Homeschooling, Nonfiction, Parenting

The Middle Years – My Favorite Parenting Books

Posted on

When I began this blog in 2012 or so, my parenting journey was in the new, shiny, rosy stage. I was full of optimistic ideals. Homeschooling was the plan but not the reality yet, as my two children were just 3 and 1 years old. In my memory, that time of my life was a time of very little sleep yet comparatively lighthearted days in ways I couldn’t even be grateful for at the time.

This current parenting stage is a bit more…muddled. I am still in those young children days, with a 3-year-old keeping us both laughing and on our toes, but I also have a high school student, middle school student, and two in elementary school. If you lost count along the way, that’s five. To put the icing on the cake, the fifth child of our family is a handsome, healthy, robust handful. Now that he’s three, I have fewer nightmares involving him jumping out of top story windows or swallowing button batteries, but those 2:00 a.m. night terrors still are about a once monthly occurrence for me. This kid is wild. Like, got straight up yelled at by a librarian yesterday wild. (Was I, a lifelong library addict, absolutely mortified? Yes, yes I was, and also very thankful we were not at our usual library; in this librarian’s defense, it is spring break in our school district and her last nerve had probably already been shattered). I am so very grateful for five healthy children; I don’t take that for granted for one second.

Without taking on a complaining tone, for life is indeed so beautiful and full of gifts I don’t deserve, I wanted to take a minute to be honest here that this current parenting stage I am in is a bit more muddled than shiny and idealistic. I’ve always heard that the middle years are full of mixed emotions, but it’s pretty dizzying to actually be in those years, realizing you have been working hard, but have so much work left ahead, yet somehow you have hardly accomplished anything you set out to, or so it seems many days. A lot of my current thoughts when I compare who I was as a mother twelve years ago and who I am now look something like, “How did I get here? I wasn’t always this grumpy/stressed/frazzled/unengaged.” To lessen the daily stress of being a parent, playing games like 카지노 커뮤니티 can be soothing.

So though there used to be occasional posts here along the lines of “here’s a gem of a parenting thought or tip I have this week” mixed in with book recommendations, now there’s been a years-long complete quiet on the topic, and an absence of assuredness that I can offer any wisdom at this point. For now, while I don’t have the answer for how to thrive in the middle years fully worked out or a whole lot of confidence in any part of my mothering “methods” at all, I have found great hope and direction from two books in the last few months that I would love to share with you.

Remaining You While Raising Them is the number one parenting book I’d recommend to moms today, now that I am in the middle instead of at the idealistic beginning. I have read many, many parenting books, but this one is really the most encouraging, refreshing, and practical. I highly recommend the audio, and listening to the podcast episode of Don’t Mom Alone when author Alli Worthington is the guest. For anyone worried that this book will focus too much on a mom’s me-time or encourage you towards selfishness rather selflessness, I cannot stress more how pleasantly surprised I was with the way Worthington handles the topic of a parent’s health (mental, physical, and spiritual) without becoming in any way unbiblical (in my opinion, at least) or unbalanced.

Mothering by the Book is just absolutely a kindred spirit book for me. Not only does it draw from examples in novels and nonfiction books at homeschooling mom and author Jennifer Pepito has read aloud to her kids to combat the fears that mothers face on a daily basis, but it met me exactly in that middle years parenting place I have been struggling to figure out lately. Everything Pepito has to say on parenting is deep yet thoroughly practical and easy to understand. If you’re a homeschooling mom like I am, I also can’t recommend her podcast episode on Read Aloud Revival enough. The lay out of the book is brilliant, and I truly loved the book recommendations and scripture to memorize at the end of each chapter.

I’ve read many parenting books, and will continue to do so, but I really can say that these two books have been more helpful, refreshing, and applicable to my life than any others have in years. I’d love to hear from you on what parenting books you’d put at the top of your list! Or anything you’ve enjoyed reading at all lately. Until next time, happy reading!

{ Befriend me on Goodreads! }

Children's Books, Homeschooling, Parenting, Reviews, Summer Reading

Read-Alouds for The Rest of Summer

Posted on

Reading aloud with my kids is one of my favorite parts of parenting. Ever since they were small, we have made it part of our days. We read aloud during the school year most days at 10:00 a.m. That also happens to be snack time, ensuring at least a little bit of quiet from the toddler. Exploring books together is magical, like walking into the Narnian wardrobe together; it creates a connection and family culture that is invaluable to us. During the summer, reading aloud gets more sporadic, but we’re still drawn to it during the hottest days when everyone is at loose ends in the late afternoon, or the grumps from not enough structure and a lot of free time together set in.

The best read-alouds for us have been the ones I’ve read by myself and loved so much, I immediately read them again to my kids. If a book is good enough to read twice in a row, it’s a winner! Sarah Weeks’s Pie was one of those books, and I can’t recommend more that you read it in the summer. It is so good. We found that treasure two summers ago. This summer, the gem has been Howl’s Moving Castle. I read it in June, adored it so much I went on and read the whole series (which didn’t live up to the first book but was still pretty fun!), then started reading it aloud to my kids last week. I would rank it well below the Narnia and Harry Potter books as far as deep themes and fully developed fantasy worlds go, but Howl’s Moving Castle is a light-hearted and perfectly wonderful with very original characters. Though published as a children’s book, it is absolutely captivating and fun for all ages.

Another discovery we made was Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink, author of Caddie Woodlawn. In this historical novel, an eccentric father and his two daughters, one very practical and one an adventurer, find themselves lost in the woods during the Great Depression as they are traveling to live with a dreaded aunt in Chicago after not being able to make ends meet in their own home town. They find an abandoned cottage, and a nice, long adventure ensues. It’s a fun book for all, a nice imaginary trip away from the sweltering summer we’re having, and especially good if you like to explore historical eras with your kids through fiction. For us, there has to be an even mix of girl characters and boy characters to appeal to all my kids, and this book checks that box, too, after a couple of chapters. Note: this book is out of print, but can easily be checked out for free on Internet Archive, one of my favorite websites ever.

Honorable Read-Aloud Mentions from this spring go to The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt and 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson. Both of these books are geared toward older kids, I’d say ideally ages 10 and up.

The Wednesday Wars is another 5 star read from Gary. Schmidt. It is set in the 1960s and will help readers understand that time period during the Vietnam War and even maybe develop an interest in Shakespeare. But I need to warn you, Schmidt knows how to throw deep emotion and tear jerking scenes into books that mostly seem written for 11-year-old boys. It’s kind of miraculous. My oldest son especially liked it (and also loved Pay Attention, Carter Jones, my personal Schmidt favorite). I really appreciate how Schmidt breaks down age barriers in the friendships his characters develop and how the tween boy protagonists learn to see life through others’ eyes. Particularly powerful in this book is the friendship between a teacher and student (it’s completely appropriate, rest assured). I deeply appreciate the noble character qualities included such as the courage it takes to stand up to peer pressure and bullying, and what heroism is in every day life…I could go on and on. I hope you read some Schmidt for yourself!

100 Cupboards is another fantasy novel we just finished that was almost an enjoyable page-turner, but falls short at creating a secondary world that makes sense in the first book of the series. Also, I was surprised by the amount of blood and gore and scary characters. I read it aloud without previewing it first on Sarah Mackenzie‘s recommendation, and while it was still good, I wouldn’t choose it as a read aloud for families with young kids. Did it leave me wanting to read the next book in the series to fully understand what’s going on? No, not really. My oldest son might explore the series further on his own, though, and I know lots of readers who love the books, so don’t go on my opinion alone!

During the spring in the school year we also read aloud The Secret Garden. This was a re-read for my oldest two, now ages 14 and 12. It’s still a favorite of my 14-year-old daughter, but my 12-year-old son complained it was boring (he secretly enjoyed it, I could tell); he liked it a lot when he was 6 and all my girls (currently ages 14, 8, and 6) thought it was “the best.” When my oldest two were ages 7 and 5 we read-aloud Heidi, and that’s another classic that is a beautiful and meaningful piece of literature I’d like to pick up and read again for the benefit of my younger girls.

And for the bonus review section, here are some other “kids” books that I read on my own recently.

The Star That Always Stays – 5 Stars! Loved it, and so did my 14-year-old daughter. See review here.

Treasures in the Snow – This book was beautiful. If you like Heidi, you will love this book. I am now realizing that I am a big fan of books set in the Alps and Nordic countries!

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – As a piece of literature for a class, this book could be very useful in its symbolism, character contrasts, points of view, etc. Also, it has obvious value in discussion of the time period and awful history of Auschwitz. But, dear publishers, classified as a children’s book? With the alcohol misuse, extramarital affair, and decidedly tragic and grim themes throughout? No. Teens and up. I absolutely hated the ending, but I know it is the point of the whole book, so I will try to reconcile my dislike with the message of the author.

That wraps up the read aloud list from us for now! As always, share your read-aloud wins in the comments if you’d like!

{All of these are Amazon links, but full disclosure we get 99% of the books we read from the library. These are not affiliate links, please support whatever bookstore you love!}

Reading, Reviews, Summer Reading

Books for Summer 2023

Posted on

I am so grateful for June. The ribbons that must make up my soul and mind get wrapped together tighter and tighter through the gloomy winter and busy spring months. And then comes June. In the fresh, hot, school-less days, I can feel the tangled ribbons loosen and iron out, straightening my thoughts and feelings. For the past two years, I have physical proof that I am healthier by June 30th. My resting heart rate is down, my insomnia is so much less, I am exercising for the joy of it. And! I remember that I have a blog and actually could think straight enough to write something!

Well, this little reading update won’t be a literary gem. But I do want to share some ideas for books you might enjoy when you find yourself with time to sink into a good read. Today, I’ll be running through some quick reviews of newer releases I have read in the last six months. In the next few days, I hope to publish another post recapping some older titles I have read (and loved because old books have my heart), and I’ve got some nonfiction titles and family reads to post about, too, so be optimistic with me and stay tuned!

New(ish) Release Recs for Your Summer TBR

Remarkably Bright Creatures – Raise your hand if you are wary of overhyped books! That’s me, too. I’m always torn between the urge to ignore overhyped books and the fear I will miss a really great one if I don’t give it a chance. I’m happy to say this one is actually worth some of the hype it received last summer. The unique narrative is what really sells it. Have you ever read a book narrated in part by a wise, old octopus? No, me neither. But it is wonderful. I also loved Tova, a no-nonsense, Scandinavian woman who is one of the main characters in the book. She gave it an A Man Call Ove vibe. I didn’t love all the main characters, mind you, and there is some adult content and language to be aware of, but overall this new release is a rare gem. 4 stars.

The Star That Always Stays – This is a lovely coming of age story, and not just because it has a most excellent title. The best way I can describe it is Eldrich’s The Birchbark House combined with Anne of Green Gables or one of the Betsy-Tacy books when Betsy is older. It’s a comfortable read but with deep questions and answers from the characters. I enjoyed it from start to finish, and gave it to my 14-year-old daughter to read when I was done. 4.5 stars.

Homecoming – If you’ve liked Kate Morton’s books up to this point, you’ll like this one, too! Morton always has a bit of a disturbing mystery centered in her plots, so fair warning on this one as well, but the rich storytelling and masterful weaving together of timelines is on point here and I always love her Australian settings. 4 stars. (Psst – my favorite Morton is still The Secret Keeper!)

Fellowship Point – Beautiful writing, and as grim as they come! The Maine setting is entrancing, and the relationship between two life-long friends so intricate and developed, but, man, is the stark New England vibe strong here. I couldn’t stop thinking about the historical Puritans and their fear of any pleasure being a set up for certain tragedy to follow as I read this book. It’s definitely worth a read if you like the style of Anne Tyler or Ann Patchett. 3 stars.

Small Things Like These – Maybe not a beach read, but add this Christmas novella to your winter read list. Set in Ireland in 1985, it is thoughtful and aching, one of those looks into the souls of humanity through the lens of a small village. 4 stars.

Beth Brower books – I got into The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series by Beth Brower thanks to a Goodreads friend’s rave reviews and have loved it so much (thanks Dianna!). This series and Brower’s book The Q, which I also enjoyed, are included in a Kindle Unlimited Membership you can get for free for 3 months right now as a Prime member!). Emma M. Lion is perfect for fans of historical fiction with a Jane Austen vibe, and The Q is also great historical fiction in a Dickensian England. (Side note for anyone who cares, they are also very clean books, too). 4-5 stars.

And that wraps up the new release reviews from me from the last few months. I hope you are having a full summer of fun and wonderful books and that you’ll share some recommendations with me, too!

[Bonus DNF Section]

Here are two popular books that I chose not to finish and why I am okay with abandoning them after putting some time and energy to them.

First up, a Did-Not-Finish Manifesto – I fully believe that if you are reading fiction for enjoyment and/or personal edification, you must reserve the right to quit a book at any point when you’re non-negotiables arise. Those are different for every reader, but I have seen over and over again that when people go into reading with the mindset that they have to finish every book they start, they end up watching TV instead. To expect yourself to finish every book is a heavy contract between you and the book, a promise that you will let whatever the book holds in to your mind and soul. Yes, I firmly believe that, too, that we guard our souls by guarding our minds. Start a book to try it out, but quit if it doesn’t meet your criteria, no matter who recommended it to you (even me! haha). Again, everyone has different non-negotiables, and that is fully up to you, but let me encourage you to approach fiction with respect for yourself and what you want to allow in your life, because this is the power of stories – they become alive in you. That’s a truth we have to take seriously. Okay, heartfelt plea over.

A World of Curiosities – It saddens me to tell you I did not finish this Inspector Gamache book. I adore the characters in this series; I want to believe they are actually living in this world in Three Pines right this minute (but I have to tell everyone that the series isn’t all that great til book three or four and you have to stick with book one til about a third of the one in to really like it (and the audiobooks are so good)). The content in the latest installment, about child abuse and pornography, was too much for me this time. I believe Louise Penney included these topics in her series to take a stand against them, but the book was not for me.

Demon Copperhead – I read several of Kingsolver’s books for college classes and learned then she is a brilliant writer. This book won the Pulitzer prize for Fiction in 2023, but I have to admit, I quit about halfway through. The child abuse, drug abuse, treatment of women in conversation and in subject matter, and generally much of the content left me feeling icky every time I picked it up. There are important ideas raised on Appalachian poverty and the foster care system and oxycontin, among other huge and hard themes, but I prefer Hillbilly Elegy or All the Pretty Things for similar subject matter.

Children's Books, Homeschooling, Quick Lit, Reading, Reviews, Young Adult

Reading Recap – Read-Alouds Up First!

Posted on

Hi, bookish friends! It’s time for a reading recap. As promised in my last post, I’m starting off with the books we have read aloud so far this school year. For context, my kids I read to are 13, 11, 8, and 5. Below are books I have read myself in the last couple of months and some I’m in the middle of now.

Sweep – Most recently, we finished Sweep: A Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier, and wow, what a wonderful book. I loved the Victorian London setting, the perfect balance of magical realism, and the delightful characters. It is a little bit hard on the emotions, with child labor and terrible living conditions a very big part of the story, so ideally I’d recommend for eight or nine and up unless your younger children are used to drama and some sadness.

Half Magic and Magic by the Lake – We started the school year with these two books by Edward Eager and they were big hits. We particularly like this series for the old fashioned yet not dated settings and fun filled adventures, and also that the stories are about a brother and three sisters, which is the family dynamic we had going until 2020, and still feels very relatable since our little toddler brother isn’t part of all the fun and games around here quite yet. Recommend for all ages, with a content warning of a bit of cartoonish violence in book one.

The Moffats – Another family story but less magic adventure and more true to life in 1930s America, we loved being a part of the Moffats’ and getting to know their beloved yellow house and all the ups and downs of life inside it.

For the rest of the year, I am reading aloud selections of the 2-week curriculum Christmas Around the World by A Gentle Feast and doing some of the videos and crafts included instead of most of our normal school. I still have to pick a read-aloud for the coming New Year, so suggestions are very welcome!

_________________

As for my own reading, I am currently in the middle of The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry, The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama, The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard, and The Dean’s Watch by Elizabeth Goudge. Reading four books at a time is pretty normal for me. I rotate them like this: early morning reading, Willard; after Willard, a bit of Goudge; then in the evening, a little bit of Obama, and then the Uriah Heep book for as long as I can keep my eyes open, which can be quite a while with such a page turner, much to my morning self’s chagrin. I get up about an hour or an hour and a half before my kids and spend way too much time in books to accomplish all the things I should, but there it is. Winter is for reading, amiright? ; )

A few others I finished since the last update:

The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Five stars! Not sure how I missed out on this as a kid or teen, maybe because it has “witch” in the title and that was not a popular topic at my house, but this Newberry winning book is amazing. I read that it is the only book to receive an unanimous vote for the medal. It’s assigned reading for my two oldest kids this spring at our homeschool academy, so it was high time I read this classic.

Miss Clare Remembers – Book 4 in the Fairacre Series by Miss Read was…a bit gloomy. I felt like impending doom settled into my thoughts during the duration of this reading. But, the strength of characters wins out, making it worth the read in the series; my longing for pictures of steadfastness and faithful hearts in literature is staying put!

That’s all for now! I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading lately, and hope you and yours have a very Christmas.

Reading, Reviews

Autumn Catch Up

Posted on

Hi, reading friends! Are you enjoying all things fallish where you are? I am always resistant to the dying of summer, but the sweetness of a new season is breaking through. My children are pumped about Trick or Treating and pumpkins on the front porch, and that is the cozy and fun kind of stuff I can delight in. Anything spookier than It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! and I’m out! =) Chillier weather and darker evenings mean we’re getting into the best time of the year for reading and reading and reading. You know I’m okay with that! In my fall reading wrap up I have one new mystery that I can highly recommend to anyone who likes to keep things on the light side when it comes to eeriness (or really, anyone, these books are hugely popular!), along with a couple more new releases that somehow tempted me out of my “old books only!” pursuit, but then I eagerly returned to the vintage books that have my heart. Those reviews are at the end of this post.

New Releases

The Bullet That Missed ~ First up, the light mystery I promised! This is the third installment of the Thursday Murder Club series, my current number one recommendation for light mysteries. I love all the characters and wrestle between speeding through the books to find out what happens and savoring my time with Joyce, Ron, Ibrahaim, and Elizabeth (my favorite character). This third book doesn’t quite hit the mark that the first two did, largely because it focuses on a few side characters that aren’t as enjoyable and the setting is less in the retirement village that is so quaint and inviting (are you getting worried that I am looking forward to senior citizenship in my thirties? Never fear, if you read the books, you’ll understand the appeal of this particular setting). Still, a top notch fun series with another book to come next fall. (Note – PG-13 content rating)

The Librarian Spy – Though quite different from Martin’s The Last Bookshop in London, which was just the kind of book I love – totally absorbing, set in one place, focused on one character, and a WWII home front story – many historical fiction fans will love The Librarian Spy. Set half in occupied WWII France and half in Lisbon, it falls into the wrenching “for fans of The Nightingale” category. The Lisbon half was gorgeous, and though I generally dislike split/alternating storylines, I can see the contrast of the two settings as critical to the story. The main characters took a while to care for, and I confess I had a hard time separating the main character in this book with the one in The Last Bookshop in London, but the second half of the novel was riveting. Violent elements in this wartime story would make it rated R on a movie rating scale, but the language and other adult content are on the PG level. Martin’s end notes about her research were one of my favorite parts of the whole book.

A Sky Painted Gold – When an author manages to write a book that lives up to the back cover claim of “I Capture the Castle meets Gatsby,” she is on the new favorite author list immediately! Laura Wood’s 2018 novel gets five stars from me. I was pleasantly surprised with the symbolism woven throughout the book, and almost every bit of this novel was a lighthearted joy. I’m now on a quest to track down all her subsequent novels. (Side note – I love, love the book I Capture the Castle but if you are only familiar with the 2003 movie, please try to erase that from your mind and read the book instead!).

Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story; Remaking a Life From Scratch – The Maine setting and writing style of this memoir was surprisingly gripping, keeping me, a person who does not love cooking, rapidly turning pages. Finding Freedom, was an inspiring read in an American Dream, pull yourself up by your bootstraps kind of way, but felt a little empty by the end. Content warning for lots of language.

The Wedding Dress Circle – This newest release from Jennifer Ryan follows the trend of The Kitchen Front as a nice, light British home front story in WWII, though a tiny bit on the too sweet, predictable side. I still like The Spies of Shilling Lane best of all her novels.

Vintage Reads

Parnassus on Wheels – This sweet and snappy book published in 1917 about a farm woman who one day abruptly decides to leave her writer/farmer brother on a whim and go on a journey for a change was just lovely. The illustrations were so perfect, I highly recommend a paper copy over Kindle if you decide to read this. Also, definitely read the introduction in order to understand some of the dated pop culture references. I probably would’ve never heard of this book if it hadn’t been mentioned a few times in Sarah Clarkson’s Book Girl, which I highly recommend.

The Foolish Gentlewoman – Margery Sharp 1940s books are a dose of peppery British aristocratic fun with a margin of social criticism that is present but doesn’t overwhelm the story. Her characters are always slightly unexpected, likable though flawed. Sharp’s tendency to leave the situations in her novels not quite to the reader’s satisfaction keep her books from falling into the romance category and more in the comedy category. I can’t quite pin her genre down, but I always enjoy it. =)

The Half Crown House – Don’t you just love a book that happens entirely in one day? I can get into that kind of slow unroll of characters and settings, because by midway through the novel, you can’t help but feel you’re right there in that day with the characters. A one-day-book proves the truth that our lives our made of minutes and our minutes are all connected so deeply to and built upon all the other minutes that have happened to us and our ancestors over years and years. Helen Ashton is an artist I’ve never read, and I loved her detailed writing style about the history of a British estate and its family, and her ability to weave a story of a whole family together in an old house in the course of one of its days. Fans of The Remains of the Day or One Find Day should check out this book.

Winona’s Pony Cart and Carney’s House Party – I love all Maud Hart Lovelace’s books and these did not disappoint. I have officially read everything she has written at least once now! Somehow, I didn’t discover Betsy-Tacy and the rest of Lovelace’s series until I had little girls of my own, but even as an adult I totally enjoy everything she wrote. My oldest daughter (13) finished all the Betsy books this summer and also highly recommends them. If you’re a fan of the Anne of Green Gables series, dive into Lovelace as soon as you can.

Jayber Crow – This 2000 novel really doesn’t count as vintage, but it is old world and firmly in the classic category, so I’m putting it here. I didn’t love Jayber Crow as a character as much as I adored Hannah Coulter, but who can read Berry’s insightful work without being changed somehow? I will never go down an interstate without mulling over how its arrival split neighbor from neighbor again, and that was just a side note to the story that contained so many thoughts on the changes in a post WWII Kentucky community during Jayber’s lifetime spent in a small town. Berry’s work always makes me ache inside at the rush and steam rolling modern age we live in now, and wish for untouched woods and fields and a paradise lost.

And a confession: I re-read Anne of Avonlea, for maybe the tenth time, maybe the 20th, who’s counting. There’s nothing like a good friendly book for end-of-the-day recovery from the stressful pace of modern life.

And that’s it for this reading round up! Next week, I’ll post the read-alouds we’ve done so far this school year. Until then, happy reading!