I have a dangerous obsession with books. C.S.Lewis once said that a person’s most frivolous outgoing expense every month should be his books…….I’m finding that very true in my little small town where NOTHING I ever want to check out is at the local library. Is George McDonald really that obscure? Shouldn’t every reputable library have Louisa May Alcott’s Eight Cousins and more than one copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin? They have every last book in the Goosebumps series. Too bad I’m not into prepubescent slimy monster stories. So Amazon and I are good friends. This is one of my most recent purchases….a book about how to lead children in discussions about books. It’s fascinating and should be on the shelves of every educator who plans to teach children the love of reading.
This quote is my favorite:
I read about 5 books a week, but I typically read light, easy to read, Christian Chick lit. I figure my mind is so crammed with Algebra, Physical Science, Plutarch, etc. I NEED the down time of something light.
I don’t think you mentioned my all time favorite book though (Or I missed it): Silas Marner.
Other books we read around here:
Like I said I really like light, easy reading for down time: Robin Jones Gunn, Neta Jackson, Judy Baer, Charles Martin, etc.
At work I am known to pick up other books: Classics, Various Bible Studies and of course I am reading through the entire Biography section right now. LOL
My oldest son LOVES Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451 is great!) and HG Wells. My daughter is like me and simply reads anything she can get her hands on. My 8 year old has read through the Magic TreeHouse series a few hundred times and my 6 year old…yeah, he’s pretty much on the easiest easy readers there are.
I would love to have a longer list of books for 2009, because I do love to read. Let us know if you hear of some more good ones…these are wonderful!
Carrie
Never read Silas Marner?! Oh my! Seriously though it IS a classic, so hopefully if you read it you’ll like it. I’ve always loved it, loved it so much that my high school English teacher gave me a copy of the book.
There are a lot of film adaptations of the book also (If you’ve ever seen A Simple Twist of Fate it’s one version)
Oh, come on Edie, I have to suggest more???? Okay, give me a day or so to recover from the parade, and I guarantee I could pique your interest! You know how much I want that giveaway!!!!! 🙂
I love to read! BUT I’m a lover of chick lit, murder mysteries, etc. I love to be in another world hanging out with stars, dancing at the 21 club in NY…hee hee I’m reading the Twilight series now and they are so good!
my word… you DO love books… how fun…
do i ever want to read some books…
i DO read… just not a ton at once… major ADD… to SIT STILL and actually get some deep down good reading done… HA… that would be nice!
we read a TON of kids books…
all i know… i am going to take another peek at your list & find one to chew on a while!
oh… and is it belong or bloom?
my email… thebrowneyedfox@hotmail.com…
i am SUPER glad you found one you like… that makes me grin BIG!
address por favor! 🙂
xo
Okay, Edie!! Amen to that sister. We sat on that computer in the library, looking for a list of 30 books to check out, and they only had 5 from our entire list to check out!!! YES, 5!!!!! You need to take a gander over here and look at our small library. You may find something to read….. Let me think of some books your girls may love….
Okay I love to read and the winter time is when I actually get to read. I love Francine Rivers, Redeming Love is my favorite that I plan on reading again. The rest of my list I am not sure about.
I have a habit of giving new life to old discarded books…..sort of giving them a new artistic rebirth. Check out my blog and let me know what you think. The post is called “Forever Altered”. Hope you don’t cringe at the thought since you love books so much. I just love them after they have finished one type of journey and give them another journey in this life. Carol
Ok, that quote from the book: AMEN!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot amen that enough. If I did have kids boy would that be my mantra in raising them. And I'm further impressed that you herald this too.
Ok, my book list for 2009:
* a lot of photography manuals
* The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
* The Whole Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer
* Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley
* Mr. Darcy and Darcy & Elizabeth by Linda Berdoll [both of which I have read before but CANNOT get enough of because I've already memorized Pride & Prejudice]
* Where is God When it Hurts by Philip Yancey
* Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
* Life Together By Dietrich Bonhoeffer
* Pamela Aidan's trilogy about Darcy & Elizabeth
* War and Peace By Leo Tolstoy
* The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End by Ken Follett
* Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems to God
……..yes, it's a long ambitious list but it's been too long since reading had a solid place in my life and 2009 will be a resurgence of that, my brain feels as if it hasn't been used enough in recent years!
Some of my favorite reading in the past year included:
The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto,
The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis (surprise! It is my favorite.),
Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons and
A Well-Tempered Mind by Peter Perret and Janet Fox.
Odd Girl Out was fascinating – it almost brought my junior high days completely back to life, and how I can help my daughter before those issues arise.
And A Well-Tempered Mind was also a captivating book on how music can teach children to listen – I couldn’t put it down.
Hi Edie!! My 2009 wish list is long….but one book on there you can read to the girls is Boxen: Childhood Chronicles Before Narnia. C.S.Lewis and his brother wrote it when they were younger, so I’m very curious about it. Oh, and whenever Midnight Sun comes out, I will read that in one sitting!!
Oh I got some-
5 Children and It (Nesbit- I think)
The Dollhouse People
All the Carol Marsh books
(we have them if you want to see them)
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Mrs Piggle Wiggle
The Indian In the Cupboard (and the 2 sequals)
(we loved this- but there is some language I didn’t read aloud)
There’s a few.
Kelly
A couple of my favorites that I reread every year or so include…
Saint Ben by John Fischer
Finding God in Unexpected Places by Philip Yancey. I also have enjoyed Charles Martin’s Chasing Fireflies. Next year, I plan to reread some of my good novels, The Will of Wisteria, and a good nonfiction book Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner.
As for kids’ books, I am kind of into Christmas and winter books now…I love The Legend of the Candy Cane and Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree. My favorite children’s author is probably Patricia MacLachlan…a few picture books, but then a lot of good children’s chapter books like Unclaimed Treasures and Sarah, Plain and Tall.
clairjuly at yahoo dot com
Are you ready? You’re going to love, love, love my recommendations. 🙂 They both can be found with many, many other gems at http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com/home.asp. This is the best site for reprints of old books!
An absolute must read-aloud book for Emme and Elea is Little Threads by Elizabeth Prentiss. Quote below.
“It was Mrs. Prentiss’ intent that this little gem would be a tool for children to learn obedience. Read about the contrasting lives of Tangle Thread and Golden Thread, one the cause of much grief for her godly mother, and the other the only bright spot in her poor mother’s world.
My second choice is The Hidden Hand. Quote below!
Reader BEWARE—this is NOT your typical Rare Collector book! Strewn with mystery and suspense that never lets up, The Hidden Hand will keep you on the edge of your seat! There are not many books that make me laugh aloud (even when I’m alone!) Truly, laughter is like medicine, giving health to the bones! But please don’t let the feisty, mischievous character of 17-year-old Capitola and the cantankerous personality of Old Hurricane derail you from seeing the gracious providence of an all-wise God.that it is better to die for the truth than to live for a lie, and that the worst pillow to sleep on is the pillow of a guilty conscience! This story will change your life forever!
I loved both of these and I know you will too. Great story. Challenging vocabulary. Incredible themes. Need I say more. You want to come over and feel them? They are lovely copies as well.
And just as a bonus, I’m going to give you another incredible link that you may not have heard about.
http://www.mainlesson.com/main/displayarticle.php?article=mission
Hi. I just found your blog when reading “mabel’s house.” We love classical education, too, both homeschooled and private school through elementary grades. One in college now and one in high school. A classical approach in the early years makes such a great foundation. — Michele
Well, since I will be homeschooling Shaye starting in January- I plan on reading ALOT and I know she will be reading anything and everything she can get her hands on. She enjoys non- fiction and is learning about the joys of poetry right now as well. Her recent reading list included a book about susan B. Anthony because I piqued her interest when I spoke about the importance of voting and how women didn’t always have the right to vote on election day.
Hi again! Yes, I am seriously considering going to Blissdom and if you go we will definately have to share some margaritas and quote C.S. Lewis! :]
Oh, and I wanted to mention two more books I loved reading this past year:
Families Where Grace Is In Place by Jeff VanVonderen
and
Free Lunch by David Cay Johnston
I wish I lived closer, I would so join your book club!
Are you ready for my list? We are addicted to books in my house, also. I believe that you can never have too many.
For the children(at least my children), son is reading anything about history right now. He has read all of the Chronicles of Narnia and loved them. He also read Indian in the Cupboard. My daughter is reading some of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I honestly thought I had bought Eight Cousins at the library book sale last month, but cannot find it, so I’m not sure.
I am currently reading Breaking Dawn. The list after I finish it is long! Home Schooling by the Millman’s, A Mom Just Like You by Vickie Farris and Jayme Farris, Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel, Taking Care of the Me in Mommy by Lisa Whelchel, Seasons of a Mother’s Heart by Sally Clarkson, Sheperding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp, Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson, Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr. and Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto.
Jessica
My favorites so far are A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Jane Eyre, as far as classics go. I also really like One Thousand White Women and A Parchment of Leaves. You should look into them. Yeah, I’m having a rough time checking out books and having the time to read them before they’re due. I’m going back to Amazon.