Saturday, May 15, 2021

Leonard and Hungry Paul; The Lion; and How to Love the World

 





I have been wanting to read Leonard and Hungry Paul for over a year now, and I finally got a copy and read it last week. If you like action in your stories, skip this one, but if you think you might like a gently humorous story about two men in their thirties who still live at home with their parents and are friends, you should look for it.

Has anyone read The Lion by Joseph Kessel? I'd love to hear your thoughts. It's a book from my 1001 Children's Books list, and---wow---what a story. It's an old book, and it's set in Africa, and the narrator is an upper-class elitist typical of his day. Despite these limitations, there is an energy that runs through the characters that is strikingly similar to the energies found in the natural world, and I read the story almost hypnotically to the inevitable conclusion.

Poetry is powerful. But it often focuses on the pain in life and the troubles people face. Want to read something from another point of view? I offer How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope.





The Lion: A Novel by Joseph Kessel (1001 Children's Books) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Syllabus by Lynda Barry (Writing) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Leonard and Hungry Paul: A Novel (Mood-Boosting) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Annie Lumsden: The Girl from the Sea by David Almond (Children's Book) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Driving Hungry: A Memoir (Foodie) ⭐⭐⭐





The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman (Nonfiction Challenge)...42%

Yes, and...Daily Meditations by Richard Rohr (Daily Meditation Reading)...85%

100 Poems to Break Your Heart (National Poetry Month)...Waiting on the return of this book from the library

Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz (Chapter-a-Day Read)...33%

Favorite Folktales from Around the World collected by Jane Yolen (Classics Club Spin)...48%

Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (Naturalist Book Club)...7%




I shared my list of favorite bird books, Birds of a Feather Flock Together, last week, and I got lots of wonderful recommendations for bird books I should read next.

For Wondrous Words Wednesday, I spoke about the trials for this American of reading British English: When English is (Really) English.







Good Thing #1: We saw two kinds of huge Swallowtails during our Butterfly Monitoring last week. 



Good Thing #2: Our garden is full of cherry tomatoes and kale and green beans and jalapenos.


Good Thing #3: Last week we spent a day with our g-kids, Annie and Wyatt. Here's a photo of Annie and me making cookies, while, unbeknownst to us, Wyatt is sneaking a bit of dough.







I'm happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

  • What was your week like?
  • Read any good books? Tell us about them.
  • What other bookish things did you do? 
  • What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.


My linkup for Sunday Salon is below. 

65 comments:

  1. I love all your good things! And Barbara Tuchman is a wonderful writer.

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    1. I had no idea that Barbara Tuchman was such a wonderful writer. So glad I discovered her.

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  2. It's always fun to eat the cookie dough! :) Hope you have a great week!

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  3. I don't think it would be a good fit for me (love some action in my books), but I'm happy you enjoyed it!

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

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    1. It was a warm story, with characters who were full of love for each other, despite their flaws.

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  4. As always, you have such a plethora of interesting books there. I'm interested in the one about wildlife and native plants. I think I may add it to my own list.

    We've gotten our first tomato and first peppers from the garden. I'm looking forward to my first eggplant. Love your pictures of the tiger and giant swallowtails.

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    1. Thank you, Dorothy. The swallowtails were huge and were darting around these white flowers. It was beautiful.

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  5. How nice you were able to spend time with the grandkids. I envy the fresh veggies you have already. Planting season here starts in about 2 weeks. Lovely assortment of books!

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  6. OMG, in my generation, we French students all had to read The Lion. I don't remember much, except that I loved it a lot, and cried a lot as well!!

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    1. I just knew that someone had read The Lion and had the same experience I had. Thank you for sharing your experience with The Lion, Emma!

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  7. What a cute photo of with the grandkids, especially love the sneaking of the dough! Glad to see that you read Syllabus and enjoyed it. Reminds me I have a Lynda Barry book on my shelf that I should get to. Such great graphic novels. Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

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  8. Looks like you had some good books this week. I hope you have a great weekend!

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    1. I am enjoying Jane Yolen's collection of folktales from around the world. These are mesmerizing.

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  9. Sometimes I make cookies just so I can eat some of the dough so I'm in full sympathy with Wyatt! Looks like you had a fun time! I haven't planted tomatoes this year and they're not in really here but I'm so looking forward to tomatoes! There is nothing like a fresh tomato. I hope you have a wonderful week!

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    1. We gave away tomatoes to three people yesterday...we have so many and they are everything you want in a fresh tomato.

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  10. Aww I love the pic of you and your grandkids! Super cute!

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  11. Hi there Debbie! I haven't read The Lion no, but will keep an eye out for it.

    Your graphics are lovely this week!! Canva I guess? I have to admit, I'm a bit gatvol (that means fed-up in Afrikaans) this week with graphics. I struggled a bit. But for now I'm happy and it has to stay like that for now!!

    Lovely that you got to spend some time with your grandchildren. I wish my parents had that privilege.

    Hope you will have a wonderful and blessed week!

    Lots of Love,

    Mareli & Elza

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    1. I would love to see what you think of The Lion, Elza. I had a hard time finding a copy here.

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  12. Your garden produce is looking wonderful, nothing quite beats freshly picked homegrown tomatoes.
    Syllabus by Lynda Barry looks really interesting.
    Love Charlotte
    Charlotte Burt's Books

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    1. We are delighting in the fresh kale and tomatoes and jalapenos and green beans. Cucumbers and green peppers are coming soon.

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  13. Great garden haul. We are just getting our gardens going way up here.

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  14. Thats a lovely harvest. I am quite jealous. I hate that I dont have a green thumb.

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    1. We built raised beds a couple of years ago, and we put in new soil when we did, and that has made a huge difference.

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  15. I love the goodies from the garden...and the cookie baking photo! Enjoy your week and your books.

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  16. Spending time with the grands is always a good time. Great Picture!

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  17. Poetry sounds great. Here's hoping that you take your whole week without any regrets. Living in the moment.

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  18. I’m not familiar with either of the books your featuring this week but I’m glad that they resonated with you.
    Those veggies look tasty, I’m sure you’ll enjoy them.

    Wishing you a great reading week

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    1. I suspect that The Lion is big in France, but it's not as well known outside of France.

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  19. I'm glad you found a few books that really spoke to you this week!

    It's funny to me that you're already harvesting veggies. Back home in the mountains of NC, everyone is probably just planting their gardens! Mother's Day is largely considered the benchmark for planting most things.

    Your butterfly pictures are beautiful! We saw a few tricolored herons in breeding plumage on our walk yesterday. Their beaks turn a beautiful sky blue! Neither of us remembers seeing one before. We also saw a green heron. We've seen those a few times back home but it's always nice to see something you haven't noticed in a while.

    You must be so excited to have your grandchildren over! I have to admit that I'm a bit of a dough seeker like Wyatt.

    Enjoy your week!

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    1. We can keep some things growing all year.

      I'd love to see a tricolored heron and a green heron. Both of those are new-to-me.

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  20. I haven't read any of those, but Driving Hungry sounds interesting! Love the butterfly pictures. And baking with grandkids is fun! Hope you have a good week!
    Lisa Loves Literature

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    1. I wish Driving Hungry had been more about the food and less of a memoir.

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  21. I love the butterflies. You know I had sauteed kale for the first time last month and I like it.

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    1. I thought I hated kale until I added blueberries and pecans.

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  22. So many good things this week.. food from your garden, beautiful butterflies, and I'm still laughing at your sneaky little guy in the cookie-making photo! Did you find the subscribe by email widget on follow-it? I'd like to add that to my blog.

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  23. Hooray for your garden! The veggies and butterflies must bring you such joy. And, of course, it must make your heart sing to be with those darling grandchildren again! Have a wonderful week, Deb.

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  24. Darling photo of you and your grandkids. We had a few g-kid moments this week, too. Love them!

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  25. Hahaha Wyatt...

    Wow those veggies are beautiful!!!!

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  26. That's a classic picture of Wyatt. ha. Love that he's into the dough. Your Three Good things are all awesome this week. Your veggies are so early too!

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    1. We have to start early because it gets hot soon here.

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  27. Looks like you had some wonderful reading this week. :) And yay for cookies! :))

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  28. It sounds like you got a lot of reading in this week. It looks like you had a good time making cookies with your grandchildren, even if Wyatt helped himself to some of the dough :) I hope you have a great week!

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  29. Good grief. Our trees haven't even leafed out here yet. They are getting a blush of green though. I haven't even heard of most of the books you list. You read such an interesting variety. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  30. Wyatt. That little stinker.

    You always do so well with your reading no matter what you have going on. I wish I could be more consistent these days.

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  31. Leonard and Hungry Paul sounds like fun! And I see you're reading a Doug Tallamy book! I just finished Nature's Best Hope, had a great discussion with my neighborhood book group, and then over-bought at our local Native Plant Sale! lol We spent all weekend weeding, digging, and planting, and still have more to go.

    Wow, your garden is already producing?? We are dying for some summer fresh tomatoes - so sick of the mediocre ones from the grocery store.

    Enjoy your books this week!

    Sue

    Book By Book

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    1. I'm eager to hear the discussion in June around our Doug Tallamy book.

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  32. You've gotta watch out for those Wyatts! :) Lol.

    Bringing Nature Home looks wonderful. And congrats on the butterfly spotting! We just planted a bunch of plants for our butterfly garden and I hope to get milkweed planted this weekend.

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    1. I'd love to add some milkweed here in my garden, too.

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  33. I just planted a cherry tomato plant and a jalapeno plant! It's still pretty cool here but the weather should get a lot warmer soon. Those look yummy! Love those pics making cookies and sneaking dough! ha! Adorable.

    I just picked up Tuchman's A Distant Mirror about the 14th century. It goes right along with The Name of the Rose I'm reading! Super interesting. It'll take me awhile to read, though.

    I hope you have a wonderful week!

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