Redwall

Why it’s on the list: Brian Jacques’s founding tale of Redwall Abbey — the mouse Matthias and the woodland creatures of Mossflower.

Where I heard about it

My own reading — I sampled it and saved highlights, but haven’t read it in full.

Partial highlights captured via Readwise — Kyle sampled this book; not a full read.

Churchmouse with the little ones, while her dad chatted away with John Churchmouse as they shared a pipe of old bracken twist. Friar Hugo came out and dumped a bulky sack next to Mrs. Churchmouse. “Abbot says to thank you for the loan of bowls and tablecloths, ma’am.” The fat friar gave her a huge wink. “All comfy back there?” called Matthias. “Right, off we go, Constance.” The big badger trundled the cart away as they called their goodnights. She nodded at Methuselah, the ancient gatekeeper mouse. As the cart rolled out into the road a sliver of golden moon looked down from a star-pierced summer night. Matthias gazed upwards, feeling as if he were slowly turning with the silent earth. Peace was all about him: the baby mice inside the cart whimpered fitfully in their small secret dreams; Constance ambled slowly along, as though she were out on a nighttime
of dawn stealing down to Cavern Hole as the candles began to flicker and smoke into stubs. All in the space of a night events had moved from festivity to a crisis, and he, Matthias, had taken a major role in both. First the big grayling, then the sighting of the