What We're Reading in February 2019

This was a sad, sad month for our reading life. We packed up the little attic library that my husband and boys built for me three years ago and sent all but a dozen or so books to storage, for who knows how long. We sold our house, moved to a larger city two hours away, and will be renting for a time until we can find a new-to-us-home.

I spent much of January going through our entire collection--from kids' books to cookbooks. I held every single title in my hands and contemplated the helpfulness and value of each. (Nope. This was not a KonMarie crisis. To be honest, I don't know if I can trust a woman who only recommends owning 30 books. That's just unnatural.) Cindy Rollins said it best in Mere Motherhood when she wrote that moving a home library has a way of revealing the twaddle on the shelves. The cream really does rise to the top and earns a spot in the moving boxes. All the other books get donated.


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When all was said and done, I packed up 14 large plastic tubs and 7 cardboard filing boxes with books. Those were the books that made the cut and found a place in the "keep" pile.

Sadly, only about 5 of those boxes got to come with us to our temporary digs.

We all long for the day when we can build a new home library and can be reunited with all our treasured literary friends once again.

In the meantime, we've checked out lots of titles from the public library. (We've only lived here a week and have already been to our neighborhood branch three times!) Here's what we're reading this month.

Read Aloud- everybody

The Monster in the Hollows- We've only got about 30 pages left to read in book three of the Wingfeather Saga. The last few chapters have had us all on the edge of our seats, even me. When we finally reach the end, we plan to roll right into the fourth and final book, The Warden and the Wolf King. If you've ever seen it, you know that it is quite an epic and will probably take us more than a month to finish. We shall see. 

Jamie- that's me!

No One Ever Asked- This is by far one of the best contemporary Christian fiction books I've read in a long time. It has believable characters, a compelling plot, and unlike most Christian fiction, does not sound contrived and unnecessarily preachy. It not only unpacks the very real struggle of racial tension in this country but also reveals the darker side of adoption that no one ever wants to talk about. 

This is my first exposure to the work of Katie Ganshert. I will most definitely be looking for more of her books in the future. 

Girls' Club- I was privileged to be a part of the launch team that brought this title into the world. Like all of Clarkson's books, it is full of the wisdom of a mom who has spent her entire adult life building relationships with her kids and with others in order to share the Gospel of Christ to anyone and everyone.

This book could not have come at a better time for me. After cultivating such deep friendships in our teeny-tiny Mayberry for the past 17 years, I now find myself in a city of strangers. Starting over is never easy. But in a world full of lonely people, desperate to be seen and known, community and connection are mine for the taking whenever I'm willing to be brave enough to make the first move--to extend the hand of friendship, to send the invitation, to open my doors wide to others. 

Sweetie Pea- 10th grade

Radical- I cannot tell you how excited I am that my girl is reading this book! Apart from the Bible, it is my most favorite non-fiction book of all time. After reading it a few years ago, I passed it on to my husband who loved it just as much as I did. It set us on a path of radical living--pouring ourselves out for kingdom work, living on less in order to give more, opening our hearts to a little girl in Congo, and seeing this world and all its trappings for what it really is: temporary.

I asked her tonight if she's been enjoying it. And she answered, "It's wrecking me, but in the very best ways."

Super Boy- 7th grade

A Long Walk to Water- My daughter and I both read this a while back and loved it. It follows the stories of two eleven-year-old Sudanese children living about 20 years apart. One common thread brings them both together...water. One of the stories is true and the other is a composite of the stories of many children suffering under third world conditions.

Please note: A few of the scenes dealing with war and impoverished people can be a bit graphic. A man gets shot and children suffer from starvation. 

Blonde Warrior- 6th grade

Follow My Leader- My son is a few chapters away from finishing this book he started last month. It tells the story of a boy who is permanently blinded in a firecracker accident. With the help of a seeing-eye dog, he slowly comes to terms with his new normal and learns independence.

I'm not sure what he'll read next. Got any suggestions?

Greased Lightning- 4th grade

Meet the Pilgrim Fathers- Admittedly, this one is well below my son's reading level. But since it pairs so nicely with our current TruthQuest history unit and since he always loves reading the Step Up series, I thought it would make a great choice for this busy month of packing-moving-unpacking. 

The Dude- 1st grade

Easy But Not Boring Readers- Since each of these can be read in one sitting, the entire collection of easy readers has come with us to our temporary home. They've been given prime shelf space and are seeing lots of action since most of my son's toys landed in storage.

This month, I am not reading a chapter book out loud to him. Of course, he always listens in when I read to the entire family every afternoon. But, we've hit pause on our one-on-one story time. In its place, we've been doing our daily Community Bible Study assignments together. The kids and I joined a local chapter the day after we moved to our new city as a way to connect with other Christians, specifically homeschooling Christians. Since he can't quite read all the parts of his workbook by himself, my youngest and I have been doing his portions together each afternoon.

That's what we're reading in February. How about you?

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I’ve been waiting to share a behind the scenes project and special announcement with you! I've linked arms with two amazing women to launch a brand new website and podcast. Perhaps you know them?

Kate Battistelli is mom to Christian recording artist Francesca Battistelli, Mimi to four little cuties, and author of Growing Great Kids. September McCarthy is mom of ten, grandma and foster grandma to several, and author of {Why} Motherhood Matters. We're three generations of women who have gathered around the table to talk motherhood and every season in between and beyond.

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