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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

Best Audiobooks of 2019

Audiobooks played a HUGE part in my reading life in 2019.

In my previous book post, I detailed favorite fiction and nonfiction reads, and in this post I will list my favorite audiobooks. Sometimes a performance on audio can make for a truly wonderful literary experience - giving you a deeper experience than the physical book.

Driving, folding laundry, walking the dog, cleaning up around the house - those are all the perfect time for an audiobook. As a busy homeschool mom audiobooks have been a literary gift, and, with the number of apps and options for listening, there is no reason an audiobook cannot be easily accessible.

Favorite Audiobooks of 2019

Sources of Audiobooks

I love my two local libraries and most often can find good audiobooks through their systems.

When, however, I cannot, I use Libro.fm. I love that each download helps support a local bookstore of my choosing, and I love the Libro.fm app.

If you’d like to try Libro.fm you can do so by clicking here and you will receive your first month FREE!

10 Best Audiobooks of 2019

84, Charing Cross Road

This book - from 1970 - is the true story of a bookish friendship and correspondence between the author and the owner of a bookstore in London. This satisfied my bookish heart and made me smile. I think the audio was very well done. There is something about hearing letters read aloud that makes the experience that much better.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Sissy Spacek is the narrator - the end. I tell everyone now that they MUST listen to the audio of this rather than read the paper book!

My son is reading this for Challenge I, and I wish I could convince him to listen to the audio!

Once Upon a River

This British novel was beautifully narrated. It’s a mystery and you might think it’s a bit dark at first, but with all of the twists and turns there is a hopeful ending. The author’s beautiful prose just need to be “heard”.

The Dutch House

Wouldn’t you love it if Tom Hanks kept you company on a long car trip? Well, that is what happened when I listened to The Dutch House a few months ago. I had no idea he was the narrator, so when the book started in the car I practically squealed with delight.

Not only one of my favorite audiobooks of the year, but also probably one of my favorite books in general.

Echo

This audio knocked it out of the part for several reasons: it has gorgeous music and it was an experience I shared with my son.

It is a touching, magical story about several lives that come together during and after WWII - and it is all centers around a harmonica factory that we are introduced to in the beginning of the story.

If you need a great listen with your kids - this is it! (That’s coming for a mom/music educator!)

Symphony for the City of the Dead

This is another YA book. I listened to this one on my own and it was completely fascinating. I knew a bit about Shostakovich and his political influence in Russia, but this book taught me so much.

It is about the Siege of Leningrad and the role played by Russian composer Shostakovich and his Leningrad Symphony. Again, the music in the audio was wonderful.

Ginny Moon

My sister recommended this one to me - she knows my tastes well! This book was about a young girl (Ginny Moon) who is autistic. It gave me a good insight into what goes on in someone’s head who has autism. I wouldn’t recommend this for teens, though - there were some language and questionable situations involved.

All in all, however, I LOVED the book.

The Sun Does Shine

This is another book that kept me company on a long car trip. It was a HARD listen, because of the injustices that were blatantly obvious through the telling of Anthony Ray Hinton’s story.

Spending so many years in death row when he was innocent - and all of the prejudices that were in place that kept him there unjustly - made my blood boil.

It helped HEARING his words - somehow made it all that more powerful. This is a necessary listen.

The Mother-in-Law

Ooooh… at the outset, it seems like your typical mother-in-law, daughter-in-law conflict, but then as you go beneath the surface it is so much more.

I never would have expected the twists and turns in this book - that literally had me lying in bed at night with my earbuds in just so I could finish!

Ordinary Grace

I saved the best for last.

Set in the Midwest in 1961, this is the story of a family and three murders that changed their life one summer.

William Kent Krueger, a Christian author, weaves so much beautiful faith into his story - it IS his story. How do you remain faithful to God when he takes your daughter? How do you remain faithful when he takes your only child? I found myself crying, smiling, and enriched by this book.

Get One Month Libro.fm For FREE

Don’t forget - if you are interested in trying Libro.fm, use this link to receive one month for free.

I would recommend starting with Ordinary Grace or Echo (with your kiddos!)

Favorite Audiobooks of 2019

Do you use audiobooks - either in your homeschool or your own personal reading?

Tell me about it in the comments below!