Happy September! It is time to share my August reads with you! We all know how much I love historical fiction, but I have been diving into the classics and memoirs lately and enjoying them just as much! Plus all the homeschooling books as I really push into this new season of my life! It may seem like all I blog about these days is books, and it is kind of true! Right now in this season, I spend a lot of time with my kids and I enjoy the rest that a good book gives me – much more satisfying than a social media scroll or show binge. Plus all the movies and shows that come out these days are pretty “meh.” Anyone else feel the same?! I cannot even bring myself to watch the new Rings of Power series as it is just so subpar (and even unauthentic) to the books. Oh well, I don’t have to keep up with media to have a good life (and maybe I have a good life because I don’t feel the need to keep up with it all!)
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy M. Montgomery
5 Stars: We listened to the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre audio drama of this book in the car with the kids and we all loved it. I read this book for the first time last year and it was a joy to experience Anne with an “E” with my girls. My 6-year-old always asked to listen to more in the car and when it ended, we all wanted more – “But does she marry Gilbert?!!?” She yelled from the back seat when it was over! HAHA. I cried several times during this read through as this book is filled with so much everyday beauty and real life joys and disappointments. One of my favorite quotes from Anne is, “It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” I think about this one all the time and feel like it is so true. We can choose our mood and choose to be grumpy about life or look for the good! I love the example my girls see in Anne (and also Diana!)
How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told by Harrison Scott Key
5 Stars: I have had this book on my TBR list for sometime so I finally put it on hold at the library. After a long wait, I snagged both an audio copy and a physical copy. The audiobook is read by the author (who is hilarious) so I ended up just listening to the whole thing! This is a memoir of a marriage that fell apart and then was miraculously restored. What makes this story so unique is the raw honesty and humor that weaves through the story. It is heavy and real while being relatable and ironically so funny! In many ways it is a commentary on marriage and the cultural response to falling out of love/ falling in love with someone else. It isn’t a book of advice on staying married per say, but it is a story of a failed marriage and then a restored one that we can choose to learn from. Some quotes I loved: “If you want your marriage to survive you have to surround yourself with people who believe in that idea” and “A good marriage often looks like a joke to those outside it.” It is such a great read.
Until the Streetlights Come On by Ginny Yurich
5 Stars: This book is a relevant read for all parents – not just those who homeschool. Although, you may find even more reasons to homeschool after reading this! I love all the other books and quotes scattered through this book – I added a dozen more books to my TBR list while reading this one! We live in Colorado and already try to get outside a lot, but this book inspired me to make it a goal every day no matter the weather. I loved learning about all the benefits of outdoor time – not just being physically active. The chapter on light was just fascinating to me. There are a lot of heartbreaking statistics in this book (like screen usage and outdoor play) but we as parents can offer our children a different life and this book not only encourages parents to do so, but shares the why and the how to change! One of my favorite books on homeschooling!
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
5 Stars: I listened to this audio book and it is narrated by the author, J.D. Vance. I always love that in a biography/ memoir because it feels more like I am sitting down and listening to someone’s life story. Like the title suggests, this is a memoir and I found it absolutely fascinating to hear of Vance’s life in and near Appalachia. I don’t know much about that part of the country but I have read a lot of Appalachia historical fiction 😉 He shares a social commentary on his life experiences and I think that is really the best way to see and learn about these types of things -from the people who live in them and experience them. This book was way less political than I expected but I was grateful for that. It isn’t about throwing either party under the bus (or even praising one or the other) but shares what he has seen in his community based off of policy decisions. This isn’t written to share about injustices everywhere, but it is written as a memoir of his life and how the government, history, family ties, culture, has affected his community. I think it is worth reading just to gain perspective on a community and part of the country you may not know much about.
All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes
4 Stars: I started this book on audio and I was so utterly lost that I nearly gave up. Instead (only because of Daniel’s story) I put the physical book on hold at my library and resolved to see if reading it myself would clear up my confusion. There are essentially three perspectives – two timelines and then the chapters of a book (which is both timelines – being read by Daniel and being written by Sabastian.) The mixing of all these was impossible to catch in the audiobook and isn’t easy to catch in the book either (the only way to tell is the font change.) The story was captivating but a little messy which was disappointing. I wanted to get lost in the book and the story but so often I was trying to figure out all the names (SO MANY NAMES), what timeline we were in, and what exactly was going on. Daniel and Vittoria really propelled the story for me – I wanted to know more about them. Finally, towards the end, I liked and knew Sabastian and Marianna but it really took most of the book for me to start being connected to their story. Overall, I am glad I finished it instead of giving up and I look back on it with fond memories and a happy contentedness.
PS: I learned tons about Venice and now really want to visit there. So that is always a plus with historical fiction!
The Songbird of Hope Hill by Kim Vogel Sawyer
4 Stars: This was a sweet yet predictable historical fiction book on redemption set in Texas just before the turn of the century. The characters are fleshed out and feel real. The story goes where you think it will but it is just as satisfying. I tend to feel like books like this wrap everything up in a pretty bow at the end, often rushing the last chapters to do so. Which was true of this book but I still enjoyed it. It feels good to get the happy ending you want!
According to my Goodreads tracker, my current count is 60/75! All books that I have rated 4 or 5 stars are added to my Amazon lists here where you can look for even more recommendations than just this monthly list! Follow me on Goodreads to see what I am reading, what I want to read, some of my favorite books, and every review I write! Any other books I should add to my list? Leave a comment and let me know!
