Blog

October 2020 Reading Recap

October was a month of highs and low in my reading.

There were a couple of absolutely wonderful books, and then there was actually one book that I wrote “NO” by in my reading journal!

My son and I finished a classic together (big win!), and I also read a take-off on that classic that infuriated me!

My faith grew, as did my passion for homeschooling.

I’m extremely thankful for time to read, and an Instagram community where I can share and learn about books.

Reading Recap/October 2020 - Homegrown Learners

All of the reading recaps for this year can be found here.

A well read mother brings depth and knowledge to her homeschool. She also prepares herself for beautiful conversations, a broader world, and creativity that comes from immersing herself in other worlds.

I hope you can find a recommendation or two from my October booklist.

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.

I always want to know what YOU are reading.

Leave me a comment below and tell me your favorite book from October!

October 2020 Reading Recap @ Homegrown Learners

Middle Grades, Historical Fiction (and more!) - September 2020 Reading Recap

So many books in September!

These books went along with preparations for SQUILT LIVE! music appreciation lessons, an increasing interest in stories of immigrants, and historical fiction. Of course, I always throw in a little “fluff”, too.

Audiobooks are becoming a bigger part of my reading as well (I really look forward to folding laundry so I can spend time with my book!).

If you’ve yet to check out the monthly book lists I keep, please take a look. I have a feeling if you’ve landed on my blog you and I might have similar reading tastes.

Why do I read so much? Why is it so important to me to carve out time each day to read?

I read to broaden my horizons and become a better homeschooling parent. I read for relaxation. I read for socialization (book people are awesome people!).

September 2020 Reading Recap at Homegrown Learners #homeschool #reading

Get out your notepad, or open up Goodreads - and let’s talk about the books from September.

Honestly, I get giddy sharing what I’ve read with you!

Books for Middle/High School Grades

Each time I pick up a middle grades book I wonder why I don’t read more of them. (Don’t worry, I have a couple on my list for October!)

The Mozart Question

This audiobook was accompanied by beautiful music from the London Philharmonic Orchestra - such a treat! This story is a fictional account of musicians in a concentration camp during WWII. There is much to be learned about history, the violin, and several prominent works of music.

Civil War Drummer Boy

We used this short elementary & middle grades chapter book for our study of American music in SQUILT LIVE! John Lincoln Clem was an actual Civil War drummer boy. This book should be integral to a study of the Civil War!

We Are Not From Here

After reading American Dirt, I wanted to read more about the immigrant experience. I would only recommend this book for older high school students. There is a lot of graphic violence and language in the book - but I found it to be a very realistic portrayal of the plight of immigrants. I think I actually preferred this book over American Dirt.

Historical Fiction

I love this genre - but I’ve been trying to spread my reading wings a bit. This month only contains two historical fiction books.

Secrets of a Charmed Life

Susan Meissner is one of my favorite authors. This book did not disappoint. It takes place in London during the blitz of WWII. I was a bit tired of WWII books, but this book was completely wonderful!

A Land Remembered

As a native Floridian, I found this book extremely interesting. Spanning the years from the Civil War to the present, this is the story of one family and how they made their way (and fortune) in the Florida landscape.

Non Fiction

My Dearest Dietrich

I recommend this book if you’re interested in the life - and particularly the love life - of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. From what I understand, most of what takes place in this book is very close to the truth. Quite interesting!

The Girl Who Smiled Beads

This was a hard (a good kind of hard) read. Clemantine Wamariya writes poignantly about living through the Rwandan genocide. We meet her as a young girl and follow her as a refugee through many countries in Africa to her eventually settling in the United States in her teens. This event in history is no longer just a name to me - this book gave it a name and face that will always stay with me.

The Reading Life

“Those of us who have been true readers all our life seldom fully realise the enormous extension of our being which we owe to authors. We realise it best when we talk with an unliterary friend. He may be full of goodness and good sense but he inhabits a tiny world. In it, we should be suffocated. The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore less a self, is in prison. My own eyes are not enough for me, I will see through those of others. Reality, even seen through the eyes of many, is not enough. I will see what others have invented.” ~ CS Lewis

I listened to this book - and will listen to it many more times I am sure. Because CS Lewis is the author you know there were so many “aha!” moments… it only took me 90 minutes to listen to this book - well worth the time!

Counterpoint

This book fell completely flat for me. While I did learn a lot about J.S. Bach (in particular his Goldberg Variations), I found it was hard to read a book written by someone with a fundamentally different worldview than my own. The author is a self-proclaimed atheist, so as he is trying to make sense of his mother’s death, it stands to reason that I would deal with the same thing in a very different way. I found myself getting a bit annoyed with him by the end of the book, but I did finish it and I’m glad I stuck it out until the end.

Books Just For Fun

P.S. I Love You

What a feel-good book this was! Once I finished it I also watched the movie on Amazon Prime. This is the perfect way to just check out from real life for a bit!

Room-maid

This book was part of Amazon Prime Reading - Prime members can choose from several free books to read on Kindle each month. I thoroughly enjoyed Room-maid. It was all fluff, little thinking involved - a fun romance. Perfect!

Anxious People

Wow! Fredrik Backman always delivers a story that is humorous but incredibly poignant at the same time. If you enjoyed A Man Called Ove, then I think you will like this book. The audio (via Libro.fm) was exceptional!

What You Wish For

Katherine Center is another one of my go-to feel-good authors. I flew through this book in just two days. It is a sweet romance, but with some serious issues we all face at the core.

Sources for Books

Many people wonder where I obtain my books - here is a list of my favorite sources for physical, digital, and audio books.

  • Amazon (I order lots of physical books here, but also take advantage of the Amazon Prime Reading freebies each month.)

  • The Library (I use the physical library and also the Overdrive and Libby apps)

  • NetGalley - this book review site has been great. You can request and obtain books for review. I generally try to do about one book per month through Netgalley.

  • Libro.fm - I am part of the Libro.fm influencers program, which entitles me to several free audios each month. I also have a membership because I can get audiobooks I want much cheaper this way! I love their selection and the app is super simple and reliable!

I’d love to know what you’ve been reading!

Leave me a recommendation in the comments below.