Happy Birthday, Mark Twain!

Photo courtesy of  Famouspeople.com



Today is Samuel Clemens' 176th birthday - and he still looks fabulous, by the way!
In honor of this momentous day, I want to take a minute to reflect upon his complete and total awesomeness.  Let me preface this with the fact that I attended Mark Twain Primary School in Alvin, Texas, so he has pretty much been in my vernacular since Kindergarten.
Mark Twain revolutionized literature as we know it.  He could create a work of art with humor, satire, and social criticism all combined into a piece of literary perfection.  He is perhaps best known for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a novel that embodies all of these qualities.  It tells the tale of Huck, a trouble-maker who runs away from a terrible home life and helps a slave attempt escape from his mistress.  It is full of adventure, mystery, deceit, betrayal, and moral questions.  It was written after the Civil War, when the United States was coming to grips with the impact of the war.  It illustrates that the measure of a man is not based on the color of his skin but on the merit of his actions. 
Besides being an accomplished writer, Mark Twain was also a highly sought-after speaker. His lectures and speaking engagements were full of humor and wit.  He became an honorary member of numerous clubs and societies throughout his tenure just by bringing intellectual candy to the masses.
So, today I honor Samuel Clemens, a.k.a., Mark Twain! 

“There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.”
- "The Refuge of the Derelicts" - 1905

Book Review: The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh

As I was meandering through the shelves, trying to discover a book that would captivate my attention as well as feed my need for mystery, I stumbled upon The Crowfield Curse. I thought the cover was...intriguing, white background with blue and black artwork of a boy running through a wooded area towards a castle.  Are those scary creatures stalking him?  I rather enjoy stealthy ominus creatures, so I took a gander.  "If I do not like it, I can certainly put it back," I thought as I picked up the novel and proceeded to my chair of honor at the circulation desk.  And I began to read...
This is a tale of a young man, Will, who lives with and serves monks at Crowfield Abbey.  Will is an orphan, his family dying in a mysterious fire in which Will escapes unscathed.  Will is taken in by the monks out of a mixture of pity and need.  They feel for the boy who has been shunned in his own community, even if they are a bit wary of him; and they also need the help.  As the years have passed, the abbey has gone into disrepair, and the number of Brothers has dwindled.
Will has the Sight.  I.e., he can see magical creatures when others cannot.  Because of this, he rescues a hobgoblin who has been ensnared by a hunter's trap.  The hob informs Will of a terrible secret:  there is an Angel buried behind the abbey.  How can an angel die?  What does the angel have to do with the abbey?  With Will?  When two strangers come to the abbey asking questions about the history of the abbey, Will is drawn into a dangerous and deadly contest between good and evil.  Only he can discover the mystery surrounding the abbey and its curse.
I felt this book far exceeded my expectations.  The story line was good, the characters were believable, and Will was a great protagonist.  The book barely touched on Will's mysterious past, but I have a feeling it will come up again (I have already ordered the sequel to this book, The Crowfield Demon). Walsh's descriptions were excellent - I could feel the cold chill of the winter weather.  I could see the detail of the grey stone pillars throughout the abbey.  I was immersed in the imagery and detail, but it was not overbearing.  It added so much to the story.  Many times I have read books that have bogged themselves down with the details to the point where the reader is distracted, but there was a great balance in this book.  The characters were likable - even the warrior fay Shadlok, who tries very hard to be unlikable and cantankerous!  I have recommended this book to my better readers who are looking for a good fantasy-mystery.  My Ranger's Apprentice fans particularly enjoyed it!

Welcome to my humble blog

Hello, all!
I am very excited to begin my blogging journey with you!  I will be sharing my views on books, technology, library happenings, and...books!  Okay, so I said books twice, but that is because I like them so much!  So stay tuned as I take the helm on our library adventures!