book club pick for january

my first classics

I am reading the Classics for the first time.  I love it.

While the definition of classic literature can be highly debated, I generally think of it as stories, poetry, speeches, documents and studies that have stood the test of time, as worth reading more than once, and as having some redeeming value.

Over the last two years or so, my life has been greatly enriched by the following reading.

Heidi (Spyri)
Tom Sawyer (Twain)
Pride & Prejudice (Austen)
Emma (Austen)
The Secret Garden (Burnett)
A Christmas Carol (Dickens)
Uncle Tom's Cabin (Stowe)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (Orczy)
Strong Poison (Sayers)
Sherlock Holmes:  The Adventure of the Speckled Band (Doyle)
The Constitution of the United States of America
The Bill of Rights
The Declaration of Independence
Mr. Popper's Penguins (Atwater)
The Blue Castle (Montgomery)
The Hobbit (Tolkien)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Robinson)
Poetry (Various)
Tales from Shakespeare (Various) (Lamb)
Abigail Adams: First Lady of Faith & Courage (Witter)
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (Latham)


I guess, I can say that I read a couple of classic series before these...  The Chronicles of Narnia (Lewis) and The Little House on the Prairie (Wilder) were much loved boxed sets in my home as a child.


I am currently reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Baum) as I prepare to see the stage show and Journey to the Center of the Earth (Verne) with my children who recently saw the movie... and loved it!

I am a part of a book club, too.  We are making our way through books like these, one classic novel a month.  I hope you pick up a Classic and read along with me.

You won't be disappointed,
lib

georgia o'keeffe: painter of skyscrapers

Radiator Building, Night, New York , 1927, Georgia  O'Keeffe

I have studied enough art to associate the famed painter Georgia O'Keeffe with remarkable portraits of colorfully magnified flowers.  But I recently learned that she was also known for her New York cityscapes and skyscrapers.

City Night , 1926, Georgia O'Keeffe

Stunning!  She painted these in the 1920's.

New York Night , 1928-1929, Georgia O'Keeffe

Oh, the glamour!  

Brooklyn Bridge, 1949, Georgia O'Keeffe

The strength!  But, as we know, man's fortitude could not last.  With the stock market crash of 1929, O'Keeffe stopped painting the city.  The images had become reminders of failure.

I'm so pleased to have discovered these gems of art!

And I'm glad that New York recovered after the Great Depression and is still vibrant nearly 75 years later.

I kind of have a thing for that city,
lib