Summer Reading Lists: What’s On Yours?
We’re back from the last convention of the season, and life is slowing down. It’s a good thing, because I came home with a pinched nerve, and am not supposed to be on the computer for more than 10 minutes in an hour. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to write in 10-minutes interval, but if you haven’t, I can tell you that it’s not the way to be creative and productive!
I hope to catch up on a bit on my summer reading list during the next few months. I finished Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey last night (very funny), and am still reading a few other things. The none-too-organized TBR stack beside my chair includes:
- Worldviews in Conflict: Choosing Christianity in a World of Ideas by Ronald H. Nash
- Another Sort of Learning: Selected Contrary Essays on How Finally to Acquire and Education While Still in College or Anywhere Else: Containing some Belated Advice about How to Employ Your Leisure Time When Ultimate Questions Remain Perplexing in spite of Your Highest Earned Academic Degree, Together with Sundry Book Lists Nowhere Else in Captivity to Be Found by James V. Schall (With a subtitle like that, who could resist?)
- The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Russian novels will never be my first choice for light reading.)
- The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper (I remember reading this as a teenager– rather heavy slogging, with moments of fun.)
- The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart (I always enjoy her books.)
- The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
- Power and Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Your Dreams compiled by Alexandria Brown
- A Time for Anger: The Myth of Neutrality by Franky Schaeffer
- Mid-Atlantic Gardener’s Guide by Andre and Mark Viette with Jacqueline Heriteau
- Education’s End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life by Anthony T. Kronman
- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
- Principle-Centered Leadership by Steven R. Covey
- Booknotes: America’s Finest Authors on Reading, Writing, and the Power of Ideas by Brian Lamb
- Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath
- Borden Chantry by Louis L’Amour (He’s an amazing storyteller.)
- The Case Against Adolescence: Rediscovering the Adult in Every Teen by Robert Epstein, Ph.D.
- Poetic Knowledge: The Recovery of Education by James S. Taylor
- Home and Dry in Normandy: A Memoir of Eternal Optimism in Rural France by George East
- Life With Father, Life With Mother, God and My Father by Clarence Day
- Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (Reading this yet again…)
- The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
- The Writer’s Art by James J. Kilpatrick (You can never read too much on the art of writing!)
- Angels in the Architecture by Douglas Jones and Douglas Wilson
- Jack: A Life of C.S. Lewis by George Sayer
That isn’t quite all the books in my stack, but I’m already over my allotted ten minutes, and I’d better stop typing. I’d love to hear what’s in your summer reading stack– please feel free to leave a list in the comments section. (BTW- I do know that the titles should be italicized, but I seriously need to get off before I run into my next 10-minute time slot!)
Since I’m so close to finishing the Excellence in Literature project, I’d appreciate your prayers for the easing of this nerve, so that I can have the preliminary e-books ready for the coming school year.
Finally, a bit of Emily Dickinson for you (I was picking blackberries this evening, and thought of this) . . .
Would you like summer? Taste of ours.
Spices? Buy here!
Ill! We have berries, for the parching!
Weary! Furloughs of down!
Perplexed! Estates of violet trouble ne’er looked on!
Captive! We bring reprieve of roses!
Fainting! Flasks of air!
Even for Death, a fairy medicine.
But, which is it, sir?
Announcements
The Beat-the-Clock Workshop that was previously announced for July 18 has been rescheduled to July 28 in the west end of Richmond. For more information or to register, visit www.EssayWorkshop.com. The information hasn’t been posted yet, but I’ll try to do it in one of my 10-minute spots tomorrow (Thursday).
Dear Janice,
You have encouraged me yet again with your reading list. It is something to strive for…I kept my goal small, and have yet to begin, “Don’t Waste Your Life”, by John Piper, and “Way of the Master” by Comfort and Cameron. This summer has been one of many transitions for us. We have graduated our 4th child, a daughter, and the first to be homeschooled through the entire process. [She has set herself some high goals, the biggest so far will be to attain a phD in Egyptology with the goal of taking Christ’s gospel to the Muslims in Egypt. She has begun the process of finding where to begin…] An older daughter and her 4 year old son have moved to CO after living with us for 2 years. We are shifting to only one child to homeschool…our last homeschooling ‘challenge’ for 2 more years.
The Charlotte Mason has been near and dear to my heart for many years, and we have followed it to the best of my limited capabilities, due to a great disparity in my children’s capabilities and emotional ages and differences. I, too, tend to ‘overplan’ and ‘overbook’ but I am refreshed by your candor, and recharged to try yet again to have an enjoyable and effective year. I must remember to always dwell on the positive side. We have raised these last 2 delightful girls who, though vastly different, love the Lord. One plays the piano, loves to read Shakespeare for fun, and is simply fabulous at choosing what goes well together for clothing both for herself and others…I receive many compliments on my outfits that she has selected for me. The other is a voracious reader, writer, singer, one of the leaders for the youth worship band at church and teaching herself guitar. God is so good, and faithful…Thanks for helping me keep the true goals in sight.
Blessings,
Sharon
I’m bookless at the moment, which means I feel lost. I have gleaned a few ideas from your list, thanks! (Looking at your list is much like looking at someone else’s book shelves–so much fun to see what interest others.
This summer I have read: Something of Myself, Rudyard Kipling; Facing Your Giants, Max Lucado; The Sisters, The Saga of the Mitford Family, Mary S. Lovell; Farewell Summer, Ray Bradbury; Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux; The Seeking Heart, Fenelon; Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol.1, Blanche W. Cook; as well as a few re-reads: Christianity is Jewish, Edith Schaeffer; All the Dogs of My Life & The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim–probably one of my most favorite authors. Umm, think I’ll head out to the library. All this book talk has made me “hungry”!
Happy Reading
Joanne
Dear Sharon and Joanne,
You have both inspired me, as well with your varied and interesting reading lists. I really enjoy von Arnim as well- she’s one of my “afternoon tea” authors (one I’d love to share a cup of tea with). The Sisters is one of the most fascinating biographies I’ve ever read, but I’ve always thought it so very sad that none of them seemed to know the Lord.
I enjoyed hearing about your sweet children, Joanne, and the gifts and talents they are sharing with others. It’s fun to have a daughter that takes an interest in helping with your outfits. I always thought it would be fun to have a daughter to shop with, and I’m thoroughly enjoying my daughter-in-law!
I’m back to The Pioneers by Cooper this evening. It got temporarily buried under a blitz of business books that weren’t even on the list;-).
These things happen when there are bookworms on the loose….
Janice,
Those were Sharon’s sweet children. 🙂 However,I have some of my own, as well. Five daughters, one son, a lovely daughter-in-law, two granddaughters, and two little ones on the way. (Grandparethood is wonderful.) All were/are home educated. We began back in the late ’80’s. Our oldest daughter has a degree and works part time as a marketing director for Chick-fil-A and has her own apron business (www.alisaprons.etsy.com). Our second born graduated from Patrick Henry College in Classical Liberal Arts and teaches at a classical school in Dallas; third born daughter has a degree in Music Education andteaches violin in elementary public schools in Houston, TX; fourth born son is junior at Auburn University majoring in building science; fifth born daughter is at the University of Alabama majoring in athletic training; and our sixth born daughter is a senior this year. By the time she graduates next spring, she will have over forty hours of college credit by taking courses at a local community college. (I have used your Transcripts Made Easy book many times!) Thanks for letting me brag a little.
I agree with you concerning The Mitford Sisters–little or no evidence of any knowing Christ. Very sad indeed. I found that to be true with the bio of Eleanor R. It hurts one’s heart.
Thanks again for sharing your wisdom.
Blessings,
Joanne