The List
Fiction
The Blythes Are Quoted – L. M. Montgomery
Who Has Seen The Wind – W. O. Mitchell
Middlemarch – George Eliot
Emma – Jane Austen
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
Marilla of Green Gables – Sarah McCoy
Anne of Green Gables – L. M. Montgomery
The Daughter of Time – Josephine Tey
Sophie’s World – Jostein Gaarder
The Snow Goose – Paul Gallico
Study Group
Excerpts from:
The Rule of Saint Benedict – St. Benedict
Wars of Justinian – Procopius
History of the Franks – Gregory of Tours
Book of Pastoral Rule & The Dialogues – Gregory the Great
Ecclesiastical History of the English People – Bede
The Confession of St. Patrick – St. Patrick
The Life of St. Columba – Adomnan of Iona
The Voyage of Brendan
Beowulf – translated by Seamus Heany
Read-Alouds
Cartier Sails the St. Lawrence – Esther Averill
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
The Secret Garden – Fracnes Hodgson Burnett
The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
Homer Price – Robert McCloskey
The Family Under the Bridge – Natalie Savage Carlson
& Many picture books!
Education
Pocketful of Pinecones – Karen Andreola
Parents and Children – Charlotte Mason (ongoing)
Non-Fiction
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning – Margareta Magnusson
The Alpine Path – L. M. Montgomery
Spiritual
You Set My Spirit Free – St. John of the Cross
Reunion: The Good New of Jesus for Seekers, Saints and Sinners – Bruxy Cavey
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality – Pete Scazzero
Humour
Is This “One of Those Days” Daddy? (For Better or For Worse) – Lynn Johnston
It Must Be Nice to Be Little (For Better of For Worse) – Lynn Johnston
Strange Planet – Nathan W. Pyle
Thoughts . . .
Favourites:
Who Has Seen the Wind – This was a heart book for me, and an unexpected favourite. Mitchell drew me right into Saskatchewan and right into the small-town world of Brian. (I lived in Saskatchewan for a year as a child.) The part about the Christmas skates brought me to tears. I also loved that it is Canadian!
Beowulf – What can I say? This was epic. I understand now why this is foundational to English literature. And where Tolkien got Smaug from!
Emma – I just love Jane Austen. Though Emma is not my favourite of her heroines, I enjoyed the storytelling, wit, and insight into human nature which makes Austen such a beloved author.
Anything read with others – My book club and study group continue to be a highlight of my literary life! I’ve loved reading through some of the more challenging classic literature with friends, and learning more about the medieval mindset from the writings of that time.
Most impressive:
Middlemarch – George Eliot was a genius. This book was a huge banquet of ideas from so many different streams of thought. Well drawn characters. Masterfully done. However, it didn’t resonate with me on a “kindred spirit” level, and I think this speaks to Eliot’s own worldview.
Most fun:
The Hobbit – I read this with the kids over the winter. I had fond memories of my dad reading it to us as kids, with Gollum’s voice and all, and reading aloud with my own children did not disappoint. They loved the story and the way it was told. There were lots of giggles over Tolkien’s language, and that was a joy to experience together. They are on the edge of their seats and now want more Middle Earth!
Most influential:
You Set My Spirit Free – This was a book God used to speak to my spirit in 2019. Thanks to a tip off from a friend as we discussed the idea of a “dark night of the soul,” I found it on my shelves and it became a kind of companion. I read it slowly. I read some passages over and over. I journaled them, prayed them. This helped give me a frame of reference for what I was experiencing in this season of life.
Reading Goals for 2020
I don’t usually like to plan too much of my reading in advance, preferring to make choices that are more in the moment. However, I do have a sizeable stack of books I started reading last year, or have been on my to-read list for awhile, that I would like to finish!
To Finish:
Consider This – Karen Glass
Beauty in the Word – Stratford Caldecott
Joy and Human Flourishing – essays edited by Miroslav Volf
The Adventure of English – Melvyn Bragg
Evangelical, Sacramental & Pentecostal – Gordon T. Smith
The Lake District
A fellow homeschool mom and I are headed to a conference in the Lake District this spring!! I am beyond excited. Here is what I am planning to read in preparation for the trip.
Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome (current read-aloud with the kids)
Lyrical Ballads – Wordsworth and Coleridge
How the Heather Looks – Joan Badger
In Vital Harmony – Karen Glass
Happy Reading in 2020!
~ Lindsey
S. D. G.