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What I’m Reading (and the Kids too) September 2017

Aug282017
August 28, 2017 by 4 Comments

August slipped by without my sharing a reading post, but several of the books have carried over the last few months. Time to sit and read hasn’t been something I have prioritized (at least when it comes to books with a little more meat between the pages). 

Now that we are getting back into a school routine, we’ll be adding our daily quiet time and read aloud time back into our daily loop, as well as audiobooks. The hard thing with summer for us is we have been in so many different directions with swim team, the pool, Laurianna working, and other things happening. I’d honestly rather be at home, so I’m looking forward to the fall and relaxing a bit more in that aspect. 

Here’s the list I want to tackle during September, especially since several have been in my pile for a bit (that may be bothering me a bit!!): 



  • Siblings without Rivalry by Adele Faber (been working on this for months)
  • Come and Eat by Bri McKoy
  • All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth (I’ve read one chapter!!)
  • Awaken (devotional) by Priscilla Shirer
  • Cherish by Gary Thomas
  • Grave Matter by Anne Lee Huber (love this series!)
  • random Kindle books (bedtime reading)

 

The Kids are Reading…


  • Laurianna – a whole lot of her college texts :)
  • McKenna – Robinson Crusoe
  • Zachary – Treasure Island
  • Kaleb – Zoey and Sassafras series
  • Family read-aloud – Ember Falls by S.D. Smith (with boys)

What I Finished in July and August

Reading has been a bit slow over the last bit – at least during the day, but here’s the 

  • Crazy Love by Francis Chan
  • The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller
  • The Captivating Lady Charlotte by Carolyn Miller
  • An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter
  • Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
  • a few other random Kindle books that I forgot to track…

That’s it for this month – what is on YOUR reading list??

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What I’m Reading (and the Kids Too)

Jul102017
July 10, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Although summer seems like it would be the optimal time for reading, it honestly seems like it is the opposite for me. I may have mentioned once or twice that I tend to get distracted easily and this year when the kids want to go to the pool, I end up working on something swim team related or chatting with a family. Which is all good, but I’d love to just curl up in a chair on the porch and read…but then the house doesn’t get clean. :)

One thing that I started using toward the end of last year was a blank journal to write down all the quotes from books that strike me as I’m reading. I have a hard time letting go of a book when there are things I’ve underlined or dog-eared, so this has been a great way to help me release more and still track the quotes I love. 

Feel free to follow along with me on the Good Reads app  as I attempt to knock a few more books off  my 2017 reading list. There are only four more books in my primary “to read” pile and another four on my “if there’s time” list, so we’ll see! It’s so much fun to see what others are reading and recommend too.

Here’s the list I want to tackle during July and hereby resolve to finish: 

The Kids are Reading…

We’ve been so busy that reading has honestly not been happening. One of the things that Kaleb and I will be doing together this month is reading the Zoey and Sassafras series by Asia Citro. There are three books in the series and they are fairly quick read-alouds that he will enjoy. 

Other than that, Laurianna has been busy working (not as much time for reading) and the other kids are enjoying time in the water whenever they can. 

What I Finished in June

The short answer is: not much. Much of what I read was teen lit (so pretty light reading). Laurianna and I read a five book series together by Kiera Cass. Some of the books in the series were better than others and we both felt the series sort of ended suddenly, but still enjoyed it overall. 

My least favorite read was Scary Close by Donald Miller. While there were some great points, overall it felt really scattered and full of name-dropping. I haven’t read any of his other stuff, but personally that turns me off. Otherwise, here’s what I finished up. 

That’s it for this month – what is on YOUR reading list??

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What I’m Reading (and the Kids too) May 2017

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May 2, 2017 by 5 Comments

The last few weeks, the front porch has been one of my favorite places to sit and relax. We finally purchased a new cushion for our porch swing (someone picked a hole in the old one) and now the swing is nice and cushy soft. Although there aren’t any flowers in the pots, it’s been fun watching a few birds build a nest in our hanging ferns – more definite signs that spring is here and the lovely weather is here to stay.

Although I didn’t get through quite as much of my non-fiction this past month, I did read a few other books that weren’t on my list that I’m glad not to have missed.  The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines was one of those I added because it was a Kindle deal recently and I was cracking up with some of the back story between those two. A few of the books are still in my pile to continue reading this month, and we have some more car trips coming which hopefully means some reading time (and not fielding disagreements between the backseat passengers). 

I did knock a few books off  my 2017 reading list (and again loving the Good Reads app to help me track my progress), which always is nice. Feel free to join me there and follow along! It’s so much fun to see what others are reading and recommend.

Here’s the list I want to tackle during May:

The Kids are Reading…

The girls have finished up their required reading for the year, so they are taking a bit of a breather in that area. Laurianna is working on other subjects to get caught up and McKenna needs to head to the library soon. Kaleb recently finished his first chapter book and I thought for sure he would pick an easier book to read, but he asked to read the second book in the Boxcar Children series – and I couldn’t be happier! 

What I Read in April

The best two books I read this past month by far were How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig (gave me some great talking points to use with one of our high school lit classes) and also A Fall of Marigolds  by Susan Meissner. I honestly LOVED this last one- cannot say how much, quite honestly. It wove the stories of women from two different eras (early 1900s and 2001) along with their personal losses – and it was just fabulous. 

Books I read…

That’s all for this month! I’ll share what I’ve managed to finish next month with you all. What books do you and the kids have set aside to read this month? 

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Teaching Shakespeare to Your Kids

Apr172017
April 17, 2017 by 1 Comment

Reading Shakespeare can seem a bit like a foreign language to both children and parents. Despite having studied (and loved) Shakespeare in college, teaching it has been a bit daunting. I don’t want our kids to just read it, muddle through, and not really appreciate it and all the subtleties each work contains. Granted that’s true of any piece of literature our children read, but works by Shakespeare tend to seem even more overwhelming because of the format and language.

A few weeks ago I picked up a book  How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig (aff link), dragged it along with me through multiple airports, and FELL IN LOVE. You all, if you have ever doubted your ability to form a way to work on Shakespeare with your kids, you need to check out this book. Yes, you will have to read the actual book itself, but it has a plethora of information inside (I promise, it’s worth it). Technically, there are a few chapters you really want to read first and the remainder you could skim through unless you are studying those plays (definitely read the intro and chapters 1 – 6, 10, 14, 21, 31, and the epilogue), but I would recommend reading the entire book.Personally I would recommend a hard copy of this book (instead of Kindle) because it’s a book you will likely do a lot of flipping around back and forth.

Ludwig believes the younger you start kids learning and memorizing the better. While memorizing seems daunting, he breaks down the process, making it manageable and even something young children can work on. In addition to memorization techniques, Ludwig talks about Shakespeare’s life and history, components of Shakespeare’s plays (imagery, humor, poetry/prose, metaphors), and so much more.

While not an exhaustive look at all of his plays (Shakespeare wrote many!), the insight Ludwig provides into the various works is very helpful and will prompt some great discussion. In addition to delving into the reason for his book, how to use it, and giving a biography of Shakespeare’s life and works, a variety of Shakespeare’s plays are discussed in detail:

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • Twelfth Nigh
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Macbeth
  • Henry IV, Part 1
  • As You Like It
  • Henry V
  • Hamlet
  • The Tempest

This year is the third year that I have taught a high school literature course as a part of a small co-op we belong to, and each year we have discussed one of Shakespeare’s plays and also attended a nearby Shakespeare production (more on that in a bit). Rarely do the play we are studying and the performance line up to be the same, and this year was no exception. We are studying The Tempest and the one performance we could attend was Romeo and Juliet. While I have quite a few notes and guides for each play, I loved the chapters of help on the both plays that Ludwig provides in How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. Each chapter offered some different insights and discussion ideas for our class (and a little something “fresh” for me to ponder as well). 

Understanding the Language of Shakespeare

Even if you understand the plot of one of Shakespeare’s plays, muddling through the language of the day can be hard for kids. There are key words and phrases that are interpreted differently today or than how we think they were written. A few resources I highly recommend are the No Fear Shakespeare guides or the Shakespeare Made Easy series which both offer the original words of a text on one page and then a modern day translation on the facing page so kids can better understand what is happening. While we go over and review various phrases in class with the kids, these have been extremely helpful for kids when reading through on their own.


Go See a Play (or Watch One) with Your Kids

We are also fortunate to have an incredible Shakespeare theatre not too far from us. Each month they offer student matinees and a “talkback time” with the actors after the show is over and we love to take advantage of their acting and knowledge. The theatre we visit is a recreation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre and the actors and actresses are fabulous.  It’s one thing to read a play, but seeing it come to life in front of you is a completely different thing! The subtle delivery of a line or the mannerisms that go along with a monologue can completely change the meaning and understanding of a scene (body language speaks volumes). 

If you have a theatre nearby, I highly recommend taking time out of your day to attend with your kids (granted, remember that Shakespeare has quite a few innuendoes in his plays that may not be suitable for younger kids, but often pass over their heads as well). Our high school group laughed and followed the bulk of the performance we saw, but at times the dialogue moved so quickly some parts were lost on the kids. Still, it brought a deeper level of respect and understanding of Shakespeare to the kids, and they went home not dreading their upcoming reading as much (and that’s a win in my book!). 

A Few (Fun) Additional Resources


While reading the actual plays are key, above (and below) you’ll find a few other fun resources to go along with your Shakespeare studies. 

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What I’m Reading (and the Kids Too)

Mar62017
March 6, 2017 by 4 Comments

I know – you are probably thinking, “that looks like a real page turner!” While cookbooks aren’t typically on my reading stack, I have a few that I am reading through to see if there are tweaks and changes we can make to Laurianna’s diet (and ours) to help her out. The last few months have seen a bit of a learning curve, and the words “quick and easy” may have caught my eye. A friend let me borrow her book, and it is laid out much the way my brain thinks, so it moved right on up to the top of my pile. 

Reading glasses though. This past month I finally had to admit that my almost 44 year old eyes needed a little assistance, especially in the early morning or late night. My hubby is having a grand time with this fact (mainly because I have given him much grief over the years about his own – so I’m getting it honestly). :) 

Some of my books that were on my February pile made the shift to March, but for the most part I am making progress on my 2017 reading list (and again loving the Good Reads app to help me track my progress. Feel free to join me there! 

March will have me traveling quite a bit, so hopefully between airports and downtime I’ll have some time to knock out both fiction and non-fiction that is amassing on my Kindle and nightstand. Here’s what I’m hoping to read this month. I know the pile looks huge, but several I’ve already started and am a few chapters in (and honestly I have a little of everything depending on my mood).

The Kids are Reading…

What I Read in February

February was the month I FINALLY wrapped up a book that has been on my pile for what seems like forever. Fervent has been one I’ve picked up, read and contemplated, and then needed to process a bit more than others. It isn’t exactly light and easy reading, but that’s a good thing. Honestly, much of what I read this month, was exactly what I needed, right when I needed it – and that’s a wonderful thing. 

That’s all for this month! I’ll share what I’ve managed to finish next month with you all. What books do you and the kids have set aside to read this month? 

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What I’m Reading (and the Kids Too)

Feb82017
February 8, 2017 by 2 Comments

I had been hoping to read more last month with my mom having surgery (and spending several days in the hospital with her), but honestly, reading was really hard to focus on and I ended up binge watching a show on Amazon in the wee hours of the morning between resetting all the crazy alarms that continued to go off during the night. Reading normally is something relaxing for me, but I needed something that required absolutely zero effort on my part other than pushing the play button. Shallow, but true. 

This month though, I really do want to get a few books knocked off my stack and have some picked to hopefully fly through, while several (including Fervent) are part-way done and I need some focused time to concentrate and absorb the content since they are a little ‘heavier’ in nature. 

The Kids are Reading…

What I Read in January…

Years ago I read the 5 Love Language of Children book and the bulk of our kids were so little it was hard to really put them in a specific area. This time it really was much more fun to read and have the kids take the quiz as well. I’m planning to also read the teen version of the book. 

As far as fiction reading, What She Knew was a very interesting read, and although there were some parts I skipped in Seven Sisters, the overall plot really pulled me in. I am definitely enjoying the Uncommon Heroes series from Dee Henderson as well. They’ve been on my shelf for years and I’m finally pulling them down to read! 

That’s it for this month! What are you reading for yourself or together with the kids? Leave a comment and share. :)

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