Jeanne's Thoughts

I still have over 260 titles on my old Excel "Reading Log." It has been handy for me to have a place to house my book thoughts, which is why I continue to blog my reading and transfer those old entries to this blog.

But there are still lots of gaps! I've read a LOT of books since I started reading around age five or six. Perhaps I need to reevaluate my time management choices. . . . but for now, I'll continue to blog the books I finish (whether print, e, or audio) and transfer a few at a time from my old system.

Right now, it's time to move on to something else!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (reading log)

By: Jeff Kinney

CMSW hardcover 217 pages

Published: 2007

Genre: YA humor

My 11.27.2007 description:

Greg Heffley is a typical middle school kid who writes about his experiences and perspective on things.

My 11.27:2007 reaction:

IMHO, this kid's a little jerk. The book made me laugh a couple of times, and it will be easy to booktalk.

Added 1.4.2025:

There are now at least 15 titles in this series. The one major redeeming quality is that non-readers are usually willing to read these books. The drawings, simple text, and offbeat scenarios are appealing to lots of middle schoolers. I personally don't like them, but I'm grateful that Kinney has put out so many books that are appealing to tweens and some teens.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (reading log)

By: Kate DiCamillo

CMSW hardcover 198 pages

Published: 2006

Genre: YA fantasy

 

My 11.26.2007 entry description:

A fancy china rabbit is well loved by Abilene, but he is too selfish to return her affection. He goes overboard, gets fished out, is taken care of by the old fisherman's wife, is tossed into the garbage by her middle-aged daughter, etc.  until of course, he ends up back with Abilene years later.

My 11.26.2007 reaction:

I admit, I cried when he returned to Abilene and he now knew how to love. 

<Below added February 2026. Apparently, I didn't remember reading this book almost twenty years ago!>

By: Kate DiCamillo

Libby audiobook 2 hours

Read by: Judith Ivey

Published: 2006

Genre: children's fiction, fantasy

Audiobook, so random comments as I was stopped at red lights or in my garage. I thought about editing this to make it an actual review, but I decided to leave it as is. I started out not liking it very well, but ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

Reminiscent of The Velveteen Rabbit.

Edward - china, strange whiskers, rabbit fur tail and ears

Chapter 2 - he's an arrogant little jerk 

The maid is dismissed!?

Abilene (child) / Pellagrina (grandma) tells story of princess who knows no love.

FEAR (bottom of ocean)

JOY (on fishing boat)

Nellie and Lawrence (fisherman) - name the rabbit "Susanna"

daughter Lolly throws him in the garbage

INTERESTED

LONGING

Ernest - Kind of Garbage

REVENGE

DESPAIR

40 days and nights

180 days

dog Lucy dug him out

HAPPY

Bull names him "Malone"

TENDERNESS (for Lucy)

PLEASURE

concentrate on others' stories

tramps whispering their children's names to him (heart!)

seven years!

He wished he could cry.

thrown off train

old woman / garden / crows - "Clyde"

hung him by ears in garden!

boy Bryce (sister Sarah Ruth - 4yo, sick)

RELIEF
JOY

"Jangles"

6 months, she died

LOVE

dancing rabbit

Not enough money

doll mender

Lucius Clark

Maggie - little girl

Mom is Abilene!

The People of Sparks

Book 2 in the Ember series

By: Jeanne DuPrau

Libby audiobook 8 hours

Read by: Wendy Dillon

Published: 2004

Genre: YA dystopian, adventure

I'm surprised I don't have a blog entry for this. In fact, looking back at my blog makes me realize I've not been as diligent as I thought I was . . . 

The City of Ember blog entry was first published in 2017 and added to recently when I listened to the audiobook.

I KNOW I read The People of Sparks long ago when it was "new." I cannot, however, find my review of it.

I didn't remember reading The Diamond of Darkhold at all (it's technically book 4, but it logically follows People of Sparks.) But I blogged about it in 2009!

I DO remember reading book 3 - the "prequel" The Prophet of Yonwood, but I can't find an entry for it. I remember feeling disappointed in it. It seemed as though the author was more interested in making a sociological statement than in helping readers understand why the City of Ember was initially created. (It's kind of a WWIII scenario, I think.) 

In any case, Lina and Doon are happy when the rest of the people of Ember join them above ground. The Mayor and his ne'er-do-wells came to a bad end down in the river, so there is no leadership. Over 400 people walk until they come to Sparks, a settlement of 300+ people. Conflict ensues - will there be enough food for everyone? Where will the newcomers live? 

There was a lot of "us vs. them" that humans are so susceptible to. I'm not a huge fan of this reader's vocal work. Yes, Torren (?) is an awful brat, but her whiny interpretation made him completely unbearable. Dr. Hester and her herbal remedies, the guy from Ember who was "too old" to work and so set out to organize the room of books, Maddie the trader who walked away from Casper and his schemes, . . . lots of good characters and conflicts.

Vincent van Gogh

After watching a movie on van Gogh (blogged here), I decided to get a few books about him. I've had them from the library for several renewals and am finally ready to return them!

Vincent van Gogh: His Life in Art edited by David Bomford was fascinating. There were essays by Nienke Bakker, Renske Suijver, and Renske Cohen Tervaert. There were "contributions" by Helga K. Aurisch, Laura Minton, and Dena M. Woodall. This book is paperback and 170 pages long. There are plenty of van Gogh paintings in it.

On page 23, after an excerpt from one of his letters to his brother Theo, the author says "This was the beginning of an unprecedented period of productivity: in the seventy days he spent in Auvers, Van Gogh completed about seventy-five paintings and more than a hundred sketches and drawings . . . ." Amazing! I can't fathom this amount of creative output.

Later on page 23, he is quoted, "I feel - a failure - that's it as regards me - I feel that that's the fate I'm accepting. And which won't change any more." His mental health was so bad. He didn't start painting until he was in his thirties. He was dead from suicide at age 37. He had so much passion and so much depression. Reading this made me wonder if Louie and I would ever go to Europe. I would love to see Amsterdam and visit the museum.

Vincent van Gogh by Victoria Charles was a 160 page hardcover book. I enjoyed looking at the photographs and reading excerpts of letters, but the text was off-putting. It's as though the author was trying too hard to dramatize an already dramatic life. I stopped reading her writing and just focused on the van Gogh pictures and letters. 

 

I've also read online a bit about the artist's namesake and nephew. I love that he was known as "Vincent van Gogh the engineer" to distinguish him from his uncle. I love that Theo took care of his older brother for much of their adult lives, but am sad that he also died so young - from syphilis!"