Celebrate

I can't help myself. I must post more of this gorgeous wedding. [Check out more photographs here and here.] Isn’t it a dreamy location?

My friends Jessye (above) and Tinsa (below). (They are both in my ChocLit Guild book club along with the bride and her mother.)

After the kiss. (I love Daphne’s smile.)

Reception tables. (Again, décor and flower arrangements by my sister Shannon.)

My lovely parents.

Jessye (again) and my friend Danielle.

Rilla (above) and (Aunt) Holly with baby Sweden (below).

[Still more to come…]

The Bible and Shakespeare

 

Harper Lee, Go Set a Watchman

"Jean Louise grinned. Her father said it took at least five years to learn law after one left law school: one practiced economy for two years, learned Alabama Pleading for two more, reread the Bible and Shakespeare for the fifth. Then one was fully equipped to hold on under any conditions."

Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

“Mother, I am young. Mother, I am just eighteen. I am strong. I will work hard, Mother. But I do not want this child to grow up just to work hard. What must I do, Mother, what must I do to make a different world for her? How do I start?”

“The secret lies in the reading and the writing. You are able to read. Every day you must read one page from some good book to your child. Every day this must be until the child learns to read. Then she must read every day, I know this is the secret.”

“I will read,” promised Katie. “What is a good book?”

“There are two great books. Shakespeare is a great book. I have heard tell that all the wonder of life is in that book; all that man has learned of beauty, all that he may know of wisdom and living are on those pages. It is said that these stories are plays to be acted out on the stage. I have never spoken to anyone who has seen this great thing. But I heard the lord of our land back in Austria say that some of the pages sing themselves like songs.”

… “And what is the other great book?”

… Mary looked around the room furtively. “It is not fitting for a good Catholic to say so but I believe that the Protestant Bible contains more of the loveliness of the greatest story on this earth and beyond it…

“That is the book, then, and the book of Shakespeare. And every day you must read a page of each to your child—even though you yourself do not understand what is written down and cannot sound the words properly. You must do this that the child will grow up knowing of what is great—knowing that these tenements of Williamsburg are not the whole world.

… “And you must tell the child the legends I told you—as my mother told them to me and her mother to her. You must tell the fairy tales of the old country. You must tell of those not of the earth who live forever in the hearts of people—fairies, elves, dwarfs, and such…”

“Why?…”

“Because,” explained Mary Rommely simply, “the child must have a valuable thing which is called imagination. The child must have a secret world in which live things that never were…”

Food for Thought ~ Encouragement, Science, Imagination, and More

[Again, so much in one post. Help yourself to the buffet. Remember that you can always receive the links spread out over many courses by following my Facebook page.]

Encouragement

:: Compared to... @ Seth Godin

"Just because a thing can be noticed, or compared, or fretted over doesn't mean it's important, or even relevant. Better, I think, to decide what's important, what needs to change, what's worth accomplishing. And then ignore all comparisons that don't relate. The most important comparison, in fact, is comparing your work to what you're capable of. Sure, compare. But compare the things that matter to the journey you're on. The rest is noise."

:: I Am Not an Airplane @ Amongst Lovely Things

What if I treated my time like a budget?

What if I started our homeschool year, remembering that I’m a human person, not an airplane with the sky as the limit.

Teaching and Raising Children

:: When Success Leads to Failure: The pressure to achieve academically is a crime against learning @ The Atlantic

The truth—for this parent and so many others—is this: Her child has sacrificed her natural curiosity and love of learning at the altar of achievement, and it’s our fault. Marianna’s parents, her teachers, society at large—we are all implicated in this crime against learning. From her first day of school, we pointed her toward that altar and trained her to measure her progress by means of points, scores, and awards. We taught Marianna that her potential is tied to her intellect, and that her intellect is more important than her character. We taught her to come home proudly bearing As, championship trophies, and college acceptances, and we inadvertently taught her that we don’t really care how she obtains them. We taught her to protect her academic and extracurricular perfection at all costs and that it’s better to quit when things get challenging rather than risk marring that perfect record. Above all else, we taught her to fear failure. That fear is what has destroyed her love of learning.

:: The Difference Between Good Boys and Nice Boys in “Tom Sawyer” @ The Imaginative Conservative

"Goodness, then, demands integrity, honor, courage, and sacrifice—the manly, knightly virtues that Tom and his spirited friends practice in their boyish love of fun and adventure. The nice boys, on the other hand, do not take risks, venture beyond safe limits, or question the rules—even though some are silly and senseless. They like prizes, recognition, applause, and adulation. They do the minimum, they act their part, and they know how to curry favor. They show no life, no passion, no pluck. They act primarily on the basis of self-interest."

Science

:: 5 Reasons the Church Should Embrace Science @ Relevant

Science needs all kinds of people. The task of science is seeking truth, and truth-seeking requires we put aside some of our assumptions. Ironically, this is one of the biggest reasons some see Christians as unfit to pursue science, but in reality, people of all faiths (or no faith) all bring assumptions. We simply can’t get rid of them.

But one way to combat our assumptions is to approach problems from a variety of angles. Collaborating with others who do not share our assumptions (whether directly on a project or more generally within the field) places checks on our assumptions. In addition, having a variety of points of view approaching a problem offers additional opportunities for problem-solving and new breakthroughs.

:: A world-famous chemist tells the truth: there’s no scientist alive today who understands macroevolution @ Uncommon Descent [I spent a very long time bending my brain to the content in this article and in the comments. I understand a minute fraction more than before.]

:: The Microscopic Structures of Dried Human Tears @ Smithsonian [This is an older article, but so fascinating!]

The Brain

:: How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain @ New York Times

:: Cognitive benefits of being a musician @ Pianodao

Words

:: Harnessing the Power of Latin and Greek for Early Readers @ IMSE Journal

I love the image accompanying this article. Many of our ordinary, everyday words come from the Anglo-Saxon, but many of our intellectual, sophisticated words are Latin-based and our specialized words are often Greek-based.

“…upwards of ninety percent of our academic words in English…are derived from Latin and Greek.”

:: Ticket to Write, Part 1: A Crush on Words @ Story Warren [We are definitely going to be making word tickets!]

First, get out your scissors and sit down right in front of that stack of magazines and cut-up-able stuff. You’re going on a treasure hunt for words. Search for interesting, juicy, energetic, vivid words, cut them out, and tape or glue them to the blank side of the tickets. There are no rules about what words to include or not to include in your collection. Find words you like, words that are fun to say out loud, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, words you don’t know that you have to look up in the dictionary, and phrases that are unusual or funny or beautiful…

:: Ticket to Write, Part 2: Painting with Words @ Story Warren

Using your markers or crayons or colored pencils, write the words you’ve gathered all over your picture. Write them in colors that fit the different parts of the photo—blues for the sky, greens and browns for the trees. Write them big or little or curvy or sideways. Be as artistic as you want.

When you’ve finished writing all of the words from your pile of word tickets, use your own imagination to add more words. Your photograph has no color, but imagine what colors the things in the photo might be, and write color words in those places. Think about all five senses and write sound words, smell words, taste words, and touch words as well as words that describe the things you see. Fill every space.

Handwriting

:: Cheating Calligraphy Tutorial @ The Postman’s Knock

 

 

Wise Imagination

"Properly taught, and learned—acquired—a liberal education awakens and keeps alive the imagination. By the imagination, I don’t mean fanciful things, but I mean the capacity to see beyond the end of your nose and beyond the object in front you. That is to see its implications, its origins, its potential, its danger, its charm. All the things that enable one to navigate in this difficult and complex world with a modicum of wisdom, with calm, not be alarmed with every little thing that happens and with resources that in moments of stress, and after retirement, in illness, and loneliness keep one’s soul and body alive. ~ Jacque Barzun, cultural historian and education philosopher." [HT: Paideia Fellowship]

“I believe that children in this country need a more robust literary diet than they are getting... It does not hurt them to read about good and evil, love and hate, life and death. Nor do I think they should read only about things that they understand. '...a man’s reach should exceed his grasp.' So should a child’s. For myself, I will never talk down to, or draw down to, children." -- Barbara Cooney [HT: A Mighty Girl]

:: Story Warren On World Radio: Fireballs, Fables, and Allies in Imagination [audio]

:: Landscapes with Dragons and Angels: Finding the Wise Imagination in Children’s Literature by Stratford Caldecott [This is a great essay about wise discernment of fantasy literature with several examples.] 

:: Speaking the Truths Only the Imagination May Grasp: An Essay on Myth &“Real Life” by Stratford Caldecott @ Touchstone [Go read the whole article!]

Why are such tales so endlessly fascinating, so universally told? Perhaps because it is just such a journey that gives meaning to our own existence. We read or listen to the storyteller in order to orient ourselves within—to learn how to behave in order to get where we are going. Each of us knows that our life is not merely a mechanical progress from cradle to grave; it is a search, a quest, even a pilgrimage. There is some elusive goal that motivates us in our work and our play.

:: The Classical Reader [What a fantastic resource!]

“When you are choosing what books your children or students will read, the stakes are especially high. That is why we have put years of research into The Classical Reader and this companion website, collecting and analyzing the K-12 reading recommendations of classical educators from around the country and seeking those readings that have been important and pleasurable to generations of students. It is an invaluable resource for every school and homeschool family for everything from book reports to reading for pleasure.”

Good Stuff

:: Boy Who Couldn’t Afford Books Asks Mailman For Junk Mail To Read; Mailman Responds Spectacularly @ Huff Post

:: Iowa barber gives haircuts to children in exchange for them reading stories to him @ Globe Gazette

:: The Secret to Love is Just Kindness @ The Atlantic

"130 newlywed couples were invited to spend the day at this retreat and watched them as they did what couples normally do on vacation: cook, clean, listen to music, eat, chat, and hang out. And Gottman made a critical discovery in this study — one that gets at the heart of why some relationships thrive while others languish."

Friend

The Best of Mt. Hope Chronicles ~ Living Lovely

This was originally a guest post on another blog (no longer published) back in August 2009. It was the beginning of my Living. Lovely. series. 



Living Lovely

Recently, after an emotionally rough few months this past year, I became inspired and empowered to change my outlook on life. It all began with this video by Amy Krouse Rosenthal: The Beckoning of Lovely. It spoke to me loud and clear.

Lovely became my theme word for the year, and doubtless it will stay with me, even when this year is long gone.

When I looked up the meaning of lovely in the dictionary, these two definitions jumped off the page:

2. delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace
4. eliciting love by moral or ideal worth

The first definition spoke to me in two ways:

1) I need to look around me and notice the beautiful things in my life. They are very rarely big things, such as a vacation to the Bahamas. But every day, all day long (even on the rough days) there are little beautiful things in my life, if I will only take the time to see and acknowledge them.

 Sometimes lovely is so small, we have to stop what we are doing to notice it. Sometimes lovely is disguised in the quotidian, and we must step outside of our normal point of view to recognize it.

A sticky kiss from the 2 year old covered in maple syrup. A cherry tree, just beginning to bloom. A husband wrestling on the living room floor with his three sons. A phone call from a friend.

 2) I can create lovely in my life. Amy’s list is a tremendous place to start.

Make a grand entrance. Make do with what you have. Make a splash! Make it up as you go. Make out. Make a friend. Kiss and make up. Make someone's day. Make something pretty. Make music. Make peace.

The second definition was an overwhelming reminder that God has created each and every person in this world with moral and ideal worth. Do I treat my children, my husband, the grocery clerk, or the person who cut me off in traffic as if they possessed moral or ideal worth? Do I make them feel lovely? How can I project God’s love and grace to those I come in contact with throughout my day, or even in my thoughts as I go through life?

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." ~Mathew 22:37-40

With God’s help, we all have the power to live lovely in our own lives. It doesn't matter how old you are, your gender, your financial bracket, or your political party. You don't need to be artistic or have a green thumb. You don't need 10 extra hours in your day. It doesn't matter if you are a stay-at-home mom, have a thriving career, or feel down-and-out. It isn't about perfection. It doesn't matter if your home is 8,000 square feet or 800.

Every one of us can make something.

We can make the most of our time here.
 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true,

whatever is noble, whatever is right,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable

—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things.

~Philippians 4:8

What a Steal!

Mandi at Life Your Way is offering an incredible deal for the next few days! Read what she has to say about this fabulous bundle:

We are just 11-12 weeks away from welcoming Baby Lucas to our family, and almost every day Sean and I look at each other and go, "We're going to have SIX kids!" You'd think that would have sunk in by now, but it still feels like the surprise that it was when we got the positive pregnancy test!

And it also feels like it's coming way too fast!

Because we truly believe that every life is worth celebrating—even Baby #6, even when it's a surprise—we want to celebrate by offering you an amazing deal on Life Your Way products, this week only.

Between now and August 14th, we're celebrating baby #6 by offering you all 6 of our most popular products for just $6 for the set!

To put that into perspective, the Life Your Way Complete Printable Pack is already a steal of a deal at its regular price of $7. But this week only, you'll get all 400+ of those printables PLUS...

▪ Easy Homemade: Homemade Pantry Staples for the Busy Modern Family ($5.99), with more than 80 simple recipes to help you make the pantry staples you use most often.

▪ 101 Days of Christmas ($3.99), featuring 101+ of my favorite Christmas projects from the early years of the 101 Days of Christmas series, including recipes, crafts and traditions.

▪ 101 MORE Days of Christmas ($3.99), with even more recipes, crafts and activities to help you celebrate!

▪ How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too ($4.99), my very first ebook with tips and encouragement for pursuing your personal passions and business ideas while juggling a family and home.

▪ You Can Do It, Too! + A Peek Into Our Homeschool ($4.99), with encouragement and real-life stories from other homeschool families.

The total package would cost $31 separately, but right now you can get it for just $6.Hurry, though, because this offer is only available through the 14th, and you'll never see them at this price again!

Click here to learn more!

[I had the privilege of being one of the contributors to the You Can Do It, Too! eBook!]

The LIVE :: Creating a life you love eCourse has been an exciting adventure this year, as well. Each month we have been exploring a different theme—Simplify, Love, Community, Focus, Rest, Explore, and Know Yourself. This month we are learning how to Disconnect.

Mandi says:

“As I’ve reclaimed my own life, I’ve heard from so many other women who are overwhelmed, stressed and just surviving rather than thriving and loving their life, and the Live course was born out of my passion for encouraging other women to live life intentionally.

“Because this simple, four-letter word continues to impact my life, I’m excited to share what I’ve learned as well as encouragement and practical resources from other bloggers you know and love!

“The Live course is a 12-month journey to a life you love. You’ll start by identifying your values and priorities and then work through each of the 12 modules, one month at a time, to focus on each topic and really dig into what it looks like in your life.”

I’m excited to be leading the theme “Learn” for September! Join us as we explore what it means to “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it!”

Click here to learn more about the eCourse and meet the contributors!

[The year is on a rolling schedule. If you register now, you’ll begin with the theme for August and proceed through all the months. You won’t miss out on anything!]

The Beginning and End of Everything ~ Lindsay and Bob’s Wedding [Part 1]

“I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything.” ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

[Chalkboard above and way below by my insanely talented niece, Ilex. Reception and guest book table flowers and décor by my insanely talented sister, Shannon.]

The bride’s brother and sister-in-law (above) and daughter and nephews (below).

Husband and wife.

Below: Shannon, Drake and Sweden, Ben and Rilla, Leif at the guest “book” (typewriter), Dad and Shannon.

Sweden (above) and Holly’s family (below). (Most of the guests came in Gatsby attire.)

Shannon and Lindsay.

[I might spend all week posting pictures…]

They’re Married!

It was an exquisite and lively event. More, many more, pictures tomorrow. Until then…

I’ll share the one picture with me in it. Ha!

The three sisters.

She’s Getting Married

My sister-friend Lindsay is getting married today. It’s going to be quite the 1920s bash, and I’m so excited to share pictures!

Twelve of us girls went out on the town Thursday evening for an entertaining bachelorette party. We started with a mad dash around the dollar store, each of us choosing five items to add to her honeymoon survival kit. Hilarious. (I posted a few pictures on Instagram, but I left out the fun stuff. Ha!)

[Above photo with baby Sweden. Below with her mom, Debi.]

Return to Paradise

Oh, how I love seeing these little people jump off the very same rock I jumped off as a young child. My favorite spot on earth. With the same family we camped with as children, though we’ve lost and gained. These little people making friends and memories that will stick with them for a lifetime.

This life is rich and lovely.

We went on a bear hunt. Splash splosh! Squelch squerch! Stumble trip! 

Tiptoe tiptoe! We found little bears in caves!

We climbed rocks.

And climbed rocks.

And climbed rocks.

We floated and boated.

And dipped toes.

We read books and played games.

We chopped wood.

And we were a family.

This is as good as it gets, friends.

Master Class!

Hey, friends! Have you had a chance to check out the new Read Aloud Revival Membership Site? It’s full of all sorts of exciting goodies like live author events, podcast extras, free printables, video workshops (psst, I have a long workshop on there!), and so much more.

But what I’m really excited about is the upcoming master class with Sarah Mackenzie and Adam Andrews! I confess, I’ve been feeling completely uninspired and overwhelmed by the upcoming school year (for the first time ever), but I feel the first stirrings of excitement. Adam Andrews is one of my favorites (his video workshop on the membership site is excellent), and I know this is going to be fantastic!

If you are a Read Aloud Revival member, your seat is saved. If membership isn’t your cup of tea, you can still grab a seat here (currently priced at an early bird discount).

Not familiar with Adam Andrews? Get a taste here. I love his latest blog post.

Did you also know that Sarah Mackenzie’s eBook Teaching from Rest has now been revised and expanded into a first print edition? I’ll be reviewing it in an upcoming post!

Strange and Breathless Days

“The first week of August hangs at the very top of the summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone. There is no thunder, no relieving rain. These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after.”

― Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

To the Mansions of the Lord

My family held a belated memorial service for my grandpa this past month. A memorial service was held in California the week of his passing, but other friends and family were better able to attend a later Oregon service.

The service, held at a nearby church, was simple, short, and casual. I was nominated to lead the service. My cousin-in-law prayed. My uncle played the piano for a congregation hymn (How Great Thou Art). Luke read a short passage from my grandpa’s autobiography. Ivy played a song on the piano. We watched a video recording of the folding of the flag and taps and short message at his burial in May as well as a slide show of pictures of Grandpa’s life. There was a time of sharing (Lola told everyone that ‘Grandpa played the Peter Rabbit game with me’) and then we ended with the following video.

After the short (hot!) service, we gathered a couple miles down the road at my parents’ and sister’s garden for food and conversation. [Pictured above.]

My cousins from Illinois (two of them now live in Missouri)—Lori, Ryan, and Troy—spent three days with us (Lori’s husband, Jeff, is not pictured, but he was here as well).

Holly and Lori are very close in age and people always think they look like sisters (more so than Holly with Shannon and me).

My Uncle John from California also spent three days with us, so we all enjoyed spending the time together!

Reading Challenge Up-Date ~ July 2015

The 2015 Book Challenge continues…

I finished only four books in July, but I greatly enjoyed all four which is a minor miracle, People.

The Awakening of Miss Prim, Go Set a Watchman, Boys in the Boat, and 84 Charing Cross Road were all winners as well as a diverse mix of subjects.

The Awakening of Miss Prim will likely be my most favorite (delightful) book of the year. I was a little scared to read Go Set a Watchman, but I ended up loving it. (Oh, how I adore Uncle Jack!) Boys in the Boat was so well-written and weaves in many different stories. I was on the edge of my seat cheering by the end. And 84 Charing Cross Road was just a simple delight. [Slightly longer reviews below.]

Success!!

My ChocLit Guild book club met on the patio of a charming vintage small-town diner to discuss Boys in the Boat. The entertaining owners served us fresh peach smoothies to go with the trays of fruit, veggies, chocolate swirl banana bread, cheese, and crackers they had set out for us. [If you’re a local, go visit The Diner at Shedd!]

I did make progress on A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but I’m finding it SLOW going.

Instead of curating literature-themed articles with the others in my most recent Food for Thought post, I am sharing them here with my book list.

::  Why You Should Still Read “Go Set A Watchman” by Megan Tietz @ Sarah Bessey

This is by far my favorite thoughtful review of the book. In the comments, a woman shares about her own father. Her story is similar to how I think about Atticus in GSAW. People and experiences and culture are complex. The other important thing to remember is that Harper Lee did not intend to publish GSAW so she was free to rewrite the characters. She did not have to reconcile them and neither do we.

:: Watching Well: Intellectual Humility by Alissa Wilkinson @ Reel Spirituality/Brehm Center

Yes. I love the way she frames this idea. [And it applies to reading as well as watching.]

"And I watch them with others, and then discuss them with others, so that I can be challenged by their viewpoints. If there is one thing I have realized is essential over the past few years, it is that watching cannot, must not be done in a vacuum. Critics help us open up our view of a film, and of the world, in powerful, affirming, challenging ways. Conversation partners who are honest and thoughtful make us see a movie in a new way. Friends gently remind us that our opinions are not the final word on the subject—that art is part made by the artist, part made by us in our reactions."

:: The Future of Dystopian Literature @ The Imaginative Conservative

"At its best, dystopian literature allows us—through the faculty of imagination—to see not only inhumanity, but the motives behind inhumanity. Dystopias allow us to understand, analyze, and warn the world of nightmares, ideologies, and fundamentalisms. Through their own horrors, they might very well allow us to hold off the abyss for another generation or more."

:: Why College Kids Are Avoiding the Study of Literature @ Commentary Magazine

“Reading a novel, you experience the perceptions, values, and quandaries of a person from another epoch, society, religion, social class, culture, gender, or personality type. Those broad categories turn out to be insufficient, precisely because they are general and experienced by each person differently; and we learn not only the general but also what it is to be a different specific person. By practice, we learn what it is like to perceive, experience, and evaluate the world in various ways. This is the very opposite of measuring people in terms of our values.

… “We all live in a prison house of self. We naturally see the world from our own perspective and see our own point of view as obvious and, if we are not careful, as the only possible one. I have never heard anyone say: “Yes, you only see things from my point of view. Why don’t you consider your own for a change?” The more our culture presumes its own perspective, the more our academic disciplines presume their own rectitude, and the more professors restrict students to their own way of looking at things, the less students will be able to escape from habitual, self-centered, self-reinforcing judgments. We grow wiser, and we understand ourselves better, if we can put ourselves in the position of those who think differently.”

:: Why Do We Love Jane Eyre? @ BBC [audio]

 

The 2015 Book List Challenge

[*Added to original list]

Novels

Lila: A Novel [I had a more difficult time getting into this novel than Robinson’s previous two novels in the series, but the story was greatly rewarding in the end. What a beautiful picture of grace the author masterfully paints. Marilynne Robinson is at the top of my list. 4 1/2 stars]

Hood [Hood is the first Stephen Lawhead book I’ve read. It is a retelling of the Robin Hood myth. It was well-told and entertaining, but not excellent. I’d like to try another series by Lawhead. 3 1/2 stars]

The Sunday Philosophy Club [This is from the author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which I very much enjoyed. Interesting in places, charming in places, and boring in quiet a few places. 3 stars.]

A Girl of The Limberlost (ChocLit Guild) [Sweet, safe, turn of the century romance novel by Gene Stratton-Porter, full of natural history. 3 1/2 stars]

The Brothers K

The Road

Dune [I tried to start it and just couldn’t get going. Maybe I’ll try again later this year.] [I found this article at The Guardian: Dune, 50 years on: how a science fiction novel changed the world. I guess it stays on the list…]

The Once and Future King

The Chosen [A fascinating look at Jewish culture in 1940s Brooklyn, New York, written by Chaim Potok. I was captivated. 4 1/2 stars]

Beloved [Toni Morrison has given us a tragic and graphic but exquisitely-written narrative that seeps the reader in the culture of slavery. Haunting. 4 1/2 stars]

The Book Thief

*Whose Body? [Lord Peter Wimsey debuts in this detective novel by Dorothy Sayers. Slightly reminiscent of P.G. Wodehouse, but not nearly so silly, Whose Body? is the first of the series. I mostly read this one so that I could work my way up to Clouds of Witness. 4 stars]

Clouds of Witness

Catch-22 [This was a tough read for me, and I wished it had been about half as long. I cannot read 400+ pages of satirical nonsense before my head explodes. It gave me more to think about, however, as I was reading Unbroken since both books are about bombardiers during WWII. It is an important modern classic, but not at all enjoyable to read. 3 stars]

Lord of the Flies [Lord of the Flies was not cheerful, by any means, but not quite as grim or at least not as explicit as I was expecting. Important modern classic, not particularly enjoyable. 3 1/2 stars.]

The Great Gatsby [Quintessential Jazz Age and a cultural imperative. 4 1/2 stars.]

Invisible Man

The Return of the Native

The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel

The Grapes of Wrath

Slaughterhouse-Five

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn [in progress]

The Signature of All Things [This is a brilliantly-told narrative, even if it took quite some time for the story to get going. (The beginning is interesting, but the first 13 chapters all seem to have the same pacing.) I have very strong feelings about this one, but it is a bit of a pendulum swing when I consider it. It disturbed me. I think I hated it. But maybe, if I read it again, I’d love it. Oddly, it reminded me in some ways of Till We Have Faces, which I didn’t hate. I don’t even know how to rate this one. 4 1/2 stars for the excellent writing. 2 stars for enjoyment.]

*Godric: A Novel [My feelings about Godric were similar to my feelings about The Signature of All Things, though I was more frustrated than disturbed and Godric wasn’t as long. I think I hated it, but maybe I’d love it if I re-read it so that I could understand it better, see more deeply. I suppose good writing is writing that makes you feel and think, in which case both books are excellent. I don’t know. But I hate hating books. It makes me feel shallow and imperceptive. Am I not intellectual enough to love books that aren’t enjoyable? I think I have to be prepared ahead of time for a tragic or graphic or dark story like I was for Beloved or Till We Have Faces. I also find it fascinating that stories can speak so differently to people. Again, it is true: no two people read the same book. 4 stars for the writing, 2 1/2 for the enjoyment.]

Merry Hall [I loved Down the Garden path by Beverly Nichols, and Merry Hall did not disappoint. It’s like P.G. Wodehouse in the garden. Quite hilarious. The little vignettes are somewhat unconnected, though, and there is no driving narrative, so I didn’t find myself needing to continue reading. 3 1/2 stars]

*Go Set a Watchman: A Novel by Harper Lee [Megan Tietz has already given a phenomenal thoughtful review on Sarah Bessey’s blog. This book is a completely different experience from To Kill a Mockingbird. It feels like a light read, somewhat rambling (though not unpleasantly) with flashbacks to Scout’s growing-up years, until at least two-thirds of the way through. And then a tornado hits for the last fifty pages. My emotions were all over the place and I was worried about how it was going to end. But the conclusion is incredible. Friends, we are all so human. Humility. Grace. Love. Hope. (P.S. I still love Atticus.) Also, this is more of an adult’s book than To Kill a Mockingbird. There is language, but it’s more about the age and transformation/conflict of Scout/Jean Louise. 4 1/2 stars.]

*Gone with the Wind (ChocLit Guild)

*The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel [This is a charming and delightful modern novel. I needed something light after a run of several difficult novels. I liked this one in a way similar to The Rosie Project. Quirky. Modern. Not depressing. Not cheesy. Not squeaky clean, but not gritty. 3 1/2 stars]

*The Little Village School [Charming story. Sort of like Mitford, but centered around a school in England. 3 1/2 stars]

*The Awakening of Miss Prim [Review here. 5 stars for enjoyment.]

Classics

Pride and Prejudice (ChocLit Guild) [For years I have adored both the BBC movie version with Colin Firth as well as the newer movie version with Matthew Macfadyen, but I had never read the book! Now I can say that I’ve read it. But, honestly? It was delightful in the same way that the movies are delightful. (grin) Both movies retain so much of the story (particularly the longer BBC movie version) and the original dialogue, that I simply replayed the movies in my mind throughout my reading of the whole book. And then I wanted to watch the movies again. I’m not sure how to separate my love for them, so I’ll rate them together: 5 stars.]

Gulliver's Travels (An abridged re-telling) [I love this retelling and the illustrations are fantastic. A must for cultural literacy. 4 stars]

Moby Dick [I knew I wouldn’t end up reading this one this year (or ever), so I grabbed an excellent graphic novel version. This month a friend shared with me an interesting essay titled Why You Should Read Moby Dick by R.C. Sproul. I still don’t know if I’ll read the unabridged version, but I appreciated having some deep ideas to think about as I read the graphic novel.]

Paradise Lost (ChocLit Guild)

The Brothers Karamazov

The Lord of the Rings

Frankenstein [in progress]

No Name (Or something else by Wilkie Collins. ChocLit Guild)

Hamlet (CC Moms Book Club) [deep reading in progress]

Ancients

The Iliad

The Odyssey

Children’s and YA Novels

The Door in the Wall (CC Challenge A) [A wonderful coming of age story set in Medieval times. 4 stars]

A Gathering of Days (CC Challenge A) [This was my least favorite of all the Challenge A literature selections. Somewhat boring and forced. I didn’t care for the journal-style writing. 2 1/2 stars]

Crispin: The Cross of Lead (CC Challenge A) [This was my favorite of the Challenge A literature selections. I ended up purchasing the other two books in the trilogy as well as several others by the author. Another great coming of age story set in Medieval times. 4 stars]

Where the Red Fern Grows (CC Challenge B)

*A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park [This was an excellent read about a boy from war-torn Sudan. Highly recommended for adults as well as children (though it may be a little much for very young or sensitive children). This will be one of my favorite books this year. 4 1/2 stars.]

*In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord [This is a darling book about a little girl who moves from China to New York in the year 1947. It is a well-written simple chapter book. I would have given it four stars if it hadn’t been for two short events in the book that I did not care for. First (and this is a nit-picky complaint), a bully at school gives her two black eyes while swearing at her, and the words are bleeped out in asterisks. Shirley refuses to tell her parents what happened because she knows the bully would take it out on her. Her resolve not to tattle is rewarded by the bully becoming her friend the next day. Second, Shirley’s next friend tells her that she wants to show her something and swears Shirley to secrecy. The girls sneak into the friend’s dad’s office (he’s a psychiatrist) and the friend shows her a book (presumably a medical book) with pictures of naked people. Shirley pretends enthusiasm, but has no desire to look at the book. The story takes only a couple pages, but it begins with “Only one aspect of her friendship with Emily would have displeased her mother, but she was not likely to find it out, and so Shirley did not trouble herself too much over it.” It was this second event that just didn’t sit well with me, partly because the rest of the book is wonderful for 8-11 year olds. 3 stars.]

Junk Food

*Highland Fling [So fun. So easy to read. So not edifying in any way. (grin) 3 stars]

*Paradise Fields [I enjoy this author, but this was probably my least favorite book of hers. 2 stars]

*Undetected  [Tom Clancy meets Grace Livingston Hill. Well-researched and interesting details about sonar. Squeaky-clean and positive Christian romance. Not painfully written. Probably just a tad (ha!) unrealistic and idealistic. If I were willing to be totally honest, I would tell you that this genre is smack-dab in the middle of my comfort zone and the easiest, most enjoyable thing for me to read. But I don’t want to admit that. (wry grin) 3 stars]

*Attachments [Chick lit set in 1999. 3 stars]

Non-Fiction

Biography/History

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (ChocLit Guild)

*The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (ChocLit Guild) [Outstanding. The author deftly weaves multiple stories into one cohesive whole: the Pacific Northwest, logging, mining, the building of the Hoover Dam, the Depression, the Dust Bowl, the history of rowing, the construction of rowing shells, Hitler’s rise to power in Germany, the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the intimate life story of Joe Rantz (and details of the lives of several other men), and the 1936 U.S. Olympic rowing team from the University of Washington. 4 1/2 stars.]

*84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff [A charming collection of correspondence between a New York writer and a bookshop in London from 1949-1969. 3 1/2 stars]

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (ChocLit Guild)

The Hiding Place (CC Challenge B)

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Faith, Culture, and Education

The Pursuit of God (ChocLit Guild) [in progress]

Beauty Will Save the World: Recovering the Human in an Ideological Age (CiRCE Conference)

Norms and Nobility: A Treatise on Education (CiRCE Conference) [in progress]

Leisure: The Basis of Culture

The Soul of Science (CC Parent Practicum)

Wisdom & Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art (CC Parent Practicum)

Honey for a Teen's Heart [Detailed review here. 4 1/2 stars]

Invitation to the Classics: A Guide to Books You've Always Wanted to Read

*Just Walk Across the Room (ChocLit Guild)

*The Conversation: Challenging Your Student with a Classical Education by Leigh A. Bortins (third in trilogy) [Excellent. 4 stars for the trilogy.]

Re-Reads

*The Bronze Bow (CC Challenge A)

*The Question (CC Moms Book Club) [deep reading in progress]

*A Tale of Two Cities (reading aloud) [in progress]

*The Catcher in the Rye [in progress]

*Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll [audio book/read aloud in progress]

*Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (read aloud)

*Heidi by Johanna Spyri

“Life Itself Is Grace”

In all honesty, July was a rough month for me. I’m feeling burned out just when I should feel most rejuvenated, and summer is slipping through my fingers. September looms, overcast in my imagination.

But life itself is grace.

We spent a couple days with my Dad’s side of the family (including all six of his siblings, pictured below with their baby shoes that my grandmother had bronzed). I was encouraged in conversation with several cousins (thank you, Brent and Debbie) and spent much of my time hanging out and being real with my favorite cousin-in-law, Amy (thank you, Amy). [My cousin Lisa’s daughter Kendra posted many more reunion pictures on her blog.]

On the following weekend, our three Illinois/Missouri cousins plus one spouse (from my Mom’s side of the family) traveled to spend a few days with our family and celebrate the life of my grandpa (Mom’s Dad) who passed away in May. My uncle traveled up from California as well, and many more people joined us for an afternoon memorial service. (I’ll share a little more about that memorial service in an upcoming post. The above right picture is a display set up for the fellowship time in the garden.)

Just a few days later we were able to spend two days soaking up grace and sunshine at my favorite place on earth with my favorite people (top left, more pictures to come).

And yesterday we had a relaxing afternoon and evening with Tsh Oxenreider and her family, the kids playing in the sprinkler and having a pillow fight on the lawn while the adults chatted. We enjoyed hearing a little more about their recent trip around the world. (Earlier in July I finally met in person a long-time online friend and her son when they came to visit for the afternoon. Crissy, thanks for spending time with my crazy family!)

Yes, life itself is grace.