#OpenBook for August 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!

 

7-4-24 The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis - George Stephanopoulos - I was fortunate to hear George Stephanopoulos speak about this book in person at the Springfield Public Forum and was eager to read it! It was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at various crises the president/government has faced since the JFK era. I read it on July 4th which seemed very appropriate! Many of these events I remember living through. I recommend it for any history buffs or anyone interested in government and politics.

7-6-24 Why She Wrote: A Graphic History of the Lives, Inspiration, and Influence Behind the Pens of Classic Women Writers - Lauren Burke and Hannah Chapman - I had the pleasure of getting to visit Orchard House (Louisa May Alcott's home) and picked this up for my daughter, who enjoys graphic novels. However, it wasn't her cup of tea, so I decided to read it. While I found it interesting and informative, I can understand why she didn't like it. Each author profiled has a short biography written in prose and then a few scenes from their lives are written in graphic form. If you don't have context, it can be a bit disconcerting. However, this was an innovative approach to author's lives and I did learn about some authors I had never heard of before.

 

 

7-12-26 Math-ish: Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics - Jo Boaler. This book should be a must-read for anyone teaching math whether at school or at home. It especially speaks to those for whom mathematical thinking does not come naturally. It discusses some innovative approaches to teaching math which also lead to improved test scores. It also talks about the importance of having a growth mindset, which is something I struggle with. 

7-14-24 ADHD is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD - Penn and Kim Holderness. My daughter has ADHD and I read this as part of my ongoing quest to both understand and help her. This was written by a husband and wife duo; the husband has ADHD, the wife does not. He shares his story and what has worked for him. She comments on the things she does to try to cope and help him. I liked that this book didn't sugarcoat things. It discusses both the strengths and challenges of having ADHD in a world that expects you to be neurotypical. There are many humorous stories in this book which made it a joy to read. While it does have a chapter on parenting children with ADHD and certainly you can learn a lot about what it is like to grow up with ADHD from Penn's stories, it is mostly geared to adults. I think this book would be especially helpful for married couples where one or both people have ADHD. 

7-16-24 Into the Sunset- Mary Connealy - This is the third book in a series about women trying to fight back and make a new life after escaping from an insane asylum where they were wrongly imprisoned in the old West. It is an interesting story with lots of action and themes revolving around women's rights and the rights of the mentally ill, but you would want to start with the first book in the series. (Read for a book review publication).

7-22-24 The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts - Mary Claire Haver, MD. This is one of the most depressing books I've read recently. On the plus side, it discussed all the things that can happen to you as you go through this change of life and takes those symptoms seriously rather than dismissing them. On the down side, it discusses ALL the things that can go wrong as you go through this change of life. It does offer some ways to help. Dr. Haver is a big proponent of hormone therapy but also discusses dietary changes and natural supplements. Overall, however, I was left with a horrible sinking feeling of what the next chapter of my life will look like. One day at a time, right? That's all I can do. 

7-24-24 The Botanist's Daughter - Kayte Nunn - I really enjoyed this dual timeline story about a young woman in Victorian England who sets off to fulfill her father's dying wish and find an elusive plant that has both the power to kill and tremendous power to heal. In modern-day Australia, another young woman discovers a metal box in the wall of her grandmother's home (which she just inherited). In the box are beautiful botanical drawings and some old seeds. She then sets off to discover where they came from. 

7-28-24 The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth - Zoe Schlanger - This was a fascinating look at what botanists are learning about plants. It describes experiments that show that plants can hear, see, and make decisions (such as choosing to grow roots in the direction of water and not competing for resources with other plants that they are related to). Plants have a lot more going on than people imagined. After reading this, I feel way more guilty pulling up weeds in my garden. Overall, though, I learned so much reading this book, and while faith isn't discussed at all, I think it is yet one more testament to the brilliance of God as Creator.   

8-1-24 Hope Like Wildflowers - Pepper Basham - This is a (too) sweet Cinderella-type historical romance set in 1917 North Carolina. Kizzie is a pregnant seventeen-year-old whose been kicked out by her family. She returns to the father of her child who is willing to acknowledge and provide for her but wants to keep her as a kept woman. A kind neighbor helps her see that she is a valued child of God and helps her on a new path to her happily ever after.  

8-1-24 Return to Me - Lynda Rozell - This was an interesting look at the symbolism contained in tabernacle art. I had never really thought about the design of tabernacles before. It features many pictures of various tabernacles.

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).

I'm making my way through a collection of Shakespeare's works.

7-4-24 Richard II - Shakespeare - The historical Richard II lived from 1367-1400. Edward III die in 1277 and he was crowned. This play was first performed and published in 1597. It focuses on a revolt Richard II faced from his underlings. Bolingbroke is ultimately triumphant and is crowned Henry IV. Richard die in 1400 while in prison (he was possibly murdered). 

 

7-12-24 King Henry IV, Part 1 - Shakespeare - I'm just not a fan of Shakespeare's history plays. I enjoy history (I was a history major in college) but have always been more drawn to social history than palace intrigue or military history. This one is about the rebellion of the Percies who had helped to Henry depose Richard II. It was first performed on February 25, 1598 and was the first history play with comic scenes. It was the seventh history play that Shakespeare wrote. 

7-21-24 Hamlet - Shakespeare - I was familiar with this play about the Danish prince trying to avenge the death of his father. I have seen it performed a couple of times, and while I didn't remember everything, I was able to picture some of the performances while I was reading. This is Shakespeare's longest play . It was written between 1599 and 1601.

8-2-24 King Lear - Shakespeare - Even with the SparkNotes, I had a hard time following this tragedy about an elderly king and his unscrupulous children. Everyone dies in this one and one person gets his eyes gouged out in what is considered the most violent scene in Shakespeare's plays. It was written in 1605.

 

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

7-5-24 The Mother-Daughter Book Club: Pies & Prejudice - Heather Vogel Frederick - In the fourth book of the series, the young ladies are now 15 and reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. We watched the Kiera Knightley movie version so my daughter would understand the references. One of the families is spending the year in England but the group is still able to gather and discuss via webcam. I've enjoyed this series so much. I'm going to be sad when it is over!

7-29-24 Home for the Holidays - Heather Vogel Frederick - It's Christmas and the various families are celebrating in far-flung places. Megan and Becca are on a cruise, Jess and Emma are in New Hampshire, and Cassidy is visiting her sister in California, where her family is considering moving. Holiday spirit is hard to find, however, as the young ladies fight with each other and old resentments come to the surface because being a teenage girl is hard! In this installment, they were reading the Betsy-Tacy books which I had never heard of before reading this. In an interesting note, the library book version we were reading was missing the last twenty or so pages. It doesn't look like they fell out of the book or anything; it seems to be a printer's error, so that was disappointing! I ordered it on Kindle so we could finish the story, but it is amazing that we live in a world where that is an option!

 

 

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