That brings the total for the year to 73 books, 23 magazines, 2 abandoned.
Farmer Boy Goes West
by Heather Williams
This is a fictional account of Almanzo Wilder and his family, recounting their move from their prosperous farm in New York to a new farm in Minnesota. It was a fun read, and I thought it did a reasonable job of keeping a similar character and tone as Laura's original books.
Heartwood Hotel : The Greatest Gift (Book 2)
Heartwood Hotel : Better Together (Book 3)
Heartwood Hotel : Home Again (Book 4)
by Kallie George
This series of 4 books was recommended by Sarah MacKenzie of Read-Aloud Revival. Mona Mouse is a maid at the Heartwood Hotel (in a big oak tree) in Fernwood Forest. In each book, she figures out a way to rescue the hotel from various dangers that threaten it. She also learns lessons about getting along with others. My eight year old daughter devoured each book in about one day.
King's Arrow
Rebel's Keep
by Douglas Bond
These are books 2 and 3 in the "Crown & Covenant" trilogy, set in 17th century Scotland. They continue the tale of the M'Kethe family as they face increasing persecution from the King of England. A gripping story. Very challenging and apropos even for these days in which we are living. We complain about so many trivial things and let the slightest inconvenience keep us from gathering for worship and serving God. It all pales in comparison to what these people suffered in order to stay faithful to Christ. Each book is a little more gruesome in its description of war and torture, though I would not characterize it as "gratuitous". I think the author is trying to give a realistic picture of the times. And the overall redemptive message of the story is worth the reading. I would not recommend these for children under 12 nor for very sensitive or squeamish readers.
Old Town in the Green Groves
by Cynthia Rylant
This book tells the story of the "lost years" of Laura Ingalls Wilder -- the years between Plum Creek and Silver Lake. These were difficult years for the Ingalls family as they lost their baby boy and worked at a hotel in the town of Burr Oak. I thought it dealt well with the hardships in a hopeful manner. A fun, quick book.
Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full: Devotional Mediations for Busy Moms
by Gloria Furman
I spent two months leisurely soaking in this book. Great encouragement for moms, no matter how many children they have. I love how the author blended Scripture into her writing, as if it is just a part of how she thinks. She shares some delightful vignettes and funny descriptions in her writing as well. I found myself wanting to share quotes from it often with some of my friends who really "have their hands full" right now. Highly recommended. I actually bought this book four years ago, started reading it, and got distracted. But God's timing was perfect. This was when I needed to be reading it and sharing it.
The Green Ember
by S. D. Smith
I kept hearing people raving about this book (and the entire series). It took me three tries to get it finished. Not that there was anything objectionable about it. For some reason, it just didn't grab me at first. Maybe also, it was because the first time I tried with a Kindle version, and the second time was with the audiobook. I just had trouble following the story. But I was finally able to finish it once I got my hands on a paper copy of it. And then I immediately started over. And even more intrigued after listening to a couple of interviews with the author on Read-Aloud Revival. I ordered the whole set of 8 books because the library's copies were backed up in a holds list 8-10 deep.
Basically, it's a fantasy story featuring rabbits with swords. Lots of action and character development. Some laugh-out-loud moments. Lots of loose ends and allusions that aren't resolved in the first book. I guess that's why he had to write 7 more. :-) I don't expect I will read these out loud to the kids, but I will set them out and let the older ones read them if they choose. I know at least two of them will...
The King James Only Controversy: Can You Trust the Modern Translations
by James R. White
An interesting look at the controversy in some Christian circles about whether the King James Version of the Bible is the only valid English translation. Though I got a bit lost at times in some of the technical details, I appreciated his thorough and even-handed approach to the issue. He gives some background on how Bible translations are made, going back even as far at the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures), Jerome (Latin Vulgate), Erasmus, and on to the KJV translators and those in more recent times. He notes that each time someone undertook to make a new translation, they faced much opposition and criticism from those who were used to the current traditional version. Even the KVJ translators faced the same kind of arguments that KJV-Only people make against modern translations today. The author does not argue against the KJV itself, but exposes the illogical and inconsistent arguments of those who claim the KJV is the only valid (English) translation.
