Books that Form Us and Deform the World.

First in a Series of My Book Reviews.

 Anyone who knows me knows that I am, at heart, a voracious reader.  Books have been my lifelong weakness and delight.  From the Little Golden Books that we poured over as kids, to my first parochial school library borrowing of A Is for Annabelle by Tasha Tudor, to the day I trudged home from the public library carrying eleven books for the mile‑and‑a‑quarter walk back home— stories and education have always been my companions.  Good books do more than entertain; they shape the soul in ways that are subtle yet profound.  This is the first in a continuing series that highlights books that I have recently read.

Books that I have read so far in 2026:

Toxin by Ouida (1895).

✒️ This short, fast reading story started off strong and ended weak.  All that for an opal necklace, a murder, and a wedding!  The writing style of Ouida (Maria Louise Ramé – 1839-1908) is intelligent, smooth, descriptive, and is peppered with French and Italian phrases.  Other readers might find this story their string of pearls and phial of a deadly toxin, but it wasn’t for me.  What I did learn about Ouida was that she was a contemporary of Oscar Wilde, Wilkie Collins, Robert Browning, et al.

Ole Mammy’s Torment by Annie Fellows Johnston (1897)

✒️ This was an entertaining short story with a lot of great dialect, funny scenes, and believable characters with true dialect in their voices.  The authoress is well-known for writing “The Little Colonel” series, which was made into one movie in 1935 with Shirley Temple.  My goodness!

The Children’s Own Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1908).

✒️ What a fun book of poetry that I thoroughly enjoyed from cover to cover!  This is an early 20th century collection of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poetry, curated especially for young readers.  Gathering some of his most cherished works, the volume presents Longfellow’s storytelling in a form that is accessible, engaging, and rich with imagination.  The collection includes well-known pieces such as “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” “Evangeline,” “Paul Revere’s Ride,” and selections from “The Song of Hiawatha.”  This was enjoyable.

The Status Civilization by Robert Sheckley (1960)

✒️ This book is a lesson for today.  Will Barrent comes to consciousness aboard a prison transport headed for the planet Omega, his memories erased and his guilt for murder already decided. Omega is a place where the only way to stay alive is to break the law—because the law itself requires wrongdoing. With most newcomers surviving only a few years, Barrent is forced to adapt quickly to this upside down, topsy-turvy society while searching for answers about his own past. His journey eventually returns him to Earth, where he uncovers startling revelations about both planets and the hidden machinery of power that binds them together.

Our Lady of Good Studies, pray for us.  O Mary, our hope, have pity on us.

Indulgence of 300 days each time.  – Pope Pius X, January 8, 1906

 

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.

Indulgence of 300 days each time.  – Pope Leo XIII, March 15, 1884; S.P. Ap., April 15, 1932.