I think C.S. Lewis had it right when he said, “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” Fall is the perfect time to cozy up with a warm blanket, a steaming cup of tea, and a good book. What have you been reading this fall?

Roseanna’s Reads

For the Edit(Cover Coming Soon)

Abbie’s Woods: Defending the Nest by Susan Thogerson Maas
This middle grade novel is about a girl whose home life seems to be falling apart…and she’s afraid her special place in the forest is in danger too when new boys to the neighborhood start threatening the robin nest she’s been watching for weeks. I absolutely loved joining this precocious girl on her quest to put her worlds to rights, especially when she realizes that sometimes our attempts to “fix” everything backfire–but God can take our mess and make it beautiful. This book will resonate with tween readers and inspire them to look for the beauty in nature around them!

For Fun

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
I finally finished the Harry Potter series! Highly enjoyed this last installment, though the whole series is so intricately woven that now I’m like “I need to go reread this one and that one!” LOL. I think what surprised me most was how hard-hitting the books became round about book 5–people die, people betray each other unto death, people surprise us at the deepest levels. Makes me wonder if that, not the (Disney-style, light vs. dark) magic is what made this series resonate with so many people, kids and adults alike. The world is fun–but the stories and characters are deep and real.

For Bookclub

The Nature of Small Birds by Susie Finkbeiner
I’ve been wanting to read Susie’s recent books and finally made sure I would by adding them to the book club lineup, LOL. Wise decision! I know she’s an amazing writer, and I was not disappointed by this beautiful story surrounding an adoption of a Vietnamese child by an American family, viewed through the mother’s eyes at the time, the sister’s eyes as they were teenagers, and the father’s eyes in 2013, when his precious daughter is trying to reconnect with her birth family. Such a beautiful saga of what it really means to be family!

In My Devotions

Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Father Jacques Philippe
One thing I decided on vacation last month was that I needed to expand my morning devotions again to include some “extra” stuff. I started with a slender little book that a friend of mine sent last year. It was kinda weird timing, honestly; she’d popped it in the mail to me in mid-September just because she was reading it and thought of me…and it arrived when we were in the hospital with Rowyn. Even so, I hadn’t actually picked it up until a year later, LOL. Anyway, this little book (a “treatise,” it calls itself) carries some gems of wisdom, for sure!

Rachel’s Reads

Even though I haven’t been reading nearly as many books of my own as I would like, I’ve been reading loads of books with the kids, and that makes me happy! I’m looking forward to adding some extra “fun” books into our curriculum this year.

From my Backlogged TBR

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
After seeing the show advertised everywhere last Fall, I decided I needed to read the books first. I am so glad I did! I’m really enjoying this series and can’t wait to catch up on the TV show now. This is an Adult General Market book.

With the Kids

The Perilous Road by William O. Steele

Learning about the American Civil War in History right now, my 4th grader is reading a bunch of books set during the war. Mostly with families having differing views on the war. Families with sons in both armies. Families torn apart because of hate. This book in particular shows how the hate this boy has against the Union Army eats away at your soul. After his brother joins the Union Army, Chris’s heart is burning with hatred. Yet when he found himself in trouble and needed help and rest, it was the Union soldiers who took care of him. He came to see that the hate he carried against these men was only damaging himself. There is a lot to learn from children’s books.

Classic on Audio

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

I LOVE Agatha Christie stories! I binged the Miss Marple TV show over the summer and am now on a kick of listening to the Poirot audiobooks. Seeing as Death on the Nile will be coming out as a movie next year, I wanted to start here. No matter how hard I try…I’m never right in guessing who the culprit is.

With the Kids

Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore

It’s fun rereading these stories with my 2nd kiddo. He gets so invested in the stories, it’s so much fun to watch his reactions. When Little Pear falls in the river, or goes off to the next town by himself, my son always has a comment and exclamation to make.

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