I do have to say, especially since the DG blog just posted this post about PG Wodehouse, that his books added to my library have been quite refreshing. Introduced to Wodehouse a few years ago by the brilliant folks at The Circe Institute (classical education website), I started recommending his classics to people around me and got quizzical looks. My first book by Wodehouse was Something New, I think I chose it because it was free on Kindle. Now I have an anthology of his works on kindle. We were traveling in the States when first reading him and I would have to pause and read aloud to David the hilarious scene that had just transpired. I laugh out loud a lot at his writing, and this is what I need right now. Writing comedy is hard to do, his story lines are borderline absurd, and his descriptions wordy yet brilliant. Wodehouse gets away with all of it. Try him out, you won't be disappointed!
But I do read more serious things too, so here we go, this will be in the order in which I remember them and are probably just from this year.
- Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style. This is more of a resource and was on so many 'classical educators' read list that I finally dug in. It was worth it, especially part II where they detail subject by subject how they taught their children, resources used, etc. I read this in parts, would put it down for a while and then return to it.
- Managers of their Homes. Excellent resource for moms of many kids, or anyone really. A mother of five introduced this book to me and it is all about scheduling your day, giving great advice on how to organize and get kids involved in all the activities needed to make a house run smoothly.
- Basket of Flowers, a story that challenged and encouraged my faith
- Elsie Dinsmore, another fiction story intended to encourage one's faith through the life of a little girl trying to live it out.
- A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-torn Skies of WWII. This was a Mohler list recommendation and it did not disappoint. I bought this for David for Father's day. We love this genre.
- For Whom the Bell Tolls. Classic Hemingway, heroic, incredible prose, and tragic.I thought I had read this before, but no. I am sure this is free somewhere.
- Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character in You Your Kids. This was a great book, it has changed the way we parent (most days). Very valuable and practical.
- Simply Yunnan. A cookbook, yes, but written by a friend about the place we live and places we have visited. This was a nostalgic read, and I still live here, LOL. Really good and helpful in mimicking some of our favorite dishes. Highly recommend!
- From the Tea Village. By the same author as Simply Yunnan, Rebecca Henderson does a great job of capturing the story of Lydia, a local minority girl, and her life growing up in rural China. I read this in two sittings, it flowed that nicely.
- Right Ho, Jeeves. P.G. Wodehouse. Fun and fast read. Free on Kindle, enough said.
- Not to mention the gazillion read alouds that keep our family going. Just picked up a bunch!
