What with all my project doing, I haven’t been reading quite as much this month. Even more, I haven’t been finishing books this month. I still have at least a half dozen in progress.
This month, I read:
- Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The story of a 5th Grade boy with craniofacial abnormalities due to a rare genetic disorder. August goes to school for the first time and learns that middle schoolers can be cruel and kind and awful and awesome. Or something like that. I wasn’t a huge fan. Read my full review here - Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
First, she witnesses a plane going down. A fellow air transport auxillary pilot made a heroic attempt and failed. Then she makes her own heroic attempt, and she goes down–escorted into Germany where she ends up in Ravensbruck, a witness to horrific events. This is undoubtedly the best book I’ve read so far this year–and likely one of the best I’ll read all year. If I haven’t already convinced you to read it, check out my full review. - Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I re-read this for Barbara’s Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge and in conjunction with the Reading to Know Classic Book Club–and found my experience reading it very different this time. I’ve become much more sensitive to the interactions between Ma and Pa–and to the reality that the family was illegally squatting on land that wasn’t their own in hopes that it would soon be available for settlement. - Four children’s picture books, author BO
Books In Progress, Part 1
Left over from last month’s list:
- Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography by William Anderson
I’m still hoping to get this one done and reviewed this month for Barbara’s Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge. - One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
- The 1920s edited by John F. Wukovits
- Discover your Inner Economist by Tyler Cowen
- No More Sleepless Nights by Peter Hauri and Shirley Linde
- To-Do List by Sasha Cagen
- Sumer and the Sumerians by Harriet Crawford
Books In Progress, Part 2
New Additions to Works in Progress:
- Betty Crocker’s Bread Machine Cookbook
I’ve never had good success with bread prepared and baked in the bread machine (I don’t have a problem with the dough cycle), but I wanted to try again. The buttermilk white bread turned out perfectly–so I’m eager to try a few more recipes (maybe I can get a good whole wheat loaf?) - The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch
I started my peppers and tomatoes last night, and am eager to have a successful garden this year (crossing fingers.) - The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer
I just barely started this, thinking I wanted some more fiction–but the projects and nonfiction have kept me busy, so I’ve stalled. - Program Your Baby’s Health by Barbara Luke and Tamara Eberlein
Because I’m interested in seeing how the prenatal program prepared by Luke and Eberlein (of Harvard School of Public Health) stacks up to my own.
I’ve also picked up The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge, which I’ll be reading along with the Reading to Know Classic Book Club.
Don’t forget to drop by 5 Minutes 4 Books to see what others are reading this month!
Isn’t it funny how books can seem so different to you when you re-read them later? I haven’t read Little House in a long while; I wonder what I’d think now. Hope you have a great garden this year! I’m sure you will.
I re-read all the Little House books every few years. You can have One Thousand Gifts…..over-the-top prose and odd theology imho. To Do list just went, where else? On my To-Do [Read] list!!
I’ve heard Anderson’s biography of LIW highly recommended but haven’t read it yet.
I haven’t read anything by Heyer yet. Someday…
I had mixed emotions about One Thousand Gifts – look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
I have the same reaction to Little House on the Prairie – it’s different each time I’ve read it.
G. Heyer is lots of fun – I’ve always enjoyed her books.
I’m so looking forward to getting my starts planted next week! I’m trying to hold off. How fun that you got to put your PEPPERS and TOMATOES out. How different the climates! Next I suppose you’ll be planting okra and then I’ll be positively GREEN with envy!
Well, my tomatoes and peppers aren’t out yet, just seeded on a sunny window sill with a fluorescent light above to extend the daylight to the requisite 12 hours a day. But it is exciting to have a start–it’ll be my first year starting seeds myself (my mom has successfully done so for years), so I’m excited to see how it all turns out.
The Little White Horse was a favorite read-aloud with my kids. I even liked it and I don’t care for fantasy.
You’re reading some great stuff there. I loved the Little House series. I’m so glad I read your review of Wonder. I’ve been quite curious but never dived in. I didn’t realize there was sort of a revolving narrator. I think that would drive me crazy. Glad we connected through 5 Minutes for Books.