July reads

This was a great month for kid books! Adult books, not so much. I spent a lot of time on/procrastinating my book club's read this month (Life, and Death, and Giants) which I ultimately did not finish and was a bit uncomfortable with. There were mixed feelings. Two women loved it, one didn't finish it either and doesn't plan to, and two did finish it but didn't necessarily enjoy the process. I'm super excited for our next read!

GROWN-UP READS:

📖 Bible study: 2 Peter // Ephesians using Worthy // Slowly studying Ezekiel with my husband 

📖 The Girl From Tomorrow's Town* (Christian, historical fiction)... I still have yet to meet a circus book I didn't enjoy. This one got a full review here.  

📖 Your Life Signature* (Christian, nonfiction)... What a book! This book made me think and reflect so much, which I always love. The author uses a lot of imagery and illustration to express his points so it was really jam-packed with gold that led me down some wonderful paths, my favorite being the story of Sir Nicholas Winton in the beginning or middle of the book. I have thought a lot about my purpose for years and this book only made me that much more excited to see what else God has planned for me and my one little life. 

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS 

📖 Falling Out of Time (secular, fiction)... Another Margaret Peterson Haddix- this one is a sequel to Running Out of Time I never knew existed! I enjoyed it and then my oldest did, too.

📖 Game Changers (secular, middle grade, fiction)... Truthfully, I didn't like it. I'm not into sports books. There was a bit of rudeness but not too bad and I do think kids who like sports books will probably like it.
📖 Hand Lettering God's Word for Girls* (Christian, middle grade, nonfiction)... I enjoyed this kind of art book-devotional combo and put up a full review here. 

 📖 Island Dreamer (Christian, YA, fiction)... This is the 5th book in the Christy Miller series and I still find them compulsively readable. I do think I would have loved it as a teenager.

📖 The Legend of Bluebell Forest (secular, middle grade, fiction, TGTB)... This was the free book from the TGTB summer reading program. I liked it and think my daughter will like it, but we'll see if she wants the second!
📖 The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli (secular, middle grade, historical fiction, time slip)... I really enjoyed this ancient China / 1930s Chinatown time slip! I can't wait for a few of my kids to read this one.
📖 Nory Ryan's Song (secular, middle grade, fiction, TGTB Book List)... This is a historical fiction about the Irish potato famine, a subject I've only encountered in fiction one other time. I found it interesting, though it wasn't a new favorite or anything, and I'll be curious to see what my oldest thinks if/when he picks it up!
📖 Raising Dragons (Christian, YA, fantasy, fiction)... I mean, fantasy is not for me so I kind of hated it but I get the appeal and can see that my oldest will love it. There was a bully teasing a girl and implying that she isn't a virgin, and later that girl implies that she was abused in a specific way by her father. Both issues are one single line and are implied, not said. I decided I'm okay with it for 8th grade but I do wish those things weren't in there. 

📖 Resist (secular, middle grade, historical fiction)... This was a short but good WWII resistance story and I'll definitely try more Alan Gratz books.
📖 The Story of Simone Biles (secular, chapter book, nonfiction, TGTB book list)... I liked Simone Biles' memoir and I enjoyed this version for the younger crowd.
📖 A Summer Secret (Christian, upper middle grade / YA, Amish fiction)... This was a good 8th grader-ish story. I thought it would be more of a mystery but the mystery is solved pretty quickly and then it becomes more of a social dilemma. I liked it and will definitely try book 2.  

📚 PICTURE BOOKS WE LOVED: God Bless You and Goodnight (not new, but this is the current favorite bedtime book) // The Heart Who Needed a Friend (full review here) // Play With Me (this month's Imagination Library gift) // Thank You Bear 

* I received a free copy of The Girl From Tomorrow's Town, Your Life Signature, and Hand Lettering God's Word for Girls in exchange for an honest review. 

April reads

April was a good reading month for sure. I keep getting excited about grown-up books and reading/listening to lots but I really need to focus more heavily on middle grade in May. I'll still enjoy adult books too, just not as many.

GROWN-UP READS:

📖 Bible study: Matthew. I really floundered a bit with this... I wanted to take an old testament break and get into Matthew but I also hated that my Bible study notes wouldn't be going in order. I actually flitted back and forth for a week before settling into Matthew. 

📖 26 Below (Christian, fiction, suspense)... This was a fast-paced, Alaska-set story about what I would call cyber terrorism. It was a good story but I don't think I'll probably read the next two in the series as they start over with different characters.
📖 The All-American (Christian, historical fiction)... I Really enjoyed this baseball-themed coming-pf-age story and added it to our high school list!
📖 All She Ever Wanted (Christian, fiction, time slip)... This family story is heavy in nature and heavy on the sin + consequences. I recognize it would be too depressing for most people but oh my goodness, it was a 5-star read for me!
📖 Chasing the Horizon (Christian, historical fiction)... This is the first Oregon trail story I've read in a long time despite it being such a source of fascination for me for so many years in my childhood. I did enjoy it for the most part but I don't currently intend to continue the series.
📖 Digital Minimalism (Secular, nonfiction)... Loved this great book! Anyone who wants to get more done in a day should read it. It wasn't lost on me that I was listening to the audio version on my phone 😅 

📖 Long Way Gone (Christian, fiction)... This Prodigal son retelling was a good, very emotionally moving book. My one problem with the audio version was that it usually took me a few seconds to figure out if we were in the past or present storyline. I always prefer single timeline audio books if I can help it. 

📖 Rescue at the Reef (Christian, nonfiction, memoir)... Whew, this was a hard but good/inspiring read by the parents of a young boy who was attacked by a shark but showed remarkable faith.
📖 Restoration series # 3 True Light and #4 Dawn's Light (Christian, fiction, Speculative)... I finished the series. Book 4 involves a child's brutal attack and was very, very hard on me. I was sorrowful from about halfway through it through the end + after. I don't see myself being up for suspense anymore for a while. If you recall, I found this series on a list great for Christian teens but I am absolutely not going to give it to my kids or recommend it for others. 

 📖 The Wonder of You (Christian, fiction)... This is book 5 in the Christiansen Family books, this one about the youngest daughter Amelia. I think I was less excited about this storyline than any others but I did still enjoy it. I am always bothered by a story about dating two people at once (Amelia) but I am invested in this series + wanted to see how things would play out for a different sibling couple as well as orphaned Yulia. I am looking forward to the next one! 

📚 Plus applicable sections of Mom Heart Moments and The Wonder Weeks

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS... 

📖 The Blue Door (Christian, YA, fiction)... This is the first book in a series about angels. It felt a little more feminine than I think my oldest will really get into but I guess we'll see!
📖 Catherine's War (secular, middle grade, historical fiction, graphic novel)... This WWII graphic novel was a recommendation by Gretchen Louise. It says "Load of B.S." early on but was a good story I enjoyed.
📖 The City of Ember (secular, fiction, dystopian)... This dystopian middle grade novel was recommended to me by another mom at a birthday party! I agree with her assessment that it was clean. I didn't find it super compelling but I think my oldest will enjoy it.
📖 Emmaline and the Bunny (secular, fiction)... This is cute, nothing super deep but a fun read with sweet bunny illustrations my daughter enjoyed.
📖 Glimmer & Shine: 365 Devotions to Inspire (Christian, middle grade, nonfiction)... My girls loved the Glimmer Girls series and were very excited for this devotional, too.
📖 Isabel: My Journal (secular, middle grade, fiction)... Last month I read the 1999 American Girl journal of Nicki and this month I read her twin sister's journal. It was the same story from a different perspective and I found it appropriate + nostalgically fun. 

 📖 A Nest for Celeste (secular, middle grade, fiction)... This was a cute read for nature lovers but there were a few things sensitive kids may struggle with. Audubon repeatedly killing birds so he could illustrate them, for example. 

📖 Parable Port #1: The Sower's Secret (Christian, fiction)... This one is inspired by the parable of the sower and I really liked it. I added it to our sixth grade list and look forward to trying book 2. 

📖 The Puffin Keeper (secular, middle grade, fiction, TGTB book list)... I liked this one and thought the illustrations and story paired together wonderfully. I expect one of my kids to love this story and the rest to just like it okay. 

📖 Ratscalibur (secular, middle grade, fantasy fiction)... This was a cute little animal version of the story of King Arthur. Squirrelin instead or Merlin, a sport in the scone instead of sword in the stone, etc. I am guessing all four of my oldest kids will enjoy it. 

📖 Tambika and the Shield of Wisdom (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... This is the second Lightgliders Origin installment and I think I liked it even more than the first! I look forward to seeing what my oldest thinks. 

📖 Yours Forever (Christian, YA, fiction, Christy Miller #3)... These Christy Miller books are so compulsively readable! I read something about Christy being a great role model for teens and decided to give it one more chance. I could see a good shift in her in this book and have decided to keep going with the series. 

March Reading

GROWN-UP READS:

📖 Bible study: Nothing specific other than what I was covering through church, Becoming a Girl of Grace, and my (not finished) morning read, Hidden Mysteries and the Bible. 

📖 Always On my Mind (Christian, fiction, book 4 in the Christiansen Family series)... l was really looking forward to this one (so much DRAMA!!) and it did not disappoint!
📖 Make Your Own (secular, nonfiction, cookbook)... We've been looking forward to this cookbook for so long! We are all very happy with it. The first thing we made was chili cheese fries using this cheese sauce and everyone loved it. 
📖 Pearl in the Sand (Christian, Biblical fiction)... I read this biblical fiction about Rahab of Jericho with my church book club. I wouldn't have chosen this for myself and didn't like it very much. This is the 4th Biblical fiction book I've tried and it's the 3rd that felt to sexual for a Christian novel! Is that a fluke or is this a thing? Would love your thoughts if you're a Biblical fiction reader. 
📖 Relationships 101 (Christian, nonfiction)... My focus this year is love, you know? This short, powerful book gave me a lot of inspiration in this area! 
📖 Restoration series: #1 Last Light, #2 Night Light (Christian, fiction)... This EMP aftermath/survival series was on a list of great books for Christian teens so I wanted to give it a try. It is a murder mystery (not super graphic though) and does talk about edgier subjects (teens getting drunk and high, a man selling pornography) but through a Christian lens. I'll finish the series before deciding if I'll give it to my teens someday.

📚 Plus applicable sections of Mom Heart Moments and The Wonder Weeks

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS...

📖 The Blossoming Summer (secular by a Christian author, middle grade, fiction)... I liked this WWII home front family story- a great one for Indigenous Peoples Month, too!
📖  A Boy and a Bear in a Boat (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I read this one because one of my children picked it as their library book. I didn't love it and neither did the kiddo.
📖 The Castle in the Attic (secular, middle grade, fiction)... Not my very favorite but overall fine. Reminds me of a less rude Indian in the Cupboard.
📖 The Children of Willow Farm (secular, middle grade, fiction, The Good and the Beautiful Book list selection)... One of my kids has been excited about this out-of-print pig book for years and my dad finallyfound a copy! The pigs don't come in until pretty far into the book but I still think it'll be a hit.
📖 Freedom Train (secular, middle grade, historical fiction, TGTB book list)... This Harriet Tubman book was a quick skim for me. I appreciated the Faith content.
📖 In 27 Days (secular, YA, fiction)... I did like this creative YA novel but don't plan to add it to our lists. Parents will want to know there's a lot of kissing and a few minor language issues like "BS," the acronym not the full word.
📖 Nicki: My Journal (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I enjoyed this 1999 American Girl story and will try the longer Nicki story, too.
📖 The Scourge (secular, middle grade, Speculative fiction)... I liked this middle grade dystopian/epidemic kinda book. It had the caste system, friendship, and adventure of The Hunger Games but without the violence. There's also a kiss. I'm putting it on our 8th grade list.
📖 The Secret Keepers (secular, middle grade, fiction)... This 15-hour-long audio book is by the author the Mysterious Benedict Society series we love. The first three chapters I was not feeling it but then I loved it to the end and couldn'twait to listenagain! My oldest loved it, too.
📖 Summerhill Secrets #1: Whispers Down the Lane  (Christian, YA, Amish fiction)... This was the exact dramatic YA novel I would have loved as a teen. This was intense subject matter (a friend's alcoholic father has been beating her and the teenage MC is trying to figure out how to handle the situationwith integrity) but I felt it was handled well, from a realistic Christian teen perspective. I will try book 2, too.
📖 Who Was Harry Houdini? (Secular, middle grade, nonfiction)... I was glad one of my children chose this library book because I had fun learning about Houdini. 

📚 PICTURE BOOKS WE LOVED: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom // Eric Carle's Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 

Favorite read this month: Always On My Mind or The Secret Keepers 

*I used Amazon Affiliates links in this post. If you make an Amazon purchase I make a small referral commission at no additional cost to you. 

February reads

Lots of great reads in February! Two fun things- I realized while listening to my audio book on the 14th that I happened to be listening a book called The HEART Between Us on Valentine's Day... then when I later read a physical chapter of Always On my Mind (Didn't finish by the end of February), the chapter turned out to be taking place right before (and then the next chapter ON) Valentine's Day! Fun.

I really ramped up my audio book listening this month so I can get my kids' book lists moving again. I have a love-hate relationship with audio books to be honest. They save me time and help me check lots of kid books, which I love... but I've also always loved quiet and time to think/reflect/be. I don't think I'll utilize them beyond road trips once I'm done building my kids' book lists. 

GROWN-UP READS:

📖 Bible study: Still working through Genesis. Ready for an Old Testament break though, I think. 

📖 The Heart Between Us (Christian, contemporary fiction)...  This book was not at all what I was expecting because the cover looks so playful. It was so relationship-focused, which you know I love! Sisters, marriage, friends, boss-employee, so much! But I do have to warn that there is a SA focus. One character experienced the abuse off-page, pre-book, but it's reflected on/mentioned multiple times, enough that you can't just skip a few parts. I didn't add this to our high school lists. 

📖 Imagine Heaven (Christian, nonfiction)... I always love a good NDE/ Heaven book but wow, this one is an absolute favorite! It particularly had me thinking a lot about my job (everyone's job) to love my neighbor... my family, my actual neighbors, my cashier, the person who cuts me off in traffic, the person who says something rude to me, everyone. I thought so much about this during and after this book. How do I love people who repeatedly reject my attempts? Is it love if they (at least seemingly) don't want it? Love looks like grace, understanding, compassion, forgiveness, engaged listening, the five lobe languages... what else? Anyway, excellent read for me!
📖 Just Once (Christian, historical fiction)... I really enjoyed this love story. For those who have read/watched The Baxters, this is Hank and Irvel's story! It's just fine as a stand-alond for those who aren't already familiar. I didn't add this to our high school lists. 

 📖 The Spice King (Christian, historical fiction)... I wanted a historical fiction audio book and saw this one available on Libby. I remembered a ton of Christian bookworms loving it a few years ago so decided to try it. Loved it! Foodies will like this one, too. :) I did add it to our high school list but only because some topics interest some of my crew. I don't think it'll appeal to most high schoolers as Gray is 40.

📖 Theo of Golden (secular, fiction)... My church book club normally reads only faith-focused books but this month someone highly recommended this one. It did contain a few curse words, especially the D word quite a few times, but it was a beautiful story I think anyone who can ignore cursing will love. The bookstore in this book is called The Verbivore and I want to go there just for its name 😆 

 

📚 Plus applicable sections of Mom Heart Moments and The Wonder Weeks

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS... 

 📖 Arabel's Raven (secular middle grade, fiction, The Good and the Beautiful book list)... I don't personally like funny books but some of my kids will really enjoy this one.

📖 Bryce and the Lost Pearl (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... I think this will be a hit with my 7th grader and I'll definitely try book 2.
📖 Frindle (secular, middle grade, fiction)... This was cute and I decided to read it aloud to my kids after I finished it. :)
📖 History Mystery Kids: Fiasco in Florida (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... This was fun and not super deep, the first in a time travel series I suspect some of my kids will love. I always appreciate a book with male and female protagonists.
📖 The Homeless Kitten (secular, chapter book, fiction)... This was cute and sweet, very similar to the other books in this series.
📖 Hotel Flamingo (secular, middle grade, fiction, The Good and the Beautiful Booklist)... I read this one because I thought two of my kids would love it, but then once I was reading it I decided they'd just like it. Correct- they like it, but it wasn't the hit I'd initially hoped it would be.
📖 It's Not About Me (Christian, YA, nonfiction)... I really like Max Lucado's books and I liked this one, too.
📖 The Key House (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... I liked this Christian fiction about two tween brothers. One of the does mistreat his brother but is given wise council about it and does reflect on the situation. Parents should know that there is a sentence where an adult talks about the importance of helping orphans as Christians and does say (without any graphic details) that many girls who leave orphanages turn to prostitution. We will try book 2.
📖 Marvel at the Moon (Christian, middle grade, nonfiction, devotional)... I don't personally get excited about supace stuff but kids who do will love this devotional. Lots of interesting tidbits mixed into each message.
📖 The Mona Lisa Vanishes (secular, middle grade, nonfiction)... This nonfiction about art theft was so good!
📖 Nanny Piggins (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I read this at one of my kids' request. I personally didn't care for it so didn't add it to our book list, but I did allow my daughter to read it.
📖 One Wrong Step (secular, middle grade, historical fiction, The Good and the Beautiful book list )... So good! Mt Everest stories do interest me (especially the yeti kind) but I have thoroughly enjoyed each of Jennifer A Nielsen's riveting historical fiction novels so far.
📖 Polar the Titanic Bear (secular, middle grade, nonfiction)... This was such a fun angle, to look at the Titanic through the eyes of a stuffed bear who was brought onto the ship. This feels more like a very long picture book than a middle grade novel and was filled with photos.
📖 Sisterhood of Sleuths (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I tried this one because the author's Book Scavenger trilogy was such a hit in our house. This one was fun (Nancy Drew-themed literary history, friendship, research on a light murder-free mystery) but I do like the Book Scavenger trilogy more.
📖 So You're About to be a Teenager (Christian, middle grade, nonfiction)... I liked this book for 12-year-olds. It does explain the basic mechanics of sex in a very short, simple way. It talks quite a lot about purity but in a way that (I feel) is neither shaming nor condemning. Also peer pressure in other ways. Overall good read.
📖 Sophie Mouse #5: The Maple Festival (secular,  chapter book, fiction)... This was cute and sweet, one I'm fine with my second grader reading. We've read the first book in the series too but I think that's the only other one and this is book 5.
📖 Welcome to the Bed and Biscuit (secular, chapter book, fiction)... This one, which I checked for pig purposes, was overall cute. It lands around a 3rd-4th grade reading level.
📖 Winnie Dancing On Her Own (secular, chapter book, fiction)... I tried it for the ballet theme and I liked this friendship book fine for third graders but doubt it'll ever be read by my kiddos.  

*We all worked through The Ology, Atlas Adventures, Mushrooms & Fungi for Kids, and Home Ec for Everyone in homeschool (along with our regular subjects). I also worked through Becoming a Girl of Grace with two of my girls.

📚 PICTURE BOOKS WE LOVED: Dozens of Doughnuts // Floss // Richard Scarry's First 100 Words // Stuck // You and Me, Little Bear

Favorite read this month: Imagine Heaven 

January reads

New year, new reading priorities and plans! 

GROWN-UP READS:

📖 Bible study: Genesis! Starting over, working through book by book unless I see the need to move in a different direction. 

📖 Following Jesus (Christian, nonfiction)... Wow, what a book! I expected to feel like, 'Eh, not bad.' Instead it was just full if important little gems. I'm reading and hearing the same thing again and again in 2026... Following Jesus means loving his children. Even they're jerks, even when I'm busy, even when our values don't line up. 

📖 Knights Templar (secular, nonfiction, history)... I was curious about this group after seeing them pop up on multiple episodes of Unexplained. I learned a lot and overall enjoyed this one but gosh, what a sad ending the Knights had :'(

📖 Ladies of the Lake (Christian, fiction, time slip)... Amy has been recommending this to me for years because it's set partially in Connecticut and I needed that state for my USA list. I wasn't super interested in the plot so put it off a while but WOW, did I love this book! Especially at some point when I went 'Wait, WHAT? Now I want to read this all over again with this in mind!' Amy, THANK YOU for such a fantastic recommendation! 

I also finally watched The Baxters with my husband! There were a few differences from the books but overall I liked all three seasons and would watch more if they put out more. He of course didn't adore the show but he did like it fine and would watch more seasons with me.  

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS... 

📖 Babe the Gallant Pig (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I wasn't a fan of this one but I'm fine with my pig-loving daughter reading it. FYI, lots of stupid and idiot usage in this one.
📖 Beauty (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I really enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast retelling, great for middle schoolers.
📖 Dolphin Tale (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I liked this movie years ago and I'm fine with this book adaptation.
📖 Kindred Dragons (secular, middle grade, graphic novel, fantasy)... This was also an Amy recommendation and I loved it so much! Anne of Green Gables with dragons, very fun.
📖 Mindwar (Christian, YA, Speculative fiction)... This was a very thrilling, fast-paced YA novel partially set in virtual reality. It's not my style but it still kept my attention and I know my son will love it in a few years.
📖 Thoughts for Young Men (Christian, YA, nonfiction)... This was full of valuable wisdom for young men to keep their faith strong but it was definitely a bit intense at times. Probably ideal for 9th ish grade.
📖 Time for Courage (Christian, middle grade, historical fiction)... Loved this sequel to a favorite (Hunger Winter) and so did my middle schooler! But we both almost always love WWII fiction.
📖 Top Secret Files: World War I (secular, middle grade, nonfiction)... Again my middle schooler and I both loved this one! We both know a lot about WWII but neither of us knows a ton about WWI so this one was very informative for us.
📖 The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I listened to this while very distracted. I didn't catch anything that concerned me (an adult drank brandy and I believe I heard the word stupid 3x, if those are a firm no for you) but my middle schooler plans to read it and let me know if I missed anything.
📖 Understanding Screen Addiction (secular, middle grade, nonfiction)... Good, quick, informative read that isn't anti-technology and offers a balanced view while presenting the facts. 

*We all worked through The Ology, Atlas Adventures, and Home Ec for Everyone in homeschool (along with our regular subjects).  

📚 PICTURE BOOKS WE LOVED: Baby Animals (my baby's current favorite... we probably each read this one 30-50 times this month! // Every Neighbor // The Heart Who Wanted to Lasso Thoughts // Mama and Baby (my baby's second favorite) // Pigs to the Rescue // Red Truck

Favorite read this month: Ladies of the Lake! 

December Reading

This was a great reading month for me, I guess because we were on a school break the whole time.

GROWN-UP READS:

📖 Bespoke: A Tiny Christmas Tale (Christian, historical fiction, 🎄)... I love Amanda Dykes' lovely writing style! This one was very short but it was a good one.
📖 The Christmas Book Flood (Christian, historical fiction, 🎄)... This sweet, bookish Christmas novela was set in WWII Iceland. I enjoyed it- it felt so incredibly cozy!
📖 Evergreen (Christian, fiction, 🎄)... This was book 3.5 in the Christiansen Family series and it was focused on parents John and Ingrid in their first Christmas as empty nesters. It was of course a little sad in some ways but I loved it!
📖 Marley Madison short mysteries 1-3 (Christian,  fiction, mystery)... This is Christina Suzann Nelson's new mystery series. The deaths were a bit much but they were not shown on-page. I am more sensitive to suspense these days and probably won't read the next set (but ill still read her main body of work.
📖 Mr. Nicholas (Christian, fiction, 🎄)... This was sweet, about a man kind of getting to know his son with Down Syndrome for the first time- of course duringthe Christmas season. This had some depth and richness to it I really loved. I can see why it was a Christy Award winner!
📖 Tidings of Comfort and Joy (Christian, fiction, 🎄, historical fiction)... I liked this grandmother-grandmother Christmas novela. This was my second Davis Bunn Christmas story and I'll absolutely try more in the future!
📖 Unwrapping the Names of Jesus (Christian, nonfiction, 🎄)... I read this one with my church book club. It wasn't quite what I was expecting but it was still a good read.

* My mom and I abandoned our buddy read, The Gift of Christmas Present, this year, because of a rape storyline we weren't expecting in a Christmas novela.

📚 Plus applicable sections of The Wonder Weeks

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS

📖 Arcade and the Triple T Token (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... I didn't expect this book to have so many lovely messages and moments! I enjoyed it and know some of my kids will really enjoy it, too. I'll definitely try book two.
📖 The Case for Heaven (Christian, middle grade, nonfiction)... This was such a great book! I really love books about Heaven and this one was quite moving. 
📖 I Saw Three Ships (secular,  middle grade, fiction, 🎄)... I've been curious about this one for years because Sarah Clarkson recommends the author for fans of Anne of Green Gables. I did enjoy this very short Christmas read and added it to my kids' shelves.
📖 The Trees Kneel at Christmas (Christian, chapter book)... This was a short, sweet Christmas story by the author of the Betsy Tacy stories.
📖 A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone,  the World's First National Park (secular, middle grade, nonfiction, history)... This was a great nonfiction, full of details + color photos, and now I hope we can take our kidsto Yellowstone one day soon!
📖 Who Were the Beatles? (Secular, middle grade, nonfiction, history)... One of my kids is taking a music appreciation course and is really into music history in general right now. The history of rock n roll gets talked about in this one and we had some great conversation about the various changes in music over the years.

*I also read part of Stella by Starlight as a buddy read with one of my kids and The Angel Tree & Adoration at the Manger as read-alouds all together.

PICTURE BOOKS WE LOVED: God's Animals, my baby's current favorite// The Golden Hour // The Wonderful Book // all of these Christmas picture books

Favorite reads this month: Evergreen and The Case for Heaven 

October Reading

October was a month of much needed autumnal bliss. We had family visitors for a few days and a few friend dates, a few fun events/activities, lots of time outside, and a decent number of nights cozied up with a good book!

At the beginning of the month I decided to read the Sweater Weather series because of a gushing post I read on a Christian fiction blog. Courtney Walsh wrote one of the books so I didn't think to check out if they were indeed Christian. The first book used the words "boobs" and "sexy" enough times that I started to really doubt that this was actually a Christian series. I read a Christian book review and a few Goodreads reviews and decided to abandon the series. I'd still happily read Courtney Walsh's offering but hers is sadly the only one not available through my library!

GROWN-UP READS
📖 How to Study the Bible Intentionally (Christian, nonfiction)... Incredibly helpful! Ready to slide back out of my Bible study slump!
📖 The Perfect Rom-Com (Christian, but really just clean, fiction)... overall this was fine but it was really not at all what I was in the mood for. I may have liked it more if I'd read it at a different time but I can still see the cuteness objectively.
📖 The Second Story Bookshop (Christian but basically just clean, fiction)... Overall, this was a fun autumnal read. This romance featured lots of kissing and a female MC who already had a boyfriend when the sparks started to fly with the male MC but I overall liked it.
📖 The Tipping Point (secular,  nonfiction)... I've intended to read a Malcolm Gladwell book for years! I am so fascinated by social science books like this. I'll definitely read more.

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

📺 My oldest read The Hobbit so we watched all three Hobbit movies together. They're so lovely at times but good grief, so violent! I was very excited for these and kept saying I couldn't wait for our cozy autumn Hobbit parties. I snuggled in with a mug of tea and pretty quickly realized this was not going to be a sweet cozy movie 😅

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS
📖 The Brushmaker’s Daughter (secular,  middle grade, historical fiction)... This WWII fiction focused on a Jewish young lady whose father is blind. They found refuge working in a brush factory that employed several other blind people. I really liked it! I love this author's WWII books and am always surprised that she can write so many WWII stories That all feel different to me.
📖 The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I really enjoyed this clever mystery and can't wait to see what my seventh grader thinks!
📖  Operation Grizzly Bear (secular,  middle grade, nonfiction)... This was excellent middle grade nonfiction for nature lovers! It's about Jean Craighead George's brothers and (tiny) little bits of her + her childhood are sprinkled in.
📖 Road Trip Rescue (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will pass it along to my upper middle grade children. So far one of them has read it and she loved it + asked for book 2.
📖 Puppy Pirates #1: Stowaway! (Secular, chapter book, fiction)... Cute, fine, but those who don't allow twaddle won't love it.

*I also finished a Harry Potter buddy read with one of my kids and we all worked through The Ology, Atlas Adventures, and Home Ec for Everyone in homeschool (along with our regular subjects). 

PICTURE BOOKS WE LOVED: Library Mouse: Home Sweet Home // Nightsong // A Puppy for Annie