I decided it was time to reread the Harry Potter series as our kids are getting older and asking about reading them. I have always enjoyed the movies but honestly don't remember my first read of these books. This first book was even better than I remember!
I was laughing throughout and enjoyed every moment of this book. I remember why I enjoy reading books and why I have to treat books separate from their movies because as usual the book far exceeds the movie. The books tells you all of the little details you miss or they don't put into the movies and gives you a more complete picture of the story world.
J.K. Rowling is a very skilled writer and weaves such an incredible and involved story that you are entranced from the beginning. I really enjoy how she contrasts the two worlds so starkly as well as puts such a difference between Harry and the Dursley family, with whom he lives. It is fun discovering the wizard world with Harry as he gradually learns who he is, who his parents were and what he is to do. Because this is a seven book series this book only gives you a slight glimmer into the full story, but it also does a great job standing as a book alone.
There are many lessons and talking points when reading with your kids. Good vs evil is a theme throughout. The kids in this book often disobey the rules and must deal with the consequences. There is also things that could be considered ambiguous, which makes for great discussion as you look at what the characters do and why. For example, is there ever a time in the fight against evil to break the rules?
I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to sharing it with my older kids in the near future. I do think kids need to be well grounded in reality and truth to be able to enjoy this book and learn the lessons this book has to offer.
I would give this book 5 stars.
Reading Challenges:
I'm using this book for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge as one of the books by the same author
For Tim Challies I'm using this book as a book of my choice in the Light section
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Saturday, January 18, 2020
More Reading Challenges
Like last year, I've got my eye on three other reading challenges apart from the Back to the Classics Reading Challenge that I'm aiming for this year. I will double, triple or may be even quadruple dip on some of the books, but its fun having different categories from a variety of challenges to expand my reading repertoire and also to encourage to read the books on my shelf that have yet to be read.
I'm using the same challenges as last year for my guidelines.
1. Tim Challies 2020 Reading Challenge
This challenge has up to 104 books. While reading that many books would be amazing, I'm not sure if I'll read that many and if I do many may not fit into the categories provided as his are very versatile and specific.
2. The Modern Mrs. Darcy 2020 Reading Challenge
This challenge has only ten categories with twelve books as one category is three books by the same author. I do think I'll be able to complete this challenge between all the books I plan to read this year and reading with my kids.
3. 2020 Christian Reading Challenge for Women with Jami Balmet
This challenge has two levels, with 13 or 26 books for the year with varying categories but several that repeat. Jami does give books for each category, however I will likely find books in the categories that I already have. There are many I am interested in from her list so I'll keep an eye out for deals.
I'm trying to read my shelves before buying more books. Between the four challenges I'm using as guidelines I hope to make a good dent. I did well reading off my shelf last year. Full disclosure I will be using a couple books I started last year in these challenges as the fit categories I'm seeking to fill. I didn't get all of my reviews written but hoping to do better with reviews this year.
Ready for a year of reading with my family both for learning and fun.
Do any of these challenges peak your interest? What are you reading this year?
I'm using the same challenges as last year for my guidelines.
1. Tim Challies 2020 Reading Challenge
This challenge has up to 104 books. While reading that many books would be amazing, I'm not sure if I'll read that many and if I do many may not fit into the categories provided as his are very versatile and specific.
2. The Modern Mrs. Darcy 2020 Reading Challenge
This challenge has only ten categories with twelve books as one category is three books by the same author. I do think I'll be able to complete this challenge between all the books I plan to read this year and reading with my kids.
3. 2020 Christian Reading Challenge for Women with Jami Balmet
This challenge has two levels, with 13 or 26 books for the year with varying categories but several that repeat. Jami does give books for each category, however I will likely find books in the categories that I already have. There are many I am interested in from her list so I'll keep an eye out for deals.
I'm trying to read my shelves before buying more books. Between the four challenges I'm using as guidelines I hope to make a good dent. I did well reading off my shelf last year. Full disclosure I will be using a couple books I started last year in these challenges as the fit categories I'm seeking to fill. I didn't get all of my reviews written but hoping to do better with reviews this year.
Ready for a year of reading with my family both for learning and fun.
Do any of these challenges peak your interest? What are you reading this year?
Back to the Classics Challenge 2020
I am so excited that Karen's Books and Chocolate is hosting her annual Back to the Classics Challenge for this year! I'm hoping that with the books on my shelf, my Kindle and in our curriculum that has many classic gems I'll be able to cover all twelve categories this year. I'm really excited about the categories and the challenge of finding a title for each one.
This year's categories are:
This year's categories are:
- 19th Century Classic
- 20th Century Classic
- Classic by a Woman Author
- Classic in Translation
- Classic by a Person of Color
- A Genre Classic
- Classic with a Person's Name in the Title
- Classic with a Place in the Title
- Classic with Nature in the Title
- Classic About a Family
- Abandoned Classic
- Classic Adaptation
I will be reading 1984 for my Abandoned Classic because it's one of two I can think of that I never fully finished.
Other titles I am considering for this year include:
This Hideous Strength
The Jungle
Little Women
Pilgrim's Progress
Lord of the Flies
The Ugly American
Anne of Green Gables
The City of God
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas
Emma
Wuthering Heights
Red Badge of Courage
Tale of Two Cities
These are ones that have caught my attention, but if you have any great suggestions for any of these categories let me know!
Who wants to join me on this challenge? What are you reading?
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Back to the Classics Wrap Up
As in years past I really enjoyed participating in the Back to the Classics Challenge with Books and Chocolate. I started this year with a bang devouring my classics, but half way through the year, much happened and majorly slowed down so I only made it through six classics this year. With six books I earned one entry to the Classic Challenge drawing. EmmieBeth13@gmail.com
The six categories with books are:
20th Century Classic- Perelandra
Classic by a Woman Author- Strawberry Girl
Classic in Translation- The Stranger
Classic Tragic Novel- A Canticle for Lebowitz
Very Long Classic- Wife No. 19
Classic Novella- Catcher in the Rye
I greatly enjoyed the vast array of classics I read this year. Many were sad in some way, but all were worth the read.
The six categories with books are:
20th Century Classic- Perelandra
Classic by a Woman Author- Strawberry Girl
Classic in Translation- The Stranger
Classic Tragic Novel- A Canticle for Lebowitz
Very Long Classic- Wife No. 19
Classic Novella- Catcher in the Rye
I greatly enjoyed the vast array of classics I read this year. Many were sad in some way, but all were worth the read.
Strawberry Girl
This classic was part of our Sonlight Curriculum Core C that we read as a family. I ended up not reading as much as I was hoping to on my own this year and so I'm using this as my Classic by a Woman Author in the Back to the Classics Challenge I participated in this year.
We were all entranced in this book from the start. This book allows you to enter the world of rural Florida in the early 1900s when Anglo-Saxons started to move south into Florida to settle and farm the land. The focus is on two families that end up in a feud because of different views of how to live.
The Boyer family buys a vacant farm and begins to work the land. The Slater family has been living in the area for awhile and is lax in how they care for their property and animals. The women seek to find a way to live in peace, but the men are so different in their way of doing things that the families go back and forth with getting along and being at war. In the midst of this feud, we get a view of what life was like during this time. They show us a view of farming, raising cattle and other animals, making treats and other food in the kitchen and what school and church was like. You also get to hear how they talk, which is kind of fun to read.
There are so many lessons in this book. Learning to work hard, loving your neighbor as yourself, loving those who hate you, obedience, respect for others and their property as well as working together as a community. I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that stood out to us as we read.
This is a good fun read and is great to learn about living and working together. I absolutely recommend this read.
4 Stars for this classic
We were all entranced in this book from the start. This book allows you to enter the world of rural Florida in the early 1900s when Anglo-Saxons started to move south into Florida to settle and farm the land. The focus is on two families that end up in a feud because of different views of how to live.
The Boyer family buys a vacant farm and begins to work the land. The Slater family has been living in the area for awhile and is lax in how they care for their property and animals. The women seek to find a way to live in peace, but the men are so different in their way of doing things that the families go back and forth with getting along and being at war. In the midst of this feud, we get a view of what life was like during this time. They show us a view of farming, raising cattle and other animals, making treats and other food in the kitchen and what school and church was like. You also get to hear how they talk, which is kind of fun to read.
There are so many lessons in this book. Learning to work hard, loving your neighbor as yourself, loving those who hate you, obedience, respect for others and their property as well as working together as a community. I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that stood out to us as we read.
This is a good fun read and is great to learn about living and working together. I absolutely recommend this read.
4 Stars for this classic
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Catcher in the Rye
This classic is one I've wanted to read for a while and I'm glad that I finally got to read it for this year's Back to the Classics Challenge in the category of Classic Novella! It's extremely humorous to read a book that sounds like your husband could have written as a teenager and it was fun to ask him about things he experienced especially since he lived at a military school for a year and the main character lived in a boarding school.
As for the book I enjoyed it on the whole. When I started the book I was curious about what the point of the book was, and at the end I enjoyed it that much more. There is something refreshing about a story told in the first person for the sake of telling their story. This story is about 36-48 hours in the life of the narrator and gives you a deep look into this boy's mind and life. As Holden tells us about this full and interesting couple of days in his life, he adds all kinds of details that have left deep impressions in his young mind that are effecting his choices even in what he does in the story.
What I particularly liked about this story is the dispelling of the illusion of childhood innocence. Holden is about 16 and you can see how much life he has already lived in those short years. He's seen death more than once, is familiar with drinking, smoking, cursing and women, has seen neglect and care and has already developed what he views as right and wrong. You even see it in his ten-year-old sister Phoebe. At her young age she knows so much and complex things do not get past her. She can read Holden like a book and keeps him from being completely foolish. In all the interactions, you see how, even though young, these children are anything but.
It also shows the importance of parents in guiding their children as they grow, learn and experience the world around them. Holden bounces from school to school with no clear intervention from the parents. The primary interaction between Holden and Phoebe takes place in the family home in the middle of the night and the parents are not there. As you listen to Holden tell his story it is evident major guidance is missing from his life. As a parent this is convicting and challenging.
This book also shows how lonely and desperate life is when we have no purpose. Holden is seeking who he is but cannot find it because of the lack of guidance. As a Christian, the atheistic or agnostic undertones in his view of God and religion make it clear why he is struggling so much aside from lack of guidance. It's a reminder how precious it is to know the one true and living God, even when we're struggling with loneliness or feel like we have no purpose. It's such an eye-opening book to understand how the world think. And in all of this there is the continual reminder, money cannot buy us what really matters.
Even though this book follows the life of a teenage boy, it is easy to relate to him. I think anyone could enjoy this book. If language bothers you, then I would steer clear. This is very much written from a worldly teenage boys point of view and some may not be able to handle it.
The story line is compelling and easy to follow. From all that this book reminded me of and challenged me in, I definitely recommend it.
I would give this classic four stars.
As for the book I enjoyed it on the whole. When I started the book I was curious about what the point of the book was, and at the end I enjoyed it that much more. There is something refreshing about a story told in the first person for the sake of telling their story. This story is about 36-48 hours in the life of the narrator and gives you a deep look into this boy's mind and life. As Holden tells us about this full and interesting couple of days in his life, he adds all kinds of details that have left deep impressions in his young mind that are effecting his choices even in what he does in the story.
What I particularly liked about this story is the dispelling of the illusion of childhood innocence. Holden is about 16 and you can see how much life he has already lived in those short years. He's seen death more than once, is familiar with drinking, smoking, cursing and women, has seen neglect and care and has already developed what he views as right and wrong. You even see it in his ten-year-old sister Phoebe. At her young age she knows so much and complex things do not get past her. She can read Holden like a book and keeps him from being completely foolish. In all the interactions, you see how, even though young, these children are anything but.
It also shows the importance of parents in guiding their children as they grow, learn and experience the world around them. Holden bounces from school to school with no clear intervention from the parents. The primary interaction between Holden and Phoebe takes place in the family home in the middle of the night and the parents are not there. As you listen to Holden tell his story it is evident major guidance is missing from his life. As a parent this is convicting and challenging.
This book also shows how lonely and desperate life is when we have no purpose. Holden is seeking who he is but cannot find it because of the lack of guidance. As a Christian, the atheistic or agnostic undertones in his view of God and religion make it clear why he is struggling so much aside from lack of guidance. It's a reminder how precious it is to know the one true and living God, even when we're struggling with loneliness or feel like we have no purpose. It's such an eye-opening book to understand how the world think. And in all of this there is the continual reminder, money cannot buy us what really matters.
Even though this book follows the life of a teenage boy, it is easy to relate to him. I think anyone could enjoy this book. If language bothers you, then I would steer clear. This is very much written from a worldly teenage boys point of view and some may not be able to handle it.
The story line is compelling and easy to follow. From all that this book reminded me of and challenged me in, I definitely recommend it.
I would give this classic four stars.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Our Seven-Year-Old Gabriel
Our precious Gabriel is seven-years-old today! This boy marched to his own drum to enter the world, and he still marches to his own drum.
Gabriel is so full of life and loves everything about life. It's amazing how he finds enjoyment in the smallest detail and gets so excited about it. I already see God working in his life to really appreciate all that God has made and tell anyone who will listen about it. There is always a story to tell, a finding to show. He really helps me and others appreciate all aspects of life. His enthusiasm and smile are contagious. It's hard to not feel happy around Gabriel.
This boy loves to learn and figure out puzzles. Gabriel can do puzzle books in a day if he sets his mind to it. He is learning so much and loves math in particular. His brain just gets all of the problem solving so well, which is a blessing. He also enjoys Bible and is growing in memorizing Scripture. He struggles with confidence, but I see God growing him in this as well.
Gabriel loves to work hard. He is quick to help and take on chores. He is a great dish washer and dryer. He is very meticulous generally speaking and does a great job making sure every part of his job is done.
Gabriel also loves to be outside. He runs, climbs, rides, cuts bamboo, digs, you name it, he does it. Now that our kudzu has died he's ready to get out there and dig it up! When he puts his mind to it, he can do any project he puts his mind to even though he is smaller.
Gabriel is also taking an interest in cooking and baking. He enjoys putting things together and helping Daddy and/or Lillian in the kitchen. I look forward to see how he grows in this.
Gabriel is so much fun! I can't explain to you how much joy and laughter he brings to our family. I watch him grow and thank God for giving Gabriel to our family. He does march to his own drum, but he still marches in the midst of our family and adds so much color everyday.
Father, I thank You so much for our sweet and lively Gabriel. He is such a joy to be around and adds so much to our life. He is such a blessing from You and I pray that Gabriel will be a mighty man of God as he is named. Please continue to mold his heart and save him by your grace. Thank You again for Gabriel. In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
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