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May 2020 Reading Recap

As a home educating parent I believe reading MUST be an integral part of our life.

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” - Jane Austen (Northanger Abbey)

Don’t you just love Jane Austen’s blunt way of seeing into our souls - and her keen observations about so many social situations? I think there is a lot to be said for the above quote. If we want to be educated, able to converse well, and able to transport ourselves to different worlds it is essential to READ.

Reading widely and well is something I want my children to observe in me. Reading has also been a very necessary lifeline and method of escape for me during the past few years - years that have included so much personal change, loss, and evaluation.

A good book always has the power to right a topsy turvy world!

May 2020 Book List - Homegrown Learners

I always share what I’m reading on my reading Instagram account. I want to share it more here on the blog because I am realizing that so many of your share my love of reading - so these bookish updates are most certainly homeschool related.

What Guides The Book Choices

Serendipity

Truth be told, I don’t often plan what I will read. I am a firm believer in book serendipity. Books find me at the thrift store, the Little Free Library, GoodWill, or through friends. Last year I found a beautiful Elisabeth Elliot book (signed nonetheless) at our local Good Will. Of course, I read that one right away!

Book Clubs/Podcasts

I am a member of the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club and also an in-person book club. (That’s two books each month that are already chosen for me).

My two favorite podcasts are What Should I Read Next? and Currently Reading. There are so many great podcasts out there!

Homeschool Curriculum

I also make sure what I am reading is preparing me for my son’s upcoming Challenge assignments, so that we can discuss those books together.

We also have a read-aloud going at all times - it gets harder with the teen boys, but I’m not giving up!

May 2020 Books

May was a wonderful reading month.

There was just one book I disliked. All Adults Here just wasn’t for me - too many social agendas not so cleverly disguised as a novel. It honestly made me ANGRY how many social statements the author was trying to cram down my throat.

I also don’t have much tolerance for cursing in a book - unless it adds to the story. The cursing in this book just added to the already low opinion I held of each character!

May Book Notes:

Historical Fiction

If you’re a historical fiction fan, anything by Isabel Allende is sure to please. A Long Petal of the Sea takes us to the time just after the Spanish American War and details the lives of a family that has immigrated to South America. I had just finished Ruta Septys’ The Fountains of Silence earlier this year, and this novel was a great way for me to learn more about this part of history.

Heart Favorites

Jane Eyre and Christy will probably be in my favorite books of all-time list.

Jane Eyre was a book I never fully appreciated until this moment in time. I’m not sure why that is - but I know it’s book serendipity. It’s on my son’s reading list for 10th grade and I wanted to be able to discuss it with him - well, I’ll be able to do that and more. I am addicted to the Bronte’s use of language and Jane’s perseverance no matter what.

I’m not sure how I missed knowing about Christy for this long, either. Wow. There is such a community of fans surrounding all of Catherine Marshall’s works! A friend of mine also loaned me the Christy DVD’s, so that’s next on my list.

Audio Favorite

Audiobooks allow me to read a lot more.

Thanks to Libro.fm, I was able to get my hands on The Jane Austen Society before it came out. Oh my! If you choose any book on audio, make it this one! Richard Armitage narrating this book was such a treat for the ears!

Feel-Good Books

The Confession Club, The Lost and Found Bookshop, and Thunder and Rain were simply books that made me happy. If you’re looking for pure escape without a ton of thought, I think you could pick any of these and be happy.

Read-Aloud

We loved Freak the Mighty and followed the reading up with a movie night watching “The Mighty”. This is a great read-aloud for a teen boy!


Check out Homegrown Book Picks on Instagram for more details on each book I’ve read.

I’ll see you back here in a month for another reading update!!

May 2020 List of Books Read - Homegrown Learners

5 Good Things: All the Opportunities

This morning, as I write to you, the world is full of even more uncertainty and unrest.

The news from Minneapolis, Atlanta, New York, and Washington D.C. is distressing. The rhetoric now is full of hatred and violence.

This morning my husband and I are also watching the memorial service for Ravi Zacharias; the world lost a great Christian apologist on May 19 - which adds to the somberness of these days. (We use many of Ravi’s materials in our homeschool - most recently I Isaac Take Thee, Rebekah.)

Despite so many hard things in the world, there is still beauty and good - watching this memorial service is yet another reminder of that.

As we OFFICIALLY closed the book on 9th grade this week (and I published our plans for 10th grade on the blog), I’m reminded yet again that homeschooling is WORTH IT. It is one of the biggest things we can do to ground our families in good times and bad.

5 Good Homeschool Things (This Week: All the Opportunities!)

The good things this week include free opportunities, a book for YOU, and a book for your kiddos, as well as a post I hope encourages you and you might consider sharing with those contemplating homeschool.

In many ways, this summer of cancellations is a GIFT. Many things that would occupy our time have been canceled. Travel won’t be quite as easy. We have time to indulge in learning, books, and time spent with family. I love a blank slate, and I’m looking at one right now.

“Your whole family can join in on the fun with this course - and it’s absolutely free! Everyone from the littlest to the biggest is sure to learn something about those creepy crawlies you can find all over your backyard.”

  • Summer Reading Calendar

    Here’s another freebie for you - such a fun way for your children to track their summer reading. I’ve already asked some of my friends if I can borrow a little one for the summer just so we can use this calendar!

  • Have you read Jane Eyre?

    I just finished reading Jane Eyre this week. I’m amazed at how a book written so long ago can speak so loudly to us in current times.

  • Why Do We Homeschool?

    I wrote this post about 9 months ago - and as more and more people consider homeschooling I think it’s important I keep sharing WHY we homeschool.

You know, we don’t homeschool for the academics. We homeschool for their hearts.

What good is it if a person has all the degrees and smarts in the world and doesn’t care to make the world a better place for others? What good is it if they can’t show compassion for their neighbors or show humility?

So many people today lack integrity, compassion, convictions, faith, and motivation. If I could instill those things in my children through homeschooling then I consider the whole thing a success.

  • A Year in the Big Old Garden

    Little Book, Big Story is a favorite blog of mine. Her review of this particular book struck me. (“These twelve short stories are crafted to be read aloud, mixing whimsical storytelling with the love and knowledge of backyard wildlife.”)

    Again - I’m wishing I had some little ones to share it with, but I’ll do the next best thing - share it with all of you!

What are you doing with your blank slate this summer?

Let me know in the comments below!

5 Good Homeschool Things - so many opportunities!