For the Record: May 2009:

Just like I expected, a slow month of reading is followed by a faster month.  May had a nice mix of genres.

Snow, by Orhan Pamuk. This was my book club book this month. It was translated from Turkish, and the author holds a Nobel Peace Prize in Literature. The writing was really wonderful. I felt like I was experiencing a rare treat in his writing style. It was dense and poetic. I wish I'd been more interested in the topic, however! If you are interested in the cultural and religious struggles in Turkey, or even just the culture, I would recommend this book. It explores the resurgence of political Islam in eastern Europe through the eyes of a poet returning to his country after being in political exile for many years. It is not a light, quick read, but it is worthwhile if you are up for an introspective, somewhat elusive, thoughtful read.

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. I wasn't planning on re-reading this book this year, but I picked it up on a sentimental whim and couldn't be persuaded to set it down again. It was much more enjoyable this time around, since this time around I am much more familiar with the storyline and the language. The ending is lovely, and probably the only thing lacking in BBC/A&E adaptation of the novel.

Skinny-Bones, by Barbara Park. Well. I read this book aloud to my kiddos as a break from all the history related books we'd been reading all year. I wanted to find something light hearted, and just downright funny. I pulled out my Read-Aloud Handbook (Jim Trelease) and browsed the suggestions. His description of Skinny-Bones sounded like just what I was looking for. Unfortunately, both my children and I were sorely dissappointed. We rarely even chuckled, for all the humor is not in the best of taste. The boy is boastful, deceitful, and disrespectful. The parents are shallow and catty. The boy's interaction with God consisted of bribes. The kids were baffled and somewhat disgusted. On a more positive note, Timothy wrote a great book report about it, and we had some great discussions. It makes me sad to see those bad qualities idealized, especially realizing that many people won't find anything wrong with it whatsoever...just look at the reviews on Amazon.

Sarah's Key, by Tatiana De Rosnay. This book was also a book club read, although on a different level than the one before. I'm not complaining--sometimes it's nice to break up the harder stuff with some easier stuff! This book was easy and quick to read, but very heavy in subject matter. It deals with the WWII holocaust, but as experienced in Paris, France. It was a side that I'd never heard before, and I'm glad to have learned of it. There were parts to the book that took place in the 1940s, and parts that took place in present day. I enjoyed the historical portions, and got very tired of the drama in the present day situations.

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. What an amazing book. I must have read this in highschool, but I really didn't remember it. I really loved it. It's going on my favorites list to be sure. The writing was smooth and easy to read, but very insightful and layered. The characters are all so real and vivid. Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

Beauty, by Robin McKinley. This is a great little retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It really brings it to life, and fleshes out the story. My 8year-old daughter really wants me to read it to her, but the language is still a little difficult for her to follow.

By the Shores of Silver Lake, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Our next installment in the Little House series, these have been fabulous to re-read.

A Flickering Light, by Jane Kirkpatrick. This is the 3rd book I've received in Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. There is slated to be a sequel to this book, but I think that the novel stands alone. It is a Christian novel, but is without the preachiness and pretense that I often find in other Christian fiction books. Jane Kirkpatrick wrote this book based on her grandmother's life at the turn of the century. The main character (based on her grandmother) was a photographer's assistant, certainly not typical of the time. I enjoyed the book very much.

The Plant that Ate Dirty Socks, by Nancy McArthur. Now this book was funny. If you are looking for a funny book to read to your kids, pick this one--not the one previously mentioned. We had many rotflol moments. Good thing there are more in the series!

Miracles on Maple Hill, by Virginia Sorenson. Yes, this is the second time I've read this book this year! I read it in February to make sure that I wanted to read it aloud for my kiddos. I did, and they all liked it. It made us all sentimental for a place called home.

Land of My Heart, by Tracie Peterson. This is 1 of 4 in a Christian fiction series that I borrowed from my mom. This is my first time reading Tracie Peterson, and I enjoyed it. There was a lot of tragedy, but ended with hope.

The Coming Storm, by Tracie Peterson. This is 2 of 4 in the above series. After this book I felt like some of the characters were a little too perfect. Good thing there's 2 more!

To Dream Anew, by Tracie Peterson. This is 3 of 4 in the above series (the 4th I didn't finish in May, so it will be reviewed in June). This book was better than the first 2, I felt. At least there was more action! Everything started to develop more. I like how Tracie Peterson goes about writing a series. Each book is it's own story, that all add up to something full and big, as opposed to just one story stretched out with a big "To Be Continued" sign.

For the Record: April 2009:

I had a slow reading month, due in part to the fact that I was rarely in one place for very long in April, and due in part to the fact that I spent valuable reading time in procrastination. Procrastinating what? I was putting off having to read my book club book, (which still has yet to be finished,) and reading the 2nd Advance Reading Copy of a book I've received from LibraryThing. Of the 6 books I read in April, 4 of them were books I read to my kiddos! Oh well, there's always next month. Here are my big 6:

Snow Treasure, Marie McSwigan. We read this aloud for school while studying WWII. It is a schedule adventure reader with WinterPromise American Story 2. It was a great look at WWII from an angle that I never saw when I was young. All the kids enjoyed this book.

Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt. Studying WWII was getting a little heavy, and spring fever was hitting, so I decided to start letting the kids pick which book was read aloud for school. They all wanted to hear Tuck Everlasting, and I was scarcely less eager to read it myself. We were all pleasantly surprised. It is written very well, bringing great pictures to mind. It also supplied us with good discussions. Now off to rent the movie and see how it compares...

On the Banks of Plum Creek, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Melinda has been on a Little House rampage lately, all of a sudden she just can't get enough of them. She loved Plum Creek and immediately we've pushed onto Silver Lake.

The Tattooed Girl, Joyce Carol Oates. I love Joyce Carol Oates' writing, though rarely her subject matter. This is the 4th book of hers that I've read, and it did not disappoint. There were a few parts that were really horrible to read, but I'm just always so impressed with her writing that I end up going back for more eventually. This book was about stereotypes and anti-Semitism, about drugs and abuse, about mental and neurological conditions, about life.

Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren. I can't believe that I'd never read this book before! This was the 2nd book that the kids chose to have read aloud. Pippi sure is a funny girl!

Love's Pursuit, Siri Mitchell. This was an Advance Reading Copy that I received through LibraryThing.com. It is an historical romance published by Bethany House and set in Puritanical New England. (If I'd realized that it was historical romance instead of simply historical fiction, I probably would not have requested it, because I'm not generally fond of straight up romance.) The main character was developed nicely, although I found myself wanting to have a better grasp on the other characters and their relationships. Historical details seemed to be well researched, and the plot moved quite well once it finally got off the ground. I found the dialog to be somewhat stilted, and was difficult to get used to.

The thing that frustrated me most about the book was the switching of point-of-view. The story was written mostly from the 1st person pov of Susannah Phillips, although it would occasionally jump to the 1st person pov of Small-Hope. The character of Small-Hope was underdeveloped, and it was frustrating to be reading from her pov without knowing much about her. There were times when I felt like it jumped to 3rd person, only to realize that it was the thoughts of Small-Hope.

The foreshadowing of some aspects of the plot could have been handled a little more subtly in my opinion, while at the same time I would have liked to have some of the details about the alleged abuse made clearer. But once I got into the book, it was a fairly enjoyable read.

For the Record: March 2009:

I was convinced that I hadn't read very many books in March. First, I had I Know This Much is True hanging over my head all month. I had to read it before my book club meeting on March 30, and each day I pulled out my calculator to figure out how long I could procrastinate reading it. Second, the power supply for my laptop went kaput so I'd been using my hunny's pc...which worked perfectly except for the fact that I didn't have access to my Word doc where I keep track of the books I'd read. So you see, I had very little idea that I'd read more than 10 books. It actually looks as if I've read 13 books in March (that puts me at 38 for the first quarter). That's what homeschooling will do to you (9 of them were related to school somehow). You'll have no doubts about what we've been studying in history this month. Here they are:

The Winged Watchman, Hilda VanStockum. This book is scheduled as a read-aloud in Sonlight's Core 4. It takes place in Holland during WWII, and gives a vivid picture of what life was like for these brave people during those hard years. Not only is this book an introduction to life in Holland, but it fully examines the quality of one's character, and has a great story to tie it all together. It was thoroughly satisfying to read.

A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt, C. Coco De Young. I read this aloud to my kiddos, and it was one that they begged to hear more of each day. It is included in Sonlight Core 4 as well as WinterPromise American Story 2. It gives a example of a family trying to make it through the Great Depression, introduces all the work Mrs. Roosevelt did during that time, and manages to make this hard time feel uplifting. One of my son's complaints when learning about the Great Depression was that it was too depressing! Not so with this book. This book is engaging and relevant, and uplifting at the same time.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Judith Kerr. I didn't even realize that this book was included in Sonlight's Core 100. It was recommended, I think, in the activity guide for The Story of the World Vol. 4. I enjoyed the autobiographical nature of the book, although I have to admit that I kept waiting for some action. If I'd had some idea beforehand that this book held it's value mostly in the little parts remembered from childhood, I would probably have thought more highly of it. It follows Anna's family as they remove themselves from Germany to Switzerland, then further on to France, and ultimately in England. The majority of the book relates the difficulty the children had learning new languages and cultures.

One Eye Laughing, The Other Weeping, Barry Denenberg. My apologies to Mr. Denenberg, but this book is the worst I've read to date on any historical matter whatsoever. I'm pretty sure. Yeah, I'm sure. This is part of the Dear America series published by Scholastic. I'm completely unfamiliar with this series, but I figured that a junior historical fiction series such as this warranted looking at. I've no idea why it has such great reviews on Amazon. I'm baffled. I'd say that the book was written on about an early 4th grade reading level, and yet the content is questionable for even my 7th grader. Not that it was graphic, and understanding that I very well may be more picky than most, but the insinuations were enough for me. Comments about how "making whoopee" was the girl's favorite American phrase, and the fact that her mother committed suicide after Nazi soldiers had basically ravaged her (made her dress in an evening gown, took off with her, and returned her beaten, sullied, and sullen...she wouldn't tell anyone what happened, and they all wondered). I could understand mentioning some general injustices of the time, it wouldn't be much of a book about WWII without something. But theses things, combined with the overall attitude of the main character felt contrived at best, and like a completely rewritten history at worst.

Number the Stars, Lois Lowry. Now this is a beautiful book about WWII. Age appropriate in writing style and content, and seemingly historically acurate, it was also engaging, informative, suspenseful. This is a book I'd hand to my kids and recommend to others any day.

Children of the Dust Bowl, Jerry Stanley. As enrichment for our 1930's studies, I gave a "good parts version" to the kids. I found it very interesting, and so did everyone else for the first few sentences. But after that I'd look over at my children and they'd be looking at me like "yeah. we get it. it was dry. really, really, dry."

Children of the Great Depression, Russell Freedman. Ditto the above review, Great Depression style. I like it, it was a little much for the kiddos. It was condensed, and they are glad it's done.

The Gadget, Paul Zindel. This is a perspective that you don't often see in junior historical fiction about WWII. It primarily takes place in New Mexico, and revolves around the development of the atomic bomb. It is a boy book, in that it is filled with adventure, spies, bombs, and intrigue. It's a fairly quick and easy read, too. An easy way to get a taste of the other side of the apple...done in what seemed to be an objective way.

Journey to America, Sonia Levitin. I read this aloud for school, as it was part of WinterPromise's American Story 2 program. It very similar to When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit in plot, yet was more engaging for a younger audience. It did a great job at giving a gentle look at the Holocaust.

The Canterbury Quintet, Geoffrey Chaucer. This is part of Sonlight Core 530. Let's get one thing straight: this version was not a translation, it was simply spelling corrected. And lest you think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, let me just tell you that the translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was so much easier to read than this original version (both written around the same time--Middle English). From this I have realized that I am by no means a purist. Give me the translation any day--that I might enjoy it, not labor over it. I was dreaming in iambic pentameter.

I Know This Much is True, Wally Lamb. I did it! I finished it by March 30, and with days to spare. It was not a difficult read, although it was emotionally involved. I'm definitely (in case you hadn't noticed) more into historical fiction and 19th century British Literature, and the language and subject matter of this book just about did me in a couple of times. The book had a good message, if you can either convince yourself that someone with the worst life imaginable can end up with a happily-ever-after due to a great psychiatrist, or just not care that it's not realistic. There are very realistic portions: the character development was amazing, the setting was done great, the emotional responses were right on for the characters. I'm just not used to reading about all that crummy stuff. But what did I expect? It was an Oprah book after all.

The Secret, Beverly Lewis. I received and Advance Reading copy of this book free through LibraryThing.com (yay!). Reading this directly after I Know This Much is True was probably not the best idea. I was struck by how opposite they were. The Secret was fairly short, the first in a planned series, filled with wholesome people, and light on the character development. Like most of Beverly Lewis' books, this took place in Amish Pennsylvania. I'm not planning on reading the others in the series, but it sure was awfully fun to get a free advanced copy of a book!

The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde. Another from Sonlight Core 530, this was an absolute delight. I'm smitten--it was so funny! I actually watched the screen version with Colin Firth the night before reading the play, which definitely did not do any harm. I do often like to watch the film version of a book/play before reading it, because the book is typically so much better. This was really great. I might start collecting multiple copies.