My fantabulous assistant, Rachel, and I have decided to introduce a new monthly post! Pretty simple in concept, and something we’ve certainly done before…just not regularly.
I can’t believe I’ve never read this before! I’d actually bought the paperback about two years ago…and then gave it to my dad for his birthday, LOL, so I still hadn’t read it. But while listening to Loconte’s book, I really wanted to, so it was a happy coincidence when the book I’d put on hold at the Library was finally available for me. =)
So the last Friday of each month, we’ll be talking about…
And as there’s no time like the present to begin, let’s get sharing!
We’d love to hear what YOU’VE been reading this month too!!!
Roseanna’s Reads
Audio
This month I’ve been listening to A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte
This is a really great non-fiction book that I’d seen recommended, and I knew it would give me an interesting perspective on the years surrounding the Great War. Which it has! Though C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien have been written about plenty, and World War I has as well, this book takes a unique perspective on the topics, talking about how the war instilled in these great writers an appreciation for nobility and the heroic quest of old, and also the need for faith–something most of their generation deemed impossible after the horrors of war. A very interesting historical perspective on two of the 20th century’s greatest writers, and one that inspired me to go on a Lewis and Tolkien kick! 😉
Which led me to…
I can’t believe I’ve never read this before! I’d actually bought the paperback about two years ago…and then gave it to my dad for his birthday, LOL, so I still hadn’t read it. But while listening to Loconte’s book, I really wanted to, so it was a happy coincidence when the book I’d put on hold at the Library was finally available for me. =)
My commentary on this one: C. S. Lewis was brilliant. His insights are nothing short of spectacular. And now I really need another print copy so that I can read it with a highlighter. (I never mark up my books, but this one will be bought for that express purpose because I NEED NOTES.)
For My Bookclub
This month’s book club pick is A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz
I’ve long been a Laura Frantz fan–and for good reason. =) Her books are always amazing, and this one certainly lived up to my expectations! Set in Scotland and Virginia, with glimpses of Jamaica too, this is the story of one Highland lass who goes from serving in the stillroom (think herbs, bees, and medicinals) at the castle of her childhood friend to banished across the sea as an indentured servant when she’s accused of a crime she didn’t commit. A gorgeous story of faith, love, and what home really means. GO READ IT!!!
For Fun
Ever since I finished Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse in January, I have been SO eager for the second book, Flight of the Raven, and it JUST ARRIVED ON MONDAY!!!!!! I’m a wee bit excited. 😉
I’ve only just cracked the cover and read the first two chapters as of when I’m writing this, but the first book in the series is one that has stuck with me waaaaaay after I finished it. I usually only have a very limited amount of time to read strictly for fun, and every time it’s come upon me in recent months and I pause to think, “What was it I wanted to read?” the answer is always “Mark of the Raven!” But of course, I’d finished it, LOL.
This is a fantasy series with a gorgeous allegory to our world of faith and the struggle between God and the enemy played out in the hearts and minds of men. I don’t read much fantasy, but these are awesome. I highly recommend them!!!
For Endorsement
I had the privilege of reading an early copy of Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson recently.
This one doesn’t release until September, but go pre-order now!!! It’s a fabulous story. In Melanie’s split-time style, it shares the story of two families in WW2 Amsterdam, much of it pieced together by the contemporary characters. We get glimpses of the Resistance, the hardships, the incredible lengths people went to in that terrible time to save their children, and the price far too many of them paid. But as long as people fought, there was hope. Stunning story. Seriously, go reserve your copy. 😉
With the Kids
I read a ton of books with my kids during the school year, but to highlight just one right now…
Holes by Louis Sachar
Holes by Louis Sachar
This is a really fun middle grade read about a boy sent to a camp to dig holes as rehabilitation when he was found guilty of stealing a pair of shoes–a crime he didn’t commit. And there’s no one to blame for his troubles other than his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather, of course. Who brought a curse down on the family when he forgot to uphold his end of a bargain with a fortune teller. This Newbery Medal winning book well deserves its acclaim! It’s fun, but it also teaches the value of treating others as equals no matter race or background, keeping your word, and working hard. My kids highly enjoyed it, and so did I!
We watched the movie, too, which stuck really well to the book and was great fun.
That’s it for me this month! Now here’s Rachel. 😀
Rachel’s Reads
Hi folks! I am super excited to share my current reads with you. You may know me as Bookworm Mama as well as being Roseanna’s Assistant! I LOVE books and sharing my love of books with others! Check out my current reads.
Audio
The Name of the Wind is my husband’s FAVORITE book! He reads it annually and I have FINALLY gotten on board. I am loving it so.much! And the narrator (Nick Podehl) is incredible!!! Beautifully written and captivating. I don’t read a ton of fantasy, so it took me a while to actually pick it up. So glad I did. I highly encourage you to check it out!
For My Bookclub
One of my mom friends and I are starting a book club! YAY!!! We have both picked a few books that we both have been wanting to read and our group will vote on it. BUT, we are doing fun little book box as a prize with a Pride and Prejudice theme! YAY!
For Fun/Review
As a reviewer, I read a lot of books as part of street teams and influencer programs. Branching out and discovering new authors is always exciting. And I have a passion for supporting the authors I love!
After reading Stephaine Morrill’s The Lost Girl of Astor Street, I have been anxiously awaiting her next release. Within These Lines is a heart wrenching, make you cry, make you smile, story. Set in California during WWII, Morrill explores the harrowing effects of the internment camps here in the States. Love, love, love it! Make sure you get your hands on this one and get a new perspective on WWII.
I just finished up The Artful Match by Jennifer Delamere. After going to the National Art Gallery in DC I think I was able to appreciate the references even more than I would have originally. I love the art and history that is discovered in the pages. This book is set in Victorian England, and is the last book of the London Beginnings Series.
With the Kids
I use a very similar curriculum as Roseanna for homeschooling. Books are a huge part of the daily routine and I LOVE it. So do the kids which makes it even better. Right now we are finishing up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone….The Illustrated Edition! It is so gorgeous. And the kids are having a blast with it.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
I just started the ARC of Susie Finkbeiner's All Manner of Things, plus I am working through Refresh by Kimberly Drew and Jocelyn Green (a devotional for moms of special needs kids). I'm reading The Day the Angels Fell by Shawn Smucker with my daughter.
Hey, that's me!!
Rachel, I LOVE the illustrated HP books. I don't think the book would have held my first graders attention if we had to read the regular chapter books. I originally thought I would only buy the first 3 in illustrated, but now *I* am the one who wants to read book 4 in illustrated form!
I just finished reading your Culper Ring Series…..again. I love them so much. They teach me more every time I read them. I would love to be in that family!
Now I am starting Amber Lynn Perry's So Fair A Lady. The first in her Daughters of His Kingdom series. So good!
Today I will be finishing Up From the Sea by Amanda Dykes and then starting my eARC of Wooing Cadie Mccaffrey by Bethany Turner! CANNOT WAIT! 😀
Love that quote!
Just finished Wordsmithy by Doublas Wilson: Savory and piquant morsels. What refreshment! Or. as the author calls it, cognitive compost. Heavy hors d'oeuvres of writerly advice, such as, "Plod intelligently." Chapter Two gives me permission to read several books at a time; in fact, it encourages it. Douglas Wilson says in this slim volume, "Good writing is like a great cathedral. The echoes are lovely." Wordsmithy's echos are indeed lovely.
Oh, cool! I've read quite a few of James Rubart's books and have loved them all. I'll have to look this one up!
I am currently stepping away from my norm of historical fiction to read an ARC of The Pages of Her Life by James Rubart.