Strange things begin to happen the minute young Kay Harker boards the train to go home for Christmas and finds himself under observation by two very shifty-looking characters. Arriving at his destination, the boy is immediately accosted by a bright-eyed old man with a mysterious message: “The wolves are running.” Soon danger is everywhere, as a gang of criminals headed by the notorious wizard Abner Brown and his witch wife Sylvia Daisy Pouncer gets to work. What does Abner Brown want? The magic box that the old man has entrusted to Kay, which allows him to travel freely not only in space but in time, too. The gang will stop at nothing to carry out their plan, even kidnapping Kay’s friend, the tough little Maria Jones, and threatening to cancel Christmas celebrations altogether. But with the help of his allies, including an intrepid mouse, a squadron of Roman soldiers, the legendary Herne the Hunter, and the inventor of the Box of Delights himself, Kay just may be able rescue his friend, foil Abner Brown’s plot, and save Christmas, too.

I read this because it was available free on Kindle (now I am on a "Kindle"-ing spree).This book carries with it a childhood memory for me. I used to buy comics from the Higginbothams' bookstall in the railway station (they still have stalls all over railway stations in South India, but carry mostly magazines) - Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Bugs Bunny... freely available in those days and costing the lordly sum of one rupee. My father on this occasion, however, decided to "improve" my reading and picked up a few children's books from the shelf. This book was one of them.It was a beautiful edition with a glossy cover and enthralling pictures, but my dad was not impressed. He told me there were much better books by Kipling (true!) and put it back on the shelf, and I went for my comic. But the book remained in memory.However, I am glad I did not get it then - I would have been totally lost! Because in this series of connected stories, Kipling does a masterly job of weaving together England's mythology, legend and history. Compered by the fairy "Puck" from The Midsummer Night's Dream, the narrators range from Puck himself, a knight, a roman soldier and a Jew. The timeline shifts between the mythic, sylvan past of the Island through the Roman occupation and medieval intrigues up to the signing of the Magna Carta.It is typical Kipling - each story is sandwiched between a couple of poems (which are sometimes much better than the tales). The mundane and the magical seamlessly weave together to create a brilliant tapestry, familiar to all Kipling fans. But the tales were, I felt, rather mediocre. From the creator of The Jungle Book one expected a bit more.The author's intention here - made explicit in the last poem - is to inculcate pride and love for the motherland in the heart of youngsters and maybe get them to study the culture of their country in detail. Very laudable, but it has not aged well like The Jungle Book or Just So Stories.

How The Kipling Got His ReputationOnce upon a time, Best Beloved, when the world was middle-aged and good Queen Victoria sat on the throne, there was a Kipling. And even though he constantly had to carry around a White Man's Burden (an object, by the way, which he had invented himself, and very proud he was of it too), he was as happy as the day is long. And he would often stop for a moment, and sing a little song he'd written, which beganMamma Pajama rolled out of bed and ran to the po-lice stationand endedSeein' me and Sambo down by the Rudyard Maybe you know a song that's a bit like that, Best Beloved, and you're wondering why this one is different? But we'll get to that shortly.The rest of this review is available elsewhere (the location cannot be given for Goodreads policy reasons)

The Jungle Book key characters are Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves and Sher Khan, biggest tiger in India. As Baloo the sleepy brown bear, Bagheera the cunning black panther, Kaa the python, and his other animal friends teach their beloved “man-cub” the ways of the jungle, Mowgli gains the strength and wisdom he needs for his frightful fight with Shere Khan, the tiger who robbed him of his human family. But there are also the tales of Rikki-tikki-tavi the mongoose and his “great war” against the vicious cobras Nag and Nagaina; of Toomai, who watches the elephants dance; and of Kotick the white seal, who swims in the Bering Sea.

English short-story writer, poet, and novelist (1865-1936)

An alternate cover edition of this ISBN can be found here.Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington, a most endearing bear from Darkest Peru on a railway platform in London. A sign hanging around his neck said, "Please look after this bear. Thank you" So that is just what they did.From the very first night when he attempted his first bath and ended up nearly flooding the house, Paddington was seldom far from imminent disaster. Jonathan and Judy were delighted with this havoc and even Mr. and Mrs. Brown had to admit that life seemed to be more filled with adventure when there was a bear in the house.

Winnie-the-Pooh, the Best Bear in All the World, has long been adored by readers young and old. In this beautiful full-color gift edition of "The House at Pooh Corner, " Ernest H. Shepard's classic illustrations have been painstakingly hand-colored. An exquisite volume and the perfect gift for any occasion, this book is as vivid and charming as the beloved characters from the Hundred Acre Wood.

British author known for creating Winnie-the-Pooh

This handsome edition brings all of Beatrix Potter's 23 tales and verses together in one book. Each story is complete and unabridged, and all the original illustrations, both color and black-and-white, are included. Potter's tales were often connected with real people, places and animals, so each story has a brief introductory note about its history. As an added bonus, The Complete Tales also includes four other works by Potter, which remained unpublished in her lifetime.  As part of Peter Rabbit's centennial celebration, the first printing of The Complete Tales will be published with a limited edition lithograph inside.

Nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.Like the Skin Horse, Margery Williams understood how toys—and people—become real through the wisdom and experience of love. This reissue of a favorite classic, with the original story and illustrations as they first appeared in 1922, will work its magic for all who read it.

„Niedźwiodek Puch” to śląska edycja „Kubusia Puchatka” A.A. Milne’a, arcydzieła literatury światowej. Ukochany miś świata rozprawia po śląsku z gronem swoich przyjaciół z podziwu godną biegłością i swadą, skutkiem czego jego maksymy stają się jeszcze bardziej przemyślane i wyraziste. To niewątpliwa zasługa Grzegorza Kulika, wybitnego popularyzatora śląskiej mowy, autora przekładu na śląski „Małego Księcia” Antoine de Saint-Exupery’ego.Integralną częścią książki są oryginalne ilustracje Ernesta Sheparda. Wydanie uzupełnia słowniczek wyrazów śląskich i audiobook w wykonaniu popularnego śląskiego aktora Mirosława Neinerta.

One of the most celebrated works of classic literature for childrenMeet little Mole, willful Ratty, Badger the perennial bachelor, and petulant Toad. Over one hundred years since their first appearance in 1908, they've become emblematic archetypes of eccentricity, folly, and friendship. And their misadventures-in gypsy caravans, stolen sports cars, and their Wild Wood-continue to capture readers' imaginations and warm their hearts long after they grow up. Begun as a series of letters from Kenneth Grahame to his son, The Wind in the Willows is a timeless tale of animal cunning and human camaraderie. This Penguin Classics edition features an appendix of the letters in which Grahame first related the exploits of Toad.

Fiction Books with anthropomorphic animals

book

author

I Remember

1979 American war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola

1987 war drama film directed by Stanley Kubrick

1970 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner

War Films

1999 American historical fiction film by John McTiernan

Sword and Sorcery films

When we were young!  Tv and British films from the late 60's to the 90s with a few classics thrown in. 

British TV and Films 

Russian dramatist and author (1860–1904)

Classic Fiction Writers

American TV Shows

Classic Comic Books 

American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist

20th Century Weird & Horror Fiction

Film Noir

Investment Books I have read. Only includes books that I personally think are particularly useful or interesting, as a lot of them have variations on themes. 