The Silver Chair

By C.S. Lewis, published 1953

We return to Narnia with Eustace and a schoolmate of his, Jill. They arrive in Aslan’s Country and are sent on a quest to find the lost prince of Narnia, Rilian. 

Jill and Eustace almost immediately behave poorly and don’t follow instructions well, so the quest becomes a bit more complicated right away (unfortunately relatable). To their credit, however, they don’t give up. 

This is the last of the direct sequel Narnia books, and a fun adventure story. This one also feels like it could be well adapted into a movie. I know the early 2000’s Narnia movies got mixed reviews (Dawn Treader was legitimately a mess), but it’s too bad we didn’t get this one because I think it would have been fun and as a more straightforward story lends itself well to the screen. 

Puddleglum the marshwiggle is a delightful addition to Narnia as the Eeyore of the story, who nevertheless proves to be worth his weight in gold. Perseverance and keeping sense of your core identity are important lessons of this book, and ones I still need to hear as an adult!

Most memorable quote: “Many sink down and few return to the sunlit lands.”

Country People

By Daniel Mason, published 2026

“‘I think,’ he said, ‘Vermont is a little different.’

“‘Okay, said Kate. ‘But you know what I am saying. Rural people. Farming people. Country people. It does seem hard to write about the topic when you haven’t lived in the country yourself.’”

The Krzelewski-Petrosian family moves from California to rural Vermont when Kate takes a one-year teaching job at a college, and Miles plans to continue work on a long-protracted dissertation on Russian peasant (country) life.

The family settles in to their new rural life and meets a colorful cast of characters, a completely different landscape, and Miles tries to work on his dissertation. But the writing seems less urgent than exploring their new home. Kate slips easily into academic life, Wesley and Olive make friends at school and seem to be adjusting well, and Miles tries to find his place. 

Having recently read North Woods by the same author, I expected a slightly quirky, offbeat story, and Mason delivered. I preferred this more straightforward story, and there is still room for the occasional diversion via characters telling stories (reminiscent in some ways to The Pickwick Papers). This was a funny, meandering look into a family’s life for a year, and an enjoyable romp through the countryside and a collection of offbeat characters in a small town whose quirkiness is treated with affection rather than scorn.

This feels like it straddles the line of reality and unreality, and that might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it fun and an easy read, and funnier than I expected. Miles seems like he would be a fun hang.