L.H. Johnson's Blog, page 12

The complete Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, illustrations by E. H. Shepard

The Complete Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne My rating: 5 of 5 stars I had a sort of sudden realisation the other day (driven, might I add, by the discovery of an excellent boxed set in the charity bookshop) that I had never really sat and read the Winnie-the-Pooh stories all the way through from theContinue reading "The complete Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, illustrations by E. H. Shepard"

Felicity’s Fortune by Bessie Marchant

Felicity’s Fortune by Bessie Marchant My rating: 3 of 5 stars A very late stage Bessie Marchant novel, Felicity’s Fortune is also a rather interesting thing. It begins with Felicity who (over)works in an office and lives a relatively impoverished life with her widowed mother and the rest of her family. It is, as everContinue reading "Felicity’s Fortune by Bessie Marchant"

Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett

Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett My rating: 5 of 5 stars There was a moment, about a quarter of the way through reading, that I realised something very precise about Further Adventures of the Family From One End Street. I think it is better than The Family fromContinue reading "Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett"

An interview with Sarah Todd Taylor and Jo Clarke

Today’s post is an interview with Sarah Todd Taylor and Jo Clarke and I am super excited to share it with you! When I was thinking about it, my idea was basically ‘Paris Middle Grade Authors Assemble’. I knew that we were all authors who have set middle grade books in Paris (How To BeContinue reading "An interview with Sarah Todd Taylor and Jo Clarke"

The Guardians of the House by Lucy M. Boston

The Guardians of the House by Lucy M. Boston My rating: 4 of 5 stars After many years of not understanding her work, I am increasingly obsessed with Lucy M. Boston. I found The Sea Egg a remarkable thing, and A Stranger At Green Knowe transformative. I think it is the stubborn strangeness of herContinue reading "The Guardians of the House by Lucy M. Boston"

Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver

Managing Expectations: A Memoir in Essays by Minnie Driver My rating: 4 of 5 stars A “memoir in essays” is an interesting thing because it’s always going to be more selective than the – already selective – form of the autobiography. It’s a challenge to set for yourself and it’s one that Driver answers veryContinue reading "Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver"

A Small Person Far Away by Judith Kerr

A Small Person Far Away by Judith Kerr My rating: 4 of 5 stars A Small Person Far Away is the third of Kerr’s thinly veiled autobiographies. It begins with When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and after that: Bombs on Aunt Dainty, and then here: Berlin, post war, and Anna being called to her mother’sContinue reading "A Small Person Far Away by Judith Kerr"

Always, Clementine by Carlie Sorosiak

Always, Clementine by Carlie Sorosiak My rating: 5 of 5 stars When I finished reading Always, Clementine for the first time, all I could think of was if I was nominating a book for the Carnegie then this would be it. There is something very special here and it might even be one of theContinue reading "Always, Clementine by Carlie Sorosiak"

Cherry Tree Perch by Josephine Elder

Cherry Tree Perch by Josephine Elder My rating: 4 of 5 stars Cherry Tree Perch is the second in a series and sometimes it feels it: you are launched into the premise with very little preamble and asked to simply catch up. It works, for the most, but there are quite a few moments whereContinue reading "Cherry Tree Perch by Josephine Elder"

The Family From One End Street by Eve Garnett

The Family From One End Street by Eve Garnett My rating: 4 of 5 stars There are times, I think, when the world sends you the right book for the right moment. We’ve all dealt with piles of books to be read and sometimes a book can sit on that pile for weeks if notContinue reading "The Family From One End Street by Eve Garnett"