Narrow Gate Academy
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Finished Last Week - book 5
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Sloan - Thanks to all who mentioned this book on the boards. I found it not only entertaining but also thought provoking which I didn't expect. My review is here.
Books In Progress
- Jesus Calling by Young - still current, January complete
- ESV Bible - finished Exodus
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The Horse and His Boy by Lewis - read aloud with the youngest
Upcoming Books for This Week
- Tartuffe by Moliere - reading to discuss with my 11th grader so will definitely finish
- Written in Red by Bishop - I decided to reread the first three books in the series before the new one comes out in March. Also it fits the color in the title Bingo square and my need for something fluffy and fun to counter the other two books. :D
- Passage to India by Forster - I haven't done a readalong before, but I downloaded the Kindle version from Overdrive and am hoping to start as soon as I finish Moliere.
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I'm late in getting to the thread this week. Here's a recap of last week's reading:
Finish Last Week - books 3 & 4
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Lewis - I'm reading through the series with my youngest now. We have the movie to enjoy this weekend.My Viking Vampire by Shannon - I downloaded this as a freebie about a month ago and had forgotten about. It was an enjoyable read. I gave it three stars on Goodreads and reviewed it.
Books In Progress
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Sloan - I'm close to halfway through and enjoying it so farJesus Calling by Young
ESV Bible - coming up on the end of Exodus
To Be Read
The Just City by Walton
Dark Horse by DienerThis Present Darkness by Peretti - the problem with dusty books is I set a priority on library books that have to be returned by a certain date. I will come back to it though.
Now to catch up on the thread....
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Finish Last Week
Soulless by Carriger - This is a new series for me that I put on hold based on a post by mumto2 the first week. It came available from OverDrive, so I ditched my other reading and completely enjoyed myself. Here's my review.
Books In Progress
Jesus Calling by Young - this a year long devotional that I am enjoying so far
ESV Bible - finished Genesis today
This Present Darkness by Peretti - only a few chapters in, will try to get back to this week
To Be Read
The Just City by Walton
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour BookstoreDark Horse by Diener
DD reads much faster than I so I decided to bench Gulliver to read with another child.
Goodreads
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Finish Last Week
Sink Reflections by Cilley - This reread was primarily designed to get me motivated for doing some much needed decluttering and organizing. I've temporarily (I hope) lost access to my blog, so I opened a Goodreads account to track my reading instead. Here's a link to my review on Goodreads.
Books In Progress
Jesus Calling by Young - this a year long devotional that I am enjoying so far
ESV Bible - another year long read
This Present Darkness by Peretti - reread for the dusty book challenge that I dug out of the box in my closet
Gulliver's Travels by Swift - reading to discuss with my 11th grader
To Be Read
The Just City by Walton - thanks Eliana for recommending
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - thanks Kareni for the bookstore books link, I've been meaning to read this for awhile
Dark Horse by Diener - thanks again Kareni I caught it while it was still 99 cents on Kindle
I also picked up several other book ideas from last week's post and started a book idea list for those that were not currently available at the library. Thanks for all the ideas.
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I took a hiatus from the boards this past year but I'd love to rejoin the challenge for this year.
I haven't read Peretti in several years, so I dug in my closet and found This Present Darkness for starters.
For challenges, I'll try the Dusty/Chunky challenge and the WEM challenge.
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I'm in! I want to do a combination of decluttering and organizing this year. Today I cleaned my bedside table to make room for my sudoku calendar. Lots of recycled paper, a small pile of trash, a few items that belonged elsewhere. Now if I could just get DH to clean his table...
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I finished two books over the past two weeks: #29 - The Perfect 10 Diet by Aziz (reviewed here) and #30 - Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Collins (reviewed here), which was a read aloud with the boys. I need to spend this week working on lit for DD and making some progress with HOAW, but I'd rather just curl up with something fun. I'll have to see what I can squeeze in timewise.
To be read:
The Birds by Aristophanes and Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare to discuss with DD
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Collins - reading aloud to DSs
In progress:
Bible - finished 1 Chronicles and started 2 Chronicles, a few chapters behind
History of the Ancient World by Bauer - no chapters this past week
Julius Caesar by Shakespeare
Finished:
30. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Collins
29. The Perfect 10 Diet by Aziz (non-fiction)
28. Medea by Euripides (ancient lit.)
27. Michael Vey Battle of the Ampere by Evans (Peru)
26. Michael Vey Rise of the Elgen by Evans (Peru)
25. Black Order by Rollins (BaW, Germany/Nepal/South Africa)
24. Michael Vey: the Prisoner of Cell 25 by Evans (USA)
23. Urchin and the Heartstone by McAllister
22. Gregor the Overlander by Collins
21. The Prince of Mist by Zafon
20. St. Peter's Fair by Peters (12th century, England)
19. Monk's Hood by Peters (12th century, England)
18. Map of Bones by Rollins (BaW rec, Italy/Germany/France)
17. W.A.R.P. Book 1 The Reluctant Assassin by Colfer
16. Getting Things Done by Allen (non-fiction 646.7)
15. Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister
14. Agamemnon by Aeschylus (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
13. One Corpse Too Many by Peters (12th century, England)
12. Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
11. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
10. The Week That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley (BaW rec, England)
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Cain (non-fiction 155)
8. Sandstorm by Rollins (BaW rec, Oman)
7. The War of the Worlds by Wells (classic lit, Great Britain)
6. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (12th century, Great Britain)
5. Anitgone by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
4. Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction 648.5)
3. Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec, Great Britain)
1. The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit, Greece 883.1)
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I finished three books this past week: #26 - Michael Vey Rise of the Elgen (reviewed here), #27 - Michael Vey Battle of the Ampere (reviewed here) and #28 -Medea by Euripides (reviewed here). My allergies have been acting up so the young adult books were perfect for my level of focus. I ploughed through Medea solely to be able to discuss it with DD, so I will probably revisit it in the future when I can get more out of it.
To be read:
Julius Caesar to discuss with DD
In progress:
Bible - finished 2 Kings and working through 1 Chronicles on track
History of the Ancient World by Bauer - no chapters this past week
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Collins - read aloud with the boys
Finished:
28. Medea by Euripides (ancient lit.)
27. Michael Vey Battle of the Ampere by Evans (Peru)
26. Michael Vey Rise of the Elgen by Evans (Peru)
25. Black Order by Rollins (BaW, Germany/Nepal/South Africa)
24. Michael Vey: the Prisoner of Cell 25 by Evans (USA)
23. Urchin and the Heartstone by McAllister
22. Gregor the Overlander by Collins
21. The Prince of Mist by Zafon
20. St. Peter's Fair by Peters (12th century, England)
19. Monk's Hood by Peters (12th century, England)
18. Map of Bones by Rollins (BaW rec, Italy/Germany/France)
17. W.A.R.P. Book 1 The Reluctant Assassin by Colfer
16. Getting Things Done by Allen (non-fiction 646.7)
15. Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister
14. Agamemnon by Aeschylus (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
13. One Corpse Too Many by Peters (12th century, England)
12. Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
11. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
10. The Week That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley (BaW rec, England)
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Cain (non-fiction 155)
8. Sandstorm by Rollins (BaW rec, Oman)
7. The War of the Worlds by Wells (classic lit, Great Britain)
6. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (12th century, Great Britain)
5. Anitgone by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
4. Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction 648.5)
3. Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec, Great Britain)
1. The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit, Greece 883.1)
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I completed one book this past week Black Order by Rollins and reviewed it. Decided to set aside Herodotus for now and had to return Till Then We Had Faces. I'll have another go at them at some point in the future.
To be read:
Medea to discuss with DD
feeling like I should read some non-fiction after 9 fiction books in a row, but on the other hand the girls are asking for suggestions of new books to read so I may read some YA books instead
In progress:
Bible - caught back up and nearing the end of 2 Kings
History of the Ancient World by Bauer - met my goal of 6 chapters finishing through chapter 40
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Collins - read aloud with the boys
Finished:
25. Black Order by Rollins (BaW, Germany/Nepal/South Africa)
24. Michael Vey: the Prisoner of Cell 25 by Evans (USA)
23. Urchin and the Heartstone by McAllister
22. Gregor the Overlander by Collins
21. The Prince of Mist by Zafon
20. St. Peter's Fair by Peters (12th century, England)
19. Monk's Hood by Peters (12th century, England)
18. Map of Bones by Rollins (BaW rec, Italy/Germany/France)
17. W.A.R.P. Book 1 The Reluctant Assassin by Colfer
16. Getting Things Done by Allen (non-fiction 646.7)
15. Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister
14. Agamemnon by Aeschylus (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
13. One Corpse Too Many by Peters (12th century, England)
12. Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
11. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
10. The Week That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley (BaW rec, England)
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Cain (non-fiction 155)
8. Sandstorm by Rollins (BaW rec, Oman)
7. The War of the Worlds by Wells (classic lit, Great Britain)
6. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (12th century, Great Britain)
5. Anitgone by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
4. Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction 648.5)
3. Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec, Great Britain)
1. The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit, Greece 883.1)
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I finished up 2 books this week: #23 Urchin and the Heartstone by McAllister (a readaloud with DS10 reviewed here) and #24 Michael Vey: the Prisoner of Cell 25 by Evans (thanks for bringing it to my attention Angel) and reviewed it as well. I also started and stopped Herodotus because I just don't have the time or focus to get through it right now. Instead, I'll focus on my in progress list for the remainder of this week.
To be read:
Medea to discuss with DD
In progress:
Bible - finished 2 Samuel and 1 Kings, a few chapters behind in 2 Kings but hope to catch back up by the end of the week
History of the Ancient World by Bauer - up to chapter 34, hopefully will make 40 by the end of the week
Till We Have Faces by Lewis - about halfway through and not sure I want to finish, may just use the Omnibus questions to discuss with DD
Black Order by Rollins - just started
Finished:
24. Michael Vey: the Prisoner of Cell 25 by Evans (USA)
23. Urchin and the Heartstone by McAllister
22. Gregor the Overlander by Collins
21. The Prince of Mist by Zafon
20. St. Peter's Fair by Peters (12th century, England)
19. Monk's Hood by Peters (12th century, England)
18. Map of Bones by Rollins (BaW rec, Italy/Germany/France)
17. W.A.R.P. Book 1 The Reluctant Assassin by Colfer
16. Getting Things Done by Allen (non-fiction 646.7)
15. Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister
14. Agamemnon by Aeschylus (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
13. One Corpse Too Many by Peters (12th century, England)
12. Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
11. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
10. The Week That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley (BaW rec, England)
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Cain (non-fiction 155)
8. Sandstorm by Rollins (BaW rec, Oman)
7. The War of the Worlds by Wells (classic lit, Great Britain)
6. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (12th century, Great Britain)
5. Anitgone by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
4. Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction 648.5)
3. Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec, Great Britain)
1. The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit, Greece 883.1)
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I read -- and very much enjoyed -- a book that is definitely outside my usual reading choices. I recommend it.
The Martian: A Novel by Andy WeirI'd call this book a blend of (thinking movies here) Castaway meets Apollo 13. I shared a number of snippets with my husband, and now he's interested in reading it, too, even though he only rarely reads fiction.
"Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?"
Regards,
Kareni
Adding to tbr list. It already has 31 holds at my library, so maybe this summer.
Ooooohhh. Lots of cool bookshelves:
http://www.boredpanda.com/creative-bookshelves/
(I actually have #8 in red in my house! Totally love it though it's completely overloaded right now.)
I love #14 & #19. Absolutely would love to have them in my house.
Love this one too (#6):
Which are your favorites?
The cat bookcase and the staircase bookcase. The others were cute, but I tend to go for function over artistry in furniture.
I love the equation one but really ... I want the staircase one in my house.
READ:
For one of my book clubs I finished Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I had been meaning to read him for years because everyone seems to adore him. I enjoyed the story but was suprised by it's adult situation and the ending was sad. Not in a bittersweet way ... just sad. ****
I jotted this one on my tbr list while catching up on the past two weeks of posts. Thanks for the warning. I'll move it from the fun fluffy category.
I see your post...
And raise the ante...
:lol:
Love the pic. Thanks for the laugh.
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It's good to be back after missing the last two weeks of discussions. We took the kids down to Disney in Florida for a few days, and the chief upside to driving all the way down to Florida and back is that is gave me time to finish reading six books (and since it was vacation I could justify making them all fun fiction). Now if I can just catch up on the laundry, so I can start reading again... The books I finished include:
Book 17 - W.A.R.P. Book 1 The Reluctant Assassin by Colfer (reviewed here) - I was looking for some new authors for my Riordan lovers and pulled this title from one of Riordan's blog posts about an upcoming event he is doing with three other authors including Colfer. I liked it enough to go pick up the first book in his previous series Artemis Fowl to try as well.
Book 18 - Map of Bones by Rollins (reviewed here) - I didn't want to read just books for the kids, so I picked up the second Sigma series book purely for my own enjoyment.
Book 19 - Monk's Hood (reviewed here) and Book 20 - St. Peter's Fair (reviewed here) by Peters continue my journey in the 12th century. I think I'm finally ready to move on to the 13th century and take a break from Brother Cadfael for a little while although I continue to enjoy the series.
Book 21 - The Prince of Mist by Zafon (reviewed here) - This was another title I pulled from Riordan's blog as a preread. This particular book was once that he had just finished reading. I'm not big on supernatural thrillers, and I don't my girls will enjoy it but the story is very well written.
Book 22 - Gregor the Overlander by Collins (reviewed here) - After an array of very dark villains, it was great to take a break and zip through this children's story as a preread for my 9yo.
To be read:
It's back to work as I need to start (and can no longer procrastinate reading) Histories by Herodotus and Till We Have Faces by Lewis to discuss with DD14.
In progress:
Bible - finished Joshua through 1 Samuel and working through 2 Samuel, as soon as I finish today's reading I'm back on track
History of the Ancient World by Bauer - no chapters the last three weeks, definitely going to work on this week
Urchin and the Heartstone by McAllister - reading aloud with DS 9 and still enjoying
Finished:
22. Gregor the Overlander by Collins
21. The Prince of Mist by Zafon
20. St. Peter's Fair by Peters (12th century, England)
19. Monk's Hood by Peters (12th century, England)
18. Map of Bones by Rollins (BaW rec, Italy/Germany/France)
17. W.A.R.P. Book 1 The Reluctant Assassin by Colfer
16. Getting Things Done by Allen (non-fiction 646.7)
15. Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister
14. Agamemnon by Aeschylus (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
13. One Corpse Too Many by Peters (12th century, England)
12. Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
11. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
10. The Week That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley (BaW rec, England)
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Cain (non-fiction 155)
8. Sandstorm by Rollins (BaW rec, Oman)
7. The War of the Worlds by Wells (classic lit, Great Britain)
6. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (12th century, Great Britain)
5. Anitgone by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
4. Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction 648.5)
3. Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec, Great Britain)
1. The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit, Greece 883.1)
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Spring would be a welcome sight here, but outside my window its snowing again. I think they are predicting 8 inches this time. :glare: I guess it's a good thing I didn't pack the kids snow clothes away at the end of last week. The thought of spring brings to mind flowers, kittens, spring break, spring cleaning, and fishing (because the boys have been talking about it for a month now).
I completed two books this past week :hurray: #15 Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister (reviewed here) which was a read aloud with the boys and #16 a reread of Getting Things Done by Allen (reviewed here).
To be read:
I need to start Histories by Herodotus and Till We Have Faces by Lewis to discuss with DD14
I'd like to try to balance that with something fun, but I haven't decided what...
In progress:
Bible - finished Deuteronomy and working throught Joshua, still on track
History of the Ancient World by Bauer - no chapters last week
Urchin and the Heartstone by McAllister - reading aloud with DS 9
Finished:
16. Getting Things Done by Allen (non-fiction 646.7)
15. Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister
14. Agamemnon by Aeschylus (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
13. One Corpse Too Many by Peters (12th century, England)
12. Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
11. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
10. The Week That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley (BaW rec, England)
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Cain (non-fiction 155)
8. Sandstorm by Rollins (BaW rec, Oman)
7. The War of the Worlds by Wells (classic lit, Great Britain)
6. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (12th century, Great Britain)
5. Anitgone by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece, 882)
4. Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction 648.5)
3. Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec, Great Britain)
1. The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit, Greece 883.1)
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Good morning!
School:
Core lessons:
DD14,DD12,DS9,DS5Language lesson DD14Writing and language lessons DD 12Afternoon lessons for
DS 9and DS 5 (DS has been too busy enjoying the outdoors)Household:
Wipe sinks and toiletsCollect and wash towelsChange DS5's bedWash sheetsFold/put away sheets and
towelsClean fish tankMake muffins
Pick up floors & vacuum carpets (2 rooms done)
Shampoo
LRand DRMake pumpkin pancakes for tomorrow
Pack away consignment items for next sale
Clean cat carrier and carpet shampooer containerMe:
20 min Tabata exerciseread 2 chapters HOAW and 2 of Getting Things Done 1 chapter read
Ab workoutWash water pitcherClean refrigerator (done except for large drawers and bottom)
Dinner
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Good morning!
School:
Core lessons:
DD14,DD12,DS9, DS5Language lesson DD14
Writing and language lessons DD 12
Afternoon lessons for DS 9 and DS 5
Household:
Wipe sinks and toiletsCollect and wash towelsChange DS5's bedWash sheets
Fold/put away sheets and towels
Clean fish tank
Make muffins
Pick up floors & vacuum carpets
Shampoo LR corner and DR
Make pumpkin pancakes for tomorrow
Pack away consignment items for next sale
Clean cat carrier and carpet shampooer container
Me:
20 min Tabata exercise
read 2 chapters HOAW and 2 of Getting Things Done
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I only finished one book again this past week Agamemnon by Aeschylus (reviewed here). I didn't assign the remaining parts of the triology to DD, so I haven't decided if I'll read them this week of not. I did download The Histories by Herodotus for our next ancient lit selection and picked up more holds at the library. :001_rolleyes:
To be read:
Eyeing a huge pile I thought rereading Getting Things Done by Allen might be an appropriate use of my time this week. I've been in a bit of a slump and could use a kick to get me restarted :gnorsi: although the thought of the size of my to do list makes me fell more like this. :svengo:
In progress:
Bible - nearly finished with Deuteronomy and still on track
History of the Ancient World by Bauer - no chapters last week, will try to pick up the pace this week since I just ordered the next book for next year.
Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister - reading aloud with DS 9, nearing the end and will finish this week. I got the OK to continue on to the next book when we finish this one. :thumbup:
Finished:
14. Agamemnon by Aeschylus (ancient lit, Greece)
13. One Corpse Too Many by Peters (12th century, England)
12. Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece)
11. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece)
10. The Week That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley (BaW rec, England)
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Cain (non-fiction)
8. Sandstorm by Rollins (BaW rec, Oman)
7. The War of the Worlds by Wells (classic lit, Great Britain)
6. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (12th century, Great Britain)
5. Anitgone by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece)
4. Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction)
3. Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec, Great Britain)
1. The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit, Greece)
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Guerber's The Story of the Thirteen Colonies and The Great Republic would get you through half of American history, and I would consider them appropriate for 7th. It would be less reading than Hakim allowing more time for biographies and rabbit trails.
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If you've used R&S English 7 can you tell me why we should use it next year? :)
My dd has done grades 3,5, and is working on 6 this year. I'm not sure what to do for Grammar next year, if we need a change or what. We're finding grade 6 pretty thick! I have the grade 7 text and it looks a bit lighter to me but I don't know. Are there great benefits we'll miss out on if we do Fix It or something else?
Thanks in advance if you have any thoughts!
R&S 7 does review concepts from 6, but with a lot less repetition than in books 4-6. There are more advanced grammar concepts like noun clauses, substantives, verbals and more complex sentences with various types of phrases and clauses in the higher level books. My oldest is in the 9th grade book currently, so I don't remember exactly in which book the topics are introduced. It's all blurring together at the moment.
My reply may not help much because I have not used R&S 7. But my oldest and I are using 6 this year. He, too, is finding it "thick". There is soooo much to remember and he finds the explanations long-winded to the point where he gets lost and I have to sum up the gist of the lesson in a sentence or two, after which he says, "Why didn't they just say that?" Although I am understanding all the lessons myself, I don't remember it all and have forgotten some of the earlier lessons from the beginning of the year.
If R&S 7 is just more of the same and doesn't get more complicated, then perhaps we might have attempted it next year if 6 was going better. I've also heard that the 7th book is also where the series begins to focus much more on writing, and we haven't been using the writing lessons.
All that to say, I am changing to Climbing to Good English on Monday. The explanations are much more concise, it isn't so advanced and detailed, and I actually *really* like the writing lessons so we might do some of them as well. Also, my oldest likes workbooks so I think that will appeal to him.
So I guess I don't really have advice... but you aren't alone. :)
We don't actually read through the lesson explanations most of the time. I use the lesson summary in margins of the teacher's book to cover the lessons and just point out one or two of the examples in the student text that go with each point. For review lessons, I tend to assign either only some of the parts of the written practice or just the odd numbers.
I'm not sure that the number of writing assignments increases, but there are more multi-lesson assignments where you pick and topic and take notes one lesson, write an outline another lesson, and then lessons to write the rough draft and to edit it.
"I think R&S needs a big flow chart or something. I think we're going to make a big poster to keep us all oriented to where we are along this road!"
I've found it helps to memorize the definitions of the parts of speech as well as which questions are answered by adjectives and adverbs. Other definitions to add as they get to them might include a phrase, a clause, a verbal, and a substantive. I really don't care if they remember terms like gerund, participle, and infinitive as long as they recognize them to be a type of verbal and can determine what part of speech they are function as. The same goes for the different types of clauses. I also encourage the kids to follow the same pattern in diagramming sentences that is used in our Latin program for translating sentences. Off the top of my head the chart would be something like:
1. Find the main clause and locate the verb.
2. Ask who or what to find the subject.
3. For action verbs check for a direct object by saying subject + verb +who or what? or for linking verbs look for nouns that rename the subject or adjectives that describe it.
4. If there is a direct object ask to or for whom or what to check for an indirect object.
5. If it is a compound sentence repeat steps 1-4 with the second clause.
6. Go back through the remaining words of each main clause to identify adjective or adverb words or phrases.
7. Determine the parts of the dependent clauses using steps 1-6.
8. Use the adjective and adverbs questions to determine how the clauses is being used in the sentence to correctly connect it.
I believe this is fairly similar to what is taught in R&S over the course of several books. HTH
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Again, CW really looks amazing, but I have a lot of little ones. Is there a "fog" period for the teacher? does it take a lot of time?
We've only used CW here. This year I have one in Herodotus, one in Diogenes Maxim, and one in Aesop. To teach CW, I recommend spending a few hours over the summer looking over the core books to become familiar with the layout and get a general idea of the goals for the year. Aesop is not time intensive. We spend 10 to 15 minutes 4 days a week. Starting at the Homer level, the time required is closer to 45 minutes to an hour 4 days a week, but only 10 to 15 minutes of that generally requires one on one teaching. This contines to be the case for the Diogenes level as well. Once at Herodotus, the student schedule is set up to having one teacher meeting per week to preview the material, and then the student works mostly independently although there are occasional lessons that call for discussion with the instructor.
I have used CW Aesop and WWE. I also own CW Homer and both levels of Diogenes. Having drooled over many other Classical programs, I keep coming back to CW as I appreciate how it incorporates grammar and literature into the instruction. As you go further along Modern writing is also incorporated. CW moves very incrementally, yet is extremely thorough. The student books make CW usable.
Do I need another grammar program with it? Do I have to use the one they recommend with Homer? I like R&S... And how much lit is incorporated? I had wanted to link our literature and history studies; will this still work with that?
I don't use their recommended grammar program. We've been using R&S instead. Once in a while, we encounter a new grammar concept in CW before R&S, but I've found that the examples in CW are done well enough that I can cover the material after looking through them.
For literature, they have a list of suggested books that correspond to the models on their website. I decided to keep our literature separate, and we haven't had a problem.
Does anyone NOT find CW hard to teach?
I don't find it difficult to teach. The core books are well laid out, and the student books provide a schedule of assignments if you want that.
HTH Feel free to pm me if you have any other questions.
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I only finished one book this past week One Corpse Too Many by Peters (reviewed here), but I did get the taxes done. :hurray: I probably won't get much reading time this week as I need to get items ready for our local consignment sale. :svengo: For March, I'd like to finish up with the 12th and 13th century, get over half way through the Bauer book, and fit in a couple of non-fiction and just for fun titles. :gnorsi:
To be read:
still a huge pile - I finished one off last weeks pile and added 3 or 4 more. I'm thinking I may stack them at some point to see if the pile is as tall as my 5yo. Maybe the visual will keep me from putting more on hold. :tongue_smilie:
I do need to read Agamemnon this week to dicuss with DD next week.
In progress:
Bible - finished with Numbers, on to Deuteronomy and still on track
History of the Ancient World by Bauer - only 2 chapters last week, will try for a couple of more this week
Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister - reading aloud with DS 9, about midway through and still really enjoying this
Finished:
13. One Corpse Too Many by Peters (12th century, England)
12. Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece)
11. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece)
10. The Week That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley (BaW rec, England)
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Cain (non-fiction)
8. Sandstorm by Rollins (BaW rec, Oman)
7. The War of the Worlds by Wells (classic lit, Great Britain)
6. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (12th century, Great Britain)
5. Anitgone by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece)
4. Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction)
3. Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec, Great Britain)
1. The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit, Greece)
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A couple of days ago I went to renew my library stack and discovered someone had requested an entire series that was in my really really want to read portion of my stack. I have finished all that had to be back by the 5th and am loving the Sebastian St. Cyr series. These must be read in order because the underlying character thread/storyline is fabulous. CS Harris has a Phd in European History and an undergraduate degree in classics. They are well written and from what I can tell very a very accurate snapshot of life in London cira 1812.
I completed these this week:
Why Mermaids Sing by CS Harris
Where Serpants Sleep by CS Harris
What Remains of Heaven by CS Harris
Where Shadows Dance by CS Harris
Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich my number challenge/insomnia read ;)
Currently reading:
When Maidens Mourn CS Harris
The Dinosaur Feather by SJ Gazon
I just want to add that the CS Harris books are great historical mysteries with a bit of romance. I suspect many of you would love them! :)
Thanks for the description. I added them to my list.
Husband hates those. We're watching Return of the Jedi.
My kids have gotten into these during the last month. It's fun to watch them again after several years.
In case anyone needs a few laughs... :lol:
32 Books Guaranteed to Make You Laugh Out Loud
22 Book Lovers Who Are Doing It Right
Which Classic Author is Your Soulmate?
Love the links. I got Chekov as well. Maybe that means I should pull the hammock out of the closet this spring.Added a couple of books to my list as well.I got Anton Chekov :w00t:
- You got: Anton ChekhovCalm and contemplative, you need someone who shares your desire to lie in a hammock in the Russian countryside, drink champagne, and think about the meaning of life. Both of you know that love, alas, is a fickle emotion, so you must cherish it for the fleeting moment in which it graces you.
The thought of lying in a hammock makes me feel profoundly dizzy, add champagne to the mix and, well, you've got this... :lol:
Thank you for a great morning laugh. :lol:
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Walter Moers has two that spring to mind:
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear
Negin, I know you've said you're on the fence about reading Bluebear (I found it utterly delightful), but for some reason I'm thinking you would really enjoy The City of Dreaming Books (another wonderful book & truly a book for lovers of books) much more. It's a bit darker than Bluebear, but I think you might like this quirky story. (Even though these are all part of a series, you don't need to read the whole series, nor do you need to read them in order. Imo, each book stands on its own just fine.)
Read this blog post to get a real flavor for the story: http://gatheringbooks.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/meet-optimus-yarnspinner-in-walter-moers-the-city-of-dreaming-books/
Here is the warning in the beginning of Moers' book:
:lol: Just reading that makes me want to read the book again!
Love the book excerpt and added it to my list. Thanks.
Wiki - redeems itself on Susan Howatch. I've read all of these at one point or another:
The Rich are Different and The Sins of the Fathers are based on the plot structure of the lives of Julius Ceasar and Mark Antony and Octavian and Cleopatra. They're set in the 1920s-1960s Wall Street, New York City. Fantastic Probably my favorite of the historical family sagas.
Penmarric is based on the early Plantangenets and set in 1860s Cornwall. Next favorite
The Wheel of Fortune is some later Plantangenets. I don't remember its setting, also Cornwall-ish? but later, 1910s
Cashelmara is based on Edward I and II set in 1800s Ireland - but I can't in good conscience recommend it. There are some very very dark, disturbing, sordid scenes in that book that I wish I could erase from memory.
The Starbridge and St Benet's books are great and set in the Anglican Church. These are listed by SWB as some of her favorite fiction.
I tried the Starbridge series last year and just wasn't in the mood at the time. Thanks for reminding me of the book. Perhaps I'll have another go at them this year.
I just returned from spending a peaceful two hours at a large library while the dc's played chess in a meeting room. It dawned on me during the drive home that I can't remember the last time I just browsed at the library. I generally just present myself at the desk and pick up our holds, maybe pick up a couple predetermined topicwise books off the shelves. Do the rest of you still browse and get to enjoy your library trips or do you pick up and go?
I came home with a few new cozy mystery series to try. Mostly bookstore and quilting related. :)
I generally browse for fiction online, but for non-fiction I often just find the appropriate call number and go look on that section of the shelf. I may eventually get back to browsing the fiction section if I successfully read all the great books recommended on these threads that made it onto my tbr list and pile.
I'm posting from the iPad in the early morning before everyone is up. A long day out for us with a writing class, a Shakespeare class and later this evening, kathak class. So there'll be knitting, reading, some audio book listening-- we are into book two of Cooper's, 'The Dark is Rising' series. We finished book one earlier in the week. Ds is so taken with the series he's both reading it and listening.
I thoroughly enjoyed these books when I read them a couple of years ago. I also enjoyed her books The Boggart and The Boggart and the Monster, which are more humorous.
Just sharing my ironic moment of the day (it is book-related).
I've been going through Smart but Scattered Teens, a book about helping teens strengthen weak executive skills. At least one of my two children needs a lot of help in this area.
Apparently I am in need too, because I discovered this morning....
I've lost the book.
:laugh: :lol:
LOL!! I have misplaced books-in-progress so many times. Sometimes I've left it in the car, or in the tote bag that had been in the car or it is buried under the detritus next to the couch. Worst of all, is when I can't find it because it got put on a bookshelf! Heaven sakes alive. Bookshelves are for all those books I've bought but haven't read yet, right? Not for books I'm actually reading.
:laugh: That reminds me of last week when I was looking all over the house for my coat only to finally remember it was in the coat closet.
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52 Books Blog - Follow the Rabbit Trail: For some reason I have two words stuck in my brain - Twelve and Road. Maybe it is because I just finished Justin Cronin's The Twelve and the characters spent a lot of time on the road. :laugh: Who knows. What do you think of when you hear the word twelve or see the number 12? What immediately came to my mind were apostles, a jury, dozen eggs, months, 12 lords a leaping, knights, and time. Road, well? A journey, travel, trails, highways, a straight line and exploring.
Are you ready to follow some rabbit trails? Your primary mission is to read a book already in your stacks with a number or the word road in the title. Your secondary mission is to see if you can find a book with both the number and a reference to a road or synonyms related to road in the title. Happy trails!
For 12 - the twelve disciples of Jesus (probably because I looked through the upcoming Sunday school lessons for DS's K class this morning)
For road - "The Road Less Travelled"
I don't have any titles with the word road, but I was getting reading to read One Corpse Too Many, so I'll tackle the primary mission.
Talk about following the rabbit trail. Searched 12 are the tribes of Yisrael and it lead me to the Jewish Virtual Library. Lots of interesting information and plenty of rabbit trails to follow. Manasseh is the one person who popped out at me so on to Amazon and found Mor Jokai's Manasseh, A Romance of Transylvania which is free for Kindle. Translated from Hungarian, the story starts out in Italy. Also his Golden Age of Transylvania which looks pretty interesting too.
Twelfth also lead me back to Bodie Thoene's A.D. Chronicles and Twelfth Prophecy which I'll be reading after Tenth Stone and Eleventh Guest. I love their writing.
Thanks for the link to Hollander's translation of Purgatorio. Added it to my wishlist.
The Thoene books look really interesting. I broke my no hold ban and decided to try Jerusalem Vigil since that series leads into the AD chronicles.
Nothing finished this week. Now that the Olympics are ending I'll get back to reading. We just got basic cable after not having it for a decade (and we only get PBS without it). So this was our first winter olympics since Salt Lake City. But I hate NBC and we are really not used to watching t.v. Youngest can't believe they just keep repeating the same commercials over and over. We finally starting recording it because I can't stay up late and I want to see the ice skating. Can they just please make events available after the fact on their website (PBS gets Sherlock up immediately for example). But, no, this is NBC and that's not how they operate. Ugh! Ready to just go back to no t.v. for awhile.
Totally agree about the commercials and needing the tv break (although I want to catch up on the figure skating first). One benefit to Comcast making us switch to digital last year is they have the events available on demand next day, and I can fast forward through both commercials and annoying commentary. :tongue_smilie:
I finished Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper. A lovely book for cat lovers about a woman who adopts a blind kitten. I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially since we adopted a stray mama cat and her two kittens this year. It was just the book I needed after reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity.
The book sounds lovely, and I've added it to my tbr list. Thanks for the rec. We ended up adopting 4 strays this past year: 2 kittens that the kids made friends with from the neighborhood strays, one kitten that lost it's mom and was found wandering through the in-laws back yard, and a lovely and very friendly older cat who it would probably be more correct to say chose to adopt us.
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I managed to finish two Greek plays this week: Book 11 - Oedipus the King and Book 12 - Oedipus at Colonus. Otherwise I've really been to unfocused to read although I have enjoyed watching the Olympics instead. I need to finish the taxes this week, so I'm not sure how much reading I'll get done.
To be read:
a huge pile - I'd like to read some more Brother Cadfael but may just as likely detour into a light fluffy read if I can't focus.
In progress:
Bible - nearly finished with Numbers and still on track
History of the Ancient World by Bauer - read 21-25 this week, will try for at least 5 chapters again next week
Urchin of the Riding Stars by McAllister - reading aloud with DS 9, 6 chapters so far; I'm really enjoying this, and I think DS is as well (but is not ready to admit it yet)
The Beloved Disciple by Moore - I can see how it would be an interesting BIble study, but I'm not really enjoying the commentary alone. I'll probably read a few more chapters but I may drop this one
Finished:
12. Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece)
11. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece)
10. The Week That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Bradley (BaW rec, England)
9. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Cain (non-fiction)
8. Sandstorm by Rollins (BaW rec, Oman)
7. The War of the Worlds by Wells (classic lit, Great Britain)
6. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Peters (12th century, Great Britain)
5. Anitgone by Sophocles (ancient lit, Greece)
4. Secrets of an Organized Mom by Reich (non-fiction)
3. Phantastes by MacDonald (classic lit)
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley (BaW rec, Great Britain)
1. The Odyssey by Homer (ancient lit, Greece)
Book a Week 2016 - BW5: February Safari
in The Chat Board
Posted
It's the Wilbur translation. It was the only one available off the shelf on Saturday and I didn't see a recommended translation in WTM.
I have the same problem. At some point I stop putting books on hold and start making a list in one note.
It was in the first thread and is also on Robin's 52 books blog here.