November books

The total for November was 9 books and 6 magazines finished, and 0 abandoned.

That brings the total for the year to 202 books, 61 magazines, and 5 abandoned.

Eighty-Dollar Champion : Snowman, the Horse that Inspired a Nation

by Elizabeth Letts

In 1956, Dutch immigrant Harry De Leyer spent $80 to buy a plow horse who was headed for the slaughterhouse.  He used him as a lesson horse at the private boarding school for girls where he worked.   Always on the lookout for a horse who might be able to participate in horse show competitions, especially jumping, Harry tried teaching the horse to jump, but Snowman always stumbled and tripped over the smallest jumps, even poles just laying on the ground. Although Harry loved the calm, gentle giant, he couldn't afford to keep him if he couldn't jump.  So he sold him for $160 to a farmer six miles down the road.  A few days later, Snowman was back in Harry's yard.  Harry figured a gate must have been left open, so he took him back.  A few days later, Snowman was back again.  And again.  And again.  Somehow the horse was jumping out of pastures and paddocks to make his way back home.  Harry finally got it, bought Snowman back, and began training him again -- on higher fences this time, fences that the horse thought worth jumping.  Two years later, Snowman racked up win after win in the show ring and continued for several years.  A fascinating story. It is filled with history of the horse world at the time, America in general, and Harry's experiences in Holland during World War II.  If you're only interested in the story of the horse, you might find the history tedious, but I found it to help give an understanding of what Harry and Snowman faced and why it was such a big deal when he won the championship.  A clean read, nothing objectionable.

We also watched a documentary on DVD called "Harry and Snowman" that covered much of the same material.  There's also a juvenile fiction book by the same name that focuses just on the story of the horse.

Rolf

by Kate Klimo

Number 10 in the Dog Diaries series, this is the story of a dachshund named Rolf who loses one leg in an accident, but goes on to become an excellent therapy dog.

Tiny Tim

by Kate Klimo

Number 11 in the Dog Diaries series, this is the story of a little Havanese who belonged to Charles Dickens.

Susan

by Kate Klimo

Number 12 in the Dog Diaries series, this is about Queen Elizabeth's first Pembroke Welsh Corgi, which she got for her 18th birthday.

Sunny

By Kate Klimo

Number 14 in the Dog Diaries series, about a Pekingnese who survived the Titanic.

Fido

by Kate Klimo

Number 13 in the Dog Diaries series, this is about Abraham Lincoln's dog.

The Critter and Other Dogs

by Albert Payson Terhune

A collection of dog stories from the 1920s and 1930s, most about collies, some about other breeds.  Several are "variations on a theme"  -- the same basic plot of a dog gets locked in a house or car and the owner meets with unfortunate events that leave the dog stranded for a time, but all survive.  Or, a domesticated collie gets lost or runs away and returns to a wild state, then briefly comes out of it to round up a flock of sheep.

Matthew : The Gospel of Identity

by Michael Card

Basically, a commentary on the gospel of Matthew.  Each chapter in the book corresponds to a chapter in the gospel.  The text of the gospel is included, followed by brief commentary on each section.  He begins by describing the followers of Jesus in Galilee in the early years after Jesus was resurrected, the struggle over their identities as fully Jewish believers in Jesus as the Messiah, and their persecution by those who did not believe.  He concludes with noting that both in some of the first words about him and in his last words, Jesus defines himself as the One who is with us.  ("He shall be called Immanuel, which means God with us" and "I am with you always.")  Two other points that struck me: 1) Jesus is never praised when he performs miracles.  He always wins praise for the Father.  2) No one who asks Jesus for mercy is ever turned away.

Introverted Mom : Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy

by Jamie C. Martin

This author gets me.  She starts off with a list of "You might be an introverted mother if...", and I checked off all 20 items.  This book helped me understand a bit more of how I perceive and cope with things, how to balance my needs with those of my family, and how to embrace the personality God gave me to fulfill his purposes for me, especially as a mother.  She clarifies that introversion/extroversion is not whether someone likes or doesn't like to be around people.  Rather, it is about what energizes  or drains a person. I underlined quite a bit of the book.  If you are an introverted mother, or want to better understand someone who is, I highly recommend this book!!

Although selected quotes simply cannot convey the impact this book had on me, here's a brief sample:

"We aren't attempting to make our lives calmer out of selfishness.  We are mothers, called to lay down our very lives for our children if necessary.  We are here because our families deserve our best.  Because we deserve to understand ourselves, our strengths, and our weaknesses....When we understand ourselves as introverted women, we can respect and value how God made us, and we can push beyond our natural boundaries when he calls.  We don't want to use our personality as an excuse to avoid hard things or as a license for selfishness.  We want to honor ourselves, but we don't want to limit ourselves.  Figuring this out  is an art, not a science, requiring a flow that we get better at through taking chances and making mistakes."