June 2023 Books

How Do I Decide What to Read?

Someone recently asked me how I decide what to read next.  In recent years, my personal reading time has been largely dominated by pre-reading things for the kids, such as historical fiction and non-fiction related to upcoming history studies and middle-grade fiction for their pleasure reading. I've also always had a stack of to-be-read books that have been donated to our church's homeschool library or books I've picked up at the library book sale.  In addition, I pick up ideas from book reviews from various sources: friends, magazines, blog, podcasts, and other online sources. Sometimes while searching for one book or topic online (library catalog or book buying site), I run across other titles that the search engine brings up and I follow that rabbit trail of interest. In this past year, I haven't had as many school-related books to pre-read, so I've been able to enjoy "reading at whim" more -- just picking up something that grabs my fancy, and following any rabbit trails that lead from there.  For example, a niece mentioned the Christy Miller Series, so I started reading those and then went on to read many more books by the same author.  Again, I found a book about Mr. Darcy on the library book sale shelf and followed up with reading everything by that author, plus the original Pride and Prejudice, plus some other spin-offs.  At the same time, I heard Sarah Mackenzie from Read Aloud Revival mention a new novel set in the Regency period.  After I read that, I read a review of it that mentioned another prolific author of Regency stories and started reading some of her books. Wanting to understand the time period better, I looked up several books that gave some background to that historical era. I have thoroughly enjoyed that rabbit trail. I keep a list of books I hear about that intrigue me so that I don't forget.  Sometimes I actually get around to reading some of those books.  Sometimes I don't.  Sometimes I go back and look at the list and wonder what was so intriguing about a certain title. That's ok. My wish list is my tool, not my master. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may have noticed that this year I started dividing my books into "personal reading" (which features a mix of novels, non-fiction, devotional, and audio) and other reading (stuff for the kids).  It has been a great blessing to make sure I take time to feed my own mind and soul as well as the minds and souls of my children.

Personal Reading

A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better

by George H. Guthrie

This little book is exactly what the title says.  It discusses why you should read the Bible ("the number one predictor of a person's spiritual health is the regular practice of personal Bible reading"), how to prepare your heart, how to listen to the Bible (paying attention to literary context, historical/cultural context, etc.), and how to recognize and read the different genres in the Bible. It also gives a synopsis of the Bible in a 3-act format and describes useful tools for understanding the Bible (Bible dictionaries, etc.)

Jane Austen for Dummies

by Joan Elizabeth Ray

Of all the books I've read about Jane Austen, her times, and her books, I think this is the most helpful one.  If you're an aspiring Jane Austen fan and need help understanding her, this is the book I would recommend. 

Oliver Twist

by Charles Dickens

I'm sure we read this in high school, and I probably watched a movie version, but I didn't remember much more than "Please, sir, I want some more."  Dickens' irony and satire is striking as he points out the conditions of London's poor and the hypocrisy of those in the established church and political system who claim to care for them. It's also a mystery/detective story as the reader tries to figure out who Oliver really is, and why people are out to get him.  I had absolutely no recollection of the conclusion.  Sensitive readers may not enjoy certain scenes (domestic violence, one character is murdered, her murderer is mentally tortured by visions of her bloody body, his accidental hanging and his dog's death, etc.)