February Reads
O for A Booke (An Old English Poem)
O for A Booke and a shadie nooke,
eyther in-a-doore or out;
With the grene leaves whispering overhede,
or the Streete cryes all about.
Where I maie Reade all at my ease,
both of the Newe and Olde;
For a jollie goode Booke whereon to looke,
is better to me than Golde.
I came across this poem while reading aloud Favorite Poems for the Children’s Hour, and adored it. Oh for a book! Getting lost in a good story is truly a treasure – books both new and old. My kids and I have been memorizing this sweet little poem together because the rhyme and meter are simply chef’s kiss! And here are some Jolly Good Books whereon to look!
Modern Miss Mason by Leah Boden
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I picked up this book at the library after having it on my TBR list for a couple years and subsequently used my allowance to buy a copy for me to own so that I could write in it! This book is an encouraging and edifying book on homeschooling with a Charlotte Mason philosophy. I found it informational while remaining personal. This book falls on the side of “freedom” within the CM philosophy not necessarily a purist or fundamental perspective. This doesn’t bother me because I am more openhanded with how we homeschool (we are structured but not pure to one specific philosophy.) I have read a lot of books on homeschooling and feel like this is one worth reading and even rereading.
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A delightful family read aloud. Everyone (including Dad) loved this book! I grew up watching both the Shirley Temple and the “new” 90’s movies of A Little Princess and they catch most of the story but not all. I appreciated and enjoyed the book more than the movies! They change a big part (trying not to be terrible about spoiling it) and I think the book feels more authentic and inspirational. This is one of those classic books that teaches through story in the best way possible. We are inspired to be like Sara Crewe – constant in our care and service to others despite how we are treated. We see the injustice so clearly and desperately want not to be like Miss Minchin or any of her minions, but want to be people who treat one another as humans not possessions, to see their inherent worth as children of God and not what they can give us. Beautiful story. Everyone should read it more than once!
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Okay, maybe 5 stars. Honestly, I don’t know how to rate this book! It sat with me for days after I finished the last pages. And it is one of those books you cannot really talk with others about until they have read until the end as well. We read this for our book club February read and it was a good one for a that setting because we could all digest it together. There are things my soul felt uneasy about, things I would have done (or think I would have done) differently if I was in the story, but I still loved it. Theo pursued foolish ambitions, made poor decisions, walked through grief, and learned what makes life worth living by living. He took the things that he did, and things done to him, and gave them to the Lord. While not specifically a Christian book, it is clear Theo had a relationship with the living God and it transformed his life. I’ve been praying lately that the Lord would give me eyes to see needs, and the desire to meet them. Theo, in his time in Golden, lived this out. He loved well, and saw people. In seeing people, he showed them that God sees them too. This book is about listening, serving, seeing, and partaking in the beauty of creation and the work of our Creator. Read it.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Want to be surprised by a story you think you already know?! This book has glaringly divergent storylines, character descriptions, and key details than the beloved movie which allows for much surprise. This was a family read aloud that had all five of us wondering exactly what would happen next as we read each chapter. Coming as no surprise to the readers of the world: the book is better than the movie. Truly a fun family read aloud with fantastical characters, vivid scenes, and satisfying ends to an exciting journey.
The Liturgical Home: Lent by Ashley Tumlin Wallace & Then Sings My Soul by Ashley Tumlin Wallace
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’m smashing these two books into one review because they are very similar and share much of the same content. I didn’t realize until pulling out my Lent books for the season that they are both written by the same author! I ordered Then Sings My Soul several years ago but never finished it and kept packing it away with Easter until the next year. This year, I picked up The Liturgical Home: Lent because I love and follow Ashley’s substack. What I discovered is that The Liturgical Home: Lent (which recently came out) is an updated and much better version of Then Sings My Soul. It is formatted in an easier to read & understand way while also adding more content and information. If you already own Then Sings my Soul, you don’t need to buy The Liturgical Home: Lent, but if you are just buying now, pick the latter! This is a resource you will want to read through and then reference year after year. This book enhanced my understanding of the season and helped me and my family to enter into the Lenten season this year with deeper meaning & understanding. Recommend.
Even After This by Deborah Clack
⭐⭐⭐
I picked this up and thought to myself, “that looks like the Garden of the Gods on the front!” Without reading the back (I try to read books knowing as little as possible) the words “Penrose Room” on the first pages brought the Broadmoor to mind and I realized this book takes place here in my home town. That is a really fun thing, but it also makes it hard to enter into the world when it feels like there are any inconsistencies. For instance, the beloved Rocky and Rockina restaurant is not a thing (or I know nothing about the city I have lived in for 37 years), there is never no one at the zoo unless the weather is a blizzard, even midday, midweek there are plenty of moms like me with their kids and people on vacation. Sure it is less than the summer rush, but always ALWAYS more than 7 (which is how many people she apparently sees at the zoo!!) And everyone calls it the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, never the “Cheyenne Zoo” as quoted in the book. Moving past the local cringy things, I was VERY surprised by the heavy grief element and as a mom with young kids couldn’t think about losing them all along with my husband. A hard storyline and I know several people I couldn’t recommend this book to based on that. I did not like the addition of IVF and the intentional throwing away of the embryos without true repentance or thought over that? It felt thrown-in and calloused – trying to normalize it. Overall, there is hope and growth, and redemption is present, making it a satisfying yet cheesy story arc for some readers. More like a Hallmark movie, less like a RomCom. I only recommend if you know what you are getting into and you still want to read it. Thank you Haven for providing this copy for review.
Book Tracker: 13/52 books read in 2026. If you don’t already, follow or friend me on Goodreads where you will see what I am reading, what I want to read, my favorite books, and every review I write! I also share all the books that I have rated 4 or 5 stars on my Amazon storefront AND here is my Monthly Book Review archives where I have monthly chronicled my reading list since 2023! Always feel free to share recommendations with me in the comments too – I am a big fan of word-of-mouth!