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| The beautiful scenery of October! |
On the Blog:
Since July, I've written two posts on this blog and four on my letter writing blog.
Books:
Although I only read twelve books in five months, they were all very good! Most of them were new to me and not surprisingly, historical fiction. I also started rereading the Chronicles of Narnia, as I've never read the last few books in the series. It's great to be back in the world of Narnia and C.S. Lewis!
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| A great mix of books! (Photo credits: Goodreads) |
mini reviews:
I started draft posts for reviews of some of these books, but for now, you'll be getting mini reviews.
★★★★★
The Father of the Little Flower: Celine Martin
A short, but wonderful read of St. Louis Martin! Before reading this, I didn't know much about him, but this gave me a LOT of new information. I especially enjoyed the quotations and letters from St. Louis to his daughters. They showed his personality of always showing kindness to everyone around him. Every task put forth before him was accomplished with holiness and growth in virtue. I highly recommend!
Moon Over Manifest: Clare Vanderpool
Oh my, how do I begin to write a review? This book was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! In fact, it has moved up to my favorite historical fiction read of the year. Clare Vanderpool writes with wonderful descriptions, taking you to two time periods-1918 and 1936-with a first person point of view, old newspaper clippings, and storytelling from the townspeople. At first, I had no idea how the plots were going to connect and it all seemed random, but then I started to love it! I didn't want the stories to stop. The stories of Ned and Jinx were wonderful, as well as Abilene's mysterious background.
The Magician's Nephew: C.S. Lewis
On a second reading, this book was much more enjoyable. It has been six years since I read part of this series and honestly, I forgot about everything in this one (except the creation of the rings). Philosophical and amusing certainly describe this book.
- Digory is such a curious little boy, yet trying his hardest to be a gentleman. There's something about his sweetness that isn't found in any of the other characters.
- Polly is another favorite character of mine. She is feminine, has a hint of being a tomboy, shows strength, is determined, and won't let unfairness get in her way.
- My third favorite character has to be Uncle Andrew! He has his faults but what would Narnia be without him?
- Finally, my two absolute favorite events are the creation of Narnia and the animals debating over Uncle Andrew! Amusing for sure. :)
Precious Treasure: The Story of Patrick: Elizabeth Matthews
A beautiful story about an autistic boy, Patrick, and his trials, leading his mother to see God's purpose in everything she does. The piles of laundry, the fingerprints on the walls, the screaming during the night, and everything else happening during the day led her to see why God has placed her in each situation.
"Children are a beautiful stairway to heaven. Slowly, day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, they work with God to help us grow in virtue and to scrape away all the filth that covers us because of our sins."
I especially loved the format of each chapter- starting with a letter to Patrick from his mother!
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis
The scenery while I read this book was perfect- SNOW! Once again, there were many new details that I didn't remember from my first read many years ago. This time, I saw SO many Christian elements, such as the White Witch's "always winter, never Christmas", showing a world without the celebration of Our Lord's birth. The power of Christianity against nonbelievers was also presented in a way that I loved- and in a way I didn't notice on my first reading.
★★★★
The Ball and the Cross: G.K. Chesterton
Chesterton has an interesting and comical style of writing. I've never seen two characters oppose each other so much, yet have such a strong friendship, but that is what I loved most about it. t was amazing how passionate Evan McIan and James Turnbull are for their beliefs. I also enjoyed the character arc of McIan because although he fights for Catholicism, he has his flaws just as Turnbull has his flaws. It was also fun to see where McIan and Turnball's adventures led, as each chapter had its twists and turns. Chesterton, I WILL be back for more!
Yosemite Tomboy: Shirley Sargent
A quick, one day read, reminding me of the Little House on the Prairie series. Jan and her brother are sent to live near Yosemite National Park (bonus star for extra history about Yosemite!), but it is a big test for Jan. Being only 11-years old and very dramatic, she must learn the challenges of pioneer life.
Hattie Big Sky: Kirby Larson
Homesteading on the Western frontier in the early 1900s was difficult, right? Now, imagine being a 16-year old homesteading all alone. Hattie Brooks travels to Montana as a brave 16-year old to prove her late uncle's claim. The only problem: she has less than a year to learn the ways of homesteading. While it is historical fiction, Larson does a wonderful job of detailing the joys and hardships of homesteading. Each chapter begins with letter to her friend, who is away at war. Letters in books are always a plus for me!
Books in Progress:
- A Place for Me: Patrick's Journey Home, Mark and Elizabeth Matthews
- Prince Caspian, C.S. Lewis
- The Hobbit (on audio), J.R.R. Tolkien
That's all the reviews for now, but I'll be back soon with four more books. For now, I hope you all enjoy lots of reading for the last month of 2021!
Have you read any of these books? What have you been reading this month?
Moon Over Manifest is definitely a good one!
ReplyDeleteDigory is indeed especially sweet!
Ooh, Precious Treasure sounds really interesting.
Isn't The Ball and the Cross amazing?? One of my favorite Chestertons. (Although really, all of them are my favorites. XD)
Oh, you've read "Moon Over Manifest" too? It is a good one and already on my list of rereads for next year.
DeleteI think you'd enjoy "Precious Treasure", especially with the letter format. It's also a fairly short book.
YES!! "The Ball and the Cross" is amazing! I can't wait to explore more Chesterton. "The Man Who Was Thursday" is on my list next. :)
AGGHHH isn't Moon Over Manifest BEAUTIFUL?? (I mean, you said it was. So yes. It really IS though. I LOVE how it comes together. I love the characters. OH that book is so good. Very glad you enjoyed it.)
ReplyDelete"Philosophical and amusing" is indeed the best three-word descriptor of The Magician's Nephew! I adore how funny, yet profound, it is. And OH Digory. Eustace gets my love as Favorite Human Kid from the series, but Digory has to take second place. He really is so sweet, and the storyline with his mom is really touching.
So glad you're enjoying your reread of Narnia! I reread the series recently, and it really was the best. I'm amazed at how they're equally magical as a child and as an adult, if in slightly different ways.
I haven't read any of the rest of these books, but some of them look so very interesting! I'm glad that, even if you don't have much time for reading, the books you do read have at least been very worthwhile ones!!
YES, Moon Over Manifest is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I am so glad that I read it and I will have to read it again next year.
DeleteNarnia- there's no better series to reread while studying for finals. I might have gotten a little distracted, but it was worth it. I'm almost finished with Prince Caspian and it is great!
That is so true, Sarah. I haven't read as many books as I had hoped to read, but they have all been good ones.
These all sound so good! I need some new books to read so I’ll have to check out Moon Over Manifest.
ReplyDeleteYes, you must read it! The library has it so you should be able to get your hands on it soon.:)
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