Sunday Afternoon Tea - You Are What You Read

"You will be the same person in five years as you are today

except for the people you meet and the books you read."

Charlie Tremendous Jones   

As of this month, I am entering my sixteenth year of blogging at Coffee Tea Books and Me.  So, I've decided that about once a month, I want to republish a blog post from the past.  This post was first published in 2019...

When the discussion of reading books with children used to come up, a saying I heard quite often was "it doesn't matter what they are reading as long as they read".  I was then and continue to be appalled by that statement.

Reading junk, bad social theories, bad theology, and pornography will no more make a healthy child (and adult) than eating McDonald's three meals a day will bring about a healthy body... and I do crave an occasional Big Mac!

When I was growing up, there were no boundaries to my reading and I did read just about everything I could find.  Some of which stayed with me in beautiful ways while others I wish I could wash my brain of their images.  I know personally it matters what we read.

I will be forever thankful for friendships made in the early years of my faith, those people who recommended those authors who would lay a strong foundation for my faith.  The pastor of the Presbyterian church I attended at the time had become influenced by Francis Schaeffer, so much so that he was at L'Abri on my wedding day and my marriage was performed by our Associate Pastor.

I can't say I understood all of what Schaeffer wrote, my brain doesn't work the same way so I have to read pages two or three times before I "get it".  However, I bonded immediately with Edith Schaeffer's writings, as did many (if not most) Evangelical women at the time.

I would be a different person if the books by the Schaeffers had not been recommended to me as a young Christian.  Thankfully, there were excellent books by Christian women (in addition to Edith) whose writings help mold and shape me as a wife, mother, and homemaker.  Women such as Elisabeth Elliot,  Anne Ortlund and Emily Barnes.  Later I came to enjoy the books by Elizabeth George (the Christian writer, not the novelist by the same name).

One thing I always have to remember is that these books were read by choice in a decade many women were turning to books by Betty Friedan and Germaine Greer.  I chose to read the books I did because of who recommended them to me.  These were the women I wanted to become like, the women who read Elisabeth and Edith and Anne and Emily.

Did I only read Christian books?  Of course, not.  While I decided long ago not to read defiling books, one does not have to be a Christian to teach how to live in Beauty.  I don't think Alexandra Stoddard comes even close to being an Evangelical Christian (her non-decorating writings lean toward New Age thinking) but she had a great influence on the way I decorate my home.

Tasha Tudor wrote about being reincarnated and wanted to return to a past century when she died... but that didn't stop me from gleaning the good stuff she wrote about Beauty and the courage to be yourself.

Julia Child doesn't seem to have any faith at all from what I have read in her books but she taught me to be brave in the kitchen.  Not to worry about making a mistake and if I did... just to call it something else.

For you see, as we become discerning in our reading, we know who are our spiritual advisers in books and those authors we want to read for non-spiritual enjoyment.

What about fiction books?  My preference these days goes to the more genteel and lovely stories of Elizabeth Goudge, D. E. Stevenson, Miss Read, Jan Karon, etc.  Which is amusing because my television viewing habits lean toward murder mysteries.  Hmmmm... one should have a balance in their life?

With all of us, really good literature helps form the person we become.  Whether we are children or adults.  But remember... we need to give grace to other parents who allow books that we didn't. 

I have a lot of friends whose family loved the Harry Potter books but we didn't read them.  That was fine.  My son and I watched Dragon Ball Z together when he was a child, which would cause some friends to shake their heads in wonder.

God knows what is best for each individual family and not being infinite ourselves... we don't.  What my family deemed appropriate may be different than a friend's choice as long as neither are what I would call defiling.  Let's just say you will find no books starting with "Fifty Shades..." in my library.

However, one of my favorite novels is Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.  Embedded in the story is her philosophy but if you know what it is, you can ignore that and appreciate her writing that is (I think) more relevant today than when it was written... as she warns against becoming too dependent on the modern world and technology.  Remembering this was written long before the Internet!

Is there a type of book I will never read?  Well, personally I don't read books with a lot of bad language or shall we say... lewd behavior?  I also do not read books these days by atheists disguised as Bible teachers and those making an attempt to draw me away from the faith. 

Not that I am concerned they could... for they can't!... but I once had a friend who attended a liberal Presbyterian seminary tell me he wished he hadn't read some of those books for he had to filter them out on his way back to the reality of faith.  I'm too old for such nonsense these days.

Which brings me back to children... I am a firm believer in filtering all books kids read as young children through my standards, up until their teenage years.  I still wouldn't have defiling books in the house but I prefer teenagers be challenged in areas when they live at home and can ask questions.

I gave books to my daughter (who was not homeschooled) and then provided a full course in worldview to my son (who was homeschooled), knowing full well that if they were going to a University they would need to be prepared. 

I know this is a rather rambling Sunday post.  I told a friend that I was having a hard time getting the words to land just right in my brain.  So my friends... this is where my thoughts led me.  Hopefully they make sense.

Some of  the books and authors mentioned or eluded to in this blog post are:
Atlas Shrugged... here.  (Read with discernment.)
Edith Schaeffer... here and here (her most famous books among many).
Anne Ortlund... here (her most famous book among many).
Emilie Barnes... here (her most famous book among many).
Elisabeth Elliot... here (a good introduction among many).
Alexandra Stoddard... here and here (I especially love her decorating books).
How to Be Your Own Selfish Pig by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay... here (one of the books given to my daughter before college).
Starting Points... here (used with my son's homeschooling).

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Image:  Kim Sung Book Shop

My Holiday Reading List

Every year, I choose a stack of books I want to read over the Christmas holiday season.  Rarely do all of the books get read, at least all the way through... but many do and they are far more likely to be read than if they stay on a shelf.  Currently the stack resides at the end of my desk (which is actually a fold down table as one would find in a cafeteria).

This year most will be re-reads, although a couple of the books have not been taken off the shelf in years.  I have been known to pick up a book not mentioned here to read, too.  So the list is not written in stone, just the backbone of my "most likely to be read" books now through Christmas.

In addition to these books, I will be perusing some favorite Christmas cookbooks and such, as time permits.

Here is my Christmas book stack for 2018.

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, edited by Nancy Guthrie

I've used this small volume of essays as my Advent reading for a few years.  It has essays from writers as diverse as George Whitefield, Francis Schaeffer, and Alistair Begg.  Each essay will bring the true message of Christmas closer to you and they are just the right length for a busy season.  Information... here.

What the Land Already Knows: Winter's Sacred Days by Phyllis Tickle

This small-ish book is one of the three volumes of the Stories From the Farm in Lucy series.  She is a magical writer, with the ability of making the every day work we all do seem more grace filled.  Some may know her from her more liturgical writing but the Farm in Lucy books cross all denominational lines.  Information... here.  (Third Party)

Christmas in Fairacre by Miss Read

This book contains three of the Christmas stories written by Miss Read, including Village Christmas, The Christmas Mouse, and my favorite... No Holly for Miss Quinn.  I adore these stories and all of them add a special touch of Christmas in "long ago England" to my season.  Information... here.

A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge

This is one of my very favorite Goudge books and definitely the one I have re-read the most.  Since it mostly takes place at Christmas, it deserves a place in my yearly Christmas reading.  This book was my introduction to Henrietta and Grandfather, who are two of my most beloved literary people.  Information... here. (Third Party)

A Christmas Book by Elizabeth Goudge

This delightful anthology contains sections of Goudge's books relating to the Christmas season.  It is not as well known as most of her other books but makes for perfect Christmas reading when one has only time to read an excerpt here and there.  Information... here. (Third Party)

Shepherd's Abiding by Jan Karon 

While this much beloved Christmas story is part of the Mitford series, it very definitely can be read and enjoyed by any person who has not read even one Mitford book.  Each year, I find the story of how Father Tim patiently restores a creche as a gift to Cynthia, her surprise gift to him, and the glimpse of Christmas in Mitford to be a special joy.  Information... here.

The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater

A friend whose taste in books is much like mine recommended the writings of British food writer Nigel Slater to me a few years ago.  I found the books to be very enjoyable reads.  So I was particularly interested last year when I heard about his new book called The Christmas Chronicles: Notes, Stories, and 100 Essential Recipes for Winter. 

It was my Christmas gift to myself last year, purchased Third Party from a London bookstore before it was available in the States.  For I not only love Christmas but Winter is my favorite season to spend time in the Kitchen. This is a book that lasts beyond Christmas, one that you can curl up with on many a Winter's evening, full of delightfully written essays, photos, and recipes.  Information... here. (Third Party)

I want my Christmas reading to be stories (real and fiction) that will bring the joy of the season to my heart, regardless of what is happening in the real world.  Books I can read when the news has been turned off, in the light of the Christmas tree, with a hot beverage and a lit candle.  :)

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.  I thank you.

A couple book suggestions about Jonathan Edwards

Well, I had planned a couple more posts this week including a Recent Reading.  But... life happened.  Not the least of which was having to rush my husband to the ER.  He had stopped by church to talk to our pastor when he was taken suddenly and violently ill.

It was quite a roller coaster ride as the possibilities of what was wrong went from "not serious" to "serious" to "life threatening" to the decision from medical staff that he had some kind of virus.

Thankfully, he is recovering very well and now just feels a bit as if he was hit by the proverbial truck.  Since he is much better, we will be able to attend the "revealing of the baby's sex party" this weekend.  My daughter-in-law and her family are so sweet.  When I knew I could not make the trip to her parent's house where it was to occur, they moved the party to the kid's house close to us.  Even though it is much smaller!  Personally I think it is a boy but hoping for a girl.  I'll be happy either way.

So next week I'll write a Recent Readings post... God willing, the creek don't rise, and we stay relatively healthy! 

I do want to give a quick answer to the question asked about my favorite books about Jonathan Edwards.  I did like the book I reviewed this week but it is quite "theological".  It is best to begin with books which talk more about Edwards before attempting to read works which emphasize writings by Edwards.  I've read a number of books about Edwards during my "Stalking Jonathan Edwards" years but my suggestions to begin with are two favorites...

A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards by George Marsden
George Marsden wrote what is called the "definitive" very large and scholarly biography of Jonathan Edwards called Jonathan Edwards: A Life.  Then he wrote A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards for those of us who prefer something short and sweet but still quite informative.

This biography was quite fun to read and not only taught more about Edwards but about life in America prior to the American Revolution.  It shows us why we most likely would not have had the American Revolution without the Great Awakening.  Very interesting!

Marriage to a Difficult Man by Elisabeth Dodds
When I was pondering my ten favorite books... ever... a couple years ago, this book went on the list.  I first heard of it in Noel Piper's chapter about Sarah Edwards in her (also highly recommended book), Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God.

Despite the odd title, the marriage of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards was one that we can all learn from.  Through this book, I came to love Sarah Edwards.  She became one of my unsung heroes of the faith.  For I am convinced, without Sarah there would not have been the Jonathan Edwards of history.

It reads less like a biography and more like someone telling a story about a family they knew.  Even if that knowledge came through research.  This book, like Marsden's but in a different way, also opens the reader to the world of America before that little incident about the tea and Boston and the harbor and all that.

I first read this book through my library and then I was able to find an older hardback copy on Amazon a number of years ago.  I kept the paperback version on my Wish List and when finally there was one reasonably priced, I bought it and sent the hardback copy to my daughter so she could have it in her home library.  It is that good.

If all you know about Edwards is his famous (infamous) sermon called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God... there is oh so much more to this man than that.  It is somewhat ironic that he is known in our times for that sermon for he wrote much more about the Beauty that is God.

AMAZON LINKS:
* A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards... here.
* Jonathan Edwards, a Life... here.
* Marriage to a Difficult Man... here.
* Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God... here.

Also good but a little on the theological side:
* God's Passion For His Glory by John Piper... here. 

*Most links to Amazon on this blog are Associate Links.  I thank you.

Own Your Life, Sally Clarkson's new book!

Sally Clarkson's new book becomes available today!  There was so much pre-publication excitement about this book that it already had almost 700 pre-publication orders the last time I heard... and that was about a week ago.

The full title is Own Your Own Life: Living with deep intention, bold faith, and generous love.  My daughter told me she was sold just from the title, exactly what she needs to read at the moment!

The chapters are:

• Seeing Beauty and Purpose in Your Ordinary Days
• Controlling the Chaos
• Listening to New Voices
• Living With the End in Mind
• Looking to God as Your Life Coach
• Resting in the Transcendence of God
• Allowing God's Spirit to Breath in You
• Cultivating the Practices that Deepen Your Faith
• Learning to Take Risks
• Tending Your Heart and Investing in Your Soul
• Choosing to Overcome, Moving Beyond Hurt
• Harvesting a Godly Character
• and many more...

It is a wonderful book, just what is needed for the new year!

For more information, the Amazon link is... here.*

*All links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Recent reading

I haven't had time to read much this week but over the past two months, my reading list looks pretty good.  :)

February/March

The Complete Brambly Hedge
by Jill Barklem
I wrote about this book at the time I was reading it.  This charming book contains my favorite Brambly Hedge books all together in one volume:

Spring Story
Summer Story
Autumn Story
Winter Story
The Secret Staircase
The High Hills
Sea Story
Poppy's Babies

I have found some books which are known for their illustrations often have boring stories.  Not so in these books, the pictures are beautifully done (I want to live there!) and each story is well written.

It is on my shelf next to The Wind in the Willows.  I believe many of these books are out of print but I found this volume at a reasonable price used.

The Gentlewoman's Choice
by George MacDonald
A charming MacDonald book about a young Christian woman who desires to not only share the love of Christ with the poor but reach out and help meet their needs.  I can understand why Lewis and Tolkien were inspired by MacDonald.  He is a brilliant storyteller (along with theologian).

This title is the American title of MacDonald's Weighed and Wanting.  It has been edited by Michael Phillips to modernize the original Scottish prose.  I have found Phillips has done an excellent job retaining the original beauty of the words.

Let Us Highly Resolve
by David & Shirley Quine
This is an excellent little book by the Quine's of Cornerstone Curriculum.  I loved their materials when homeschooling.  I first read it many years ago.

It's just a small book but it gives a lot of inspiration for parents who want to raise their children to be salt and light in their generation.  It's good for parents who homeschool or send their children to private-public school classes.

A Pocket Full of Pinecones
by Karen Andreola
This is another re-read of a favorite book by a homeschooling author.  I have enjoyed everything Karen has written, whether her nonfiction books about Charlotte Mason or her fiction such as this book.

"Pinecones" is about a family in the 1930s who begins homeschooling their children and studying the nature around them.  It's such a charming story of motherhood, family life, and encouraging our children to learn about life from a Christian perspective.

I know... that is a simple way of looking at the book but check out Amazon.com where many people wrote about it.  The few critics thought the book unrealistic... I found it charming and relaxing to read.

Karen wrote a much anticipated sequel a few years ago called Lessons at Blackberry Inn: Adventures With the Gentle Art of Learning.  If possible, I think I liked it even more!

Shoulder the Sky
by D. E. Stevenson
This is a sequel to Vittoria Cottage and Music in the Hills which began in an English village and moved to Scotland in the second book.

It's the story of newlyweds in Scotland, including the English bride who must become accustomed to a different way of living than she knew it London.  But as in some of Stevenson's other novels, Scotland itself is part of the story and the colorful people who live there.

These three books have become favorites which I'm certain will be re-read many times.  I can't recommend them highly enough.  Should you not be able to locate all three, each book can be enjoyed on its' own.


March/April

Kisses From Katie 
by Katie Davis
This book was a gift from a friend at Christmas.  I set it aside as I had a huge stack of books already on my table but as I kept hearing more about it, I admit my curiosity brought it at the top of my stack.

It is the true story of Katie Davis, who went on a short term missionary trip to Uganda in high school and ended up returning permanently upon her high school graduation.  She introduces us to the people and places of her part of Uganda in such a way, I could not put this book down!

It's a wonderful way to introduce young people to missions... and this Grammie!  Katie doesn't hide the difficulties of being a young female single missionary but she also helps us fall in love with the people and the country.  Highly recommended!  (She blogs about her experiences... here.)

Lit: A Christian Guide to Reading Books
by Tony Reinke
I love to read books about books so I was very interested in this book when I began to hear about it online.  It is different than other such books as the author doesn't give us a lot of book lists he thinks we should read.

Instead he shares his journey of becoming a reader, the theology of reading, and why the Kindle didn't work for him.  Yes, it is from this book that I realized I needed to set up my Kindle to protect me from e-reader ADHD.  :)

I think the easiest way to share this book is to give you just a few of the chapter titles:

Reading from Across the Canyon (reading from a Christian worldview)
The God who Slays Dragons ( Christian imagination)
Read with Resolve
How to Read a Book
Literature is Life
Too Busy to Read
Reading Together
Raising Readers

Really, really good stuff in between the pages of this "book about books" (or I should say, "book about reading books").

Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen
by Dania Bijan
This was the first book I read on the Kindle after reading about it online.  It is the memoir of chef Dania Bijan's family moving from Iraq during the Revolution and how they came to settle in the United States.

More so... it is the story of "her mother's kitchen" and the importance of food to our culture. Dania also shares her journey of becoming a chef and owning her own restaurant.

I enjoyed it very much which shouldn't surprise me... I am a foodie who loves biography. 

Francis and Edith Schaeffer
by L. G. Parkhurst, Jr.
This was another Kindle book.  It is Parkhurst's biography of the Schaeffers which was written for young people.  If you have not read Edith's books The Tapestry (their full autobiography), or L'Abri which is the shorter story of how they started L'Abri... this book would be a great introduction.

I enjoyed this Kindle version as the author included a section of the biography of the Schaeffers he wrote for more mature folks.  It's nice to be able to receive "extra" at no cost.  :)

I read this along with John Piper's book about Jonathan Edwards called God's Passion for His Glory.  It was very interesting to read about these two men of faith at the same time.  I have not, however, finished Piper's book so it will make it to my next Recent Reading post... God willing and the creek don't rise.  ;)

The Romantic Prairie Cookbook
by Fifi O'Neill
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book although I know Fifi from her blog and her writing for such magazines as Romantic Living.  I was pleased to find wonderful recipes along with gorgeous photography she is known for.

This is just the kind of cookbook I've come to love... healthy "farm to table" recipes as well as enough pretty pictures to take it off the shelf and peruse it on a rainy day with a cup of tea and a cookie. 

Another nice aspect of this cookbook is the recipes are already family favorites from the people whose homes and property she has photographed... so you know they have not been assembled just for the cookbook.  I loved this book!

Illusion
by Frank Peretti
I will write a stand alone review for this book soon, along with a give away.

Until next time, happy reading and thank you again for those who enter your Amazon shopping through the widget.  :)

How I came to eat my words and love the Kindle

Image from Amazon.com

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who enters their Amazon shopping through the Amazon Widget on my sidebar.  This story could not have happened without you.

For years now I have mocked and scoffed at the Kindle.  I love real books... their feel, their scent, the way the pages turn yellow with age... I even love to read the signature on the inside cover of an old book, telling me the name of a previous owner.

A common statement the past few years to my technology loving friends and family was, "I know there are real books in the future because Jean Luc Picard falls asleep reading old books at night!".*

Last year I had enough Amazon credit after the Christmas Holiday season credits arrived to purchase a Kindle if I so wanted... I so didn't.  Oh, I admit that for a brief fleeting moment the thought crossed my mind but then I pondered what I could purchase with the credit and turned my back on technology.

But something happened this past year.  A few friends came to love their Kindle.  I began to notice how many classic books I've wanted to read were now available for e-readers... free.  That really does mean at no cost whatsoever!  Not to mention other books available for just a small amount of cash.

So... just in case I might (just might mind you) change my thinking, I started doing more research online and in real books about the pros and cons of e-readers.  One book in particular (which I will be writing about this week) actually helped me a great deal when the author shared why the Kindle had to be set aside for his reading.

Around the time my credit was due in, I was looking for a copy of Sir Gibby (which I am gong to read, Bonnie!) on Amazon and found it to be free for the Kindle... as were other books by George MacDonald.

As well as Chesterton, Andrew Murray, I. Lilias Trotter, Brother Lawrence, A. W. Tozer, Elizabeth Prentiss, Amy Carmichael, Jonathan Edwards, Grace Livingston Hill, L. M. Montgomery, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, Elizabeth Gaskell, G. K. Chesterton, Gene Stratton-Porter, P. G. Wodehouse, Louisa May Alcott, Kenneth Grahame... and many, many, many more.

In my searching Amazon, I also found many free books about cooking, homemaking, gardening, and even homesteading in the past.  I'm especially interested in those written during WWI and WWII. These tend to be good although I've only had time to quickly peruse them with a promise to come back later with full attention.

Okay, I was sold... literally... and when the time came, I ordered the Kindle.  I ate my words.  I should learn never to say never.

The first few days after it arrived found me downloading free books and organizing them all into various "Collections" (what can I say, I started out in business as a secretary and filing is in my DNA).

I even spent some credit on more recent low cost Kindle books and I signed up for updates on free Kindle downloads.  I wanted to try it all (as I do tend to go in for things all or nothing).

After a month of being a Kindle owner what have I found?

Well, I am so glad I waited an extra year to do my homework because I knew what to expect.  Some books are fabulous on the Kindle (especially fiction, biography, and many other non-fiction books).  Others I found to be good are certain Bibles and devotionals, especially as I can click on the title and go immediately to the last page read.

I don't manage cookbooks well on the Kindle unless they have a fabulous Table of Contents (all the cookbooks I have downloaded were either free and a couple for 99 cents).   Any book that I needed to return to a previous section quite often was frustrating.  Otherwise, I have found no big challenges.

I do agree with the writer of the book I mentioned earlier (who wrote about why he set his Kindle aside for awhile)... you have to guard against e-reader ADHD.  He said he found himself switching from one book to another constantly and going on rabbit trails clicking on those options within a book.  It would be very easy to do that, especially with books that give those options.  (Another reason the free classics are at times better... they are simple.)

That's why I have warned Christopher (who is extremely ADHD) that if he wants an e-reader for just reading books, stick to the basic Kindles.  I know him... he distracts easily.  Anyway, he already owns an iPad (he designs Apps for smart phones, iPads, etc.).

So, since I had read his warnings already... I set up a Current Reading Collection on my Kindle.  In it I have only parked the book/s I am reading right now (besides the Bibles, devotionals, etc.).

With the Kindle you can keep each book within various Collections so it is made easy (for instance, both the Current Reading books were biographies so both could also be found in my Collection called Biography).

In this case, I was reading a biography of Jonathan Edwards and a biography of Francis Schaeffer at the same time... usually starting out with John Piper's book about Edwards which is rather deep at times and then switching to the Schaeffer biography which was written for young people and very easy to read.

By doing this on the Kindle, I was better able to read both at the same time and notice the similarities in these two men who are my two favorite giants of the faith... even though they lived 300 years apart.

Will an e-reader ever replace real books in my life?

Good gracious, no!  Just this past week I had to reorganize bookshelves again to hold more lovely old books.  I never turn on my Kindle and hug it to me and I'm certain the Kindle will never show water marks as my ancient copy of Hidden Art does... from reading it in the bathtub one too many times after small children had (finally) fallen asleep.

But I must admit, there is room for technology in the life of a Bibliophile.  This past week I slipped it into my purse when I was to meet Christopher at the McDonald's next to the Engineering Building on campus.  It gave me... options.

Recently I was reading the Kindle when Miss M. was visiting.  She looked over my way and said she would never want to own one.  I looked at her and told her she may want to be careful what she says.  ;)

*For those who do not share my passion for Star Trek, Jean Luc Picard is the captain of the Star Ship Enterprise in the "Star Trek the Next Generation" TV shows and movies.

A little more book talk

As mentioned yesterday, I have begun re-reading The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge.  It is tied with A City of Bells as my favorite... at least until I re-read Pilgrim's Inn (which was my first Goudge and one always remembers their first love). 

I have other Goudge books on the shelf which have not been read and I look at as one would enjoy brightly wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree.  I wonder what they hold within.

Someone (I'm sorry I forgot whom) mentioned in comments about reading one of her children's books and how it seems so many wonderful books written for children that adults love are at least forty years old.

I do think Lewis said it best when he said (my paraphrase) that it is a great book one enjoys as a child and at age fifty.  One would call Henrietta's House a children's book but not I.   I am planning on ordering Goudge's I Saw Three Ships with credit (Stephanie read it to the kids and loved it) and I was given a copy of The Little White Horse, which sits on my To Read Soon stack.

I must admit that many "kid's" books are among my all time favorites.  For instance, The Wind in the Willows is magical (Narnia magic) at any age and so is... the Narnia books.  I first read A Wrinkle In Time as an adult and it added an entire new dimension (pun intended) of book love to my life.  I love the Time books!

But I also thoroughly enjoy the re-reading of my favorite books.  Which is why I am re-reading two right now (one I completely forgot about yesterday, how could that happen?).  There is something about re-reading favorites that is all warm and cozy, especially when one needs something comforting and familiar.

I say comforting with a book such as The Dean's Watch for with the larger books, when one re-reads we find something new all over again.  Then there are those times... especially in the midst of a hot summer when I need to read something quickly... that I love to re-read the lighter books. 

It is at times like that when I will slip one of the paperback cozy mysteries I enjoy (especially books like Laura Childs' Tea Shop Mysteries) into a picnic bag along with something cold to drink and a snack.

Then there are those books I have read since my younger years and they seem to change with the years.  Of course, it is not the words on the books which have changed but the reader.

For instance, the other book I am re-reading is Sheldon Vanauken's A Severe Mercy, perhaps one of the most beautiful books ever written (in my very humble opinion).  I read it the first time not too long after the publication date and when I was still a young wife.  I thought it a wonderful book but dreadfully sad.

Now, as I read it in my grandmother years... I see mostly the beauty of the book and not as much the sadness.  It really is filled with Narnia magic as it includes the author's relationship with C. S. Lewis. 

I love to read other people's book lists where they write down their essential books for people to read... especially those coming from people whose Christian walk I respect.  It is not surprising A Severe Mercy continues to pop up on those lists.

I think the one book I have re-read the most since it first came out is Catherine Marshall's amazing book Christy.  While the short lived TV series was quite good, if you have not read the book then you are missing a great novel (based on the real life experiences of Catherine's mother).

When I first the novel, I was a teenager and about the same age as the young Christy.  In my imagination, I could see leaving all behind and going boldly into the mountains to teach!  Through the years I related more with others in the book and now just the thought of walking the mountains leaves me breathless.  ;)

I think of Christy when driving through the Eastern mountain ranges.   When I first read the book, my only experience with forests were the kind I live near as well as those my family drove through to reach Mom's relatives in Northern Kentucky.  They are thick with trees but not as described in Christy. 

Then hubby and I spent part of our honeymoon in the Smokey Mountains where Christy went to live (although staying in the city of Asheville, North Carolina) and have driven through them since and they are breathtakingly beautiful. 

But I really thought about the mountains Christy would have known when driving back from Virginia this September and viewing miles upon miles upon miles of forested mountain ranges... no wonder there were mountain people who had never seen towns! 

That's one of the wonders of literature, I feel as if I have lived in those mountains!  In my mind I have walked the cobblestone streets of English villages, felt the sub-zero cold of a Russian winter, melted in the Amazon heat, been cold and hungry in a Chinese prison just for being a Christian, and road canoes down the Wabash with French traders... sigh.

Have you ever given thought to the wonder of imagination and books?  I believe they are God's gifts to those of us who must live out our lives in finite bodies.  :)

Recent reading

The copy I read has a different cover

Most of my reading these past few weeks were books I've already mentioned... those I re-read at Christmas.  Although I do have to admit, during the Holidays I tended to watch more than I read just because I enjoy the plethora of family friendly movies available.

However, there were a couple new (to me) books I read during this time.  I think I mentioned Henrietta's House by Elizabeth Goudge, which my dear fellow book-loving friend Kristi sent me (she was instrumental in my coming to love D. E. Stevenson books and encouraging my admiration of Goudge).

It is "kind of" a sequel to my beloved A City of Bells.  The story of Henrietta, her friends and family, and eventually her house in the woods is one of those fantasy adventures that leaves one thinking that it could be real.  At least to those of us who talk to our cats and look for fairies behind flower bushes.  :)

It is a lovely story... less than a novel but more than a novella... that leaves you feeling good about the world and people and dreams.  You may have to obtain it through inter-library loan but do try!

While Henrietta's House was a quick read, the other book I have had on my living room table has taken me longer to peruse... only because I want to hold onto what I'm reading on each page.  It is called Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring by Andi Ashworth.  What can I say about a book which quotes Edith Schaeffer and Elizabeth Goudge in the first couple of chapters?

Andi Ashworth is the wife of musician Charlie Peacock.  In this book, she gives the testimony of how she and her husband came to follow Christ from what I would call a "hippy" lifestyle.  The book is excellent just in the telling of that journey in the first chapter.

However, the reason I love this so much is the actual thesis of the book... how all aspects of caring for people is important in the work of the Gospel.   The author reminds us that the ministry of caring is not only essential to the Church but to family and friends... even though in today's society it is not as respected as it once was.

Caring ranges from taking care of our family to showing love by offering hospitality to friends and strangers to helping the poorest among us.  She reminds us that by serving others, we serve God.

Once of the reasons I also love this book is it reminds me of my own journey after hearing over and over the teaching of the feminists of my youth and then coming to realize that my enjoyment of taking care of people is worthwhile and God given.

Here is a quote from a section called A God of Beauty:

"Caring often means bringing beautiful things into people's lives-- cutting flowers for them, cleaning their house, taking them to see the ocean.  Our desire for beauty is a reflection of a God who loves the beautiful.  

God has set us down in a crazy, amazing world full of breathtaking sights and sounds and scents and textures, most of which seem to exist only for his pleasure and ours.  When beauty is offered as a gift of love, what is seen or heard or tasted goes past the surface and into the heart.  

But with such a high value placed on speed and getting things done in the quickest way possible, the creation of beauty is not "practical" to our culture today..."

You can see why I would enjoy reading this book!   The author was mentored through books (and tapes) by Edith Schaeffer and other L'Abri people... just as I was.

I've also been perusing some inspiring magazines, such as the latest issue of Where Women Cook.  I haven't seen an issue since the first once came out as the only store that carries it is Barnes & Noble in the next town over.  It was a gift to myself with Christmas money.  I truly enjoy reading it!

I am going to re-read The Dean's Watch next and then some books to enrich the spirit.

Thank you again for entering Amazon.com through my widget (and that of other blog friends).  It really added up!

Lost in Oxford

Not really but the bookish way through Surprised by Oxford, a memoir by Carolyn Weber.  I couldn't put it down yesterday (thankfully a Sunday when lounging on the sofa is the keeping of a Sabbath and not considered lazy).

The last two chapters were before me last night but as hard as I tried, the sleepiness was overtaking my eyelids, making it impossible to finish the book until this morning.

Needless to say, I enjoyed the book very much... what is not to love about a well written story of one who wins a scholarship to graduate school at Oxford and comes to know Christ in that first year.  It is a love story on multiple levels and a wonderful destination in which to find myself on a rainy Sunday.

I would have enjoyed attending university at Oxford.  The way one learns there with reading a book and then discussing it is much the same way we homeschooled.  I don't enjoy arguments whatsoever but I do love talking ideas with others, even if they do not agree with me as long as it is not one big argument.

I have mentioned before that one of my very good longtime friends is both Jewish and Liberal.  We don't discuss politics or religion but there are many subjects we agree on including environmental concerns (one doesn't have to agree on what is causing global warming but one cannot dismiss the fact that the weather is crazy), the need for local and natural farms, the concern about the manipulation of our seed supply, and the joys of raising boys (except I also have a girl).

The book reminded me of my early days as a Christian, coming from a very "unchurched" home and finding myself in the midst of being wooed by He Who Created Me... in the days of the Jesus Movement.  There were lots of wonderful discussions and coffee and music and more coffee.  No wonder so many of that generation should own stock at Starbucks (not that I can go often but when I do... yum).

Anyway, I digress... another thing I love about this book is that it talks about Christians who love art and poetry and literature and gardens... and Lewis, of course.  How could one become a Christian at Oxford and not have the conversation eventually come around to Lewis (or Tolkien, etc.).  Sigh...

There is something about this time of year that brings out my inner Narnia.  I can almost expect Aslan to walk through the door but it is just Victoria and her Maine Coon hairdo.  Admittedly, if Aslan were to walk into my house I'd faint after I called animal control... but one can be fearless when it comes to fairy tale fantasies.

Since I finished the book which interrupted Christmas reading (but in such a good way), I will begin re-reading No Holly For Miss Quinn later this evening.  I also took my copy of The Wind in the Willow off the shelf this past weekend, which has the loveliest of Christmas scenes in it.  It is not only my favorite children's books, it is one of my all time favorite books... period.

It is dark outside even in early afternoon, I'd forgotten just how dark a winter day can be.  However, the Christmas tree is lit (I moved the laptop to the dining table after putting up the tree) and the kitchen is bright and shiny (Hallelujah... light in the kitchen!).  I've had Christmas music playing on Pandora.  Yes... about as close to Narnia as one can get in the American Midwest.  :)

Ohhhh... thank you for the compliments on the Christmas header (which is the top of my buffet decorated for Christmas this year).  I always return to my default header as I do love it but one has to be more festive for the Holidays.

Picture:  A Time For Reading, Judy Gibson; allposters.com

Recent (pre-Christmas) reading

I forgot one of my favorite Christmas books in the last book post (how could I?).  Some of you will remember Marcia Adams wonderful PBS shows Cooking from Quilt Country.  I have her two Quilt Country books (one signed when I met her in person) but my favorite cookbook of hers is Christmas in the Heartland.

It is a beautiful Christmas book in which she visits various homes in the "Heartland" and writes about the Christmas customs of the regions... for instance the Morarvian influence, the Victorian influence, an Indiana farm family, etc.  Absolutely lovely pictures and recipes... that's how I remembered the book.  I needed it for the stained glass cookie recipe in it.  This book is available really cheap on Amazon and I highly (highly) recommend it.

I've kind of interrupted Christmas reading by including Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber.   I'm reading it along with the Miss Read Christmas book.  A friend of mine gave me a $10.00 online gift "card" to Amazon for a Thanksgiving gift and I had a couple dollars left from credit... just enough to buy this book third party.  So far I'm loving it but I'll give you the whole story next month.

That reminds me... yes, your credit I receive for entering Amazon is showing up (asked in comments).  I can't tell WHO is ordering anything but the reports show me what is ordered and the amount of credit received.  The last two months credit was used to purchase Christmas gifts for my grandchildren.  Without it I would have had to give them an IOU under their tree.  I humbly thank you... you all have blessed me (and I'm sure the other blog friends for whom anyone enters Amazon through their widgets).

Now... for November:

Grace Livingston Hill: Her Story and Her Writings by Jean Karr - I had no idea there was a biography of GLH until I saw this slim volume at a library sale a few years ago.  Why am I just now reading it?  Because I had put it on my bookshelves and only recently came across it again.

As with all good biographies, it also shares with us the history of the times in which the subject lived.  I came to understand how GLH was influenced by her family and her surroundings to make her a great writer and a strong Christian.  In some ways her biography reminds me a lot of the book Searching for Mrs. Oswald Chambers as both women gave us books we love as a result of tragedy in their own lives. 

Both of these books are very good but the GLH biography was written in 1948 and I'm not sure there was ever a recent edition.  It would be worth finding it through the library if you are a fan of her books.  I looked on Amazon for it and they do have a few inexpensive copies (and some over $300!).  The author shown on their page is Grace Livingston Hill herself, which is not correct.  This book was written a year after her death.

The Magic Never Ends: The Life and work of C. S. Lewis by John Ryan Duncan - This was a Goodwill find that I really liked.  It is a companion book to a film but I've never seen the film version and this was definitely good read on its' own.

The story of his life is told by five or six people who knew him well.  It's not an indepth biography but a macro account with pictures.  It would be a good biographical introduction to people who found him through the recent movies.

People My Teachers: Around the World In Eighty Years by John Stott - Reading more by and about John Stott was on my "things I want to do" mental list this year.  This is the kind of book one peruses and comes back to again and again.  It's a unique way of telling us about people who have influenced his life by taking us around the world and sharing by region instead of time. 

Some are understandable, like the Apostle Paul and there were a few I had to read to understand why they were included... like Darwin.  It contains people from long ago (obviously since I mentioned St. Paul) until the time this book was written.  It is full of gorgeous pictures, maps, etc... one of Stott's hobbies was photography.

The Tehran Initiative by Joel Rosenberg -  This is the second "end time" thriller in Joel's new series (the first being The Twelfth Imam).  Iran has the bomb and the Imam is out to destroy the U.S. and Israel.  I was up past midnight finishing this book one evening.  The next day my husband asked me why I was up so late and I told him that a nuclear missile was heading for Jerusalem and I had to know what happened.  :)

Picture: Kim Sung Book Shop: allposters.com

Christmas reading and viewing

I have been enjoying dusting off some of my favorite books and movies to assist in the Christmas mood around here.  Although tonight I took time off of Christmas as my son stopped by for dinner and brought his copy of The Social Network (good movie but not G-rated, if you get my drift).  Both my kids remarked how interesting it is that this guy changed the world when Facebook was invented.

Anyway... I digress from the actual reason for writing... Christmas.  I've watched a few shows on TV including last night's classic Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer.  It's corny but I still love the whole "misfit as hero" plot and listening to Burl Ives as narrator.  For us baby boomers, it brings back lots of nostalgic memories.

Yesterday I watched my An Avonlea Christmas DVD after the dinner dishes were finished.  I love this movie but Stephanie didn't care for it as much when she watched it.  One of the subplots is that Felix is MIA in WWI and it follows Janet as she becomes angry and bitter over the war.  But she doesn't stay that way and there are happy endings all around.  The TV series was one of my favorites, especially as the years went by and the children grew a little older.

Tomorrow I plan to watch Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (the original from the 1970s) which I love.  Yes, I own the DVD and I have no little children around... and your point is???  I miss the 70s, a great decade. ;)

I've also watched Muppet Christmas Carol recently on TV.  I taught Dicken's A Christmas Carol our last year in a homeschool co-op and had the teenagers watch the movie.  They loved it.  No one does a better Mrs. Cratchett than Miss Piggy.

Christmas Reading

I pulled a few books off the shelf, dusted them off, and now have them stacked to enjoy from Thanksgiving through New Years (and perhaps beyond).  They are...

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus edited by Nancy Guthrie - This is an advent devotional that I used last year and gladly pulled out again.  I can't remember who recommended it but it's wonderful.  Nancy Guthrie explains that she wrote the kind of advent book she wanted to read with chapters by Puritans, Augustine, Francis Schaeffer, John Piper, all the way through to the final chapter by Joni Erickson Tada.  Love this one, highly recommend it.

Winter Song Christmas Readings by Madeleine L'Engle & Luci Shaw - This book is similar to a devotional in that it contains poetry and prose by two favorite authors and takes one through the end of autumn through Advent.  If you like L'Engle and Shaw, you'll love this book.  I'm not really using it as an advent devotional so much as enjoying the writings for the Season.

No Holly for Miss Quinn by Miss Read - Just the loveliest Christmas story about a young English woman who never married who is called upon to help her brother and his family out at Christmas.  Miss Read has two or three other Christmas books which I have read in the past but don't own (but I should look for at the library).  I have re-read this one at Christmas the past few years.  I've read some other Miss Read books and hope to read more in the future.

Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon - I think this is my favorite Mitford book.  I've also re-read it each Christmas since it was published.  Even though it is part of the series, it can also be enjoyed as a stand alone novel.  Father Tim purchases an old and battered nativity set (LARGE set) and works to restore it as a gift to his wife.  There are the usual subplots of Mitford characters which add warmth and depth.

A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg - It takes just a few minutes to read this little story about a man who visits his elderly great aunt and rediscovers the Christmas of his childhood.  A lovely little classic!

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - What can I say, one of the best books ever written.  When I taught the book to my class, I had it read aloud as it should be.  I loved how even the teenage guys became enthralled with the characters.  One of them told me it sparked his interest to read other Dickens' novels.

Did you know in the Christmas song "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", when they talked about "scary ghost stories" they were talking about this book?  For years I wondered what ghost stories had to do with Christmas and when I found that out, it answered a lot of questions.  :)

The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge - I'm hoping to get to this book in December, otherwise it is on my January list to re-read.  While not technically a Christmas book, it takes place around Christmas and I felt like I was in an English village in December.  It's a story of Redemption, which is what Christmas is all about.

By the way, A City of Bells also have lovely Christmas scenes in it.  I just read it again last month and I still smile as I think of it again. 

I used to re-read a few Edith Schaeffer books in December... especially The Tapestry and her two books of letters (With Love, Edith and Dear Family).  While I no longer read them around Christmas, I do re-read these autobiographical books and a few other nonfiction books each year as I have time.  She was the most influential author in my life as a young wife and mother and has remained so through the years.

I also have a stack of Victoria Christmas books and a few other Christmas decorating books to peruse (most purchased at library sales).  I also love to read the Christmas issues of favorite magazines.

I only own a couple specifically Christmas cookbooks but both are favorites...

My newest such book is Holiday Fare: Favorite Williamsburg Recipes by John Gonzales (the chef Stephanie and I took the cooking class from in Williamsburg). I wrote about it recently but it does have many, many good recipes in it which I would serve all year.  The pictures of Colonial Williamsburg at Christmas makes me want to visit again.

The book I've had for years now and LOVE is called Christmas Thyme at Oak Hill Farm by Marge Clark (a long ago gift from my sister-friend, BeBe).  It is a fabulous book, especially for those of us who love herbs and all things tea time.  It contains lots of wonderful recipes and beautiful pictures, a book I highly recommend.  It is one of my all time favorite recipe books.

Marge unexpectedly left us a few years ago in a car accident but I always felt I knew her through this book and her cookbook The Best of Thymes, which I go back to all the time for recipes using favorite herbs.  Both are written with her chatty prose in addition to recipes.

Hmmm... no wonder that stack of books looks like it is going to fall over soon.

Amazon and Goudge

Okay, they really don't have anything to do with each other except I'm answering a couple of questions.  :)

First, I was asked to explain how bloggers receive credit from Amazon.com again.  Whenever you order from Amazon.com, if you click on any book or object within the blogger's Amazon widget (mine is called something like "My Recommendations"), then the blogger receives a small percent of whatever the purchase price is on an order.

It isn't much but it really can add up.  I use mine to purchase books and items I normally could not afford.  I know some of my blog friends use their credits for homeschooling books.

You are not charged extra at all, it is just something Amazon does as we're encouraging you to shop there with our widgets.... and they truly do offer great service.  You don't have to order anything that is shown on the widget, you just have to "enter" Amazon.com by clicking on the widget (although I love the items I've recommended there).

You do have to re-enter Amazon through the widget each time you have completed your order.  I hope that helps and hasn't confused you further.

As for Goudge... oh, I am embarrassed to offer much advice as I've only "discovered" her within the past couple of years.  Although, I found out she was one of my late mother-in-law's favorite authors.  I also wondered where to begin so I e-mailed a couple of my favorite writers and Goudge enthusiasts (who introduced me to her)... Lanier  (who has written a lot about Goudge books) and Sarah... who offered advice.

It was suggested I begin with Pilgrim's Inn (called The Herb of Grace in England), which is the second of the Eliot trilogy but is also a "stand alone" novel.  I adored the book!  I read the first book in the trilogy later, called Bird In the Tree which is also lovely and offers an understanding of the events of Pilgrim's Inn... so I would recommend it.  I haven't read, The Heart of the Family, which is the third in the trilogy but Stephanie did and said it didn't add much to the story.  I will read it someday just to come full circle.

I do understand the reader who said she didn't care much for The Scent of Water.  While it is one of my favorites, I do admit it can be very melancholic and a little Gothic.  I think one of the reasons I like it is having lived with a husband who is bipolar now for a very long time and having a sister who was prone to depression.  It deals with the subject beautifully.

Speaking of Gothic, at first after I finished The Middle Window, I didn't think I liked it much.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it is a truly Gothic novel with ghosts from the past and such.  I think if I knew that to begin with, I'd have enjoyed it and not been rather confused.  I don't own it or I would re-read the book, knowing more about what to expect.

I do own but have not read Green Dolphin Street, which if I understand is the only book of hers made into a movie.  Personally, I thought the movie dreadfully depressing and then Stephanie told me the book is equally a downer.  Right now I need encouragement so it is on the "to read someday maybe" mental list.

My favorite titles?  It's a tie between A City of Bells and The Dean's Watch... both of which have become a part of me and my thinking... a sign of truly great literature.... to be read over and over.  Although, I would definitely re-read Bird In the Tree and Pilgrim's Inn many times, too... and The Scent of Water so as it would not feel neglected.

Both A City of Bells and The Dean's Watch have story lines which remind me of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to lovingly mold us and shape us as one would work with fine china to form us into the image of The One Who Created Us.

Stephanie says I have to read I Saw Three Ships, which I plan to see if the library has soon.   It is one of her children's books with a Christmas theme.

Do I have a Goudge book I'm coveting to read?  Oh, definitely Henerietta's House (aka: The Blue Hills) which is a children's book sequel to A City of Bells.  But it cost almost $200 in paperback and nearly $300 in hardback used.  I don't want any book that much!

I'd also love to read Towers In the Mist, which is the third of the City of Bells books.  I'm hoping I can find it and the above book through inter-library loan.

I have some of her other books on my "Goudge shelf" to read soon... lovely titles just waiting to be delved into perhaps this winter... both fiction and nonfiction.  I'll share more about those titles when I read them.  I'd love to hear about your favorite Goudge books.

I am so thankful to have bibliophile friends recommend Goudge and D. E. Stevenson's books.  They have been lovely additions to my reading.

Book Love

"... said Grandfather.  "In my experience when people once begin to read they go on.  They begin because they think they ought to and they go on because they must.  Yes.  They find it widens life.  We're all greedy for life, you know, and our short span of existence can't give us all that we hunger for, the time is too short and our capacity not large enough.  But in books we experience all life vicariously."

A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge

Wind and Goudge

I have loved reading your comments on the Nesting post (here).  Please feel free to continue commenting on it, I'd love to hear how your nesting is more Mole than Martha.  :)

I have been under the weather... literally.  I think it was a combination of trying to do too much earlier in the week and the huge weather changes yesterday, which came with a blustery wind and plunging temperatures.  I was suppose to meet with two friends from my old neighborhood but I couldn't... sometimes life happens.  I am feeling much better today.

I had just placed a pillow on the front room sofa when Stephanie called.  I told her how I felt (well, she asked!) and her recommendations were sofa and Goudge.  Which, of course, made me smile as I not only had my fluffed up pillow on the sofa but my copy of A City of Bells lay beside me on the coffee table.  Yes, it did receive my full attention after the phone call.

Reading Goudge while comfy on the sofa as the rain was beating against the window... very cozy.  Perhaps the only thing which would have helped was having someone bring me a cup of tea.  I just may have to ask for apple cider or herbal tea K-cups for Christmas... that way hubby could actually make a cup for me.  (His idea of making tea for himself is nuking a mug of water and throwing in a tea bag... sigh.)

I had originally rebelled at the idea of tea made in K-cups... except my daughter who has five children and doesn't have time to make a proper cup in a teapot most days says it is quite delicious.   I tried the herbal tea K-cups at her house and I was gifted with apple cider K-cups... both surprisingly yummy.  (I have to have my caffeine fix only in the mornings and go caffeine free later in the day!)

Hubby is beginning to nicely recover although being fully warned by his doctor at the local VA Clinic that tests show he has osteoporosis and not to put himself in danger of falling.  He was working on organizing the garage yesterday and I couldn't help.  I had previously started organizing it when he could not help.  Hopefully we can work together soon and get it all nicely organized before dreadfully cold winter sets in.  :)

Picture: Raking Leaves; allposters.com

Recent reading

It has been a long time since I wrote a "reading post" so I'm certain some titles have slipped through the cracks in my memory... which was never all that good but now is pathetic.

Sooo... here goes from the most recent to the farthest which my memory takes me (vacation reading).

Last night I finished Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith & Art by Madeleine L'Engle and yes... it has been on my reading stack for quite awhile.  I really, really liked this book but found myself having to think about what I was reading so I could only get through a little at a time.

Most of it was excellent but there were just a few sections here and there in which I said to myself... "Huh?".   I suppose when I re-read through those sections, I will understand them a little more... or not.  Still... a wonderful book.

The Goudge book I am re-reading is A City of Bells which is one of my very favorites of her books read (so far).  I am at a loss for words in why I love this book so much other than to say it is like a warm hug from a friend who understands what makes me happy.  Of course, the reading of any Goudge book must be accompanied by the sipping of good tea in an English teacup with a scone (or a packaged cookie) on the side.  :)

I have been interested in studying the history of the American Revolution since I can remember but our visit to Colonial Williamsburg peaked my curiosity about Virginia and Virginians of that era.  Of course, I knew it was the largest state (Commonwealth?) and that important Founding Fathers came from the state... but I had mostly studied what actually happened in New England.

Soooo... a little research provided titles to read and one of them was Bound Away: Virginia and the Westward Movement.  It peaked my interest as it was about those who came to Virginia from Europe, the importance of Virginia in the beginning of America, and then their history in moving towards the Frontiers (with an excellent discussion on the two different historical thoughts about what constitutes the American Frontier).

I have found it quite interesting even if it must be read slowly to take in all the facts and figures... and now that it is my only nonfiction book on the reading stack, it will get a lot more attention.  I'm not sure I will read all of it as I'm mostly interested in the chapters leading up to the movement West into the Frontier..

I have visited the East Coast enough to know my part of the United States is still seen by many as a Frontier land.  I think Eastern students were brainwashed by early American maps.  One time Stephanie introduced me to a friend of hers at church and when I told her where I was from, she had a surprised look on her face and said, "You mean people really live there?".

Now, I can understand if we were talking about Wyoming or other places with more land than people but I mentioned we even had cities such as Chicago and Indianapolis and Detroit and Cleveland... but by that time I'd lost her.  It gives a new meaning to the term "fly over country"... sigh.  I still get people who find it hard to believe that Northwestern University is in Illinois and that Notre Dame is in Indiana.  But I digress...

I decided to read Rumors of Water:; Thoughts on Creativity & Writing by L. l. Barkat when it was recommended by Ann Vaskomp.  It is a story of Barkat teaching her own two girls the art of not only writing but seeing life as an artist and creative person.

On the whole, I enjoyed the book very much but with one annoyance.  The book is published with blank pages between the chapters.  I'm not sure what the publisher intended but it made me feel the book was more choppy than it was.  Anyway, it is a good book especially for those interested in children and writing and homeschooling. 

I took a few books with me on vacation but the only book I read through all the way was Amanda Soule's new book The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons which was written with her husband.  I loved this little book!  The Soule's take on everyday living is much the same as mine, it has lots of colorful photos as well as prose and creative projects and a couple recipes here and there.

If you read Amanda's blog, you will already have a sense of the "look" of this little book.  I would have read it through again but I wanted to give it to Stephanie to take home with her.  Only one warning... there is a chapter about teaching your children to meditate which I didn't read at all... not being one who believes in that kind of meditation.  But if you read the blog, you already know they lean into this kind of spirituality.  However, if I remember... that is the only time in the book it shows up and it is easy to ignore for we who lean toward the Evangelical Christian perspective.  This is the kind of book one wants to pull out of a basket and re-read on cold winter nights.

Tea Celebrations by Alexandra Stoddard has been the book which kept me company in the car and while waiting for my husband now and then.  It is a lovely little book about tea and tea time with many stories taken from Alexandra's life.  It is also highly recommended with just the slightest of warnings that... as all of her books which do not deal directly with decorating... it does contain some of her influence from Eastern religions.  Nothing I personally could not overlook and there is so much more to enjoy in her writing.

The only new cookbook I've been perusing is one I found "used" written by John Gonzales, the chef from whom we enjoyed the cooking class-gourmet dinner in Colonial Williamsburg.  It is called Holiday Fare; Favorite Williamsburg Recipes.  It contains numerous Christmas and Holiday recipes as well as pictures here and there of Colonial Williamsburg decorated for the Holidays.

This is an excellent cookbook for the experienced cook who wants to serve special dishes to guests but also for the newer cook who would like to try what one would call "fancier" dishes.  The recipes are well written so they are easy to understand and the dishes are accompanied by photographs of what they are suppose to look like when finished (which I always appreciate).

I have given away most of my "gourmet" cookbooks through the years but this one is a keeper.

Hmmm... it appears I got in more reading than I thought the past couple of months!

Note:  I do plan to work on the Recommendations List when the autumn list of "gotta do's" are gotta done.

Picture:  Book Shop; allposters.com

Recent reading... cookbooks

You know how much I love to collect cookbooks.  Most stay on my shelves to help research tasty but inexpensive meals.  Others make their way to New England for Stephanie and Elisabeth to try out (at age nine, Elisabeth is already a good cook!).

I thought I'd share a few favorites I've tried recently.  Oh, and as I've said before... thank you SO MUCH to anyone who enters Amazon through the blog's widget.  It does help me feed my habit purchase a few good books to read.  ;)

A cookbook that I had preordered with credit and arrived this week is Where Women Cook Celebrates!.   This is a fabulous book from the people who publish the magazines Where Women Create and Where Women Cook.  How could it not be with articles about and recipes by such favorites as Ree Drummond, Molly Wizenberg, Serena Thompson, Susan Branch, Fifi O'Neill and many more.

The book is a feast for the eyes (I wish Amazon was set up to show you the inside of the book!).  It will definitely be one that I keep handy to peruse on long winter nights.  Not to mention, although there are only two or three recipes for each person, most of them look like recipes I'd love to try already.

One of the features is Angie Dudley (Bakerella) explaining how to make cake pops... in color... with pictures.  :)  I highly recommend this book, it would make a perfect Christmas gift for the person who loves cookbooks (and/or cooking bloggers!).

I found Williams-Sonoma Family Meals: Creating Traditions in the Kitchen on the clearance shelves at Tuesday Morning.  You can look inside it on Amazon.  I tried to explain it to Stephanie and the only thing I could think of was it is something like the River Cottage Family Cookbook (which we both own).

It is FULL of colorful pictures, making it a beautiful book to read and the instructions are kid friendly.  It is not a cookbook which has you open a can of this and a box of that.  The recipes are "from scratch" and even includes information like gardening and what fruits-veggies have the most pesticides. 

I've enjoyed reading it and it is definitely on my list for "long winter nights" reading.

A precious friend sent me a couple books for my birthday, one of them being Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (the other about saving money on grocery shopping and it is in my stack to be read soon).  I loved Trisha's first cookbook and have really enjoyed this one, too.

When interviewed about this book, she laughs about making bacon its' own food group and about how much cheese is in the recipes... which is what makes it GREAT.  But there are healthy recipes, too.  I have her monkey bread muffins marked to try soon and her country quiche.  This is also the cookbook where she gives the recipe for homemade tahini sauce.  Love it!

Another book I've been perusing this past week is one of my favorites.  It currently sits in the front of my red wire container in the kitchen (where I keep the recipe books I'm using the most right now).  Susan Branch's Autumn book has to be brought out and displayed this time of year.

I have enjoyed this cookbook for many autumnal seasons.  It is fun to read as are all of Susan's books and it has really good recipes.

I've also been perusing recipes in magazines... it's the cooler air!  (Although we are in the midst of another hot spell!)  Now I am off to have cheese, crackers, and an apple for dinner... no, really.