In Tolkien, the new movie based on the early life of J. R. R. Tolkien, myth and romance are the antidote to war. Guest Review by Boze Herrington “To be caught in youth by 1914,” wrote English novelist J. R. R. Tolkien in a second-edition foreword to The Lord of the Rings, “was no less hideous an experience than to be involved in 1939 and the following years. By 1918 all but one of my close … [Read more...]
Harry Potter, Dumbledore’s Mercy, and the Triumph of the Holy Cross
It's the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross. What does that have to do with Harry Potter? I don’t try to hide the fact that I’m a Harry Potter fangirl. I’m often reflecting on the plot and themes, whether kids should read the series, and how Molly Weasley is fantastic. (SPOILER ALERT: Do not continue if you haven’t completed the series.) One of the most memorable scenes in the … [Read more...]
Santa, Yoda, and the Persistence of Childhood Magic
(via) Occasionally my beareded husband Daniel drops in with a post. But they don't typically highlight how intensely awesome nerdy he is, so you're in luck with this one! Enjoy. - Haley This isn’t a post about whether you should do Santa or not (disclaimer: we don’t). I want to get that out of the way since this has curiously become a very heated discussion. Instead, I want to critique an … [Read more...]
10 Books You Must Read to Your Son
After 10 Books You Must Read to Your Daughter, I thought the boys were getting rather left out. Having never been a boy, this list didn't come as naturally. But, being the mother of a boy it seems equally important. Basically, I want my son to be a confident, thoughtful, compassionate, strong-minded, and virtuous man like Mr. Knightley, not a weak, desire-driven, selfish cad like Willoughby. So … [Read more...]
This Week’s Miscellany: Vol. 4
Coming up in the Liturgical Year: Feast of the Epiphany this Friday! Planning to say goodbye to Christmastide by putting away the Christmas ornaments with Benjamin and giving the Nativity scene one last hurrah by telling the story of the Wise Men one last time before putting it away. And Daniel will probably read T. S. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi" aloud for us. Listening: I finally … [Read more...]
