Thank you, 2020.

If nothing else, it’s been a great year to READ!

When people ask me why I read so much I tell them it’s good therapy. No matter what is going on in the world around me, I can jump into a book and learn something, escape, laugh, cry - essentially lose myself for a bit.

Looking back, since May of this year I’ve been able to diversify and expand my reading selections.

I got a bit distracted in November - reading more fiction than I would normally like, but I think I have a few good suggestions for you anyway!

November 2020 Reading Recap at Homegrown Learners

Best Books of November

Hands down, Memorial Drive was my favorite this month.

This is a memoir - telling the story of a young woman whose mother was killed in 1985 on Memorial Drive in Atlanta. (especially significant for me because my first job interview in Atlanta was on Memorial Drive, for a teaching position in the school system where this author attended school). My husband also grew up in Atlanta.

Even without an Atlanta connection, however, I think you will find this book poignant, eye-opening, challenging, and thought-provoking.

The author, Natasha Trethewey, is a former Poet Laureate of the United States. Her writing is simply beautiful. From the very first page I was drawn in by her writing style - and I didn’t put the book down until I finished it three hours later.

A Book That Surprised Me

Our in-person book club chose Dracula in October. I must admit, I was less than thrilled, but thought I would give it a shot.

I was pleasantly surprised! I learned quite a lot and found that it made great companion reading for Jane Eyre and Pride & Prejudice (which are part of my son’s curriculum this year).

I love it when a book provides insight into cultural references we have now, and there were many of those in Dracula. When I finished the book I felt as if I had really accomplished something!

Put this book on your TBR because I think you’ll enjoy it very much.

Love That Historical Fiction

Before The Crown was also a great read (listen) for me this month.

If you are a fan of Queen Elizabeth, definitely check this one out. It chronicles the relationship of Elizabeth and Philipp before they are married - very interesting!

I think coupling this with The Gown would be much fun.

You Can Skip This Book

I had heard so much about this book, and the premise was intriguing to me.

This was an audiobook, and usually, a good narrator can somewhat redeem a bad story, but not in this case.

The Midnight Library fell flat for me. I was put off by the main character’s suicide attempt in the beginning, and her searching for the “perfect life” throughout the book felt self-indulgent and petty.

A Reading Observation

Increasingly I am finding that books on the “bestseller list” or ones that are recommended by large mainstream media outlets just don’t appeal to me. And, as I was posting about this on my Bookstagram account I found that I wasn’t alone.

Last month (November) it struck me that many of the books I had read did not align with my worldview. This has never bothered me quite as much in the past, but as I feel more assaulted by media in 2020 I don’t want to feel assaulted by my books, too.

One of the books I read - The Love Story of Missy Carmichael - was a sweet book that I was tempted to fall in love with, but then one of the main characters chose to have an abortion and it was so normalized in the storyline. This is disappointing to me.

I appreciate authors like Carla Laureano - the author of a book I read this month and loved - The Solid Grounds Coffee Company - because she is a Christian author who writes lovely romances, but the characters are making choices consistent with my values.

If you’d like to see more detailed reviews of all of these, come visit my Bookstagram - I usually write a couple of paragraphs about each book.

Before the Crown: The most page-turning and romantic historical novel of the year perfect for fans of Netflix’s THE CROWN!Dracula Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir The Solid Grounds Coffee Company (The Saturday Night Supper Club)A Rogue of One's Own (A League of Extraordinary Women Book 2)The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany The Midnight Library: A Novel Goodnight Beautiful: A Novel The Love Story of Missy Carmichael

Do you have a favorite book to recommend to me?

I’d love to hear what you’re reading, too!

Best Books of October 2020

In my book journal I give books a star rating. I like to keep track of the five star books so that when people ask me for a recommendation I can easily give them one. Here are my five star recommendations for you from October:

Awaking Wonder - this beautiful book from Sally Clarkson had me in tears in so many spots. No matter where you are on your homeschool journey, Sally will have encouragement and inspiration for you. Go get this book - take notes in it and love it. Then, buy a copy for a friend and give them an unexpected gift.

Pride & Prejudice - need I say more? My son and I read this aloud and while I’m not sure he would give it five stars, it definitely is one of my all time favorite books. I purchased a box set of Jane Austen books and lots of people on Instagram wondered where I got the cute book… so here is the link.

Sky Full of Stars - This book is the story of a mom (who also happens to be a homeschooling mom) with a medically fragile child - and how she ultimately learned to surrender all of her children to God’s will - and not her own. This is another one that will require a box of tissues.

Classic Christianity - Recommended by dear friends to my husband and me, this will be a book I recommend to anyone who will listen. It gives you a different and beautiful take on Christianity - that I’m pretty sure you haven’t thought of before.

Everything Beautiful in Its Time - Jenna Bush Hager writes about losing three of her grandparents in a very short period of time. I listened to the audio, and she’s a fantastic narrator! She also reflects a lot on the beauty and fragility of life. She shares her family’s tradition of letter writing with us, too. This is another moving book.

Skip These Two Books!

The Heiress: The Revelation of Anne de Bourgh (A Pride & Prejudice Novel) - this book (which will not be published until Jan. 2021, tells the story of Lady Katherine de Bourgh’s feeble daughter, Anne.

In this story Anne has been addicted to laudanum for most of her life, and when she comes of age she gains the courage to break her addiction and flee to London. Through her growing independence, she discovers a lot about herself, including her attraction to other women. I understand what the author was trying to do, but it just didn’t deserve the title “A Pride & Prejudice Novel” in my opinion!

Leave The World Behind - This book has been raved about by many respected book critics. It is a dystopian novel - where the entire world is collapsing. We see this collapse through two families just outside of New York City who don’t know what is happening. They just know there are many strange things occurring. The book fell completely flat for me and I gave it two stars.

The other books read this month received four stars from me, so I would recommend them to you. Scroll down and click on the book cover to find out more about the books.