February 2020 books

I was introduced to the "Raising Arrows" podcast which is mostly about managing a large homeschool family.  I have been binge-listening to her and gaining much encouragement.  Many of the ways she describes of organizing and managing things are very similar to the ways I have come up with on my own -- from laundry, to chores, to seating arrangements, to schoolwork, to kitchen and bedroom arrangements, and meal planning.  I find her to be humble and down-to-earth, not insisting that her way is THE right way, but just giving ideas of what has and hasn't worked for her.  I've gleaned some ideas to tweak and improve what I already do. I encourage all homeschooling moms, especially those with "larger than average" size families, to check her out at https://www.raisingarrows.net/

Now, on to the books...

I got convicted that I was obsessing too much over reading and spending too much time on novels instead of taking caring of other responsibilities.  So, this month I have limited my reading time to bedtime and Sunday afternoons.  Thus, I only read 7 books and 6 magazines instead of 20 something.

That brings the total for the year to 28 books and 10 magazines.

Hittite Warrior

by Joanne Williamson

This story is set in Israel during the time of Barak and Deborah (from the book of Judges) and is told from the perspective of a Hittite boy who fights in Sisera's army against Israel.  But he comes to believe in the God of the Hebrews and ends up joining them.  I found this book a little hard to get through : the unfamiliar and difficult-to-pronounce names, the false gods, and the battle scenes.

The God King : A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah

by Joanne Williamson

Another Biblical historical fiction tale told from the perspective of a Pharaoh of Egypt who lived during the time of Hezekiah and the threat from the Assyrians.  This has been on my "to-read" list for a while, and it was interesting to read it at this time since we have been reading about Hezekiah in our family Bible reading time.  The battle scenes aren't as graphic as they could be, but really sensitive readers or young children might be disturbed.  I would recommend at least 10 or 12 years, or edit it while reading aloud.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

by Trenton Lee Stewart

I'd been hearing about this series of books for several years and decided to try them out.  I can see why people like them.  It was a well-written, fascinating story with good character development and plot twists.  Kept me guessing all the way through.  But I have to confess that the whole premise of brainwashing and mind control is just not my cup of tea, so I opted not to read the rest of the series.  If my kids ever ask to read it, I'll probably let them, but I likely won't encourage them.

May B

by Caroline Starr Rose

A 12 year old pioneer girl who has struggled to learn how to read is hired out to help a new family on a neighboring homestead miles away from her own family.  She resents it, and so does the new bride of the home where she goes.  One day the bride decides to leave, the husband goes after her, but never comes back.  The girl survives for months on her own before, on the brink of freezing and starvation, she sets out to find her way home.  Written in free-verse poetry.  

Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine

by Caroline Starr Rose

I checked this one out since it has been on my to-read list for a while and I noticed it was by the same author as May B.  Two brother, Jasper and Mel, leave their alcoholic father and set off for the Klondike Gold Rush.  Crooks and misfortune meet them at every turn.  Jasper thinks their only hope is to follow the clues to a rumored rich mine abandoned by Old One Eye Riley.  It was a decent book, but the conclusion was as satisfying as I hoped for. But good historical fiction about the Klondike gold rush time period.

Penrod

by Booth Tarkington

I kept hearing Andrew Pudewa (of IEW) recommend this book and praise its rich vocabulary.  It certainly does have that (having been written in 1914).  And it's quite humorous.  Penrod has been likened to Tom Sawyer. It seems to me that most of Penrod's adventures and mischief are not purposefully devious, whereas Tom's are.  I listened to the audio version from www.librovox.com and the narrator was pretty good with different voices.  I was warned that there were attitudes toward black people in the book that were common in that era that are not at all acceptable today, and I thought I could overlook a few unacceptable names and view points.  But it got to be just too much and I really can't recommend it to my kids, even with warnings about how these things are not acceptable anymore. My oldest daughter listened to it with me, and she also got uncomfortable with it.

Walking With God

by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins

Written by two Catholic scholars, this book gives an overview of the narrative story of the Bible from Genesis to Acts.  They made some interesting points and connections that I hadn't thought of before.  They also made some that I'm not so sure about.  They almost lost me right at the very beginning when they weren't real clear about whether the creation story in Genesis is literal or just a "literary device".