Current Reads

Frequently I am asked what book I’m currently reading.  The question always makes me chuckle because I am NEVER reading only one book.  There’s simply too many good books out there to get hung up on one!  So, for those with inquiring minds, here’s the current book stack on my bedside nightstand:

Top to bottom, here are my current reviews by of the following books that I have partially read.

1.  The Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Romance by Heidi St. John.  I’m on page 82 of 172.  This greatly captured my interest as I met Heidi at the Arizona homeschool convention and was impressed by her down-to-earthedness, if that’s a word.  Heidi talks about the importance of keeping your marriage strong in the midst of homeschooling.  So far my favorite line is, “There is no time for romance inside the vortex because in the vortex, Latin is more important than lingerie.” Which should not be true if you are keeping your marriage in the right spot of priorities, but homeschool moms blur the lines of priorities sometimes.  An informative and necessary topic for homeschool moms.

2.  The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser.  Yes, it’s a historical romance.  I simply can’t keep my hands off them.  My sister read it first then told my mother to read it and so on and so on.  I’m on page 105 of 397.  I love love love the quirky girl from Chicago who is transplanted to Atlanta.  It’s set in the heart of the depression and is beautifully written.

3.  Under God by Toby Mac and Michael Tait.  Yes, it’s true, Toby Mac wrote a book.  I suspect this is more of a token idea of Toby and Michael’s, with a handful of researchers who gathered the historical stories.  Anyway, this is the “story of men and women of faith who forged our nation.”  I’m not really on a certain page because I have skipped all over to read the stories of the signers of the Declaration of Independence since that is where we are in American History class right now.  Remember the story of bulletproof George?  It’s in there, plus many more.  I believe this is a must read for those who are under the illusion that our great country was founded on anything other than God.

4.  Mixed Signals by Liz Curtis Higgs.  Page 73 of 370.  This one should probably be moved to the pile of books on my bookshelf that didn’t hold my interest long enough to finish.  But I did start it and it’s a cute story about some people mixed up in radio life… but, not my fav by far.

5.  The Right Choice – Homeschooling by Chris Klicka.  Page 128 of 453.  I’m in a homeschool mentoring class right now, yes, after 10 years of homeschooling, I thought I would see how this is supposed to be done.  The first chapter of our manual listed MUST READS for homeschoolers.  Shamefully, I had only read one or two… and I’m a self-professed homeschool die-hard.  So, on our trip to Missouri, I wandered through a used book store (which I might add was COMPLETELY different in selection from our Arizona used book stores) and picked up this gem.  It’s hardcore, baby.  And I agree with almost all of it.  Funny thing was, I showed it to my flying companions, who are also on the AZ homeschool board, and none of them had read it either.  I’m in good (unschooled) company.  Anyway, it lays out the Biblical basis, and frankly the logical basis for homeschooling.  Don’t read it if you plan to keep your kids in public school.

6.  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.  Page 31 of 302.  This was a freebie at the Treasures for Teachers store in Tempe, so I took it.  I never saw the movie and didn’t know what it was about.  But I’m always up for a good read.  Sadly, I started reading it right before school started and now it is way down low on the pile. 

Ta-da.

Bulletproof George

Yes, I’ve assigned good read to my American History students titled The Bulletproof George Washington by David Barton.  It is an account of George’s early years as a surveyor, English ambassador to the French and a Colonel in the French and Indian War. 

If you don’t know the details of the Battle of Monongahela, let me help you with a brief synopsis.  Both the French and English believed they had claimed the land on the west side of the Allegheny Mountains, known as the vast Ohio Valley.  The French set up forts…. the English started settling the land.  The disagreement finally came to a head in 1755 when the English marched in like good redcoats to take over a French fort, but were surprisingly ambushed by French and Indians (hence the name of the war) hiding in the thicket, behind trees and boulders.  It was a horrible blow to the British with 714 of the 1300 being killed or wounded.  The French only lost 33 men.

The miraculous part of the story, and hence the name of the book, is that George Washington was shot at numerous times and was not even scratched.  There was a hole through his hat that should have been a bullet in his head.  There were four bullet holes in his coat that should have penetrated skin and bones.  Two horses were shot out from under him and he was the only officer to survive the battle. 

These are not undocumented tales.  George wrote several letters after the battle that still exist stating “by the miraculous care of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation.” There is a journal of a colonial woman, Mary Draper Ingels, who was captured by Indians and later returned to her home.  She heard the Shawnee Indians tell of a great leader of the white men who was protected from bullets.   One of the Indian chiefs in the attack gave testimony several times saying, “Washington was never born to be killed by a bullet!  …An Invisible Hand had indeed turned aside the bullets.”  These details were included in history textbooks right up until 1934.  Then the details of the providential care of our first president got foggy.

This is why we prefer to choose our own curriculum.  So we learn the truth about our great country that was founded by Christians… men and women who followed after God and the truth in the Bible.  There, you can count this as your history for today.

A Reader Will Read No Matter What!

I have not been feeling well for over a week now… stiffly nose, sore throat, annoying cough, weariness and general lethargy.  If that isn’t bad news on its own, I don’t have a quality piece of literature to take me away from the here and now!  Of course, I’m still reading, but nothing that grabs my interest and sucks me in while hours dissipate.  Oh, for an orphan story of rags to royalty and lost parents to found love…. on the docks in a new country…. ….. …. 

As you may or may not know, I’ll be teaching History of Arizona next school year and I’m searching for biographies for the high schoolers to report on.  I proof them all first, so as not to assign steamy wagon stories of lust gone bad on the lonely, dusty trail in the desert.  I’m currently speed reading These Is My Words, a collection of diary entries from a pioneer woman.  Thez onlee sew much badd gramer n spellin’ I ken tak in won sittin’.  Good grief.  The stories are thought provoking, but as a English-loving teacher, I don’t think I can assign this book in its entirty to anyone who may mention my name in association with the book.  Maybe I’ll read excerpts to the class for brainstorming journal writing ideas. 

Bulletproof George Washington is the other book I’m making my way through.  It’s a short read and if I was not incapacitated it would sincerely be an hour-long at most.  But I’m on day three.  I have to put the book down to blow my nose…. I may have above average manual dexterity, but I cannot blow my nose singlehandedly.  History books of REAL history that has been systematically removed from government text books and encyclopedias makes me want to shout for joy… and proclaim the truth from the roof top.   (I’m not sure I could get up on our roof, however….)  This book is written from five or six different sources with genuine stories of God’s hand of guidance and protection on our country’s first President. And God, himself, is even mentioned in the pages for all to see!   The book discusses daily happenings in young George’s life that are not common knowledge thanks to our liberal school systems. My kids will be reading this when we study American History… next school year… 2011-2012.

My name is at the top of the Reserved list at the library for two new books that are on order…. one from one of my favorite authors, Allison Pittman titled The Bridegrooms.  I’ve read everything Ms. Pittman has published and have not been disappointed yet.  Her books make me giggle out loud…. GOL.  The other is Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers.  Francine has caught and held my interest in the past, but has also let me down a few times…. I’m hoping with all hope for Her Mother’s Hope to be a keeper.  I pray at least one of these comes in before we head away on a two-week road trip!

    

And can I just make a plug for Cepocal?  It is by far the best cough drop on the market!  Really!