Since I love chatting about books, I’ve been trying to share our family’s current reads on a regular basis here on the blog. And I want to celebrate that MY book is releasing next Friday (eek!!!!) by giving away a copy to a lucky reader. The giveaway is at the bottom of the post!
Here’s a few of the great titles I’ve picked up lately:
(This post contains Amazon affiliate links.)
Lately I Finished…:
Gunnar’s Daughter by Sigrid Undset
This is our next Fountains of Carrots podcast book club pick! Christy and I will be recording the episode about it ASAP and releasing it in October so you still have some time to finish it. Unlike Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter, Gunnar’s Daughter is a quick read. It’s intense, exciting, and features another fascinating female protagonist. But be warned that there is difficult subject matter like rape and child loss.
The Woman Who Was Chesterton by Nancy Carpentier Brown
I finished this biography of G.K. Chesterton’s wife and loved it!
Building the Benedict Option by Leah Libresco
I love following Leah on Twitter and so I was excited to pick up her new book. It’s primarily an invitation to practicing intentional hospitality and community-building for Christian culture.
Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson
This book is an absolute treat for any bookish woman. It’s reflections on the importance of good stories on our formation as woman that will make you want to curl up with a cup of cocoa and a good book. And thankfully, Clarkson includes oodles of fabulous book lists so you’ll know just want to reach for.
Current Reads:
I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel
Another lovely read on the bookish life!
A Bloody Habit by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson
We had a blast chatting with the author of this gothic vampire novel on the podcast recently and I am thoroughly enjoying this read! Almost done!
Books the Kids Are Reading:
Where’s Jane? by Rebecca Smith and Katie Dockrill
This is such a cute book! It’s kind of a Where’s Waldo for Janeites and has introductions to each of Austen’s novels as well as fun illustrations for you to find the characters in. We’re all loving it. (I get my Usborne books from Sarah Ortiz.)
The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit
I’m a big fan of E. Nesbit’s books and this is Benjamin’s current read.
Good Pictures, Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids by Kristen Jenson
I just finished reading this one with my 9yo and I highly recommend! It’s very well done.
Case for Faith for Kids by Lee Stroebel
Part of a great series of apologetic books for kids. This my current bedtime apologetics read with Benjamin!
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Benjamin’s current audiobook)
Audiobooks:
During the end of my pregnancy I listened to most of the Time series by Madeleine L’Engle:
I’m currently listening to Emma. You can get the Amazon kindle version for free and “add” on the audible for 99 cents!
Listening with the kids:
The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture by Haley Stewart (that’s me!!!!)
We are only 7 days out from the release date of my book! This week I’ve had lots of friends text me pictures of their copies since the pre-orders seem to be going out a few days early (yay!). And to celebrate, I want to offer a signed copy to a lucky winner. (To enter the giveaway to win a signed copy, head over to my Instagram account: @haleycarrots).
What are you reading and enjoying lately? Let me know in the comments!
I’ve been reading Little Women for a book club and it’s so good. I think I read it during high school a long time ago but the character building in the book means much more to me now. Also, just recently finished Anne of Green Gables again…. love that girl! Before that I was reading a book about a woman’s experience ministering with refugees and how they ministered to her. Profound and funny book, Assimilate or Go Home by D.L. Mayfield. I would say it’s a must read for anyone who wants to work with refugees.
If you’re loving Little Women, I highly recommend following it up with Little Men and then Jo’s Boys. Some of my favorite books ever! 🙂
Oh I have to add An Old Fashioned Girl and Eight Cousins! Shorter and great for reading to kids as well.
I’m on an Austen kick because I’ve never read anything but P&P (I know!!!) and I keep thinking, “Man, Haley would be so proud of me!” Also a bunch of friends recommended “Educated” and my hold just came in from the library, so I need to finish that quickly before it expires.
I haven’t heard of Educated! What’s that one about?
Educated is a memoir/biography by Tara Westover about her survivalist upbringing in rural Idaho. She was loosely homeschooled by her mother, and taught herself enough to take the ACT and attend Brigham Young University. My mom and I both really enjoyed it, and it gave me quite a bit to think about.
Love these post! I’m especially getting great book recommendations for my kids! Thank you! Also, thanks for the warning about the heavy content in the most recent fountains of carrots podcast book club pick. I just can’t take anything heavy, personally, at the moment. So the warning is appreciated.
Absolutely! I think there’s a lot of us who don’t have the bandwidth for anything heavy right now. <3
Your family has also listened to “Story of the World”, right? How would you say The Story of Civilization compares?
I think they’re pretty similar in their concept. SoC is published by TAN books so it avoids the anti-Catholicism that’s in some of the SotW Middle Ages.
Island of the Blue Dolphins was one of my favorites when I was a kid. I haven’t read it (or even seen it anywhere) in YEARS! And I read the Student Editions of Case for Christ, Case for Faith, and Case for a Creator by Strobel in high school. GREAT books!
In August I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (watching the movie this weekend with my mom and sister-in-law!), Song of Deborah by Bette M. Ross, The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman, Othello, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I REALLY enjoyed my August reading!
Currently reading A Tale of Two Cities and Anne’s House of Dreams. 🙂
I hadn’t read Island in years, either! It was better than I remembered.
LOVED Guernsey!
I’m finally reading Kristin Lavransdatter after hearing you and Christy recommend it so often. Also, Something Other than God because I so enjoyed One Beautiful Dream. And then Screwtape Letters is my current spiritual reading.
Love all those!
I LOVED E. Nesbit when I was a preteen.
New follower here. I’m currently listening to David Copperfield by Dickens while I sew &/or work in the garden (which means I do those things a LOT!); I’m also reading Rise to Rebellion (on the Revolutionary War) by Jeff Shaara, It’s Okay to Start With You (J.M. Hogan (self-care within the Catholic view–and it’s really good, with discussion questions etc) and St. Faustina’s biography for the 3rd time because…why not? I really am a one-book-at-a-time person so I’m kind of embarrassed to say that’s not even all but that all I’m going to list! LOL