I didn’t create a reading list for this year like I have in the past. Instead, I challenged myself to read 40 books by the end of the year. This goal includes the chapter books I read-aloud with the children as well as what I read for myself.
I am keeping up with my progress on Goodreads, which is my new favorite way to keep a record of what I’m reading! By the way, if you’re on Goodreads, I’d love to be friends with you! I love hearing what others are reading and adding books to my “to read” shelf that have been recommended by others. Click here and add me as a friend!
Oh, and since I’m ALWAYS asked how I get so much reading done, you can check out this post that gives you 15 of my best tips for making time to read. Okay, now for what I read this month!
What I Read in March:
Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers – I fell in love with Francine Rivers’ writing when I read
Redeeming Love several years ago. I’ve since gone on to read many of her books. To be honest, I thought I had read them all. I guess I had just read all the Francine Rivers books my library in Colorado had. Little did I know that my Virginia library has plenty more for me to read. I picked this one up on a whim and read it in less than 48 hours. This is why I don’t read fiction often … It was a wonderful novel that stuck pretty closely to the metanarrative of scripture (creation, fall, redemption, and restoration). I always identify so much to the main female characters, so the story line drew me in quickly. I found it a little bit slow moving, but usually when I got to that point, a corner turned and it picked right up. Overall, I really liked this book and the ending left me wondering if there wasn’t going to be a sequel. Sometimes that annoys me, but this one didn’t for some reason. I was sort of glad the ending wasn’t wrapped up in a pretty little bow. It made it feel more real.
Read for the Heart: Whole Books for WholeHearted Families by Sarah Clarkson – I absolutely loved this book. We hear so often from parents on how they train or disciple their children. This was a unique view from a child whose parents many of us have read or listened to for you years. This was an insightful book from the perspective of a child raised around a culture of books. Plus the book lists are phenomenal!
What I Read-Aloud with the Children:
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Illustrated by Garth Williams – I never read these books as a kid, but I watched
Little House on the Prairie with my mom growing up. I hesitated reading this with the boys because I was concerned it might be “a girl book.” Not that there is a thing wrong with that, but we are only beginning in the world of chapter book read-aloud time, so I wanted to be sure I had a lot wins under my belt before introducing something the boys might not find as fascinating. Then I heard a mom share one of her regrets as a homeschool mom. She said she wished she had read the whole series with her boys. She only read
Farmer Boy with them and regrets it. So, I let the boys choose between this and another E.B. White book and it was unanimous. They chose Little House in the Big Woods. I’m not sure who has enjoyed this book more, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say DADDY! I’m ever so glad I took the risk. We were all very, very sad when we finished this book. We let out a collective sigh and silence ensued for a few minutes before anyone spoke. Then Sam said, “Don’t worry, Mommy! We can read that book again and again and again.”
Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures: The Mount Rushmore Calamity – Oh man… this one … I was so glad when it was over. Can I just be really honest? I do not like Flat Stanley books. They are a bore to read as an adult, and the story lines are clunky and forced at best. If the boys want to read these in the future, they can pick them out on their own. I picked this one up because we were doing a unit on American Symbols together and Mount Rushmore books were a little hard to come by. I’m not sure we learned a single thing about Mount Rushmore in this book. The only saving grace is that this book was short. This wasn’t a book the boys were begging me to read either, so I’d say this one isn’t going to make my list of recommendations.
What did you read in March? What about your favorite read-alouds with your children?
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