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!
3-6-26 The Girl From Tomorrow's Town - Naomi Musch - This is an interesting historical romance set against the backdrop of a real-life circus train accident that occurred in June 1918. A young woman who was sent away on an orphan train after her father died and her mother couldn't take care of her goes in search of her mother, despite not even remembering the name of the town she was from. En route, she meets a visually-impaired circus worker, who convinces her to work for the circus and helps her with her search. (Read for a book review publication.)
3-7-26 Exploring American Girlhood through 50 Historic Treasures - Ashley Remer and Tiffany Isselhardt - This is a fascinating work of social history that looks at the lives of notable girls (up to age 21), some more well-known than others, who have lived in America from the earliest days until today. It takes 50 objects as jumping-off points and then explores the lives of the girls who owned them. This is well-worth reading for anyone who enjoys social history or is interested in how girls/women helped shape America.
3-9-26 50 Strategies for Integrating AI into the Classroom - Donnie Piercey - AI seems to be turning into one of those things that we will simply need to know how to use in order to function in the world. I've been looking for resources to tell me how to use it. This one is actually very helpful with prompts to use for various educational tasks, including grade-specific activities.
3-15-26 The Woman in the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Helped Fly the First Astronauts to the Moon - Richard Maurer - I found this book on the "Women's History" March display at my local library. This is a biography aimed at ages 10-14 (although I found it informative and well-written as an adult) about Margaret Heafield Hamilton (1936-), who worked for NASA and helped program the computers that sent astronauts to the moon. While I didn't understand some of the math and science in this book, I enjoyed reading about her education and unlikely career path. People who liked Hidden Figures will appreciate this book.
3-17-26 Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier - I first read this book as a ninth grader and remembered enjoying it, so I requested it from the library to read to my ninth-grade daughter as part of her English curriculum. It was every bit as good as I remembered with the haunting figure of Rebecca (the first Mrs. de Winter) and the chilling housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, looming over the lives of Maxim de Winter and his second wife, the narrator, who is never named. Perfect for those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
3-19-26 Quirky Catholic Kids: Navigating Neurodivergence with Faith and Joy - Ginny Kochis - This is a must-read for any Catholic parenting children who are neurodivergent in any way (autism, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, etc). Kochis covers all the basics, from striving to understand your child's behaviors to coping with stress as a parent, navigating social situations, managing screen time, and teaching your children the Catholic faith. There is also a wonderful section on patron saints for quirky kids. This is a book I wish I had twenty-five years ago when I was starting my own parenting journey!
3-20-26 A Life So True - Tracie Peterson - This is the second book in a series, but it works as a stand-alone. Evie Turner has always wanted to be a nurse and work alongside her father, Dr. Roman Turner. But there is a problem - medical issues make her sick to her stomach. How can she ever tell her parents that nursing isn't her calling after all? Max Garrison meets Evie at a charitable function and is quickly enamored with the young woman, but he has family problems of his own. This is a feel-good story about finding your place in the world, even if it doesn't turn out to be what you expected. (Read for a book review publication.)
3-21-26 The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis - I saw this book mentioned recently (I don't remember where) and decided to request it from the library. It is about a bus trip where a soul travels from hell to heaven. meeting various souls along the way, some of whom have more trouble letting go of the things of this world than others.
3-22-26 The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy - Susan Wise Bauer - I am always in awe of Susan Wise Bauer's breadth of knowledge and research abilities. After all, this is a woman who has written books on the history of the world. This was an interesting (if at times stomach-turning) look at sickness through the centuries, including theories of what caused it and how it was treated. After reading this, I'm very thankful for modern medicine.
3-23-26 A Catholic Pilgrimage through American History: People and Places that Shaped the Church in the United States - Kevin Schmiesing - This book is fascinating for anyone interested in Catholic history. Dr. Schmiesing introduces several places in the country that have been key places in the story of Catholics in America. He shares these twenty-seven stories/places/people in chronological order (with some overlap), beginning with the early explorers and ending with the NASA space program. It is all well-researched with lists of sources for each chapter for those who would like to learn more about a particular topic. While I most likely will never get to visit these places, it was very interesting to learn about the people and stories connected to them.
3-26-26 The Unexpected Caller (The Amish Widows Club Book 1) - Shelley Shepard Gray - If you enjoy Amish fiction, you will want to read this lovely tale about a widow who suffered through nineteen years of a childless, unhappy marriage and is in no rush to get married again. When she is invited to join the secret Amish Widows Club, she finds comfort with a group of like-minded women. However, Evan Keim comes calling, giving her a second chance at love, but choosing him would mean leaving her beloved widows club behind and taking a step into an unknown, possibly painful, future. (Read for a book review publication.)
3-28-26 The Weedy Garden - Margaret Renkl - This is a lovely picture book designed to show children the value of a native wildflower garden for the local ecosystem. I appreciate that because I have a messy front-yard flower garden. However, I wish they had given it the name The Wildflower Garden instead.
3-29-26 The Correspondent - Virginia Evans - I was well over #1000 on the hold list for this NYT fiction bestseller when I requested this from the library, but it finally came in! I read it quickly so that whomever is next on the list can get a copy. Sybil Van Antwerp has written letters all her life. The book shares her correspondence from 2012-2020, when she is an older woman. Through those letters, one learns about her life, including some painful chapters she can't forget. It's well-worth reading.
Since the 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 senior year).
3-22-26 The Lincoln-Douglas Debates (edited by Harold Holzer) - The Abraham Lincoln/ Stephen Douglas debates took place in 1858 as they campaigned for the Illinois Senate seat (Lincoln lost but would go on to win the presidency in 1860). The debates focused a great deal on slavery. The version I read was innovative in that it relied on the opposite newspaper's reporting of each man's speeches, providing notes on how the pro newspaper's account differed, to provide a balanced view of what they actually said at the debates during a time when people relied on stenographers to record the speeches. While some of the speeches were repetitive (they gave seven debates, often covering the same information), I found this book very interesting. And with it, I completed the readings for junior year!This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made after clicking a link help support this site. Thank you!
