Favorite Reads

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I've noticed that the beginning of a new year seems to breed reading challenges of various kinds, and I've seen a bunch of them on blogs and websites lately. I'll even admit to being tempted by many of them, and to taking on a few of the challenges, since I do love to read. This post is not a challenge, but rather a list of just a few of my own favorites that you may want to consider if you're looking for something to read in 2016.

Homeschooling Favorites

I've had the privilege over the past couple of years to review books written specifically to homeschool moms, and these are the ones that stand out to me - and that I'll be referring to or reading again.

The Busy Homeschool Mom's Guide to Daylight by Heidi St. John is a practical and encouraging book for us moms who often struggle with staying on top of both homeschooling and homemaking, and feel like we are constantly "burning daylight" but without much to show for it. I loved that it was a quick read and full of practical advice. Right at the beginning of the book, Heidi talks about getting priorities in order, which seems obvious but sometimes we don't live like we know our priorities! She challenges us to ask God for wisdom and perspective as we work through our homeschool schedules, our housework, and our family calendars; and make our plans following his priorities. This is sound advice to start with, whether for a homeschool mom just starting out with little ones or for the veteran homeschool mom trying to keep up with teens in their high school years. This little book will continue to be a go-to resource for encouragement for the rest of my homeschooling adventure; and I highly and warmly recommend it for all Christian homeschool moms.   

Read my complete review here.

Flourish: Balance for Homeschool Moms by Mary Jo Tate is another encouraging and practical book, written for and to all kinds of homeschooling moms, whether they are married or single, at-home or working. This book encourages moms in any stage or situation of homeschooling life to "stop enduring the journey - and start enjoying it!" It's full of suggestions and advice on setting goals and priorities; focusing on what's important and getting it done; valuing, protecting, and managing time; and enjoying the homeschool journey. Each chapter ends with a challenge and a checklist to help you Take Action! and apply what you've learned; and there are several worksheets to help provided in the back of the book. In addition, you can access the customizable forms and worksheets, and many other resources at Mary Jo's website. 

Read my complete review here.

On MY To-Read List

Unstuff: Making Room in Your Life for What Really Matters by Hayley & Michael DiMarco - I have to read this book, and I have to read it soon. I acquired it months ago but somehow still haven't read it, although my husband has. We have been working on unstuffing our house, and I hope to be even more motivated to keep at it once I've finally read this!

Some of My Favorite Fiction

The vast majority of my reading is novels, and historical novels are my preferred genre. But my all-time favorites list includes some other types of fiction as well. If you're looking for a good story, see if one of these catches your interest.

The High House by James Stoddard ranks as one of my all-time favorite books, and could be described as fantasy or allegorical fiction - it reads almost like a fairy tale. It tells the story of Carter Anderson, who is introduced as a young boy. He lives in an extraordinary house full of mysteries, secret passageways, and unusual guests. His beloved father is the Master of the house and maintains not only the house, but the universe as well. When young Carter unwittingly becomes the target of the enemy - a faceless anarchist known as The Bobby - his father sends him away from Evenmere to keep him safe. Years later, Carter must return to Evenmere and become Master himself, because his father has disappeared and is presumed dead. The story is Carter's journey to find out what happened to his father, and begin to understand the mysterious workings and kingdoms of the house and his own responsibility for keeping Chaos and Entropy from overtaking Evenmere and the world.  In the sequel, The False House, Evenmere has come under a new threat when the anarchists kidnap a young girl and use her powers along with a stolen cornerstone to start raising a new, false house. Carter and his younger brother must search for the girl and for the stolen keys so they can restore Order to the house and universe. To complicate matters, there seems to be a traitor among them.

The Eight by Katherine Neville is another all-time favorite of mine that doesn't fit the mold of what I claim is my favorite genre. This is a thriller/medieval mystery/historical novel/romantic adventure story all rolled into one.  The action jumps back and forth between two main characters and their respective time periods - Mireille, a French nun in the late 1700s; and Cat, a modern-day computer specialist in the 1970s. As revolution grips France, Mireille and her cousin Valentine flee the ancient abbey with the mission of carrying away pieces of an ancient chess set supposedly once owned by Charlemagne. Cat is sent to Algeria for her accounting firm, but has been asked to do a little side job while she is there - search for an antique chess piece. Each woman finds herself on a quest to find and decode the secret of the ancient chess set which holds a mysterious power, and to find the scattered pieces of the chess set before the team of  "bad guys" does. Intrigue, conspiracy, power struggles, and dangerous situations are part of their daily adventures in the Game they are involved in.  In many instances, it's hard to tell who is on the White Team and who is on the Black Team - and even which team is considered the "good guys"! The first time I read it, most of the surprise ending elements were truly unexpected - I read the final chapters with all the storyline resolutions and realized that it all made sense but I hadn't seen it coming at all. I've read it several times since and have enjoyed just as much upon each re-reading.  One little caution - this is definitely a secular book, and subtly presents the idea that all religions are based in the same ancient mysticism. The mystical and fantasy elements will not appeal to all readers. There are also a  couple of 'love scenes' that aren't overly graphic, but are more descriptive than is necessary.
Read my complete review here.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - That's right. The original and still the best. I don't know how many times I've read it now, but I never get tired of it, or of Austen's other books. I also often read some of the fiction based on Austen, such as sequels, retellings or alternate outcomes to P&P. It's frustrating because many of them are truly awful, but every now and again I find a real gem among them. This past year I found a couple of good ones worthy of a mention - The Darcys of Pemberley by Shannon Winslow, and I especially loved Unequal Affection: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling by Lara S. Ormiston. Authors like Julie Klassen and Georgette Heyer, who set their novels in the Regency period are among my favorites as well.

Other favorite authors include Deanna Raybourn, Stephen Lawhead, and Anna Lee Huber.

You can keep up with what I'm reading and see what I've already read and reviewed by following my book blog, Just A Second.

I'd love to know what some of your favorite books are, or what is on your "must read" list for 2016, so please leave a comment and let me know!

Visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog to see what other Crew members recommend in the Our Must Read Books for 2016 Crew Round-up, which will be live on Friday, January 8th. 

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