Fall Into Reading

I've been really lackadaisical when it comes to keeping track of the books I'm reading, so I've decided to participate in Katrina's Fall Into Reading challenge.

The fall months for me are usually incredibly busy, so I've decided to narrow my list of must-read books to two:

1) "Brideshead Revisited," by Evelyn Waugh; and

2) "The Complete Father Brown Stories," by G.K. Chesterton.

The reason I stopped at two is because the Father Brown collection is 797 pages. The good news is that I'm likely to get through most, if not all, of it because they're a collection of short stories.

If I finish both of those books, and there's still plenty of time before the end of the challenge (Dec. 20), I'll add a third book:


3) "Spoken From the Heart" by Laura Bush.

What are you reading this fall?


For more information about the reading challenge, visit Katrina at Callapidder Days. The challenge starts today (Sept. 22) and runs through Dec. 20.

No Greater Love

Mother Teresa had always been someone who had fascinated me. I had always admired how much she willingly gave herself for the love of the poorest of the poor. But it wasn't until I joined a women's Bible study and prayer group in my community that I actually sat down to read some of her teachings. I was blown away.

This particular book, published seven months before her September 1997 death, is filled with wisdom that anyone -- no matter what their faith -- can and should take to heart. I'll just highlight some of the passages that spoke to me:

"Do we know our poor people? Do we know the poor in our house, in our family? Perhaps they are not hungry for a piece of bread. Perhaps our children, husband, wife, are not hungry, or naked, or dispossessed, but are you sure there is no one there who feels unwanted, deprived of affection? Where is your elderly father or mother? Abandonment is an awful poverty." -- p. 101

"Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater development and greater riches. Children have very little time for their parents and parents have very little time for their children and for each other. So the breakdown of peace in the world begins at home." -- p. 129

"Bring prayer to your family, bring it to your little children. Teach them to pray. For a child that prays is a happy child. A family that prays is a united family." -- p. 129-130

"Remember that the passion of Christ ends always in the joy of the resurrection of Christ, so when you feel in your own heart the suffering of Christ, remember the resurrection has to come. Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of Christ risen." p. 137

"At the moment of death, we will not be judged by the amount of work we have done but by the weight of love we have put into our work. This love should flow from self-sacrifice, and it must be felt to the point of hurting." -- p. 140

There is so much more I'd like to highlight, but if I did that I'd be posting the entire contents of this book on this blog, which I'm sure is a no-no.

The bottom line is this book was an incredibly satisfying read for me, especially because I read it during Lent. I'll definitely be looking for other books of hers.

Where Did The Time Go?

I realize that the lack of posts on this blog make it appear as if I haven't been reading. The truth is, I have been reading -- a lot of Scripture, as well as some cookbooks. (Apparently, reading Scripture and Bible study books makes a person crave things like lemon bars.)

Anyway, when I finally looked at the calendar I realized that Spring has sprung. Time again for another Spring Reading Thing challenge, hosted by Katrina. Without further ado, here are the books I hope to finish reading by June 20.

1) Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte. I've wanted to read this book since I read (and fell in love with) Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. I just hadn't gotten around to picking up a copy from the library until now.

2) The Tale of Despereaux, Kate Dicamillo. I read this book several years ago, but want to read it again. No, I haven't seen the movie -- yet. Finished reading on 6/6/09. Review to come. And yes, I've also seen the movie now.

3) Interior Castle, St. Teresa of Avila. (In progress.)

4) Finish reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. (In progress.)

5) No Greater Love, Mother Teresa. Finished reading on 3/27/09.


I may pick up more books if time allows. Interior Castle, I hear, isn't exactly something a person can -- or should -- breeze through. I plan to take my time with that one.

So, what's on your "to read" list?

My Summer Reading List

I've been so preoccupied with posting on my main blog that I almost forgot to type up my summer reading list.

Without further ado, here's what Just Mom intends to finish between now and the end of August:

Fiction

1) "Shepherds Abiding," Jan Karon. Book 8 of 9 in the Mitford Series. I'm actually almost done with this one. It's on this list just to make me feel good.

2) "Light From Heaven," Jan Karon. Book 9 of 9 in the Mitford Series.

3) "Home to Holly Springs," Jan Karon.

Nonfiction

1) "On The Road With Francis of Assisi: A Timeless Journey Through Umbria and Tuscany, and Beyond," Linda Bird Francke.

If I'm able to zip through everything on this list, I plan to start reading "The Shack," by William P. Young.

What do you hope to read this summer?

Spring Reading Challenge

Things have finally settled down enough for me to start checking off all those books I've been wanting to read. To spur me on, I've decided to once again take part in Katrina's reading challenge.

My main focus during this challenge will be reading all the books in Jan Karon's Mitford series. I read the first book, "At Home In Mitford," earlier this year but have been too busy to complete the rest. I found the first book to be an easy -- and enjoyable -- read, so I'm curious about the rest in the series. (You can read my review of "At Home In Mitford" here.) Besides, reading the series is one of my New Year resolutions, so I better follow through.

I doubt I'll be able to finish the entire series of nine Mitford books by June 19 (the day the challenge officially ends), but I do hope to at least finish "A Light in the Window," "These High, Green Hills" and "Out to Canaan." If I have time to read more in her series, I will.

I'm also reading several nonfiction books, which I will keep listing on my sidebar throughout this challenge.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some reading to do. :-D

I Resolve...: The Book Edition

Oh my, did that year go quickly. At the start of 2007 one of my resolutions was to read at least one book a month, as I used to before becoming a mom. Did I meet that goal? Only if you count The New Testament as more than one book, and half-finished books as being "read."

So, without further ado, here's the list:

Books Just Mom Finished Reading in 2007:

1) "They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky: The True Story of three Lost Boys From Sudan," Deng, Deng and Ajak

2) The New Testament. (Surely this counts as more than one book.)

3) "Jane Eyre," Charlotte Bronte

4) "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," J.K. Rowling

5) "Mere Christianity," C.S. Lewis

6) "John Paul the Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father," Peggy Noonan

7) "Charlotte's Web," E.B. White. (This is one of my favorite books from my youth. I read it this time to my son.)

Books Just Mom Started in 2007 and Hopes to Finish in 2008:

1) "The Thirteenth Tale," Diane Setterfield. (The book is fantastic, but I keep getting drowsy. I should probably start reading this during the day rather than right before bed.)

2) "September," Rosamunde Pilcher. (I had to return this one to the library before I really got a chance to savor it.)

Other Books on Just Mom's List for 2008:

I've got a bunch of theology books in my "to read" pile, as well as various books on homeschooling. As for specifics, I do plan on reading the books in the Mitford series by Jan Karon. I've been meaning to get to those for years, but other more pressing books (i.e. those on parenting, etc.) came up.

What's on your list for 2008?

Reading Challenge

Katrina at Callapidder Days is hosting a reading challenge called Fall Into Reading 2007. I decided to participate because I have a lot of books I need to finish reading, and I'm hoping this will motivate me to finally get them checked off of my "To Read" list.

Without further ado, here are the books I hope to finish reading during this challenge. I'm keeping my list short, simply because I'm still adjusting to life as a first-year home educator.

Fiction:

-- The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. Fellow blogger Leigh Ann mailed me a copy of this book, so I guess I better read it, right Leigh Ann? ;-D

-- September, by Rosamunde Pilcher.

Nonfiction:

There are many books in this category that I need to finish or want to start. The two I'm determined to finish during this challenge are:
-- Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis, and
-- A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on The Gentle Art of Learning, by Karen Andreola.

So there's the list -- so far. I am so addicted to buying books that I'll probably end up adding to the list as I go along.