#OpenBook for December 2024

 Welcome to #OpenBook. 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!

 

11-9-24 The Homeschool Advantage: A Child-Focused Approach to Raising Lifelong Learners - Colleen Kessler, M.Ed. - This book is designed for those interested in homeschooling or just starting their homeschooling journey. I appreciated that the author is raising neurodiverse children as many homeschoolers do fall in that category. Despite being a former teacher, she advocates for a very unschoollike child-led approach to cultivate a love of learning. While I knew most of the information in this book, I definitely recommend it for new homeschoolers.

11-13-24 Welcome to the Honey B & B - Melody Carlson - I've read quite a few of Carlson's books over the years and enjoy them. This was no exception! A single mother decides to uproot her 13-year-old daughter (who is NOT happy about it) to move back home to help care for her aging parents. Her father is suffering from dementia. She decides to put a temporary one-story dwelling on the property for her parents so her father can be safer and turn their home into a B and B. But to do so, she needs to enlist the help of an old flame, who may or may not be trustworthy, and a neighbor whom her father hates for no apparent reason. Due to the subject matter, this could have been a really difficult book to read (and there are certainly moments that are hard), but Carlson injects a good dose of humor and hope. Sadly, Carlson's husband has dementia so she is writing from personal experience. (Read for a book review publication.) 

11-15-24 My True Love Gave to Me: A Catechism for the Twelve Days of Christmas - Written by Katie Warner; Illustrated by Elizabeth Zelasko - This picture book is a visual delight for young and old.

The text is based on the legend that the famous Christmas song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was actually used to convey truths about the Catholic faith during a time when Catholics were being persecuted in England. Whether or not that legend is true, “the book is meant to help convey the gifts of the faith through the joy and meaning of song.” One could either read or sing the song as you share this beautiful book with children.

11-17-24 Treasures of the New York Public Library - Last month, I went on a field trip with my kids to see "The Lion King" on Broadway. As we hurried back to Grand Central Station at the end of the day, we passed the beautiful main branch of the New York Public Library. How I would have loved to have visited! But, alas, that was not to be. So, I did the next best thing. I watched video tours of the library on YouTube and took out this book from my local library. It turns out the average person can't even use the books in the library - it is only for researchers! There is a library branch a block away that New Yorkers can use to take out books. But the New York Public Library is also a museum, and this coffee table book highlights many of its treasures. It was fascinating to look at, although I wish the items in it had been arranged in some sort of order (chronology? theme? something?). One of my favorite items in it were the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals.  

11-19-24 The Devil's Ransom - Antony Barone Kolenc - Kolenc wraps up The Harwood Mysteries with this thrilling conclusion. Xan is all grown up now (age 15) and married to Christina. When they have to travel to confront Moorish pirates who are holding his uncle for ransom, he and his friends will have to face their toughest opponent yet, the devil himself. Like all the books in the series, this is exceptionally well-written. It interweaves story lines from the previous books. I recommend reading the whole award-winning series, starting with Shadow in the Dark.
 

11-22-24 A Constant Love - Tracie Peterson - I enjoyed this inspirational Western romance about how the truth can lead to healing. The Amazon description: In the wake of a harsh winter, Micah Hamilton and Charlotte Aldrich are grappling with loss and guilt after the disaster that took the lives of their loved ones. Struggling to cope with his grief, Micah abandons his father's dreams of a prosperous ranch and cuts himself off from the rest of the world.

Charlotte has loved Micah her entire life and is determined not to lose him as well. With her mother's help, she begins coaxing Micah to live again. Despite their enduring heartache, the affection between them deepens, but just as Charlotte thinks her dreams may come true, a scorned suitor threatens everything she holds dear. (Read for a book review publication.)

11-24-24 Beautiful and More Beautiful - Mark D. Sikes - These are two home design coffee-table style books filled with beautiful images of home interiors. Sometimes, I just like to look at pretty pictures. These two books fit the bill.

11-24-24 Dear Santa - Debbie Macomber - I requested a bunch of Christmas books from the library and was eager to dig in. Lindy returns home for Christmas, still reeling for her boyfriend leaving her for her best friend. Her mother encourages her to write a letter to Santa in which she asks for a new best friend, a new boyfriend, and for the big proposal she just submitted at work to be accepted. Santa comes through in some unexpected ways. This was a feel-good holiday romance to curl up with. 

11-30-24 What's Next: A Backstage Pass to the West Wing - Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack - When I requested this book from the library, I was expecting a coffee table style book with lots of photos interspersed with some anecdotes. What I got was a heavy tome (550 p) with lots of info and a few photos thrown in for good measure. The West Wing was one of the best shows ever on TV, and while I don't qualify as a "Wingnut," the affectionate term for a superfan, I have seen most of the episodes and enjoyed all of them. This book, written by two of the actresses on the show, features interviews with the major (and some minor) actors, discusses the writing and filming of the show, and, as promised, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this remarkable program. It also explores the attitude of service that many of the actors ascribe to, including the Catholic Martin Sheen, who played President Bartlet. If you are a fan of The West Wing, this book is for you.

12-1-24 A Christmas Duet - Debbie Macomber - This was another feel-good Christmas romance about a young woman who has always wanted to be a songwriter but who lacks faith in her ability. When her mother invites her ex-boyfriend to spend Christmas with them in the hopes of getting them back together, Hailey accepts the offer from a friend to stay in a cabin in rural Podunk, Oregon, and work on her music alone. But when she meets Jay, who helps her get a racoon out of her cabin, her plans take a surprising turn (or not surprising, as this is a Christmas romance). I enjoyed spending time with this story!

12-2-24 One Hour for My Priest - Tina Jost - This is a lovely book that provides a blueprint for how to pray for the priests in your life. It includes two holy hours designed to be prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament, but if you cannot physically get to church, you can certainly do them at home. However you choose to pray, you will be providing spiritual help to your priest and helping them fulfill their vocation. 

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 junior year). 

11/7/24 Meditations on First Philosophy - Rene Decartes - This was my last required reading by Descartes. It is a set of six meditations that explore proof of the existence of God and whether the soul is immortal.

 

My thirteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

11-26-24 Percy Jackson: Wrath of the Triple Goddess - Rick Riordan - It's always exciting when a new Percy Jackson book comes out, and this one did not disappoint. Percy's completing his second task to get his recommendations for college, with help from Annabeth and Grover of course. This time the goddess Hecate recruits him to pet-sit a mythical polecat and hellhound for a week. What could possibly go wrong?

 

 

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