I'm joining up with Carolyn Astfalk who hosts an #OpenBook Linkup on CatholicMom.com. Here's what I've been reading this past month. The dates indicate when I finished the books. Thanks for stopping by!
10/4/22 The Courtship Plan - Kathleen Fuller - This was an enjoyable Amish romance about a young woman desperate to be married. Charity Raber comes up with a foolproof Courtship Plan, but she just might make a fool of herself carrying it out. There's no love lost between her and Jesse Bontrager, a young man who once insulted Charity in public, but as life keeps throwing them together, they may discover God's plan is better than theirs. (Read for a book review publication)
10/5/22 5-Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath - Lisa Hendey - This is a wonderful aid to having a fruitful Advent season (which is just around the corner). For each day of Advent, there is prayer, Bible reading, and reflection. It can also be adapted for use with young children.
10/9/22 The Joy of the Snow - Elizabeth Goudge - A few people have recommended Elizabeth Goudge's novels to me, and I have tried a couple. They were fine, but perhaps I just wasn't in the right frame of mind and didn't really get into them. But when I looked her up online, I saw that she had written an autobiography and that looked interesting. She lived from 1900 - 1984. This book was written in 1974. It is a truly lovely book tracing her life in England, her relationship with God (She was Anglican and her father was a priest), and her life as a writer which she describes with great humility. She seems like a kindred spirit to me (I'd be willing to bet she was a fellow INFJ on the Myers-Briggs personality test), and I enjoyed this book a great deal.
10/16/22 A Memory Book: Mount Holyoke College 1837-1887 - Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA is such a beautiful campus and is one of my favorite places to walk. Th's is book traced its history (I also enjoy reading about colleges and academic history in general) and was full of interesting tidbits, historical documents, and photos. It was written for the college 150th anniversary and was an absolute delight to read.
10/18/22 Everything is Just Beginning - Erin Bartels - This Christian romance is set in 1989 / 1990. A wanna-be rock star falls in love with a talented, blind musician whose family teaches him powerful lessons in forgiveness. The cultural and musical references bring the era to life. Instead of "chapters" it has "tracks" like on a CD. I thought that was an interesting touch. (Read for a book review publication.)
10/27/22 Welcoming the Christ Child with Padre Pio - Susan De Bartoli - This is billed as an Advent book and it does have Advent-themed reflections. However, it could be read and appreciated any time of year. It shares many stories of Padre Pio's life and miracles and is interesting for any one who wants to learn more about this modern saint.
10/27/22 Rescuing Rose - Susan Pope Sloan - This was a pleasing inspirational Civil War romance in which a Northern soldier falls in love with an independent-minded Southern woman. This type of book is good when you are looking for a relaxing read with a happy ending.
10/30/22 The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves - Alexandra Horowitz - Horowitz is a dog researcher and runs a dog cognition lab. This book traces the life of a new dog from birth through her first year. I'm a dog person and this was an interesting look at dog development and all that goes into turning a puppy into a dog.
Since spring of 2019, I have been making my way through the Great Books Curriculum of Thomas Aquinas College (I'm currently working on the readings for sophomore year).
10/10/22 Sylla - Plutarch - I'm continuing to make my way through the readings of Plutarch's lives assigned for sophomore year. Sylla, also known as Sulla, lived from 138-78 BC. Plutarch describes him as "vainglorious" with an appetite for distinction. He was known as a great commander. He declared himself dictator. What I will remember most from this biography is the vivid way Plutarch described Sylla's painful last illness.
10/14/22 Tiberius Gracchus - Plutarch - Tiberius Gracchus lived from 169 (?) - 133 BC. He married Appius Claudius' daughter Claudia and served under Scipio the Younger in Africa. He made a truce with the Numantines that saved 20,000 Roman lives. He also defended the poor. He served as a tribune but was ultimately beaten to death in an attack led by the senate in the 1st sedition at Rome.
10/21/22 Caius Gracchus - Plutarch - Caius Gracchus was Tiberius' younger brother. He lived from 154-121 BC. Originally, he rebelled against his brother's policies but then he became more public-minded. He became tribune and supported a number of reforms of Roman laws. Like his brother, he was eventually killed. The Roman people eventually put up statues in honor of both the Gracchi brothers.
My eleven-year-old daughter and I read the following books this month:
The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan - My daughter and I continued our trek through the Percy Jackson books with books 4 and 5 of the series.
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1 comment:
Thanks for linking to An Open Book! Everything is Just Beginning intrigues me - probably because of the era. That's right when I was graduating from high school, and I love to revisit that era.
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