Open Book for December 2022

 

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!

 

 

11/6/22 Dreamland - Nicholas Sparks - It was time for my annual Nicholas Sparks novel. This one featured a love story (which you would expect from Sparks) featuring two young adults who are aspiring musicians. One just graduated from college. One is a full-time farmer. However, a second storyline was a truly harrowing tale of a woman with her young son who are on the run from an abusive husband. The ending of this one was unexpected, but I raced through this book, eager to see how it would all turn out. 

11/9/22 America's Mary: The Story of Our Lady of Good Help - Marge Fenelon - This is a great book about the only approved Marian apparition to take place in the United States. In 1859, our Blessed Mother appeared to Adele Brise in Wisconsin. Fenelon does a great job of placing the apparition in its historical context and explaining its importance for today.

11/11/22 The Maid of Ballymacool - Jennifer Deibel - This is a sweet Cinderella-type story set in 1930s Ireland. It had a bit of mystery in it as well which added to the interest. (Read for a book review publication.) 

11/25/22 The First Notes: The Story of Do, Re, Mi - Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton - I'm not above reading a picture book if it is one I'm interested in. In fact, picture books are often wonderful introductions to topics. This one tells the story of Catholic monk Guido d'Arezzo who developed the written musical scale in the first part of the 11th century. It was a story I never heard before. This is a lovely book. And yes, once I was done with it, I read it to my daughter as part of our homeschool day. 

11/27/22 Marmee: A Novel of Little Women - Sarah Miller - I absolutely LOVED this book! I savored every page. It is a retelling of Little Women from Marmee's perspective and follows the original story with a few minor exceptions. It is written in journal format with Marmee recording her life. Miller does a wonderful job of exploring Marmee's character and fleshing out her personality. 

11/30/22 A Match in the Making - Jen Turano - This was a fun romantic comedy about matchmaking among Newport society in the 1880s. Turano throws in a bunch of zany characters willing to do anything to get a successful match. (Read for a book review publication).

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). 

11/4/22 Julius Caesar - Plutarch - I'm continuing to make my way through the readings of Plutarch's lives assigned for sophomore year. Most of what I knew about Caesar came from reading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in high school. Plutarch's version follows most of his adult life, including his romantic entanglements, his success in the Gallic wars, the disintegration of his relationship with Pompey, and his eventual murder. 

11/18/22 Cato - Plutarch - Cato was a priest of Apollo who was a great orator. He was often at odds with Caesar. He eventually committed suicide at age 48. His daughter Portia was married to Brutus, who killed Caesar. 

11/30/22 Brutus - Plutarch - Brutus was one of Julius Caesar's murderers (and according to Plutarch, possibly his illegitimate son). He was Cato's son-in-law. Later in life, he aligned with Cassius, but the two were defeated by Octavius and Antony. He died by his own hand (or possibly by his servant's hand at his request).

12/3/22 Comparison of Dion and Brutus - Plutarch - This was a short work comparing Brutus (above) and Dion (who I did not read anything else about), but both men had hostility to tyrants. People were angry at Brutus for killing Caesar, but Dion was held in contempt for letting Dionysius escape from Syracuse. On the other hand, Antony gave Brutus a burial with honor, but no one cared about Dion's death.

And with that, I have finished the Plutarch section of sophomore year that I've been working on for the last three months. Can I get an Hallelujah?!

My eleven-year-old daughter and I read the following books this month:

 

11/9/22 Odder - Katherine Applegate - Animal lovers will enjoy this sweet story about an otter named "Odder" and her life both out in the wild and at a rescue aquarium. One thing to note is that the pages are written in a verse-type style with headings on each page, but you can read it as prose. I read it aloud as a normal book, simply skipping the headings.

11/30/22 The Giver - Lois Lowry - This one is a classic dystopian novel for middle-grade students. It is a great story by itself, but it also opens the door to some important conversations regarding euthanasia.

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