Summary - The '20s

It's not a complete decade, but I figure 1929 is a good time to look back at what I've read so far. If I had to rank the books, I'd go:

1. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
2. The Trumpeter of Krakow
3. Gay-Neck, the Story of a Pigeon
4. The Dark Frigate
5. The Story of Mankind
6. Smoky the Cowhorse
7. Tales from Silver Lands
8. Shen of the Sea

Each book has its own writeup, with why I like or don't like the book.

After Dr. Dolittle and The Dark Frigate, I expected the language to sound really dated in all of the other books, but it was apparently due to the fact that both were period pieces. Granted, there are noticeable differences to modern books, but it wasn't distracting. (Except Smoky, which was written in a cowboy dialect.)

Out of all the books, I'd most like to re-read Gay-Neck; I feel like the themes of the book didn't become apparent until over halfway through the story, and a second pass might be even better than the first.

And it's funny that both folktale books took bottom spots at the list. I didn't hate them - I don't hate many books I read - but they just weren't very compelling. Shen of the Sea, especially, was a chore to get through. I like a solid, continuous narrative.

Well, on to Hitty, and the 1930s.