• friendship,  Lois Lowry,  love

    The Giver by Lois Lowry

    We were on vacation last week.  We didn’t do much, some college visits for my daughter, but mostly we have been enjoying our ‘staycation’.  The best part about it is sleeping late in our own beds.  My son and I finished The Giver over vacation.  I read it on my own a few years ago and enjoyed it.  And, it is one of the finalists in my son’s Final Four reading class (any books in the brackets that he hasn’t read, he wants to read!).  And, Lois Lowry never disappoints. The Giver is the story of Jonas and his perfect life.  He lives in a community where everything is planned. …

  • love,  Oyinkan Braithwaite,  sisters

    My Sister, The Serial Killer

    I debated about putting this book on the blog. While the title may seem ominous, the story and theme is not. My sister told me about this book.  She and I are very different in our book choices.  She tends to read romantic novels, I lean more towards realistic fiction.  She thought I might like this book. She also suggested that the books I choose might be the reason for my panic attacks.  So, I decided to read this just to spite her. It was a quick read and very enjoyable, as far as serial killings go😉.  Korede, a nurse, and the less attractive of the two sisters, is bitter…

  • education,  love,  memoir,  Tara Westover

    Educated

    Educated by Tara Westover “Education is a process of self-discovery.  It is developing a sense of yourself and what you think.” – Tara Westover in a talk with Bill Gates I am not a big fan of non-fiction, and memoirs least of all.  My husband has tried buying me some memoirs before.  I start them and then for whatever reason (insert numerous inane reasons here) I must stop.  So, when he gave me Educated for Christmas, I wasn’t thrilled. Turns out, I was wrong.  I couldn’t put it down.  I absolutely loved it.  Ms. Westover has a beautiful mind and this is portrayed throughout the book.  It is the story…

  • adventure,  love,  Reading aloud

    The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

    My daughter and I just finished reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. I read it a few years ago after a friend recommended it. I enjoyed it, I don’t think I expected to. I usually give the kids several book choices, I was surprised that Anastasia chose this one. Rereading this book, I remembered how much I enjoyed it. Harold, recently retired and seemingly very bored in his life and marriage, receives a letter from a former work colleague/friend, Queenie Hennessy, who is dying of cancer. Instead of simply writing her back, he decides to bring the letter to her himself. And so begins the “unlikely…

  • adventure,  friendship,  Land of Oz,  love,  Reading aloud,  Wizard of Oz

    L. Frank Baum and his Wonderful Land of Oz

    When you think of The Wizard of Oz, do you think of the classic movie or the book?  I always used to think of the movie. When we first embarked on this wonderful reading journey, thanks to Alice Ozma (The Reading Promise) and her father, I had no idea there was more than just The Wizard of Oz.  After reading The Reading Promise, we learned that there are 14 books in the Land of Oz Series.  I read The Wizard of Oz to my daughter and a couple of years later to my son.  My son and I decided to continue with the series.  We have just finished all 14! …

  • love,  Reading aloud,  Valentines Day

    💖Books We Love 💖

    In honor of Valentine’s Day, we are going to share with you books we love.  There are A LOT, so we have narrowed it down.  We have each chosen a book that we loved reading aloud. First on the list is a book that should always be on a Valentine’s list.  Love Among the Walnuts by Jean Ferris.  I was given this book by a librarian in Cambridge, MA.  Yeah for librarians!  I would bring my 1st grade class to the library every week, and the two librarians quickly became very good friends.  Love Among the Walnuts is a silly story about love, family, and the family you find while…