Book Lists – Living the Adventure

My favorite audible books for 2019 so far….

July 31, 2019July 31, 2019 esther7dancingLeave a comment

The Lake House by Kate Morton

If you enjoy beautiful language and a cozy mystery, you will enjoy “The Lake House” by Kate Morton. The audible version is narrated by Caroline Lee who has wonderful pacing and a British accent. The Lake House is a slower paced mystery, so I found that I enjoyed it more as an audible. I was able to accomplish the cleaning of my house while being entertained by this audio. The Lake House follows the Edevane family who harbor an unsolved family mystery. The book takes place in two time periods. Moving between the scene of the crime and the current time period where detective Sadie is trying to solve this cold case. What I love about this book was the unexpected ways the mystery was solved and how the different characters ended up being connected. It’s a great audible book to use your free credits because its a long one, so you feel like your getting more book for your credits.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This book probably needs no introduction. Okay, I have a confession to make, I did not read Pride and Prejudice until I was an adult. Although, I must say I sometimes feel like we can appreciate some classics more if we wait until we are at a different stage in life. I am delighting in my journey of catching up on the classics. Right now, I am listening to David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens was a phenomenal writer. In my opinion, these classics are the best in audible format. The Pride and Prejudice that I listened to was narrated by Rosamund Pike. Another amazing British reading narrator. You might be able to tell from my list that I am kind of fond of a British accent. In my opinion, Jane Austen books are better because of it. Rosamund Pike did an excellent job of distinguishing the different characters voices and I could easily follow the storyline. I am looking forward to listening to it again in August for my bookclub.

3. At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider

A memoir following Tsh Oxenreider and her family’s journey as they take a year to travel the world. The audible version is read by the author. I adore memoirs that are read by the author because you can receive a better picture of the world they are trying to paint for you. I felt like I was able to step into the different countries as she was describing each place they visited. It was definitely a dangerous book for me to read because it caused my love of travel to increase. The audible version is well paced and an easy read to listen to while you clean your house or perhaps drive to your next errand. I have a full review under the category “Book Reviews” if you want more details on this book. I loved this book so much that I bought the printed version as well. It was worthy of a spot on my bookshelf.

4. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

“Brown Girl Dreaming” is a book written entirely in verse. The entire book is series of poems that connect to the tell the story of the author’s childhood. This book is also read by the author. Books that are written in verse, in my opinion, are better on audio. Especially if they are read by the author. The rhythms and cadence of the written word become clear to the reader as you listen to the book. The language is beautifully poetic and yet you can understand the story that the author has written. If you have never tried a book in verse, try it in an audible version. These books in verse are worth your time.

5. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

I recently did a book review on the blog about this book, but it still makes it in my top 5 for favorite audible books this year. The narrator is Emily Woo Zellar and she did an amazing job of narrating this book. I was delighted by the humor that was brought out by the narrator which I might have missed by just reading the book. At certain parts of the book, I outright laughed due to some of the antics of Marie Kondo’s clients. For more information, check out my full review on this book under the category “Book Reviews”. This was definitely a motivational book to listen to as I cleaned my house. The author did a wonderful job of storytelling in a way that made you want to listen more. I believe I finished this book in about 3 days.

So, why do I love audio books? Audible books are an easy way for me to read more books. I am a busy mama with a list of things in a day greater than I can accomplish in a month. My favorite pastime is to relax in a comfy chair with a book and a cup of tea but sometimes life gets in the way. My solution to still feeding into my love of reading, is audiobooks. They are my saving grace for a bookworm problem.

What has been your favorite Audiobook in 2019 so far?

Favorite Fiction Books for Tweens and Teen Boys!

October 23, 2015 esther7dancingLeave a comment

Favorite Fiction Books for Tweens and Teen Boys!

Finding good fiction for tween or teen boys is sometime hard to find. Having two teenage boys, I am always looking for quality fiction books for my boys to read. This is definitely a genre that needs more authors to join the adventure of writing for this age group. If you have a heart or desire to write fiction for tween or teen boys, go for it! I would love to see more clean, quality fiction on bookshelves. In my continuous search for books that become part of our library shelf, I have found a few favorites that are a hit with my kids and me. Some of the books I am recommending are from the same author. Once I find an author that my boys and I like, I search for other works that they have done.

The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black

This is an amazing series that is actually an allegory of the Bible. The author uses the terminology of knights and kingdoms to describe biblical characters. The Prince who trains the knights is Jesus. The knights are the disciples. This is a series that you would want to start at the beginning because there are books that repeat certain characters. The Knights Kingdom series also has a great audio series that go with the books. So if you have an auditory learner, you can get the books on audio. Chuck Black is a homeschool dad that told amazing bedtime stories to his kids. He was encouraged to write them into books and Knights Kingdom Series was born. He is an excellent story teller. My kids are captivated by both the books and the audio. We have listened to the audio several times. You can find his books on Amazon or his website www.perfect-praise.com.

2. Knights of Arrethtrae by Chuck Black

This is another wonderful series by Chuck Black. This series is probably my favorite if I had to choose between the Kingdom Series and Knights of Arrethtrae. This series focuses on the knights of the kingdom called Arrethrae. You do not have to read this series in order except for “Sir Dalton” and “Lady Caryliss” because those two are connected and have repeat characters. Each book focuses on a specific knight and their journey in learning a certain character quality. One book is about overcoming greed and another book is about having faith to step out. These books were powerful stories that illustrate great character building for kids. My favorite was “Lady Caryliss” because of the powerful word pictures that the author gave when Lady Caryliss was given the assignment to set prisoners free. When she was willing to step out and stand up for what was right, it brought freedom to the people. I think teenagers would enjoy the books and the audio. My boys have listened to their favorite “Knight” stories many times.

3. Wars of the Realm by Chuck Black

I have included all the series from Chuck Black because they are all worth mentioning. In my opinion, Chuck Black keeps getting better as he continues to write new series. The thing that I love about this series is that it is quite different from the Kingdom Series and yet it is just as enthralling. Unlike the Kingdom Series, this new series is set more in the present day. The first book is called “Cloak of the Light” and its an adventure worth taking. Its about a young man and his journey to finding God. In the midst of his journey he acquires the ability to see angel and demons. He sees the war that is going on around him and he helps the angels fight to help people. My boys are on the 2nd book which is called “The Rise of the Fallen” and they are complaining that the 3rd book in the series isn’t coming out until February 2016. The author has an interesting perspective on what the “spiritual” realm in heaven and around us might be like.

4. The Berinfell Prophecies by Wayne Thomas Batson

Wayne Thomas Batson is another favorite author of my boys. They anxiously await his next book when they are in the middle of a series. “The Berinfell Prophecies” are an adventure/fantasy series that is written for boys or girls for age 10 and up. The first book in the series is called “Curse of the Spider King” and its about these tween and teen that are part of saving the world from the Spider King. Its an exiting adventure that spans 3 books in the series. I loved the twists and unexpected way the storyline went. You will want to start with the first book if you decide to try this series because the books are definitely connected and contain the same characters throughout the series. We also enjoyed the audio books of this series, if you have a child that would rather listen then read the series. These books are found at Amazon or on Wayne Thomas Batson’s website which is enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com.

5. Door Within Series by Wayne Thomas Baston

One thing that is unique about the Door Within Series is that it has many parallels between the Bible and the story line. The reason it is called the Door Within is because the hero finds within himself a heart wanting to follow the King. When he decides to become a knight and follow the King, he is used mightily to save other lives and fight against the enemy. Its an exciting adventure series that is anything but boring. My kids are going through the series for the second time and still enjoy the twists and turn the story takes. There are 3 books in this series and you would want to start with the first book in this series as well.

These are probably my top 5 so far. There are more books that my boys have loved and I hope to add more to this list soon. I think the most unique thing about all these books is that they are Christian based, so its nice to have even spiritual teaching and character training in the middle of books that your kids like to read for fun. I enjoy having my kids read for enjoyment but its also fun to have them read books that make them think. I think both these authors do a great job of incorporating both. Enjoy!

10 Favorite Picture Books That Will Delight Any Age

September 11, 2015September 11, 2015 esther7dancingLeave a comment

The start of school and beginning of fall always reminds me of warm cups of tea, yummy scones and good books. We had our monthly library trip where we filled up on a bunch of books for September. My kids asked me if we could just have a reading day for homeschooling that day and I thought that it was an excellent idea. Soon my children had taken all the cushions from my couch, a bunch of blankets, some favorite stuffed animals and they informed me that they had created a “book house” where they were all sprawled out reading their books. It was a delightful site to see. Even my 3yr. old had his books out because he wanted to be part of the “reading” day. I love the flexibility of homeschooling that allows me to say “Yes” to a reading day.

One of my favorite genres is children’s picture books. I must confess I had a library of children’s literature before I ever had kids. When I graduated from college, the gifts that everyone brought me were different children picture books. I especially like the picture books that have sense of humor added to the story. There are numerous picture books out there that are quite enjoyable and entertaining for any age. I like adding them randomly to our homeschool when I find one I especially like. Here are a few of my favorites….

1.Aunt Chip and the Triple Creek Dam Affair by Patricia Polacco

This is a delightful book that celebrates books. I discovered Patricia Polacco in my college days when I was studying elementary education. I think she is a delightful author and many of her books are enjoyable. I loved this one because it celebrated reading and books. Its actually a good one for the start of the school year.

2. Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

This is one of favorites because of the sense of humor that the author brings to the story. Its all about animals that are negotiating with the farmer for different things that they want using a type writer. The expressions and things that they type are hilarious. This is a book that gets taken out of the shelf quite often by my children. Doreen Cronin has written other wonderful books that are also worth checking out.

3. Peanut by Linus Alsenas

Peanut is a book that is about an elderly lady who wants a pet puppy and she ends up with a pet elephant. The sense of humor comes in when she thinks, through out the story, that the elephant is a puppy. My kids think this book is hilarious.

4. The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Kieko Kasza

Kieko Kasza is another of my favorite authors. She tells a delightful story and brings humor into her stories that make us read them over and over again. Wolf’s chicken stew is about a wolf that wants to eat this chicken and all the ways that he tries to fatten the chicken up for his dinner but in the end it has a surprise ending where the wolf actually becomes part of the chicken’s family.

5. The Mitten by Jan Brett

The mitten is a story about an small animal that finds a mitten to keep warm and hides in it. Then as the story continues, all these different animals also want to hide and get warm in the mitten at the same time. Jan Brett is an amazing author that has written several of my favorites. The illustrations are great too.

6. If you give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

If you give a Pig a Pancake is probably many kids favorites. Its a story that explores the question what would happen if you gave a pig a pancake and the results of that choice. She has written many others in the series. Some of my other favorites are “If you give a Mouse a Cookie” and “If you give a Moose a Muffin”

7. The Napping House by Audrey Wood

I love the rhythm of the language in the “The Napping House”. The kids start learning really fast what the story is going to say and they start reading it along with you. The illustrations are hilarious and it definitely has a place reserved on our library shelf as one of our favorites.

8. Once upon a time, the End (asleep in 60 seconds) by Geoffrey Kloske and Barry Blitt

This book makes me laugh. Its a humorous book that shortens all these bedtime stories to the length of 60 seconds. The way they shorten the bedtime stories is where you find the sense of humor in the book. So my kids were not satisfied with the short length of the stories, but it was still fun to read and laugh at how they shortened the stories.

9. Barnyard Dance and Pajama Time by Sandra Boyton

Honestly I probably own every Sandra Boyton book that she has written. They’re my favorite board books for kids. You can tell that they are well loved at our house because we occasionally have to get a new copy because of the wear and tear on the original one we bought. Sandra Boyton does an excellent job of bringing a sense of humor to kid board books. My kids memorize the Sandra Boyton books quickly. Great gift idea for new or young mommies. Although I do see my older kids pulling them out of the shelves too.

10. The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak

This is a new picture book that I just bought for my collection and I am so glad I did. It is now added to my favorites list. The author decided to write a book with no pictures that kids will love. In the book there are all sorts of silly sayings and the author points out that he can make the reader say anything he wants. Its written in a delightful and humorous way. Even my older kids were laughing. The author is quite creative in how they chose to write this book. I hope there are more books like this from the author.

Homeschool Unit Study Idea:

One of the ways that I have used children’s books in my homeschooling is to have an author of the month. I pick one of my favorite authors like Jan Brett or Dr. Suess and I create a unit study. I gather books from the author we are studying and I also try and find a biography on the author. You can do the unit study as simple as you want or dig deeper. For a simple unit study you could just read the different books and read the biography of the author. If you wanted to dig deeper, you could have activities that go along with each book or you could have your older kids write papers on the life of the author. You could also have your kids write book reports or reviews on what they thought about each book the author wrote. They are a ton of different things you could do for the author of the month idea.

Hope you enjoy some of my favorite picture books. There are many more that I could have blogged about and I am sure you might have different favorites that would go on your list. What are your favorite picture books for kids?

5 Favorite Homeschool Books for Newbies or Book Addicts Like Me

September 2, 2015 esther7dancing1 Comment

I confess that I am a little bit dangerous when it comes to bookstores. I am probably not to be trusted around curriculum fairs either. I love books and I especially like books about teaching or homeschooling. Even though I have been homeschooling for almost 10 years, I will still read “how-to” homeschool books because I feel you can always learn something new that you may not have thought of for homeschooling. Here are a few of my favorites that I have already read or have been reading…

Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson

This is an excellent book that teaches training your children in discipleship and academics. It has recommendations of curriculum to use but its not the main purpose of the book. The authors want to encourage you as the parent in training and discipling your child using the curriculum that best fits your family. Its an excellent foundational book to read for people who are new to homeschooling or for veteran homeschoolers who want a different perspective. I read it only a couple of years ago and I was encouraged and wanted to adapt many of their ideas. I wish I had found it sooner. A bonus part of the book are the different forms that you can copy at the back of the book that help with the organization of your homeschool.

2. Help for the Harried Homeschooler by Christine Field

The practical advice in this book makes a great resource for new homeschoolers and veterans that want new ideas. The author goes over everything from discipleship to life skills to academics. I appreciate her sense of humor and her style of writing. Some of my favorite sections have been when she addressed life skills with kids and structure vs. freedom style of homeschooling. She also had a section for homeschoolers that feel “burned out”.

3. The Three R’s and You Can Teach Your Child Successfully by Ruth Beechick

For new homeschoolers, this a must have book. It teaches how to incorporate reading, writing and math into your everyday life. It is very helpful in helping homeschoolers that are teaching the K-3rd grades. The creative ideas that she suggests are easily done in every day life. She also wrote a book for the 4th-8th grades as well. Ruth Beechick is probably one of my favorite author’s on homeschooling. Sonlight curriculum tends to follow some of her style.

4. The Well Trained Mind by Susan Bauer

For anyone who is interested in the classical educational model, this is the book for you. My love of research and books compelled me to read this book and I found it an enjoyable resource. Our homeschool does not follow the classical method of education but we do incorporate parts of it. This book is well done and easily understood. The author also has curriculum that we have used that goes along with her classical educational method. There are other excellent books on classical education but I felt like this one was the most understandable and detailed for me. Some of her recommendations for curriculum will be outdated unless there is a new updated version but the information is still valid and good.

5. Beyond Survival: A Guide to the Abundant Life of Homeschooling by Diana Waring

I appreciate this book and how the author points out the importance of what education really is and what it can look like in a home with multiple ages. I have gotten the privilege of hearing Diana Waring in her own home with my homeschool group at that time and the wisdom she can give homeschoolers who are still on the journey is invaluable. She has authored other books and has her own biblical history curriculum. We enjoy listening to her amazing history audio cd’s that I will put in a review soon on this blog.

Hope enjoy these books as much as I have! They have a permanent spot on my bookshelf!

10 Books of Inspiration for Tweens/Teens

August 12, 2015September 11, 2015 esther7dancingLeave a comment

I love using books to inspire my kids in their walk with God. I think if they see other kids being used by God to change the world, it will encourage them to believe that they can too. Here is a list of some of my favorite inspirational books for Tweens and Teens.

You were made to make a Difference by Max Lucado and Jenna Lucado
Be the Change by Zac Hunter
City on our Knees by Toby Mac
Do Hard Things by Alex Harris
Live Like a Jesus Freak by DC Talk
Take your Best Shot: Do Something Bigger Than Yourself by Austin Gutwein
Qualities of a Spiritual Warrior (The Way of the Warrior) Book 1 by Graham Cooke
Children and the Supernatural by Jennifer Toledo
The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton
The Risk Factor by Kevin Dedmon and Chad Dedmon

Some of these books were actually written by teens. Teenagers and kids do not have a “Little Jesus” inside their hearts. The same size Jesus that lives in you and I lives in them. I have seen and heard of kids and teens around the world changing history and I sometimes feel like they do even more powerful things because of their faith and belief in the impossible.

In the near future, I will be blogging about each of these books in more detail so you can have a better picture of what they are about. I have already done posts about the first 2 books on the list. I am sure there are many more that are not on this list. What inspirational books for tweens/teens would be on your top 10 list?

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