Bookish links- November 2026

 

November new releases I'm excited about: Clothed in the Word 

16 easy Thanksgiving living room decor ideas for book lovers 

Are you a mug person? I have a few and that's already more than I need. I try not to buy any more, but I still enjoy looking at them! Bookish autumn mugs that make me smile: Reading window // All booked for fall // window nook // book pumpkin // autumn book stack 

If you have a Facebook account, will you please follow our Homeschool Finance page? And, if you're so inclined, please also share it with family and friends! 

Intense (devastating) Christian fiction recommendations 

Autumn Christian fiction I've read, autumn picture books I love 

If you haven't already watched Little House on the Prairie but want to, this watch party post has a couple of cute ideas. 

Cozy autumn bookworm shirt 

10 cozy Christian romances perfect for fall reading 

Another of Amy's sister coffee shop + bookstore date posts- these always make me smile! 

This Little Red Riding Hood play set made me smile. 

Look at this adorable bookish luminary decoration! There's a Christmas version, too! 

Are board books a tool or a toy? (Full video here) 

What happens when I die? Resources on eternity 

I'm still having fun making the occasional bookish YouTube short if you're a fan of shorts! 

I used my Tyndale Reader Reward Points (We both get 15 points if you sign up using my link) to get a free copy of Elsewhere in Odyssey this month. I have been using this program since 2018 and have gotten 12 free books from the program in general now, plus recently won four more in a giveaway they held!  

14 tips for when your child reads TOO much

Have you ever heard of a silent book club? The idea is interesting. I've been invited to one before. I politely declined and thought to my introverted little self, "If I'm just going to be reading silently, I'd rather do it at home in my pajamas and not have to talk to any strangers about it afterwards" :D But I do absolutely love my in-person book club through my church! 

We've got a new post up on our finance curriculum site which I think will be very helpful not just to homeschool families but honestly to any family! I wish I'd had more of this education before I moved out and started my own financial life! It was also be very helpful if you'd pin this pin =] 

Popular young adult books from a Christian point of view (I have not read all of these and the ones I have read were so long ago that I truly can't confirm either way) 

I read and loved Imagine Heaven and The Case for Heaven for Kids a while back. My husband and I watched The Case for Heaven one weekend and really enjoyed it! 

I've read several fantastic articles from For the Gospel this month and can't help but want to share it! I found it by Googling something I didn't understand from one of our Sunday sermons this month and now I'll always check there if I don't understand something! 

Have you ever felt conflicted about reading/watching Harry Potter as a Christian? Here are just two of many opinions. 

Christian graphic novels! 

Holiday homeschooling- adding curriculum to the mix 

Non-book things I loved in October: fall leaves! // this 100% cotton duster cardigan- I have it in navy but wear it so often I'll probably get another color as my next clothing purchase // this creamy wild rice soup my daughter and I made (I thought it tasted best when I sprinkled cayenne on my bowl after it was already cooked but our friends added sausage to theirs and really liked that, too) and we all enjoyed and this 5-minute lasagna (5min to prep, not to bake ;)) that delighted me because I love lasagna but hate standing there layering it // House of David again because we finished season 2! Now we're watching (and loving) The Chosen, season 3 // Helping my girls turn a pair of ripped up jeans into a denim skirt and then a different pair into a purse! 

Lightborn: Dawn of Darkness

I've finally finished a 548 page Biblical fantasy, Lightborn: Dawn of Darkness. This is book 1 of The Forgotten World Saga. 

I have been very interested in the pre-flood world for several years now. Nephilim, behemoth, Leviathan (although some of those survived the flood)... it's all very fascinating to me. 

This book is a fantasy, which is not my usual go-to, but the time period interested me enough that I wanted to give it a chance. I expected an average 300-ish page book and was almost disappointed to see that it was so long, since it's fantasy, but ended up being just fine with that. 

This book is primarily for adults but, per the publisher, could also work well for teens. I do agree with that but would like to caution parents to decide for themselves as there is of course some fantasy violence (though nothing graphically gory that I recall) and there is mention of a slave woman being forced into life as a concubine, as well as a bit of talk about fallen angels mating with human women to create the Nephilim race (again, nothing graphic is depicted). 

If the pre-flood world has ever interested you, if you are a fan of fantasy, and if you like Biblical fiction (you'll see Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah and more!), I would definitely give this one a try. I'll be reading book 2 when that comes out, too. 

* I received a free copy of Lightborn from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

David and Goliath

My husband recently read a great passage about David in Disciplines of a Godly Man (which he loved and repeatedly recommends) with interesting timing since we'd just watched a children's movie on David. We were talking about David a lot and I thought I'd share a list here of resources we've enjoyed regarding David. 

Bible- 1 and 2 Samuel and Psalms 

David (children's animated movie)... We all really enjoyed this one. The animation and music was comparable with Disney/Dreamworks quality (and quite catchy) and we all look forward to sharing this one with some other kids in our lives in the future. 

Dominion (YA, graphic novels)... These are more focused on Saul but the gang's all there... as lions. In space. It probably sounds crazy but it was a hit with my teen. 

Goliath Must Fall (and young readers edition) (nonfiction)... This is a Christian nonfiction book written to help and inspire you to overcome the giants in your life and uses the David and Goliath illustration to help explain the message. It's not at all a complete study on David, just a good Christian living book that talks about David. 

House of David (television series, for adults)... We have watched the first two seasons (and plan to watch the third when it comes out) and are so impressed! There is definitely violence to be aware of, as well as plenty of other sin, but we have seen much worse in the secular shows/movies we always used to watch so we can handle it. I'm a pretty sensitive reader/viewer and have been able to handle this so far. 

Imagination Station, book 5 (Showdown With the Shepherd) (chapter book, Biblical fiction)... We love this series for the 2nd/3rd grade crowd. My oldest three re-read it many times and now my fourth is enjoying it, too. I do recommend starting with book 1, however, to understand just what exactly is going on outside of the David & Goliath story. 

Imagine series: The Giant's Fall (middle grade, Biblical fiction)... This middle grade series is geared more toward the younger side, maybe advanced third graders through fifth graders (roughly... you know your children better than I do!) and each one features a different child being catapulted through time to witness a Biblical event in person. We liked the whole series. 

Songs of a Warrior (middle grade, Biblical fiction)... This is a really powerful fictionalized version of the story that really brought it all to life for my son around 6th grade. This author has also written a version of the Nativity story, which we loved, and a Ruth novel which I look forward to reading at some point! 

Christian books for freshman and sophomores

*Some of these are adult titles, and YA is notoriously gritty and/or objectionable so parents, as always, beware of content before deciding* 

All the Lost Places (historical fiction)

The All-American (historical fiction)

Bonhoeffer, student edition (nonfiction)

Door Within series (fantasy)

Dragonspell (fantasy)

Dragon Seed (fantasy)

Fawkes (historical fantasy)

God Speaks Your Love Language (nonfiction)

God’s Smuggler (nonfiction)

God’s Story, Your Story (nonfiction)

The Heritage of Lancaster County series (Amish fiction)

The Hiding Place (nonfiction)

The Hobbit (fantasy)

Isle of Swords series (fantasy)

The Key to Everything (historical fiction)

Kisses From Katie (nonfiction)

Laura’s Shadow (historical fiction)

The Letter From Briarton Park (historical fiction)

Lifemark (fiction)

Lightraiders Academy (fantasy)

Mindwar (sci-fi)

Missing Isaac (historical fiction)

My Name is Tani (nonfiction)

No Ocean Too Wide (historical fiction)

Once a Queen (fantasy)

Replication (sci-fi)

Riley Unlikely (nonfiction)

The Screwtape Letters (fantasy-ish, epistolary, classic)

Set the Stars Alight (historical fiction)

This Changes Everything (nonfiction)

Whose Waves These Are (historical fiction)

William Henry is a Fine Name (historical fiction)

Winning the War in Your Mind for teens (nonfiction) 

*Also, unrelated- I just learned about a pretty fantastic Christian book giveaway I thought I'd share. One winner will win all 36 books! I hope it's you or me ;]

Christian fiction featuring pregnancy

We recently announced that we are expecting another baby so today I wanted to share a list of Christian fiction that features pregnancy. 

First, I want to make something very clear. Some of these books deal with complications and/or loss, some characters consider or have previously had an abortion, and some include dramatic and scary births. A joyful planned pregnancy between a happily couple is nearly as rare in Christian fiction as it is in Hollywood so there are plenty of painful situations surrounding some of these pregnancies, too. I encourage you to research the titles you're interested in if you know certain subjects won't work for you.

I'll also add that some books are full of pregnancy while others feature it only in the first few or last few chapters, some are the main character's pregnancy and others are a sister's or her clients (there are a few midwife books in this list). 

I'll try to keep updating this list as I go! 

Airborne (scary biological warfare epidemic during a pregnancy) 
All She Ever Wanted (Only a small part of the book) 
The Amish Midwife 

Authentically, Izzy (Izzy's cousin is pregnant with twins and our exposure is minor at best)  

Baxter Family books by Karen Kingsbury, excluding the children's books (Not all of these books are pregnancy-specific and only a few of them show much pregnancy detail. They're also very dramatic with quite a lot of pregnancy/birth trauma in one of the books) 
Because You're Mine (pregnant while newly widowed and in danger, probably not ideal for most!) 
Beneath the Seems 
Bundle of Joy (Christmas) 
The Choice (themes of abortion) 
Christiansen Family books (Not all of these books feature pregnancy. One is heavily focused on a pregnant woman with a whole lot of drama surrounding it) 
Christmas at Carnton (Christmas, pregnant while newly-widowed) 
The Deep End of Love (teen pregnancy. Talks about abortion, infertility, and infant loss) 

The Girl Behind the Red Rope (thriller, a lil creepy)
I'll Be Seeing You (so. much. drama.) 

Lifemark (teen pregnancy) 

The Lost Story of Via Belle (not a joyful pregnancy story) 

The Medallion (WWII, traumatic circumstances while pregnant) 
The Midwife 

A Pocketful of Pinecones (this one is probably not for everyone, primarily geared towards homeschool moms/nature lovers... but if you like a sweet, cozy book you might like it anyway!) 
Shaped by the Waves (pregnant with a health condition... I'm pretty sure it was gestational diabetes but I could definitely be wrong) 
Tending Roses
What I Would Tell You (pregnant during the Holocaust, intense)