It’s that time already! Here are our favorite recommendations from the last month of reading, watching, and listening. I hope you find something to enjoy!
Books—Adults
- M is for Mama by Abbie Halberstadt (Parenting) ★★★★★ Reading this gem of a book was like sitting across from Abbie with a cup of “hocho” (read the book) and having a heart to heart. (Even more so since she read the audiobook herself!) I loved her style of writing. Simple, straightforward, and cutting right to the chase of TRUTH. As a mom of ten herself, she filled it with sound biblical, counter-cultural advice with some practical ideas sprinkled throughout. (I’ve stolen her “Penny Rewards System” idea, and it has been working like a charm!) Comparison, thoughts on self-care, books and media in the home (you know I loved that chapter) and child-training are just a few of the topics she covers. If you’re a mom, this one is worth the read. *Non-KJV (E-book version available on Hoopla.)
- The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton. (Memoir) ★★★★★ 5 stars for storyline. ★ 1 star for language—uggh. So. Much. Language. I was so disappointed because the book was riveting…heart-wrenching…incredible! It would have been just perfect if there wasn’t language! And that drives me crazy to find such an amazing story where I have to hem and haw about recommending it because of things like that. Frustrating to say the least. Anyways, here’s a quick recap. Anthony Ray Hinton was on death row for 30 years…THIRTY YEARS…for crimes he didn’t commit. He listened to 54 men get killed right down the hall from him. He went into prison as a young man, and came out as an old man. He missed the marriage of his very best friend. He missed his mother’s funeral. He missed his life! He fought tooth and nail against the state, and they would not admit they were wrong. I was so inspired by his best friend Lester. He never missed a visit…a 7 hour round-trip drive and he went every. single. week…for thirty years! I fought through tears for a lot of the story. It was so grievous. So outrageous. So so sad. I just can’t imagine being in his shoes. But you know what? He finally walked out of there, and that’s what makes the story so incredible! *Unfortunately, I cannot give this a raving recommendation because of the language. Read at your own risk. There are over 35 instances. I have the words and what chapters they are in if you want to preview before you read. Just let me know.
- Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck (Dystopian Novel) ★★★ Sometimes I read a book that I just can’t completely recommend, but I still want to review it just in case someone is looking for honest thoughts about the book. The basic idea for the book was good. The storyline was very intriguing. BUT, with the book being by Glenn Beck, I was surprised to find so much language and uses of the Lord’s name in vain. While it wouldn’t fall under the category of “romance novel,” there is also a love story playing out in the storyline. The love story scenes were not graphic at all, but there were definitely still some short, “spicy” scenes that are not typically part of my reading diet. *There were several instance of “G** d*** it” in chapter 6. Several instances of “Jesus” throughout the book.
- The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi (Self-Improvement) ★★★★★ This was our book club pick for June, and there’s good reason. Some people try too hard (they’re the genius ones). And some people don’t try at all (they’re the lazy ones). But it’s so helpful to just figure out what matters the most to you, work on those things and just leave everything else behind (living like a lazy-genius). The book is so practical, yet so incredibly helpful. The author guides you through 13 different principles that could literally change your life. While all 13 may not be important to you, you’ll find a few that you’ll latch on to and won’t let go. My favorites are: decide once, put everything in it’s place (and teaching my daughter to as well) and ask the magic question. Just implementing these three things have greatly altered my life in the last couple of years. (For the better!) *Although Kendra claims to be a Christian, I feel this is more of a secular book, so you’ll run across some ideas like self-care and being kind to yourself. It’s very important to come at these things from a Biblical standpoint, and you’ll find yourself still gleaning from these chapters.
Books—Children
- The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis (Fantasy/Fiction) ★★★★ This is probably one of my least favorite books in the series, but it was a special treat when almost all of the main characters we’ve fallen in love with throughout the series come back into this story for a final visit. *The word ass is used in reference to a donkey. Also gosh is used two times and “Where the devil” one time. (Free on Hoopla.)
- The Last Archer, The First Fowler and The Archer’s Cup by S. D. Smith (Fiction) ★★★★★ These three books are known as the Archer Series. They take place during the time of Sam’s most popular books “The Green Ember Series.” Joe Shanks, a secondary character in the original Green Ember series, becomes the main character in the Archer series. He has humble beginnings, but becomes one of the most famous archers in the Green Ember world. You will love his humor and humility. Excellent role models for children. Of course, there are a lot of battles, fighting and action that you typically find in Sam’s work. The last book turns into a sort of mystery, so your mystery lovers will enjoy that one.
- Gone Away-Lake and Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enright. (Fiction) ★★★★ There is a certain magic that comes with summer, and the author captures it perfectly in this mini-series. These are THE perfect books for reading during summer vacation! A brother and sister are whisked away to the country to stay with their aunt, uncle and cousin over summer break. While there, they discover an old, abandoned vacation town and two very eccentric siblings who look like they walked right out of the past. And from then on, it is one adventure after another. It is the SWEETEST read…sometimes mysterious, always fun. If your kids are treasure seekers, club house makers, outdoorsy people or collectors of any kind, they will LOVE this little series. *Elizabeth Enright is a wonderful author, but she loves her slang. Her favorite slang word in this series is “heck.” It is used multiple times throughout the series. You will also find words such as “gosh,” “gee,” “darn,” “by Jove” and “by Jupiter” used less frequently throughout the books.
- Tatsinda by Elizabeth Enright (Fantasy/Fairytale) ★★★★ This is a cute fairy tale…only a couple of hours long. Without giving the story away, just know that it has your typical fairytale elements…someone good, someone evil, a handsome prince and little bit of magic to make all of the girl’s dreams and wishes come true. *Some instances of magical elements.
- Rigoletto. This one takes me right back to childhood. It’s been years since I’ve seen it, and it was still as good as I remembered. And E loved it of course. All I kept thinking was, “This is the way fairy tales should be!” Just good, old fashioned wholesome viewing with some very important life lessons peppered in along the way.
- The Sound of Music. We wanted to introduce E to this one and I’m so glad we did. There’s something about watching it again as an adult. It is just another one of those good, old fashioned movies. Just make sure you have a nice chunk of time to watch it. (It’s three hours long!)
Media: Art YouTube Channels for Kiddos
- Art For Kids Hub: E LOVES drawing, and she has been using this channel for a few years now. The teacher gives easy step-by-step instructions for drawing pretty much anything you can think of. He usually has a child join him, so the drawings are not always perfection…which helps a child understand that it’s ok if his drawing is not perfect. (Raise your hand if you have a perfectionist for a child! Lol.) This is a go-to for E when she’s in the mood for drawing.
- Miss Cassie’s Art Class: I stumbled across another art YouTube channel recently, which is similar to Art For Kids, but is more than just drawing. I can tell we’ll be putting this one to good use this summer. It’s a secular channel so there are some things we’ll skip over, but there are plenty of fun things to try out! The teacher is fun and energetic, and that’s always a win! E’s favorite experiment so far is salt dough!
