Recent Reads

 

📖 Engine 2 (secular, cookbook)... I was excited when I saw this one at Dollar Tree because the author is the son of one of the Forks Over Knives doctors. There are enough gluten and fake meat recipes that I was glad to only have spent the dollar but I still found quite a few recipes we want to try! 

📖 Heartbeat by Sharon Creech (secular, novel in verse, middle grade)... I liked this novel in verse that tackles art, an aging grandfather with Alzheimer's or dementia, a pregnant mom, and friendship!

📖 In This Moment by Karen Kingsbury (Christian, contemporary fiction)... This was the next of the Baxter Family books and one that can be read as a stand-alone. It wasn't my favorite but I still liked it.

📖 The Manual to Manhood (YA, nonfiction)... I read this one as a potential read for my son as a teen and I disagreed with a few things (for example, aluminum-based antiperspirant has been linked to many serious problems and should NOT be used for the sake of hygiene) but was overall fine with it. Actually, I learned quite a lot!

📖 Missing Isaac (Christian, historical fiction)... I really liked this book, set in 1960s Alabama. There was some powerful stuff in here written in Luesse's typically gentle way and I very much appreciated it! I also added this one to our high school shelves.

📖 Practicing Presence (Christian-but-not-really, nonfiction)... This book was not really Christian at all but it was a beautiful read about motherhood, creativity, using your creative pursuits to be present in motherhood... Made me think and reflect a lot.

📖 Thunder from the Sea (secular, historical fiction, middle grade)... 1929 Newfoundland, and such a great story! Secular book but lots of Christianity woven in.

📖 The Very, Very Far North (secular, middle grade, TGTB book list)... We read this as a read-aloud and everyone was happy, ages 6-10. It reminded us a lot of an Arctic version of Winnie the Pooh.

📖 Why Do I Do What I Don't Want to Do? (Christian, nonfiction)... I really liked this great, short book on vices and choosing the Christian path. I do have to say that I listened to it as an audio book and due to the nature of vices, there were multiple times where things I wouldn't want my children hearing pop-up. I of course knew that would happen considering the topic of the book but wanted to warn you just in case.

📖 Wild + Free Holidays by Ainsley Arment (secular, nonfiction)... I am loving these Wild + Free books! This one is primarily full of Christmas crafts and activities but there are a few autumn and Valentine's chapters, too. I'm already planning a fun Christmas ornament craft for my kids come December!