Third Quarter Reading

I can’t believe it’s already October! As we enter the last quarter of the year, I thought I’d share what I’ve been reading. As always, remember to look at others’ reading lists as ideas, not to do lists. Have fun reading!

*Rereads

July:

1. The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen: Klassen has several historical fiction novels set in Cornwall, my favorite location for British literature. The setting and culture of Cornwall are fascinating! This reads like Klassen’s other novels: lots of suspense with some romance thrown in.

2. *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling: I reread the Harry Potter series every few years, so you’ll see several titles from it on this reading update.

3. *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

4. *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling: My favorite of the entire series!

5. A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin: Irwin made her debut earlier this year with A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, and I quickly fell in love with her work. If you like Jane Austen, you will definitely like these!

6. In the Shelter of Hollythorne House by Sarah E. Ladd: This is the second book I’ve read by Ladd and probably my least favorite so far. The plot just seemed kind of slow, and I never really connected with the characters.

7. *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

8. Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson: This book is SO GOOD! Even if you don’t consider yourself creative, I highly recommend reading it. Peterson writes with deep theology while still being relatable and inspiring.

August:

1. Finding Us by Tracie Peterson: I tried to read the first book in this series earlier in this year and couldn’t get into it, but I’m glad I picked up the second one. A sweet story of redemption.

2. Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt: If you want to raise readers, this will be an invaluable resource. I love that I can read the updated version of what my mom used when I was a kid. Lots of great book recommendations and invaluable tips to incorporate reading into your home.

3. The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin: Martin’s newest World War II fiction is set during the German occupation of Warsaw. I won’t say much here at risk of spoiling it, but if you love books and reading then this should be on your to be read list!

4. Screen Kids by Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane: This was a really informative read on the dangers of technology for our kids. I appreciated all of the research included in it and felt like I came away with a much clearer understanding of the risks behind screens, but I do wish they had included practical steps to help parents take action on this issue. For that I highly recommend Digital Detox by Molly DeFrank.

5. Sherlock Holmes Classic Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: This was the Barnes and Noble “pretty”edition. I read one collection of Holmes stories in high school and loved it, but this had some different ones I hadn’t read before, including “The Hound of the Baskervilles.”

6. A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White: The first in White’s newest series, this is shaping up to be one of my favorite series! White has some of the most interesting and unique plots I’ve seen in historical fiction. This one is about an aristocratic family turned spy agency. Complete with circus performances and hidden “priest’s rooms,” this was super fun!

7. *To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Both books I read after Sherlock Holmes contained references to his character which always makes for a fun reading experience. This definitely belongs on the “classics everyone should read” list.

8. Simple Farmhouse Life by Lisa Bass: I love the podcast by the same name and thought this might have some interesting projects to do with our girls.

September:

1. On Stories by C.S. Lewis: I have heard this book quoted for years but just now got around to reading it. It took me a week to get through this as it’s just so deep, and I definitely think it will be worth rereading many times.

2. Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Early: I have had this book on our shelf for several years but finally picked it up after I heard him on the 1000 Hours Outside Podcast. Lots of really good ideas to incorporate your Christian faith into all parts of your day with children. I loved that most of them were extremely simple to implement rather than making you feel like you need to have an hour-long time of family devotions everyday.

3. Hard Is Not the Same Thing As Bad by Abbie Halberstadt: Halberstadt is hands-down my favorite author for Christian mamas; if you haven’t read this or her first book M Is For Mama, I highly recommend them.

4. Raising Amazing by Monica Swanson: You’ll probably notice I read several parenting books this month; sometimes when I’m struggling with a particular area I find myself drawn to read a lot of books on that topic, which is what happened in September. I liked this one okay; there were definitely lots of good ideas in it, and I appreciated that Swanson was authentic in sharing her own parenting struggles, but it also felt like too much information packed into one book. Like maybe if she had separated it into two or more she could have developed some of the ideas a bit more. But still a great parenting read.

5. *The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan: I enjoyed reading this while watching Season 2 of the show (which is based on this book); it is rare to find TV versions of books that are done well, but Season 2 of Wheel of Time has been excellent.

6. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: This is our book club’s read for October and was also my first time reading an Agatha Christie book. If you like suspense and “cozy mysteries,” I would highly recommend this! I love finding a new author I enjoy who also has lots of titles because it gives me plenty of reading material for the future 😆.

7. The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah E. Ladd: I’m glad I kept trying after the first two books I read by Ladd fell flat because this was excellent! The story of a governess who returns to Cornwall (again, it’s my favorite setting!) with her charges after their father dies. She has to face her deceased husband’s evil family who are involved in smuggling. A great story with suspense and romance.

Don’t forget to make time to relax with a good book as we enter the busy holiday season. Happy Fall reading!