Below are some of the books I’ve been reading this month; note that the following may contain spoilers:

The Life Giving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming, by Sally Clarkson and Sarah Clarkson – Two of my favourite authors, this mother and daughter, respectively, teamed up to give to the world a wonderful resource packed with anecdotes and encouragement for the homemaker. No matter where you are in life, single, married, divorced, widowed, you have the ability to make your home a safe haven for those who step into its doors. The first part consists of four chapters that give a bit of background on the authors (be sure to read the introductory chapters, too!), and the second part consists of twelve chapters, one for each month of the year. There is a companion workbook, The Life Giving Home Experience: A 12-Month Guided Journey, that Sally Clarkson wrote with son, Joel Clarkson, and more information at the website dedicated to this book.

Little Town on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder – The seventh book in the Little House series finds Laura growing quickly from young girl to young woman. I really enjoyed reading through this book; there was less of a feeling of ‘survival’ and more of ‘growth’ both for the town of De Smet and for Laura. Note that there are some uncomfortable bits to read: instances of bullying and gossip, the men in town put on a minstrel show, and mention again of Ma’s racism. There is also, though, mention of Bible teaching and hymns, and Laura and Mary have a discussion about God’s goodness. This is a great read aloud.

The Anne of Green Gables Devotional: A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion for Kindred Spirits, by Rachel Dodge – This has become one of my favourite devotional books. Written by the author who wrote Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, which I reviewed here, (we also went through this book in a series of posts) this 40-day devotional is filled with quotes from the lovable Anne Shirley, questions to ponder, prayers to pray, and verses to meditate upon. The illustrations and insights make me want to read the chronicles of Anne and be reminded of the joy life can bring. This is a wonderful resource for adults as well as for children, and could easily be read aloud as a family.

The Horse and His Boy, by C. S. Lewis – The third in chronological order but the fifth in publication order of The Chronicles of Narnia, this story follows the talking horse, Bree, his boy, Shasta, the talking horse, Hwin, and her girl Aravis as they travel from the realm of Calormen back to Narnia and Archenland. Each time I read The Horse and His Boy I find myself wishing I had read this book years ago. This is a great read aloud.

Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories, by Robert J. Morgan – This collection of hymns and short biographies of those who wrote them begins with one written in the fourteenth century B.C. and ends with one written in 2002. Hymns are a beautiful way for theology to sink in, and having a glimpse into the lives of saints who have gone before helps my faith grow stronger. I have been using this as part of my daily devotions and it’s a nice way to start the day.