Hilda C. Landers Library & Archives

Everybody is familiar with the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. These stories are a huge part of our culture, where there are so many books written and movies made on this age of chivalry. The time where there was always a damsel in distress, a danger to face, a jousting tournament to be won, and honor to be earned. This is where all this obsession started, with a book an “errant knight” wrote while he was imprisoned. Le Morte d’Arthur is full of the epic jousting and damsel saving you’ve been accustomed to over the years. It was interesting to read, though some parts are a little dry. It is also written in the vernacular, though you half expect it to be written in Old English at first.

I recommend this book, but only if you are willing to put effort into understanding this book, and especially if you are not looking for something quick. There are a lot of knights, and some of them have similar names, such as the brothers Sir Gawain, Sir Gaheris, and Sir Gareth. Not sure about the version that’s available through USMAI, but the version I happened to own published through Signet Classics has a list of every major knight and a description of what happened to each knight. No matter what version you read, some kind of accompaniment to the story is necessary, otherwise you will be left saying “What happened to that knight again?” or “When did he die?”

There is also an endless cycle of jousting and fighting. Basically, anytime a knight would meet another knight, they would enter into a jousting and sword fighting battle which would last until one either dies or yields to the other knight. It can get irritating, especially when they enter into an epic battle that lasts hours before they ask each other who they are. Remember, every knight wears full armor, and the only way they can tell who is who is by using the symbol on their shields. There were occasions, though, that a knight would switch shields and armor with another just so they would not be recognized. There were times in the book where two knights, say Sir Tristam and Sir Launcelot, would fight each other for hours, find out the other’s identity, then feel sorrow for even battling together in the first place as they were friends or fellow knights of the Round Table.

So, if you’re interested somewhat in the legends of King Arthur, then give this book a try. Oh, and if you’re like me and have seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail more times than you can count, it helps to picture John Cleese as Sir Launcelot and Graham Chapman as King Arthur. It’s more interesting that way.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Marissa Parlock
Rating: Recommended

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture was a decent read. Although it focuses on the sexualization of girls from an early age, it revolves around the experience of the white upper-middle class. While the author does make some efforts to address the existing virgin-whore dichotomy in Western society, she also perpetuates this within her writing. I would say this is recommended with reservations.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Katie Schreven
Rating: Recommended with Reservations

I decided to start reading this series after watching the amazing adaptation that HBO recently filmed. Game of Thrones is the first in a series of fantasy books that are set in a mythical region full of kingdoms that are all vying for power. The television show was a really accurate and well done series, but I would definitely recommend reading the books if you’re looking for fuller explanations of what is happening or if you’re just itching for more. I have never been a fan of fantasy books but Game of Thrones is a lot more focused on political intrigue and drama rather than magic and fighting. Definitely check this series out if you enjoy political dramas or light fantasy.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Kenneth Benjes, retired Lifeguard
Rating: Recommended

The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a major part of our popular culture. Everybody is at least familiar with the basic plot: a scientist’s experiment gone horribly wrong leaves him with a split personality. He is now forced to contend with his alter-ego and arch-nemesis Mr. Hyde, as the dark side of himself slowly tries to overpower him. There’s more to the story though than that. There is murder, horror, suspense, mystery etc. all in one book. I suggest that if you’re looking for a quick and interesting read, you should give this book a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Marissa Parlock
Rating: Highly Recommended

C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia series, weaves another allegory of faith in his short novel Till We Have Faces. Lewis sets the novel in an engaging first-person narrative through the character of Orual, the warrior Queen of the kingdom of Glome. Orual writes this her memoir as an accusation against the cruelty and silence of the gods.

She relates her childhood as the ugliest princess in Glome and, even, in the entire world. Despite her alienation from her father and the people of Glome, she forms a close friendship with her youngest step-sister, the beautiful Psyche, and her Greek tutor, the Fox. Seemingly endless days of learning and companionship are shared between the three. But after an unrelenting famine, the people of Glome demand that Psyche be given as a sacrifice to win the favor of their god, Ungit. The King readily agrees to the sacrifice. Orual is devastated. To add more pain to her loss, Orual finds that Psyche is glad to be given as a sacrifice to the gods. Interpreting the faith of her step-sister as hatred towards her, Orual curses the gods who have stolen her greatest love. The remainder of Orual’s account recalls the great trials she endured inheriting the throne of Glome and her greater inner sufferings of loneliness and resentment.

Three major themes of the book are worth mentioning here. The first is memory. Writing the novel as a memoir and accusation of an impassioned Queen, Lewis illuminates how our personal and cultural histories are framed within what we can and choose to remember. This theme – not only present in the overall narration – is especially highlighted in Orual’s interaction with a priest of the newly formed cult of Istra, or Psyche, Orual’s apotheosized sister. The priest recounts the story of Istra and her sisters to Orual, but the details have been changed. The oral tradition behind the cult includes divinations and historical facts that Orual claims are false. Regardless of its verity, the cultic tradition has been established and Istra has become the newest member of the pantheon. Personal and collective memory are selective; nonetheless, they shape our understanding of history.

The second theme is faith, which has many sub-themes in this work. Some questions posed by Lewis: What is the relationship between faith and reason? If the gods are so powerful, why do they hide from us and remain silent in our agony? Are the gods just? The theme of faith is intimately tied with the overarching theme of love. Lewis’s characters and relationships portray the spectrum of love. Jealous love in Redival, Orual’s younger sister; love of country in Bardia, the Queen’s advisor; a father’s love of his children in the Fox; and most prominently displayed and developed is Orual’s self-love, a love that eats the life out of those with whom she interacts, of those whom she considers close. In her resentment towards the gods, Orual misuses those around her. When she can find and accept herself – her ugliness, her station in life, her relationships – she can then speak face to face with the gods. Only then will her accusations be answered. Only then will she learn how to love.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Edward A. David, Teacher at Trinity School in Meadow View
Rating: Highly Recommended

It should be noted that this memoir may be triggering to those struggling with anorexia, bulimia and depression. Marya Hornbacher’s writing style is simply breathtaking, giving the reader an unflinching view of her struggles with eating disorders from early childhood into adulthood. While I was emotionally exhausted after finishing this book, I would say this is a must-read for anyone wanting insight into eating disorders, fans of memoirs, or simply fans of great writing.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Katie Schreven
Rating: Must Read

After hearing so much about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I decided to give it a try. The first half of the book disappointed me only because I’d heard rave reviews; the second half, however, sped up a bit and made up for it. The book has a lot going on at once: a mystery, complex characters, and a political/journalistic side story at the heart of the characters’ situations. My favorite aspect of the book was the subtle way in which Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander were characterized. Overall, I’d recommend the book if you’re looking for a good summer read, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. For movie lovers, a film version of the book starring Daniel Craig is coming to theaters this December 21!

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Jordan Gaines
Rating: Highly Recommended

Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams is the fifth book in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, and also possibly the weakest. Much darker than the previous four books, Mostly Harmless contains some of the cruelest jokes in the series and ends on a very depressing and slightly unsatisfying (though still hilarious) note. The humor remains consistently funny however, and if you’ve read the previous books in the series this one is still very worth checking out.

Availability: USMAI
Submitted by: Kevin Koeser
Rating: Recommended

O’Connor’s first book of short stories is hard to put down; it’s full of cultural insight into the post-bellum south and round, deeply flawed characters. “The River” is a germ about a child growing up in dysfunctional family. “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” “Good Country People,” and “The Temple of the Holy Ghost” are must reads. “A Late Encounter with the Enemy” is a scornful condemnation a number of old men who lied about serving in the Civil War, after all of the real veterans were dead. O’Connor’s settings are grotesque and memorable, very few of her stories end happily although her stories possess a degree of verisimilitude many authors lack. “The Displaced Person,” the last story in her collection, is a chilling tale of bigotry and pettiness; a thought provoking and memorable yarn. It is difficult to forget the lead up and ending of The Displaced Person; arguably it’s the best crafted piece in the collection.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Kevin Oldfield
Rating: Highly Recommended

Passing through the book aisles in WalMart or Barnes & Noble, I have scoffed at the self-help books wondering why their abundance of promises of a better you has not yet materialized into an abundance of happiness?

After spending an entire season watching American Idol or Jersey Shore, have you ever wondered – even for a moment – if it was worth investing that much of your time into the distant lives of others?

Have you, at home or at work, realized in dismay that you just spent an hour on Facebook? Worse yet, that half of that time was spent admiring your own profile?

In Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship (2nd Edition), psychologist Paul Vitz illuminates the problem of narcissism in our society and traces its roots in modern psychologies and philosophies – systems of thought, Vitz argues, that modern men and women have exalted as new secular religions, embedded in all facets of life including education, relationships and entertainment. Thinkers from Freud to Sartre are discussed, and their theories are critiqued against pre-modern (and post-post-modern) standards which make reference to the common good and the contributions of religious faith as opposed to the radical individualism and secularism of modern thought.

Lovers of psychology, philosophy and, even, education will find Vitz’s lucidly written critiques thought-provoking and, perhaps, life-changing.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Edward A. David, Teacher at Trinity School in Meadow View
Rating: Highly Recommended