "Silas Marner," and I recall being moved or disturbed by many things in the story. But the mere fact that Silas raises a child … Continue reading Modern parenting in Silas Marner
I'm re-reading George Eliot's "Silas Marner," almost forty years since first reading it in grade-school. I've just started, so this post won't be a full review. I'm going to share some of the reading experience I've had thus far, both by myself and with my kids, who've shocked me a bit by asking me to … Continue reading The Weaver of Raveloe