A-Z Wednesday

A-Z Wednesday is hosted by Vicky of Reading at the Beach. To join, look here.

This weeks letter is: O



Oliver Twist (Puffin Classics) by Charles Dickens

Book Description:
Nine-year-old Oliver has spent his life in a workhouse orphanage, where he becomes notorious for daring to ask for more food. Frustrated and hungry, he runs away to London, where he falls into the company of a gang of clever pickpockets, including Fagin, Bill Sykes, and the Artful Dodger. OliverÂ’s future looks uncertain, until a mysterious plot against him is unraveled by the kind Mr. Brownlow. What will become of poor Oliver Twist?

My thoughts:
Here is another book I have yet to read that is sitting patiently waiting to be retrieved from my shelf. (sigh)

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should be Reading.



Wildflower Bride (Montana Marriages) by Mary Connealy

Either someone was trying to kill him, or...he'd found his woman.

Or both. p. 243

Homeschooling Update: Term 3 (09-10) - Part 2

Destini - Term 3

Math:
Math-U-See Gamma.
Language Arts:
Easy Grammar Grade 3
All About Spelling Level 2
Phonics Pathways
Copywork/Handwriting:
Classically Cursive Book 1
History:
American History:D'Aulaire American Biographies
World History: Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall and Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin
Geography
Sticker Atlas of the World
Library books about different countries and stories from different countries
Science
Exploring Creation with Astronomy by Jeannie Fulbright (narration)
Literature
Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling (narration)
The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (online version)
James Herriot's Treasure for Children by James Herriot
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Shakespeare: Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
Additional Reading:
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Along Came a Dog by Meindert DeJong
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
along with other books.

We finished up:
D'Aulaire books:
-Benjamin Franklin
-George Washington
-Buffalo Bill
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges

She also read:
Kirsten's Story Collection by Janet Beeler Shaw
"B" Is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace
The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson
------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out Term 2 here.

Book Review: An Irish Country Girl by Patrick Taylor

Book Description:

Readers of Patrick Taylor’s books know Mrs. Kinky Kincaid as the unflappable housekeeper who looks after two frequently frazzled doctors in the colourful Irish village of Ballybucklebo. She is a trusted fixture in the lives of those around her, and it often seems as though Kinky has always been there.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Some forty-odd years before and many miles to the south, the girl who would someday be Kinky Kincaid was Maureen O’Hanlon, a farmer’s daughter growing up in the emerald hills and glens of County Cork. A precocious girl on the cusp of womanhood, Maureen has a head full of dreams, a heart open to romance, and something more: a gift for seeing beyond the ordinary into the mystic realm of fairies, spirits, and even the dreaded Banshee, whose terrifying wail she first hears on a snowy night in 1922. . . .

As she grows into a young woman, Maureen finds herself torn between love and her fondest aspirations, for the future is a mystery even for one blessed with the sight. Encountering both joy and sorrow, Maureen at last finds herself on the road to Ballybucklebo---and the strong and compassionate woman she was always destined to become.

An Irish Country Girl is another captivating tale by Patrick Taylor, a true Irish storyteller.

My thoughts:
I have enjoyed Patrick Taylor's previous books and I was excited to see An Irish Country Girl. I need to say that I'm not too keen on ghost stories so I didn't thoroughly enjoy the book as much as the others. I did enjoy looking into Kinky's past and learning her bittersweet love story and how she came to settle in Ballybucklebo.

A-Z Wednesday

A-Z Wednesday is hosted by Vicky of Reading at the Beach. To join, look here.

This weeks letter is: N



Nesting: It's a Chick Thing by Ame Mahlor Beanland & Emily Miles Terry

Book Description:

Check it out--the Chicks are back. Authors of It's a Chick Thing, with 110,000 copies in print--"A must book for the reader who knows that chicks rule" (Publishers Weekly), "a smart and sassy compilation" (Chicago Tribune)--Ame Mahler Beanland and Emily Miles Terry celebrate chicks nesting, or what it means to have a home filled with laughter, good friends, lovingly prepared foods and crafts, all with personal style.

Seasoned with attitude and packed with stories, history, how-tos, quips, advice, recipes, folklore, and crafts, Nesting is all about finding personal style and showing it off, putting an entirely fresh, it's-a-chick-thing spin on entertaining, decorating, cooking, and gardening. In "Chicks and Chow," the food chapter, there are unexpected stories by M.F.K. Fisher, Ruth Reichl, and Erma Bombeck; a Spice, Spice Baby! guide to spices; sixteen recipes for great Chicktails; and Towels That Snap Back (how to make personalized dish towels). "Flocking Together {hen parties and sassy soirees}" has Sally Quinn on being a guest while in labor; Ina Garton's "The Worst Party I Ever Had"; the How to Be a Hostess Cupcake guide to party girl preparedness; Upper, Lower, and No-Crust hors d'oeuvres; Monotony Killers; and decorating inspiration from Elsie de Wolfe: "I believe in plenty of optimism and white paint."

Nesting is totally un-Martha in its approach--it's easy, it's light, it's like your best friends hanging out and offering advice with a quip--and it's illustrated throughout with hilarious retro photos and illustrations.

My thoughts:
I bought this book all because of the title. I haven't read it yet, but it looks like a lot of fun.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should be Reading.



The Faceless Fiend: Being the Tale of a Criminal Mastermind, His Masked Minions and a Princess with a Butter Knife, Involving Explosives and a Certain Amount of Pushing and Shoving by Howard Whitehouse

"In Chiligrit, stranglings is everyday-goings-on. Also, other murderings, and kidnappings and daily thievings of sheep and goats. I miss it very much." p. 13

Book Review: A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley

Book Description:

She's an outlaw; he's a preacher. Both are in need of a miracle.

Sarah Prescott has never known a respectable life. Just a hardscrabble childhood and brothers who taught her to shoot first and ask questions later.

Justin Wells left Boston in disgrace, heading out alone on the dusty trail to Texas. But when the once-respected clergyman encounters a feisty redhead in handcuffs with a dying U.S. Marshal at her side, their journey takes a dramatic turn.

His high society expectations and Sarah's outlaw habits clash from the start. With a price on her head and towing an orphaned baby rescued from the brink of starvation, Justin and Sarah make the difficult journey toward Rocky Creek. There, justice will be meted out. Perhaps--they hope--with a healthy portion of grace.

Filled with mishaps, laughs, and adventure, Margaret Brownley's inspiring romance will keep readers cheering for Sarah as she struggles to become a true lady.

My thoughts:
I had noticed A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley at the Christianbook.com website and finally got around to ordering it from my library. I can't begin to tell how much I enjoyed this book. It had the right amount of adventure, romance and suspense and humor. I look forward to reading more by Margaret Bronwley.