What's On Your Nightstand - May

I had quite a reading month! I'm kind of shocked myself. I will admit that I spent quite a bit of time today finishing up two books since I wanted to get them on the list. I don't know what June will hold for reading time. My parents are going to come for a visit and we are still busy going to baseball, though practice gives me plenty of time to read. I also will need to see how my allergies hold up. June is grass season and some days I'm not good for anything except watching movies, etc.

For June:

 

From April's Nightstand I read:

• The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse - I read this with the Close Reads podcasthttps://www.circeinstitute.org/podcasts/close-reads. You can't go wrong with this Wodehouse.
• The Looking Glass Wars by John Le Carre - I continued reading on in the Smiley series, but I have to admit this book may have ended it. Bleak, bleak read. I haven't decided if I'm going to attempt Tailor, Tinker, Sailor, Spy or just give it up.
• The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton - This is a very highly recommend read and I bought it for my daughter for a gift a while back. I decided that I'd read it, but I have to admit I did not find it lived up to all the great recommendations. Afterward, my daughter said she wasn't crazy about it either. I guess we just walk to a different beat.
• Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen - I attempted to read this book years ago when it first came out and never made it through. So it has sat around my house forever until I decided to get it read. Esolen writes very sarcastically so that can make it hard to read. I did find myself agreeing with everything he said though I felt their were times I cringed because I wasn't doing well in that area. A very thoughtful read.

I also read:

• Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery - 
• The end of this book always makes me so very happy.
• Bachelor's Anonymous by P.G. Wodehouse - I was on a Wodehouse kick this month. This is a stand alone novel. It was fun read though it won't be a favorite.
• The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse by Alexander McCall Smith - I haven't read anything by Alexander McCall Smith in forever. I found this book in the online catalog and thought it looked like a good read. Well, I was disappointed. This isn't one of his better reads. Skip it.
• A Man of Some Repute by Elizabeth Edmondson - Book 1 in A Very English Mystery series. I absolutely loved this series. They were just fun and clean cozy mysteries.
• The Penderwicks at Last by Jeanne Birdsall - The last book in the Penderwicks series which I have really enjoyed. I'll admit I'm a little rusty in the previous books and probably need to refresh my brain. Unfortunately, I can't say I was very satisfied with the book since it was the last in the series. It wasn't horrible but it just fell short of the mark compared to others in the series.
• A Question of Inheritance by Elizabeth Edmondson - Book 2--same as above.
• The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis - More reading about dyslexia. This is about the Davis Method of working with Dyslexia. Not super helpful unless you are considering using it with your child.
• The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie - I have listened to all of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcasts and decided to just order the book from the library rather than buying it. I really enjoyed reading Sarah Mackenzie's thoughts about reading aloud to your kids even though I've heard a lot of of it. I think this is a great gift for new parents or anyone parent for that matter. Highly recommended! 
• Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination by Vigen Guroian - Andrew Pudewa recommends this book when he talks about reading aloud to kids. I was able to get it at the library (thankfully since it is quite an expensive book) and kept having to renew it. I finally assigned myself so many pages a day so I could get it read before my last due date. This was an interesting read. I have to admit there were probably some things that went over my head, but I kept working my way through it. 

I listened to:

• My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - The first book that introduces Jeeves. The Jeeves stories in the book are the best.
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown - This was another highly recommended book that has been on my radar for awhile. This book did lift up to the recommendations. It really gave me a lot of food for thought that I will be thinking about in the next little bit. It is a business book but many of his thoughts are applicable to everyday life.

Reading Goals for 2018 (or the rest of it!)

I am really late at getting this posted, but I still want to set some goals for the rest of the year. Bible reading is first and foremost. This list focuses on non-fiction since I naturally gravitate to fiction. My main goal is to clean off some of my shelves, but I don't think I'm achieving it too well. Also, I will decide which are keepers and which books will leave the house.

1. God Has a Waiting Room by Kim Haney - This was on my 2017 reading list and I somehow missed reading it so here it is again. (10/14 - This is a keeper!)

2. Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen - I have had this book for quite a while. I've started it several times, but my goal is to get through it this year. (5/28-Donation)

3. Made to Crave (Book & Devotional) by Lysa Terkeurst - This is a re-read, but I feel I need it. (6/25-I think I'm going to donate and hope one day I'll find just a copy of the Devotional. That was more worthwhile to me than the book.)

4. Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women by Susan Hunt - This book has been on my radar for awhile and last year I was able to get my hands on a copy of it.

5. Eve in Exile and the Restoraion of Femininity by Rebekah Merkle - Again another book that caught my eye. I haven't had it too long, but I'm very interested in this topic so on the list it goes.

6. A Touch of the Infinite by Megan Elizabeth Hoyt - A book about music appreciation with Charlotte Mason. I've had this book for over a year, but other books were pushed ahead it so on the list it goes.

Kindle books:

7. (un)Natural Mom - Hettie Brittz - I have so many books languishing on my Kindle, but I'm choosing one to try to get read this year. I should just focus on reading my Kindle books but for some reason that doesn't feel as productive as reading real books.