@col-klink 

You didn’t mention other people’s views, but I think they are worth considering.  I mentioned that other people liked the books because I thought you might reconsider your own opinions. To me it is important what others think of a series of highly regarded books. I see nothing wrong with considering the views of others who like the books.  You said you didn’t think they were interesting enough when someone read them to you when you were a child.  Judging books by that standard doesn’t seem entirely fair.  Perhaps if you read them for yourself as an adult with a more mature perspective you might change your mind. That is what I meant. But if that suggestion makes you angry then perhaps we should no longer continue the discussion. I was merely offering you a different point of view. Please be more tolerant of others who may not always agree with you.  

I have very fond memories reading Little House on the Prairies books when I was growing up. Classics, they are.  

I can't recall the last time I posted in here, but I have read some excellent books (mostly biographies) over the past year. Wish I had time to post more ... but I don't right now.  

I recently read Lighthouse Ghosts by Norma Elizabeth and Bruce Roberts.  I don’t know how many people here like ghost stories.  This is a book about ghosts that people believe are living in lighthouses. Of course some people will say that the stories are faked, but I think they are very interesting folklore. Many of the lighthouses that people believe are haunted are located here in Michigan. The ghosts are usually of lighthouse keepers or people in their families.  One story is about a ghost light in a lighthouse tower that people have reported seeing even though the lens was removed many years ago!  It is something that so far has no explanation.  I recommend this book and others like it if you like this kind of story and especially if you love lighthouses.  Other books of ghost stories include Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses by Dianna H. Stampfler, Ghosts and Legends of Michigan’s West Coast by Amberrose Hammond, Ghost Lights of Michigan by Timothy E. Harrison (these are true stories and photographs of lighthouses that no longer exist).  They are all fascinating history. 🙂

I for one love the Little House books, and do not care for the TV show at all. I am amazed by all work the men and women did by hand without electricity. The excitement of Ma and the girls in Little Town On The Prairie when Ma gets the sewing machine, wow. I don't enjoying for more than a couple hours on an electric sewing machine, can't imagine that level of excitement over a hand operated one.  

I'm reading the last book in the Caroline Years, A Little House of Their Own. I've enjoyed reading them again after so many years, I think it's been close to 15 years since I last read them. Surprisingly my favorites in the series are still the same, On Top of Concord Hill and Across The Rolling River. And Across The Rolling River and A Little House of Their Own are still my favorite covers.

I've been wanting to get my hands on the Little House Cookbook which my library does not have, will have to request it via  interlibrary one of these days...my library does have The Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook which I hadn't seen previously. It has been interesting to look through, it's full of recipes that Laura made at Rocky Ridge Farm.

I have not made much progress reading The Other Worldview, my dad recommends reading it slowly and I am certainly doing that.  

SnowAngel

@snowangel 

It probably would have been better if the TV series had followed the Little House books more accurately, but as it was the acting in the series was quite good.  Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert made the series work in the 1970’s with their fine acting, which helped to attract an interest in the books.  I guess not everyone will like the changes from the books, but most of the episodes do have the family values that the books had. In contrast, the show offered much wholesome entertainment that is often lacking in today’s television.

I haven't mentioned this on here before, but I'm currently reading my kids The Hobbit the first time. I had tried The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe a few years ago, but they weren't old enough to appreciate it. I wasn't sure what they'd think of Hobbit, but now that I'm well into it, I at least have my son hooked. (We're at Spiders and Flies.) But the part that amused me is that my older daughter's favorite part was when Bilbo walked into the middle of the dwarves, popped off his ring, and said "And here's the burglar!" She thought that was hilarious. 

This definitely encourages me to try Narnia again in the future. Maybe they'll like it after all. In the meantime, I love reading The Hobbit.  

@fantasia 

I think The Hobbit is the best introduction to the Middle Earth universe. Lord of the Rings Trilogy is more of a high school reading level, but The Hobbit is a good introduction for kids.

@jasmine_tarkheena , I agree. The Hobbit was my most favorite book growing up, followed closely by Narnia. It wasn't until I was a lot older that I appreciated Lord of the Rings.

And I don't think of the Hobbit as a prequel. I think it should absolutely be read first.

@fantasia
I totally agree.

In fact, Lord of the Rings is the Sequel to The Hobbit!!
Read any biography of Tolkien. Read the introduction to Fellowship of the Ring, and the beginning of the Prologue, where it shows that this story continues from TH.

Has anyone here read The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis: How Great Books Shaped a Great Mind by Jason M. Baxter?  The book describes C. S. Lewis as a medievalist and how he disliked much of the modern world. There is much about how the literature of the Middle Ages influenced him and helped him in his old fashioned thinking. This book was published this year, and many libraries do not yet have it. It is available on Amazon and eBay for those want to purchase a printed copy.  I am almost through reading it, and I think it is well worth getting for those who want to know the time in history that influenced Lewis’ lifestyle. 🙂

@narnian78 I haven't read it, but thanks for the recommendation! I'll look out for that one. If only my "to read" list wasn't already growing longer almost day by day and including several books I've currently got on the go and haven't finished yet...  

So I just finished reading C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity and it was amazing! Like, when I first bought it, I ended up reading it halfway lol. I forced myself to slow down so I could extend my reading time with it. I really love how he explains Christianity in a rational way, and the interesting illustrations he gives to make his points. Also I feel like bits and pieces of what he talks about in the book made its way into Narnia (specifically, his example of a horse being turned into a winged creature lol). 

Much historical fiction is good, and we have it in our church library.  There are the novels of Micheal Phillips and Judith Pella.  Donna Winters wrote some good novels about Michigan history. There is a good biography about Pocahontas by Frances Mossiker. The authors did their research on the people and places they write about, and I think they generally did a good job. Laura Ingalls Wilder wonderfully recreated her childhood of growing up as a pioneer on the prairie in the Little House books.   If some people don’t like the historical books and biographies that is their own taste, and that is no good reason to criticize the books themselves. Biographies and historical fiction are good books that deserve a place in our libraries. I am wary of those who will criticize books just because they are not in someone’s own taste.

@narnian78 Are you still obsessed with me saying I didn't like the Little House books/historical fiction? Sheesh! I never said no one should ever read them. Just that I, myself, wasn't particularly attracted to them. If we have to preface all our criticisms of books in this thread with "that's just my opinion," we're going to sound very fake. 

Remember the context of my initial mention was someone comparing the books to the TV series from the 70s. The reason I said I'd rather watch the TV series is that the books are based on real life and real life has no obligation to be interesting or make dramatic sense. Since the TV series is pretty much entirely fictional, it's inevitably going to tell better stories. 

Also, from what I've heard, the book series aren't 100% historical truth. Wilder combined some people she'd known throughout her life to make the characters (like Mr. Edwards or Nellie.) How do you know it's not the fictional elements of her work rather than the biographical ones that have made them beloved? 

@col-klink 

It’s up to you whether you like the books or not.  I’m just saying that people should not say that biographies and historical fiction are tricking kids into learning about history. That is generally not the case. Most of them are factual and well written books .  Does that clarify my position?  I think it does. Whether you like Little House the television show or the books is up to you.  That is just one example of historical fiction.  They are excellent stories with good plots and lively dialogue. They may not one hundred percent accurate, but the books are still are still well written fiction. How else could they get excellent reviews as children’s literature and high regard by librarians? . If you don’t care for other historical novels and biographies fine, but don’t generalize about them either. Is that fair enough?

I think putting people down for their views and belittling them might be considered trolling, and that may be against the policies of this forum. A belligerent attitude doesn’t encourage friendly discussion. Let the administration decide whether or not your conduct here is appropriate.