Ars Libri

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com Step through the roots and into the hollows of the Old Oak for a journey into the miniature, moss-covered world of Brambly Hedge, where every season is a celebration and the tea is always brewing. Fun reading for young girls and boys. This is the book edition we own: The Complete Brambly Hedge

In this episode of Ars Libri, guest Sean Russell joins the show to explore the enduring legacy and historical evolution of Robin Hood. Our conversation traces the character’s development from 13th-century “jailhouse records” and 14th-century poems like Piers Plowman to the “gentrified” nobleman popularized by later playwrights and novelists. Russell—author of the Greek-inspired fiction works Thelo...

The novelization of his non-fiction work The Abolition Of Man . Many call it prophetic. The Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength) by C.S. Lewis (2011) Paperback This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

Step back into the churning currents of the 19th-century Po River, where one family’s floating mill becomes the fragile stage for an epic struggle against the relentless tides of history and the unification of Italy. The version of the book that we own: The Mill on the Po This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arsli...

James Baldwin’s The Story of Roland (1883) is a classic retelling of the medieval legends surrounding the greatest of Charlemagne’s knights. It combines chivalry, epic battles, and old-school heroism in a web of interweaving adventures. This is one of the best books for boys and girls alike. Old original copies from Scribner and Sons are still available with wonderful artwork by Peter Hurd. 10/10...

Pulp adventure with violence (sword fights, arena battles) and mature themes (slavery, false gods, brutal combat). The series is best for older teens or adults. It is a classic sci-fi that was the first at world-building, planetary romance, and blending futuristic imagination with old-world heroism. Ok for mature teens, but not ideal for younger readers without guidance. This is a public episode....

My wife tells me why she likes this book and why she thinks I’m her Mr. Knightley. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

Crime and Punishment is a psychological novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that follows Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who murders an unscrupulous pawnbroker, believing himself to be a superior being exempt from moral law. Tormented by intense guilt and paranoia, Raskolnikov wrestles with his conscience while evading detection by the cunning investigator Porfiry Petrovic...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com The first of a series in which we discuss the quest for the ideal homeschool and/or private school curriculum. Key guideposts are: Intention, Intelligence, and Identity.

A classic middle-grade fantasy with some intense moments and moral questions about responsibility and war. Although a popular book, it contains a good deal of lying and presents lies in a sympathetic light. Strongly suggest parents read this book with their children and/or talk to their children about the wrongness of lying. Recommended edition: The Indian in the Cupboard This is a public episode....

Tuck Everlasting is a novel by Natalie Babbitt, published in 1975. It follows ten-year-old Winnie Foster, a sheltered girl from the village of Treegap, who ventures into the nearby woods and discovers a hidden spring that grants eternal life. Winnie encounters the immortal Tuck family, who drank from the spring decades ago and have remained unchanged ever since. As Winnie grows close to the Tucks—...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com Can any good stories be written in the age of cell phones, social media, and the internet? We explore ways of knowing prior to and after the advent of new technologies and discuss why all good stories are based on a world without them.

A truly Great Book and wonderful story about the lives of gentry in late 18th century England. Everyone - including men - should read the book at least twice. We also recommend watching the six-part BBC movie series. Wholesome for any ages. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

The story of a 10 year old young man in the 1300s who, despite physical disability, proves his noble and courageous spirit by industry and bravery amid plague and war. This is a good book in that it presents strong characters who face real world trials and, by grace and effort, they overcome. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus...

Today we’re stepping back to 1906 with E. Nesbit’s timeless classic, The Railway Children —a story of three brave siblings whose ordinary world turns upside down, leading them to a little house by the tracks where adventure, courage, and real-life lessons wait around every bend. If you’ve ever wanted a book that feels like it was written for curious homeschool hearts, this is it. The movie filmed...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com A wide-ranging rant loosely based on H.G. Well’s book “The Shape Of Things To Come”. Topics include: World War, C.S. Lewis, Global Technocrat Elites, Louisa May Alcott, Birth Rates, Janes Austen, Utopia vs. Dystopia, the film Demolition Man, Boomers, Millennials, Zoomers, the film The Matrix, Christmas, Eugenics, E...

A major Italian epic from the 1500s. You should absolutely read and reread this one. This story weaves all of classical mythology, Arthurian romances, European Christendom, and even gets into pre-modern “sci-fi”. It’s a tour de force in Western Tradition, civilization, and culture - with heavy doses of comedy, tragedy, adventure, love, and war. Gustave Dore drew over 200 illustrations for this sto...

The Nibelungenlied has been called the Germanic Iliad. Written down in the 1200s a.d., the tale goes back to the 400s, drawing upon Germanic and Nordic history, legend, and mythology, including the Poetic Edda and the Volsungasaga. It includes the well known hero of Siegfried, who slew Fafnir and gained Balmung and the Nibelung hoard. Siegfried then seeks the hand of Kriemhild, but tragedy soon be...

I was led to the works of Isaac Azimov from one of Tolkien’s letters where he said, “I read quite a lot – or more truly, try to read many books (notably so-called Science Fiction and Fantasy)…I enjoy the S.F. of Isaac Azimov.” Azimov’s writings have profoundly influenced scientifically-minded inventors, entrepreneurs, and tech leaders. His works have been made into film, and there are at least thr...

George MacDonald wrote fairytales in the late 1800s. His influence is seen in many writers, such as Lewis, Tolkien, Chesterton, Auden, and more. This particular story follows a young boy named Diamond who goes on dreamlike adventures with North Wind while also remaining well-grounded in the mundane world of London. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers...

This episode is from my other podcast: Ars Politica. I read a few hilarious and charming scenes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. These scenes capture the spirit of Christmas that once was and hopefully will be again. Ars Libri is a book podcast for everyone: students, parents, young and adult readers. For more politically-focused book discussions, checkout Ars Politica . This is a public...

A deeply profound poem, worth memorizing and reciting during Christmastide. It brings depth, gravitas, and power to our sentimental holiday season. Read free online here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

H.L. Mencken was a journalist in the early 20th century whose satirical wit and anti-christian rhetoric gained him everlasting fame. So, I was surprised to learn that he wrote a story about Christmas. Working as a journalist in Baltimore, he was witness to an attempt by “freethinkers” (atheists, agnostics, skeptics, etc) to provide a Christmas feast for the homeless that would outshine similar eff...

A wonderful book that tells the story of Elin, a young Swedish girl who immigrates to the New Sweden Colony along the Delaware River in 1648, and her experiences adapting to life in a new land. Beautifully illustrated by the author. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arslibri.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit arslibri.substack.com C.S. Lewis wrote many essays on literature and fiction. “On Stories” discusses the importance of actually reading and discussing stories, as opposed to merely using stories for critical analysis of society, culture, or other issues.