My Reading List

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!
How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book!
When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

 

The August rain was pouring down, my soggy laundry was being doubly-soaked while waiting limply on the line to dry in the hopes of a balmy afternoon, but the canning projects were continuing.

 

“I suppose you don’t have much time for reading,” my friend asked, as we worked on a canning project together.

I thought about it for a minute and the replied, “Actually, I have more time to read now than ever!”  In fact, there are about eight books I am working on right now.

 

Why, as a mother of eight and a busy home life, do I have more time to read now than in previous years, when I had less children, fewer chores and simpler household duties?

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends;
they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
― Charles William Eliot

 

 

 

It is because I use my evenings to read before bedtime. Snuggling down in bed and reading a few chapters is much more relaxing than being on the computer or watching t.v. (that was not an option for me anyways). I also use an hour in the afternoon, if possible during nap times to have a cuppa tea and sit on the front porch and read a few chapters. It is a huge blessing to be able to be read! I don’t even want life to be too busy that I cannot have list of a good stack of books that are currently drawing my attention. My goal is to keep adding to our home library books that will encourage, inspire and teach.

 

A reader {Hello, Bobbie!} recently asked about my books that I may be reading right now, so I thought I’d post a few titles to share. Donna Otta, founder of Homemakers by Choice (now formally called Modern Homemakers), always said to have eight books on the go. Well, that’s me. I have a lot of books I am reading and it will depend on my day which book I choose to pick up and dig into.

 

What’s on my Bedside Table:

 

Marriage to a Difficult Man -this is not what it seems! A friend came by and giggled when she spotted this book cover on a coffee table. It is not an indication of being married to a challenging husband … instead,  a beautiful biography on Sarah Edwards and her marriage and relationship to Jonathan Edwards. I am only a few chapters in but am loving it. (More on this later!)

 

How to Shaping of a Christian Family – an Elisabeth Eliot book, so you cannot go wrong! I love, love, love her books – this book is encouraging and teaching as it explains how her family was shaped by her loving, devoted Christian parents. A very good book for all parents to read in regards to raising a Christ-focused family

The Hidden Art of Homemaking – by Edith Schaeffer – ohhhhh, I just **loved** this book! It was fabulous, absolutely fabulous. Yes, it’s dated, but sometimes dated books are the best because they gently bring us back to a time when podcasts, Pinterest and an easier life is not accessible. Do not let the title deter from reading it, if you think you are not into “homemaking.” It is more into the whole aspect of your life as a mother, wife and someones who manages a house.

Home by Choice by Brenda Hunter – this is  very important book to read. I am reading it slowly as it is something I feel very passionate and convicted about. In fact, my heart breaks when I heard of children left without their mother’s care for the majority of their younger years. It is not what God intended when He designated the family. Read and be encouraged or read and be convicted.

 

Be Your Own Doctor – I’m constantly reading this book, learning, seeing what I can do to make my family healthier. Sometimes I just refer to the book for an ailment that may be happening at that moment, but it is always handy. Let’s not forget the second volume, as well. Very good and very important to have in the family library.

 

This Victorian Life – a fun read, a living story of a couple who chooses to live their life as if they were in Victorian times. I have read her blog before and wanted to read her book. The author uses some choice words a few times (always surprising to me) and is obviously not a believer in Creation (evolution is mentioned and referred to) but an overall good read. Of course, I always love to hear about other people who may, perhaps, be living without modern features, such as a fridge or electric stove! 🙂

Luther & Katharina – now, I have just begun to read this book yet, but we are going to be doing a study on Martin Luther and his wife in September. We have already dipped into the testimonial life story of Katherina Von Bora – and she is one of my FAVORITE women in history.  I accidentally purchased this book – so I need to give it a good read. I absolutely LOVE the Katharina von Bora (another post, another story to tell) and LOVE her testimony, so perhaps this would be a good historical fictional read. The reviews are good, so we shall see. I will let you know!  I have not read a historical fictional book in a very long time.

 

And there are more books to come! But I will just leave you with a taste of a few … what books are you reading right now?

 

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture.
Just get people to stop reading them.”
― Ray Bradbury