Category: The Sesquipedalian Speaks

Today marks the first day of Spring! Even if the winter months were not quite as ‘wintery’ as they could have been, there’s just something exciting about knowing that Spring is finally here again.

Here are some of the books I’d like to try and read (or at least start reading) this quarter:

• Song of the Sparrow, by Lisa Ann Sandell (It’s been over a decade since I first read this and I’m looking forward to discovering it again.)
• The Princess Bride, by William Goldman (I’ve been wanting to read this for years but for some reason it seemed a very daunting book until this year.)
• The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett (I was quite young when I read this the first time so I’m excited to read it as an adult.)

I was able to finish two of the books from my Upcoming Reads – Winter 2021-2022 list:

• Letters from Father Christmas, by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Baillie Tolkien (review here)
• The Life Giving Table: Nurturing Faith Through Feasting, One Meal at a Time, by Sally Clarkson (review here)

I’m still working on the following two books from the previous list:

• Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson
• Sensing God: Experiencing the Divine in Nature, Food, Music & Beauty, by Joel Clarkson

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

Sounding the Seasons: 70 Sonnets for the Christian Year, by Malcolm Guite – A few weeks ago I decided to purchase this book I’d been hearing about and I’m so glad I did. The sonnets are lovely and invoke a sense of reverence. I’m looking forward to reading these sonnets through the rest of the Christian year as well as some of Guite’s other work.

The Life Giving Table: Nurturing Faith Through Feasting, One Meal at a Time, by Sally Clarkson – This book is full of anecdotes, encouragement, recipes, questions to ponder individually or as a family, and activities. It expands on what The Life Giving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming mentions about eating together. There is a companion workbook, The Life Giving Table Experience: A Guided Journey of Feasting Through Scripture, that she wrote with son, Joel, and daughter, Joy.

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

Let’s Make a Memory: Great Ideas for Building Family Traditions and Togetherness, by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson – This book has been a staple in our family since I was a child, so when I found a copy for free in a church library I snatched it up. I adore the activities and recipes included. There are great ideas for celebrating all times of life, such as moving, when someone is sick, or when new seasons begin. There are also anecdotes and poems by the authors.

Making Family Memories: Crafts and Activities, by Virginia and Rick Ruehlmann – This is a very fun book full of science experiments disguised as crafts, poems to memorise, recipes, outdoor games, and snippets of history. This mother and son took what they enjoyed as a family and separated them into monthly activities.

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

Letters from Father Christmas, by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Baillie Tolkien – This beautiful collection of surviving letters from Tolkien (writing mainly as Father Christmas) to his children is very fun and would be a great read aloud. In it, the reader meets Father Christmas, the North Polar Bear, and other fun characters.

The First Four Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder – The ninth book in the Little House series, is more contemplative than the other books. It follows Laura and Almanzo’s first years as a married couple which are filled with tragedy and heartache (the loss of a child) and frustrations and difficulties that accompany farming life. Nevertheless, their perseverance and the support they receive from Laura’s family resonate throughout the work. This is a great read aloud.

These Happy Golden Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder – The eighth book in the Little House series takes the reader into Laura’s years as a teacher and seamstress. The reader spends a bit more time with Almanzo Wilder and is able to watch their three year long courtship. I really enjoyed this book. There were a few sad bits (a woman Laura stays with is going a bit mad whilst on a homestead with her husband and young son and a child dies because of a tornado) but for the most part it is a happy book. As I finished reading it, it made me want to read the Anne of Green Gables series. This is a great read aloud.

Tuesday marks the beginning of Winter – the long days that seem to feel more like long nights, the hibernation that tries to sink into the soul, but also the warm cups of cider, cocoa, coffee, and tea and snacks of countless baked goods. Here are a few of the books I’m hoping to read this quarter:

• Letters from Father Christmas, by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Baillie Tolkien
• Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson
• Sensing God: Experiencing the Divine in Nature, Food, Music & Beauty, by Joel Clarkson
• The Life Giving Table: Nurturing Faith Through Feasting, One Meal at a Time, by Sally Clarkson

I’m almost finished with the following from my Upcoming Reads – Autumn 2021 list:

• The First Four Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, by Washington Irving

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

All The Saints Adore Thee: Insight from Christian Classics, by Bruce Shelley – This book is a treasure I didn’t know I was looking for. It is a collection of excerpts from fifty-two Christians’ writings (such as Charles Haddon Spurgeon, G. K. Chesterton, Hannah Whitall Smith, and John Bunyan) and a wonderful resource that whets the appetite and gives a bit of background for each person and time period. I added it to my devotional routine these past couple of months and have very much enjoyed it.

The Last Battle, by C. S. Lewis – The seventh book in The Chronicles of Narnia series takes the reader along with King Tirian, Jewel the Unicorn, Jill, and Eustace as they witness the final few days of Narnia. Full of adventure, sadness, and joy the reader is reacquainted with old friends in Aslan’s country. Although there are some scary bits, this is a great read aloud.

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

The Silver Chair, by C. S. Lewis – The sixth book in chronological order and the fourth in publication order in The Chronicles of Narnia finds the reader back in Narnia with Eustace Scrubb, his new friend Jill Pole, and a Narnian Marsh-Wiggle Puddleglum. Aslan has tasked them with finding King Caspian’s missing son, Prince Rilian. This book is seen mostly through the eyes of Jill and does have some scary bits, but it is an excellent read aloud.

Then Sings My Soul Book 2: 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 1100s and ends with one the author of the book added to in 2004. Hymns are a beautiful way for theology to sink in, and having a glimpse into the lives of saints who have gone before is encouraging. This is a nice addition to a daily devotion routine.

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

The Quilting Bee, by Gail Gibbons – This sweet picture book is a fun introduction to quilting. The illustrations showcase a number of quilt block patterns with a short description of why the pattern is named what it is. The story talks about some of the history of the quilting arts and goes through how a group of quilters can work together on a large quilt, explaining how a quilt is made.

The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader”, by C. S. Lewis – The fifth book in chronological order but the third in publication order of The Chronicles of Narnia takes Edmund and Lucy to seas near and far from Narnia to reunite with King Caspian. The more episodic of the series, this book reads much like a collection of short stories. In it the reader is reacquainted with the brave mouse Reepicheep and is introduced to Eustace Scrubb, the Pevensie’s cousin. This is a great read aloud.

As this Wednesday, 22 September, heralds the beginning of autumn (as well as being Hobbit Day), I thought I’d take the time to let you know a few of the cozy books I’m hoping to read this quarter.

• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, by Washington Irving
• The First Four Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• These Happy Golden Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I was able to finish two of the books I had carried over from my Upcoming Reads – Summer 2021 list, whose reviews are listed here:

• Awaking Wonder: Opening Your Child’s Heart to the Beauty of Learning, by Sally Clarkson
• Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow

I’m going to set aside and (possibly) return later to:

• In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart: Hope for the Hurting, by Ruth Graham, with Stacy Mattingly
• Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss