Creeping in at the last minute this month to share with you another glimpse of where (and what) we’ve been reading lately. I love pulling all of these together because it really shows the variety of books we’re reading—and just how cozy our reading life really is, especially as the weather starts to turn.
I don’t get to do a lot of bedtime reading with the youngest anymore because of her gymnastics schedule, so this was a real treat. She finished up the Wings of Fire series and I started (and quickly abandoned) The Lady of the Rivers. I wanted to read the entire Plantagenet and Tudor Series to go along with our British History studies, but I just can’t get into Gregory’s writing style.
Our basement does triple duty as home office, spare bedroom, and library. I have no idea what she’s reading here - we have hundreds of books on the shelf downstairs, and they are always taking every single one of them off the shelf.
October has been the most beautiful month of the year. The weather has just been glorious, and we’ve been soaking up as much time outside as we can. The girls worked on reading every book in the Betsy Tacy series. A finished them. E decided to hold off on the last three until she’s a little bit older.
I did my very best to work my way through a huge stack of books about the Salem Witch Trial, but I was pretty much unsuccessful. I didn’t find many that I liked, but this Young Adult Novel was a creative modern day spin on the witch trials.
Sometimes on her gymnastics off days, I can convince her to go swimming with me at the YMCA. She of course found the shelf of books hidden in the cafe before we left.
Her favorite place to read lately is with Leo in her lap. The Secret Garden was her first Literature book this year and she declared it “one of the best books I’ve ever read.” She’s reading the copy my Aunt Paula got me when I was her age. There’s something special about your daughter reading your beloved book from childhood.
Doesn’t everyone bring their current read to the hair salon and read while you wait?
When the oldest was in a 30-minute dance lesson, I speed-read Rebecca, making it through 200 pages on the day of book club (because of course I procrastinated.) I felt like a rockstar.
Disclaimer: I had read it once before, so it was really just a refresher read. I don’t normally read that fast, nor do I recommend it. This is a beautiful book. One of my favorites. The audio version is superb!
Dog. Couch. Betsy Tacy Book. Are you sensing a pattern here?
My youngest got sick, again, for what felt like the hundredth time this year. It was actually the 8th time in 12 months, but who’s counting? I had zero brainspace for any book with hard language or deep messages, so I went all in to pleasure reading with Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. AND I AM SO GLAD I DID. I honestly was surprised how much I loved this book. Rosaline Palmer is a single mother who goes on a reality baking show and there’s baking, and romance, and motherhood, and I LOVED EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT. The second book in the series, Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble comes out tomorrow and I absolutely cannot wait to read it.
When she felt better, she decided the dog pen was the best place to read a book she found in our Little Free Library about a dog.
And when I had the brainspace, I finally picked up Take My Hand from my backlog of Book of the Month books. If you read my newsletter this month, you know I think this one is a must read.
Haven’t read my newsletter? You should go do that.
I took them to the library one day and they came back with a ton of Critter Club books. “Remember when you wouldn’t let me buy these?” they said. Yes, kid. I remember. But hey, if I can read (and love) Rosaline Palmer, I guess I can let them read (and love) Critter Club. Our reading life is all about balance.
I leave in 10 days for a Writing Retreat, and am doing all I can to finish this assigned reading before I get on the plane. So far, Cassandra at the Wedding is very good, but because I want to write every other paragraph in my commonplace book, it’s taking me a very long time to read. I am also very much enjoying the beautiful cover.
They’d read at every meal if I let them. Instead I let them read at the counter for breakfast and at the table for lunch, but I make them leave their books in the other room when we have dinner. I’m pretty sure one is reading If the Magic Fits and the other is reading One Jar of Magic, but they read books so quickly I can hardly keep up. I bought them each a copy of My Reading Adventures: A Book Journal for Kids so I have a better idea of just how many books they are reading each year.
And that’s a wrap on October! Where are you reading this month?