I've drastically cut back on my computer time during the day, but I think I'm making up for it at night. I've hardly read any books for fun, which is something I usually do after the kids are down. We'll have to remedy that this month!
Pocohontas and the Strangers, by Clyde Robert Bulla
This was a school pre-read for Silas. It's historical fiction and wasn't my one of my favorite school books. It was just kinda hard to get into and felt kinda choppy. Silas wasn't crazy about it either.
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, by Beth Hoffman
I read about this one in a magazine and enjoyed it. The story is about a young girl who, due to the death of her mother and her dad's neglect, goes to live with her aunt. While the storyline is different, the feel of the book is much like Steel Magnolias. It's a bunch of women who love each other, butt heads, and stick together through thick and thin.
A Severe Mercy, by Sheldon Vanauken
Rebecca told me about this book and I've already blogged about the things this book said about marriage. I had a really hard time sticking with this book, though I didn't dislike it. I don't know if it was the language, style of writing, or what, but I couldn't bust it out in a night or two like I can with other books. Anyway, it's the story of Sheldon and Davy (a female) - the way they protected their marriage, a friendship with C.S. Lewis that influenced their totally unexpected acceptance of Christianity, and the way Davy's illness and death affected their lives. As one who tends to sit quite comfortably in her rut, I admire the passion and conviction that this couple had toward everything they said, did, and believed.
Cool quotes - p.85, The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians - when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths. But, though it is just to condemn some Christians for these things, perhaps, after all, it is not just, though very easy, to condemn Christianity itself for them. Indeed, there are impressive indications that the positive quality of joy is in Christianity - and possibly nowhere else. If that were certain, it would be proof of a very high order.
p. 86, It is not possible to be 'incidentally a Christian'. The fact of Christianity must be overwhelmingly first or nothing. This suggests a reason for the dislike of Christians by nominal or non-Christians: their lives contain no overwhelming firsts by many balances.
Vostaas: White Buffalo's Story of Plains Indian Life, by William White Buffalo
I read this one to the boys for school. Informative, easy read.
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare
I pre-read this one for Silas, though he ended up listening to it on CD. The story is about Matt, a 12 year old boy who has to stay alone in a wilderness cabin while his father goes to get the rest of their family. He becomes friends with the grandson of a local Indian chief and eventually has to decide between joining their tribe and moving or waiting for his family alone. Silas and I both liked this story and we've got the movie on hold at the library.
Flipped, by Wenelin Van Draanen
This book is geared toward middle school kids and not one I'd normally be interested in. However, a friend's son is in the movie that's based on the book. I'll eventually watch the movie to see him, so I figured I'd read the book first. It's cute, for a middle-schoolish story, and an easy read.
Homer Price, by Robert McCloskey
Devon needed to read this for school, but we opted to get it on CD from the library. It's just a sweet and humorous book about life in small town USA. It was fun "reading" it again.
Secret of the Andes, by Ann Nolan Clark
I read this piece of historical fiction to Silas for school. We had a hard time getting into it, but the last half was better than the first. It's interesting, but just a little slow. Of course, that's probably due more to the lifestyle being written about than it is about the writing itself. It's about an Incan boy named Cusi - his simple life shepherding llamas in the mountains, his journey to find what is important to him, and the discovery that he's royalty with a very important role to fulfill.
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