Monday, August 11, 2025

July reads

I am still prioritizing middle grade reads and had a good reading month.

GROWN-UP READS
📖 Bible study: 1 John, 2 John, 3 John (I really appreciate the John's being so short and making me look so productive 😆), Isaiah. 
📖 Bomber Mafia (secular,  nonfiction,  history)... well-written,  engaging WWII nonfiction  so of course I enjoyed it.
📖 Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right (secular, nonfiction, health)... So much gold in this one! I have recommended it to so many people and ordered my own physical copy.
📖  The Hawaiian Quilt (Christian, fiction, Amish)... I listened to this audio book because one of my reading goals this year was to read a book set in a place not yet on my location list and this one is set in Hawaii. Also Indiana. It was cute but not an overall favorite. I think I like but don't love Amish fiction.
📖 The Pursuit of God (Christian, nonfiction)... This book was so full of gems for me. I highlighted it so much! (See image above). I will absolutely try more Tozer.

📚 Plus applicable sections of The No-Cry Nap Solution // What to Expect: The First Year // The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding // The Wonder Weeks

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS
📖 And They Found Dragons, books 2 & 3 (Christian,  middle grade, fiction,  fantasy)... Not our favorite but we did enjoy it.
📖 The Bug Bandits (Christian,  middle grade, fiction)... One of my kids loves bugs and a couple love mysteries so this was a good hit. It wasn't really Christian so much as just clean. It talked a lot about the movie Home Alone, which my kids have never seen, but I asked them and none of them felt lost/confused by that.
📖 David Macaulay architecture books- Castle // Cathedral // Mill // Mosque (secular,  nonfiction)... I am so fascinated by architecture and loved these!
📖 Her Own Two Feet (secular, middle grade, nonfiction, TGTB book list)... this was such a beautiful story and made me think so much! I can't wait to pass it along to my kids.
📖 Indescribable Atlas Adventures (Christian, nonfiction)... I absolutely loved this one and bought a copy for our social studies & geography this year.
📖 Into the Uncut Grass (secular,  very short middle grade, fiction)... I loved this one and was so excited to hear what my kids thought! They thought 'Meh.' I guess it means more to mamas.
📖 Left Behind: The Kids, 13, 14, 15 (Christian, YA, fiction)... My oldest is loving these books! I'm enjoying them less that I previously was. But still enough to keep trying.
📖 Little Christmas Carol (secular, fiction)... love this version for 6th-ish grade! Love the illustrations,  too.
📖  Ly-Lan and the New Class Mix-Up (Christian, chapter book, fiction)... I liked this one for 3rd-ish-grade and so did my girls. We'll watch for the sequel.
📖  One Long Line (secular, nonfiction,  middle grade, science/nature)... This was a short and interesting read about caterpillars and a scientist who studied them.
📖  The Ology (Christian)... I ended up buying a copy of this one, too. We'll read this every few days as part of our morning basket time.
📖 Rolling Warrior (secular,  middle grade, nonfiction, TGTB book list)... I loved this one! I find polio/post-polio stories quite compelling but this one
📖 School's Out (Christian,  middle grade, Amish fiction)... Some of my girls love Amish stories. They liked this one but prefer Life With Lily.
📖 The Tree Book (secular,  nonfiction)... Beautiful and incredibly informative!
📖 The Tuttle Twins Guide to Logical Fallacies (Secular, YA, nonfiction)... Good, informative,  easily understood read.

PICTURE BOOKS WE LOVED: Because Barbara // A Book, Too, Can be a Star // Grateful for You // Jumper (spider) // Luminous // More Than a Little // Night Walk to the Sea // Out of School and Into Nature // Painting Wonder

Friday, August 8, 2025

Amish and Mennonite fiction I have enjoyed


One of my daughters has adored the Life With Lily books and asked me to find more Amish fiction for her. She then loved Amish Christmas and School's Out. I thought I'd share my list of grown-up Amish fiction with all of you.

Monday, August 4, 2025

Word association


Just for fun, I used a random word generator to cone up with 20 words for me to associate with a Christian fiction I've read in the past. Some of these are a stretch but it's my game so I'll allow it. 


Appeal- A Time to Stand 

Teacher- Before I Called You Mine 

Husband- The Baxters 

Formula- The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley  

Ball- Things I Never Told You (volleyball)

Child- Until Leaves Fall in Paris  

Bush- All That Fills Us 

Neighborhood- What Happens Next 

Fall- Before We Were Us 

Baby- A Life Once Dreamed 

Twin- Bookshop by the Sea  

Racism- Missing Isaac 

Grudge- The Light on Halsey Street 

Bike- The Key to Everything  

Text- Tacos for Two 

Biography- The Summer of Yes 

Build- Love and a Little White Lie 

Fisherman- Whose Waves These Are 

Bake- Stories That Bind Us 

Artificial- I Think I Was Murdered 



Friday, August 1, 2025

Bookish links- August 2025


August new releases I'm excited about: Echoes From a Missing Generation // Overwhelmed Mom // What the River Keeps 

A chiropractor's reading posture tips 

Amanda's top favorite Christian fiction novels

Have I told you about Indestructibles yet? All of my babies have loved these books they can be hands-on with without destroying. 

10 classic novels every Christian should read- do you agree? 

I loved this back to homeschool party for moms. What a great idea! 

6 simple ways for dads to inspire a love of reading 

Christian fiction set in US national parks

Adorable organic cotton book fabric

Clean summer romance recommendations by Oceana 

How audiobooks can benefit people of all ages 

Cookbook storage ideas 

Look at this American Girl Kirsten shirt! I would have loved this shirt so much in 1998!

Fun summer reading activities 

49 home library ideas 

Crystal found time to read again and you can, too 

12 Christian fiction books perfect for summer vacation 

Adorable library mural

This book journal looks so fun!

Lindsey's summer book recommendations 

Anne of Green Gables fans, check out Amy's birthday trip to Prince Edward Island! 1// 2 // 3

Faith wrote a book

I always love seeing bookstore blog posts! Here's Lynn's from Bend, Oregon// Here are mine 

Acrylic tutorial for a still life of books! 

Monday, July 21, 2025

Barnes & Noble

We recently made a trek into the city and that included a Barnes & Noble trip to turn in summer reading sheets. We got those book prizes, a new planner, and a replacement of an old favorite since we sadly lost our home library last year. These were some fun things I spotted while we were there.