#41 Paradise Lost by John Milton - I listened to the audio version narrated by Simon Vance, who does a superb job. #42 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen :001_wub:

I finished three more books in the past week: #38 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott I did this as a read-aloud with dd. I think I had an abridged version growing up - really abridged! :lol: I enjoyed it overall, despite Alcott's tendency to get a bit preachy in parts. #39 Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Terri Maxwell I found this convicting, encouraging and quite practical, and I appreciated her honesty in sharing her struggles #40 Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas This was a great bio of an amazing man who stood against the evil of the Nazis during WWII. One of my top books for the year so far.

#35 Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber - an enjoyable and thought-provoking memoir (thank you, Ladydusk:)) #36 The Winged Watchman by Hilda Van Stockum - set in Holland during WWII. Read this aloud to the kids and it generated some good discussions. #37 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - believe it or not, I'd never read this before, though I had watched the movie. Loved the perspective of Scout, the insights into human nature, Atticus' quiet strength. One of the top books for me this year, I think.

#33 Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot" by Michael O. Tunnell - such a wonderful, uplifting story! #34 The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick - a beautiful book, but I liked the movie better.

We are studying WWII in history, and I've been doing some self-education. I read Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist by John B. Severance and two books by Albert Marrin: Hitler and Overlord: D-Day and the Invasion of Europe. Although intended for middle schoolers and high schoolers, I found them quite well-written and interesting, especially the Marrin books. And thanks to the recommendations for Georgette Heyer's books by several ladies here, I ventured to try Cotillion. I listened to the Audible audio recording and really enjoyed both the story and the narration. That brings me up to 32 books so far!:) Glad to hear your mother is doing better, Robin. :grouphug:

Finished two more, both pre-reads for my dd: #27 Dandelion Fire by N. D. Wilson - liked it better than 100 Cupboards, but I think I need a break before finishing the series. :tongue_smilie: #28 Black Radishes - the story of a Jewish boy and his family in France during WWII (fictional, but some parts were based on what happened to the author's father). It's quite well-written and interesting, but I'm glad I pre-read it, because there's definitely things we'll need to discuss!

#25 - 100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson. Not quite my cup of tea, but I'm pre-reading them for my dd, and it was interesting enough that I've started the next book in the series. #26 - Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. As others have said this book was very validating. :) Here's a couple of my favorite quotes: "So when introverts assume the observer role, as when they write novels, or contemplate unified field theory - or fall quiet at dinner parties - they're not demonstrating a failure of will or a lack of energy. They're simply doing what they're constitutionally suited for." "Love is essential; gregariousness is optional."

Well, my rising 5th grader still loves them, FWIW. :) Thanks for the heads up, Dawn! I just pre-ordered them. I don't think I'll tell the kids, or they'll be hounding me for the next month. It will be a nice surprise. :D

I finished a couple of books last week: #23 Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery - a reread of a favorite :) #24 Greenmantle by John Buchan Fun! I had to chuckle at some of the best sellers during the week I was born (Sept. '79) For example: The Third World War: August 1985 (not surprisingly out of print!) Tinsel (description: "under the tinsel of Hollywood lies tinsel":lol:) This one does look good: War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk - anyone here read it? :)

I'm behind, but I have finished a few books in the last several weeks. #20 The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton - I didn't entirely grasp the point of this rather bizarre story, but it was very entertaining. :D #21 Going Postal by Terry Pratchett - I watched the movie and enjoyed it, so I thought I'd read the book, and I enjoyed it even more (there's a lot more to it!). I listened to the Audible audiobook with Stephen Briggs narrating, and he did a wonderful job, especially of Mr. Pump, who was my favorite character. I'm interested in reading more of the Discworld series - any recommendations ('cause I don't think I'm going to get to them all:lol:)? #22 The Roots of American Order by Russell Kirk - took me awhile to get through, but well worth it.

Thanks for posting this! I have been wondering what to use for logic for my rising 5th grader (yikes!), and these look great! :)

I haven't posted for several weeks. I started Anna Karenina, but I didn't get too far...maybe I'll get back to it someday. But I have finished a few others recently: #15 Little Britches by Ralph Moody, a read-aloud with the kids #16 A Night to Remember by Walter Lord, a re-read for me #17 Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian #18 Bright Against the Storm by Ari Heinze #19 The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett (another read-aloud)

My dd has used and enjoyed the the Homeschool Programming Kidcoder series. We also have The Games Factory 2 which my older two have had fun with. :)

#14 - The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. I listened to the Audible edition narrated by David Thorne, and really enjoyed it. :)

Well, I knocked out some ironing and the rest of the audio version of Michael Morpurgo's War Horse tonight. I wanted to preview it for my DD as she loves horses and we're learning about WW1 in history. It wasn't too graphic in the war scenes, which was good, and it was fairly interesting. There are a few things I'll discuss with her (like when one of the characters tells the horse to pray to his "horse god" for his sick granddaughter :001_huh:). I think it tried to be too much like Black Beauty sometimes, which was a little annoying. I also finished The Shallows by Nicholas Carr earlier this week. I found it fascinating and rather disturbing, and I learned a lot about the brain and how technology affects it. I have Anna Karenina on the bookshelf, so this Russian author challenge will be a good incentive to actually read it. :D I am also planning to re-read A Night to Remember by Walter Lord in April, as it will be the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. I last read it when I was about twelve or thirteen. I was quite fascinated by the Titanic (still am!) and my dad even helped me build a wooden model of the ship. Anyone else planning a "Titanic" read? :)

Just finished #11: The Innocence of Father Brown. I really didn't know much about either G. K. Chesterton or the character of Father Brown until I heard Jim Weiss's rendition of The Blue Cross live at the Cincinnati homeschool convention last year, and then I read a couple of the stories later that summer. I had a hankering for some more detective stories, and saw that it was free in Kindle format, so I downloaded it and read the remaining stories. Some of Chesterton's caricatures grate on me, but overall it was a very fun read. :)

#9 My Antonia by Willa Cather (audiobook) #10 The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr (read-aloud) - quite funny, though I skipped over a few parts I didn't think were appropriate for my kids.

#6 Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. Berry knows how to relate an "ordinary" life in an extraordinarily beautiful way - he really does believe that "life is a miracle" (the title of the first book that I read by him). I did have some quibbles with how he used (missapplied) certain Bible references. #7 The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs. This book encouraged me to read what I want rather than feeling tied to someone else's list of "must reads" (though I still want to read lots of the books considered classics by many), as well as to reread some old favorites.

I finished The Help (audiobook) today. I think I neglected my family a bit, 'cause I just had to find out what happened! Hubby is reading Oliver Twist to me. It's nice to have someone read aloud to me for a change. :)

Book #5 completed today: Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry. I am also listening to The Help. I started out with the printed book, but decided to try the audio, and am glad I did. The different voices really seem to bring the characters alive. :) Robin, I think I will join you and read Oliver Twist. My sister gave me a lovely edition which I have yet to read, and it looks a bit less intimidating than the Nicolas Nicolby sitting beside it. :lol:

:iagree: I shouldn't have watched it so late in the evening. It gave me nightmares.:crying:

Finished book #4 last night (yet another one started last year): Keeping House by Margaret Kim Peterson. More of a "why" (from a Christian perspective) than a "how" book, but still a lot of practical advice on laundry, hospitality, routines, etc. I wish I'd had this book ten years ago - maybe I wouldn't struggle with housekeeping so much.:tongue_smilie:

Just finished #3: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Beautiful, gut-wrenching, so much to ponder...

Swenson defines margin as the space between ourselves and our limits. I kind of think of it as "breathing room" in our lives. :)

I finished Margin by Richard Swenson, M.D. last night. I actually started it in December but took a while to get through it. He addresses the ways progress has crowded out margin in our lives; the physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of the loss; and how we can restore margin, and with it, health in those areas. I found it a little dull or repetitive at times, but overall very thought-provoking and practical. 1. Kilmeny of the Orchard 2. Margin