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JuliaT
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| Posted: April 06 2010 at 9:23pm | IP Logged
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My booklist for March is:
Walden by Thoreau--finally finished it, it took me all month.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by MaryAnn Shafer and Annie Barrows--I think I am the only person in the world who isn't raving about this book. It was okay, but only okay.
Beauty for Truth's Sake by Stratford Caldecott--excellent book. It is a treatise on education, specifically on Classical Education
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger--this was a weird story with lots of quirks, twists and turns at the end. It has been five days since I read it and I am still thinking about it.
When Children Love to Learn by Elaine Cooper. I think this is the best CM book (other than CM's own books, of course) around. This book has simply inspired me.
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Blessings,
Julia
mom of 3(14,13 & 11 yrs.old)
MusingsofaPrairieGirl
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: April 21 2010 at 10:46pm | IP Logged
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I finished The Night's Dark Shade by Elena Maria Vidal about a month ago and absolutely LOVED IT. Vidal also wrote Madame Royale and Trianon, which I highly recommend!
Here is the Amazon Link.
This is a book I just couldn't put down and loved every word. It's the story of a young heroine, Raphaelle....a noblewoman and orphan in the Languedoc region of 13th century France at the height of the heresy of Cartharism. She is a faithful Catholic, but discovers her Uncle's castle is actually a Cathar-stronghold.
One month later, I still find myself thinking of Raphaelle. I love how the author gives words to Raphaelle's internal struggles and grapples with her duties and virtue. This is an amazing 13th century-middle-ages, historical novel!
It's also interesting to think about our pro-life issues of abortion, euthanasia, contraception.....as issues back then and how it related to the Church and this heresy.
It's a good one for high school readers....girls and boys alike. Although, maybe the "love story" within would be a bit too "girly" for the boys. But, there are several male-reviewers on Amazon.
Some Follow up Topics and Posts having to do with the book....backgrounds about the battles, sieges, castles, etc.
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Karen T
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Stephani, have you read any more Willa Cather now, after My Antonia? I liked that one OK, but found Death Comes for the Archbishop to be my favorite of hers. I've read a couple others, not quite as good.
Lately, I've been reading
The Scarlet Letter- a re-read b/c it's been since high school and I've assigned it to ds17.
The Nutmeg of Consolationand The Truelove both part of Patrick O'Brian's series on British naval history that I'm working through.
Food, Inc - similar to the documentary movie but has more included that had to be left out of the film. some parts are good, but some of the writers (it's like a collection from different sources) are pretty liberal and keep harping on overpopulation as a cause of poverty.
Mrs. Tim Flies Home - the last in the 4 books on Mrs. Tim Christie by DE Stevenson. I really enjoyed the series.
Katherine Wentworth also by DES and now I've run out of her books at our library or what I can get through ILL (our library only searches in-state).
Second Nature by Michael Pollan. This came out much before Omnivore's dilemma and In defense of food, both of which I'd liked. This one, not so much. I liked his descriptions of his gardening introduction and his subsequent changes, but too many chapters lapsed into Walden-esque language and put me to sleep. 
Finally, I will admit I read all 5 of the Lightning Thief books. My oldest saw the movie and got interested in reading them, so I read along with him. They were OK and a quick read, but I decided not to have my younger kids read them. I think there is a little too much attempt to make the Roman mythological gods "real" which could be confusing for younger kids.
Called to the Mountains, an Autobiography of Fr. Ralph Beiting - the priest who started the Christian Appalachian project.
I think I've read a few more but mostly non-fiction on gardening, etc. I'm about to start The Pickwick Papers and also a biography of Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, written by his wife.
Karen T
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Karen T
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| Posted: April 28 2010 at 10:21pm | IP Logged
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Just wanted to update - I read the book on Steve Irwin (it's called Steve and Me I think - I already returned it to the library. It was very good - covered their lives together from the time they met until he died and a little bit afterward. It sounds like they had a really incredible bond.
karen T
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CrunchyMom
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I finished all the Mrs. Tim books and just this week I finished Miss Buncle's Book. Simply delightful. Trying to figure out how to do some more DE Stevenson. Off to start another post!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Karen T
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Lindsay, I could not find Miss Buncle's book through my library or ILL, but did read Miss Buncle, Married which our library did have (like you, I find it very frustrating to only have bits of series). anyway, that one is really good; I'm still on the lookout for Miss buncle. Another I liked is Katherine Wentworth, and I have its sequel here to start soon.
We just got back from vacation, and I read the first 22 chapters of Pickwick Papers (sounds like a lot but it's only about 1/4 of the book) and it's pretty good, though nothing like other Dickens I've read.
I also read all of Rumer Godden's autobiography, A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep. It was quite good, very insightful into her background, none of which I would have guessed from the few books I've read of hers so far. She certainly had a varied life in India. At the end she implied that this was only the first volume of her autobiography so I will be looking for a follow-up - anyone know which book that is?
Her book, along with last year reading Verne's Around the World in 80 Days, has piqued my curiosity to learn more of India's history. I only know the bare facts of the British imperialism but would love to find a good, balanced account to read this summer that doesn't portray the British as either horrible or wonderful. I am planning to read A Passage to India but would like some nonfiction to balance it out. One of our priests is from India, and we sponsor a child in India through CFCA, and I'm embarrassed to admit I know so little about the country.
Karen in Md
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SuzanneG
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A couple weeks ago, I finished All For The Love of Mothers: Memoirs of a Catholic Midwife. This is such an AMAZING BOOK! I highly recommend it! It would also make a GREAT book for older teens to read! Amazing life stories and lessons.
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| Forty-three short stories by a midwife who knew all the intimate details first-hand. The stories are grippingly historical but their purpose is educational and moral, making it a book for everybody. Forty years of stories about real people in real situations–false love, courtship, romance, abortion, marriage, dysfunctional families. Thoughtful medicine for public immodesty and ungoverned “feelings.” Mostly unhappy endings, but since when have fairytale endings taught us life’s hardest lessons? Parents, use the living examples in this book to explain the beauty, dangers, finality, order, morality, proper terms, and attitudes of the matrimonial union. Young adults, learn from the experiences of others instead of making your own disastrous mistakes. A can’t-put-it-down easy-to-read book, convincing readers that happiness on earth is only possible when the order of the Divine Creator regarding Human Life is respected. Fully appropriate and necessary material. |
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I'm getting ready to begin my obligatory Anya Seton book for the summer. This year it's My Theodosia.
And, I'm counting down the days until For The King by Catherine Delors is released on July 8!!!!!! Can't WAIT!
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Suzanne in ID
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Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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St. Ann
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SuzanneG wrote:
A couple weeks ago, I finished All For The Love of Mothers: Memoirs of a Catholic Midwife. This is such an AMAZING BOOK! I highly recommend it! It would also make a GREAT book for older teens to read! Amazing life stories and lessons.
Quote:
| Forty-three short stories by a midwife who knew all the intimate details first-hand. The stories are grippingly historical but their purpose is educational and moral, making it a book for everybody. Forty years of stories about real people in real situations�false love, courtship, romance, abortion, marriage, dysfunctional families. Thoughtful medicine for public immodesty and ungoverned �feelings.� Mostly unhappy endings, but since when have fairytale endings taught us life�s hardest lessons? Parents, use the living examples in this book to explain the beauty, dangers, finality, order, morality, proper terms, and attitudes of the matrimonial union. Young adults, learn from the experiences of others instead of making your own disastrous mistakes. A can�t-put-it-down easy-to-read book, convincing readers that happiness on earth is only possible when the order of the Divine Creator regarding Human Life is respected. Fully appropriate and necessary material. |
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I am just finishing this book. I am reading it in German(original language) and am so amazed that this woman's experience of one century ago is so applicable to our own society today, be it Germany or America. What she so clearly saw and expressed at the very beginning of the modern age being the issues leading to the destruction of the family, therefore society, are still more or less ignored today outside of the Holy Mother Church. Blindness then and now.
Anyway, I just wanted to second the recommendation of this book. 
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Stephanie
Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03
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SuzanneG
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St. Ann wrote:
| I am just finishing this book. I am reading it in German(original language) and am so amazed that this woman's experience of one century ago is so applicable to our own society today, be it Germany or America. What she so clearly saw and expressed at the very beginning of the modern age being the issues leading to the destruction of the family, therefore society, are still more or less ignored today outside of the Holy Mother Church. Blindness then and now. |
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I KNOW!!!! You just keep getting more and more amazed as the stories continue!! Everything is so applicable and THE SAME!!!!!!!!
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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CrunchyMom
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Just thirding that it really is an AWESOME book!!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Natalia
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I just finished listening to North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. It is the second book by Gaskell that I listened to from Librivox. The first one was Wives and Daughters. I liked North and South even more than I did W&D. It reminds me of Pride and Prejudice but with a more serious theme.
I also finished reading Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas. It is this month selection for my book club.I never heard of this author but the books is a great story of friendship, forgiveness and survival in a mining town in CO. I recommend it!
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Natalia
http://pannuestrodecadadia.blogspot.com
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Karen T
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I finally read The Kitchen Madonna - found it at the conference in Va a few weeks ago and snatched it up. The kids and I both loved it.
I finished a couple more D.E. Stevenson books Miss Buncle(I'd already read the sequel but it didn't matter at all), Rochester's Wife, Gerald and Elizabeth and it's sequel The House of the Deer (which also relates slightly to Katherine Wentworth and The Marriage of Katherine, which I'd read earlier. I think I"m hooked on these books! They are nice, light reading for the summer.
I'm in the midst of The Help by Katherine Stockett. I highly recommend this on audio - there are multiple voices telling the story by chapter and having wonderful narrators makes it really come alive.
I'm also reading Clarence Enzler's My Other Self and Popcak's God Help me, the Stress is driving me crazy!
Oh, and i just finished The Fellowship of the Ring, probably my 5th time through it and am starting the next one tonight!
I used to never read more than one book at a time but now I can't limit myself to just one - I like different books for different times of day, locations (like waiting on a dr appt vs bedtime reading)
Karen
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Mary Chris
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Don't you love it when the books you pick up take you on an unexpected rabbit trail??????
I just finished Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Really good! It is about a Chinese boy and Japanese girl living in Seattle and the friendship that develops between them during WW2.
Then yesterday I read/skimmed The House of Sixty Fathers.
Another book I read this summer was Honolulu by Alan Bren...I picked it up at Costco awhile back. It is about Korean picture brides traveling to Hawaii. The books starts out in the 1860's and goes well into the 1940's. I found it so interesting after living in both Korea and Hawaii.
All three of those books gave me such an interesting perspective of the Japanese invasion of China, and racial relations.
I also read House of Daughters by Sarah-Kate Lynch, it was okay. I learned about champagne. It didn't thrill me and there was a bit of promiscuity and a little language. It wasn't horrible but I can't say I closed it and sighed a sigh of contentment.
We're off to the library now, hope to find some of the books suggested in previous pages of this thread. 
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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DominaCaeli
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Books I've read so far this summer:
E.B. White's Essays - I particularly enjoyed "This is New York," his thoughts on living in the country, and his comments on Strunk in the last chapter.
Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander - After hearing so many raves, I finally picked this one up. Lots of fun.
Elizabeth Marie Pope's The Sherwood Ring and The Perilous Gard - Fantastic mysteries for young adults. Highly recommended.
Michael Pollan's Food Rules - Distilled version of his previous works. I liked In Defense of Food much better.
Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle - Wonderful story, charming narrator.
M.T. Anderson's Feed - I didn't like this one as much as I thought I would. I usually enjoy dystopic fiction, especially when it's written for young adults, but I had some issues with this book. Still made for some interesting discussions with my husband, though.
I have a bunch of non-fiction on my TBR shelf, so I think I'll dig into some of that next...
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Blessings,
Celeste
Joyous Lessons
Mommy to six: three boys (8, 4, newborn) and four girls (7, 5, 2, and 1)
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Karen T
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I've recently finished The Wine Dark Sea by Patrick O'Brien and have started the next in the series. Also read The Two Towers again.
Also Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax. I'd read another of his books last year and liked it a lot; this one is even better. And I found out last night that the author was actually the family physician for a friend of mine and her family!
Currently reading Sir Gawain and the green Knight, trying to preread a lot of ds17's booklist for next year! Also reading the new edition of Gregory Popcak's book Parenting with Grace
Karen
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DominaCaeli
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Karen T wrote:
| Also Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax. I'd read another of his books last year and liked it a lot; this one is even better. And I found out last night that the author was actually the family physician for a friend of mine and her family! |
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Thanks for the recommendation, Karen! This is actually one of the non-fiction titles I mentioned were sitting on my TBR shelf...perhaps I'll dig into this one first.
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Blessings,
Celeste
Joyous Lessons
Mommy to six: three boys (8, 4, newborn) and four girls (7, 5, 2, and 1)
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Adriatica
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What a fun thread!
I just finished A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Ulrich. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I'm now starting Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser.
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Mary
Proud mother of DD (9) and DS (5)
Due with #3 in August!
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SuzanneG
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SuzanneG wrote:
| I'm getting ready to begin my obligatory Anya Seton book for the summer. This year it's My Theodosia. |
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My Theodosia was great!!!! About Aaron Burr and his daughter, Theodosia.
And, then I kept going with the Seton novels: Smouldering Fires is actually one of Anya Seton's "Young Adult" novels, and I enjoyed it.
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| A shy high school senior, Amy Delatour is a misfit in the well-to-do community in which she lives with her widowed mother and French-Canadian grandfather. Amy’s passion is for the 19th-century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, whom she sees as a romantic and tragic figure. Her immersion in the poet’s life and writings is partly fueled by her grandfather’s tales of his ancestors and of the injustice of “le grand dérangement,” when the French Acadians were expelled from their home in Nova Scotia in 1775. |
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Also read Death Comes for the Archbishop, which I liked very much!!!
And, I just finished For The King by Catherine Delors, who wrote Mistress of the Revolution (my favorite book from 2009!!!) For the King follows the efforts of a Parisian detective in finding the people responsible for trying to assasinate Napoleon Christmas Eve 1800 on Rue Nicaise.
I just started Early Candlelight by Maud Hart Lovelace.....one of her adult books, before she starting writing Betsy-Tacy. It's about the early settlements near Fort Snelling in St. Paul, MN. And, being a Minnesota girl....I'm especially enjoying it!
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Suzanne in ID
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Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Natalia
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I just finished City of Bellsby Elizabeth Goudge. I loved it! It makes you long for a quiet life where bells call you to prayer throughout the day.
I also have read I Capture the Castleby Dodie Smith. Very different from the 101 Dalmatians! I ordered it from the library thinking it was a children's book. Not so. It is a great reading for a mature teen though. My dd read it after me and liked it.Now, I have to watch the movie.
Other books I read recently:
Kyle's Islandby Sally Derby. The story of a boy dealing with his parent's divorce and the loss of his beloved summer lake cabin. Good summer reading.
For my book club, In the Sanctuary of Outcastsby Neil White. A story close to home. A man who spend a year in prison due to some bank fraud. The prison was unusual: a place where for years people suffering from leprosy have bee send. It is a true story and the place is in Louisiana, close to New Orleans.
Juliet, Nakedby Nick Hornby. I never read anything by him.He is a great writer! This is one of those books, though, that you like how is written without necessarily liking the book. I am not sorry I read it though.
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Natalia
http://pannuestrodecadadia.blogspot.com
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lapazfarm
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I've been pre-reading and re-reading like crazy lately trying to read all of the books for ds school next year.
Just finished re-reading Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. My goodness, what a great read! Science, history,geography, and adventure on the high seas! I can't wait until my son reads it because I know he will love it too!
Fruitless Fall-about colony collapse syndrome in bees and the many issues with our modern agricultural system. Wow! Really enjoyed this one! Makes me want to plant an organic garden and start a hive!(not that I didn't want to do that already, but even more so now!)
Till we have Faces by CS Lewis--a re-telling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche with a twist. Such a great book! Why had I never read it before?
Sophocles-Oedipus the King. Tragic, what can I say? Pretty grim stuff, and yet not as heart-wrenching as...
Euripides: The Trojan Women. That one will rip your heart out.
Made For More by Curtis Martin--wow! Can't say enough about this fabulous little apologetics book.
Signs of Life:40 Catholic Customs and their Biblical Roots by Scott Hahn. Very straightforward and readable. Good stuff.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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4Real Forums : Book Club
Topic: Our 2010 Booklist!
