Educating myself while I educate my children has become increasingly important to me. Finding the time to do so however, while also being a busy (and distracted!) wife and home educating mother is really difficult — but I’ve committed to taking baby steps. My goal is to read for minimum of 30 minutes daily, which, with a little self discipline, has been very doable.
It has been almost 4 months since I began my 12 Books for 12 Months reading plan, and I thought it would be a good time to review my progress!
1/3 of the way through the year, I’m actually 1/3 of the way through my books! Yay!
These are the Books I’ve got checked off the list so far:
The Awakening of Miss Prim – I really wanted to love this book, but I didn’t. It came highly recommended by my online book club, and it was filled with lovely quotes about education, but there wasn’t a single character I could like, and the “idyllic” setting it presented sounded stuffy, stifling, and pretentious to me.
Surprised by Joy – I haven’t really read a lot of Lewis yet, and this book filled in a lot of background information for me about his life and conversion. I really enjoyed it!
Teaching from Rest – This was a quick and easy read that I enjoyed very much. There is a lot of encouragement here for homeschooling moms!
Jo’s Boys – This was a great little ending to the Little Women and Little Men books which I have read & re-read so many times. I can’t believe I hadn’t ever read it before!
In progress are:
Jane Eyre – This one is not on my reading plan at all, but I’m planning on attending a stage performance with a group of homeschooling mamas in a little over a month. I can’t believe I had never read this classic! I’ve been an Austen lover for years, and I can’t believe I am saying this, but I think this is better than her works! I love it!
Mere Christianity – This is a re-read for me, but it has been many years so it is still seeming mostly fresh to me.
Plutarch’s Lives – This one is NOT going well! I’m not sure if I am going to keep slogging through it or put it aside for some future date when my reading skills and education have progressed enough to absorb and enjoy this classic work. I’ve also been hearing about Anne White’s study guide to Plutarch at Ambleside Online and I may check that out and see if it helps.
I’ve also gotten myself this lovely new notebook to replace my trusty and now full Hilroy spiral notebook 🙂
Additional reads:
In addition to the books on my personal list, I’ve of course also been reading with my girls. We’ve done these so far this year, either as read alouds or audios in the car. I’m not counting the picture books though, because I just can’t be bothered to keep track of those, and because Lama Lama Red Pijama would show up about a million times.
Understood Betsy – This is easily one of the dearest books I have ever read! If you haven’t read it before, you need to!
Stuart Little – This is a re-read for Big Sister and I, but was new to Little Sister and we really enjoyed this classic together.
The Family Under the Bridge – Another nice story my girls enjoyed
Shiloh – I wasn’t that fussy for this one, and I found myself editing for language in some places while reading it to my girls. Not that it was terribly vulgar or anything, but some of the language was not quite the type we use in our home.
Anne of Green Gables – L. M. Montgomery is one of, if not the, favourite author from my own girlhood, and I’m so happy to be enjoying these now with my own little girls!
Emily of New Moon – The Emily books are another of my favourites of Montgomery’s works. I really enjoyed listening to them again, but they were perhaps a little too dark and mature for my girls.
Nurse Matilda – Very similar to Mary Poppins (which my oldest adored a few years back).
Do you have any reading or self education goals? What have you been reading lately?
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I’m in the middle of Family Worship by Steve Demme and Rebulution: Teenage rebellion against low expectations. But, my list isn’t usually that ambitious. I like fluffy novels too.
I didn’t know until recently that Steve Demme was a speaker/author of any topic other than Math — but I’ve heard him both online and now in person, and was quite impressed!
we are currently going through The magician’s nephew. I’ve got a few other books i’m going through but can’t recall the names right now.
I think that one is going to be next on our read aloud list!
Nice job on being on pace in your reading list!
My husband and I have been trying to read more this year. I didn’t make a # goal for myself, but I want to always be reading something. I read all of the Anne of Green Gables books over the past few months and I LOVED them. I had never read past the first one! I got a little obsessed and that derailed me from the other books I wanted to get to! 😉 I recently read The Great Gatsby for the first time, which was a nice, quick read. I read Jane Eyre a few years back. I think you will enjoy it! I am interested in tackling Plutarch one day, but I am sure I will need help!
The Anne books have got to be my all time favourites! I absolutely loved Rilla of Ingleside, and I can’t wait to read it again 🙂
Anne White’s Plutarch guides are extremely helpful. She breaks down the readings of each life over a 12 week period & adds vocabulary explanations eg hugger-mugger,garboyle …words you may not find in the average dictionary.
Thanks Carol! I haven’t found Ambleside Online’s website to be terribly user friendly so I haven’t started yet. I’m wondering if there is someplace they have it posted in it’s entirety in a printer friendly format?
I’ve also been thinking that maybe I should try to find a children’s version to read first to familiarize myself with the content, since my brain seems to be working on a child’s level!
I love reading other people’s lists. Thank you for reminding me about CS Lewis’ adult books-I’ve not read anything by Lewis except Narnia.
My current read is Deconstructing Penguins which is about discussing literature with children so far thought provoking and practical.
I’ve only read about half of Deconstructing Penguins — I need to re-read it!