(And All My) Work Be Praise

Well, here at the end of this year experiment, I don't like having done three book lists this year. I want to see everything I read all year, right now! I read a lot of adult fiction this fall, which is unusual for me, including forcing myself to get through some "classics." We're not together every day for lunch anymore, which is making it difficult to get through read-alouds as a family, so that's something I need to ponder for the future. Green I loved, red I didn't, with an asterisk = audiobook. Open to questions about anything!  Adult Nonfiction *Where the Light Fell *Shakespeare: the Man Who Pays the Rent The Fruitful Home Adult Fiction No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #25 *Lady Sherlock #6 (I love this series, and the one above. Comfort reading at its finest.) Absolution Circe Heart of Darkness *Station Eleven What the River Knows *The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern Ariadne *Widows of Malabar Hill *Sweet Bean Paste Alas, Babylon *Thursday Murder Club #2...

Given the ages of my children, I will only have two years when I am actively homeschooling all six kids, and this is the first. I have more spreadsheets going than ever before, four student paper planners, one kid using Google Classroom for assignments again, and a giant schedule on butcher paper so that everyone knows whose turn it is in the living room (for instrument practice) or on the laptop. BRING IT ON. Pretty sure we've only gotten all six kids awake for family devotions once in 8 days of school. LEVI: 11th grade Math: linear algebra and multivariable calculus through PSEO at University of Minnesota (online) History: AP world history at Sartell High School, second semester Science: AP physics C (one each semester) online English: World Literature: LLATL gold , Advancing Through Grammar Language: self-study German, with plans to take the AP German test next year Bible: Dust to Glory (Ligonier online) New Testament Extracurricular: piano first semester, wind ensemble at Sarte...

We're 2/3 of the way through the year! Leaves in Minnesota are just starting to change color! Just four months and one day till Christmas! Okay, I'll stop. I, for one, am never sorry to see summer go. But I did read a lot in the past four months! Books marked with an asterisk (*) I listened to on audio. Adult Nonfiction *Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator (some adult language) *When Strivings Cease (Ruth Chou Simons) Before We Gather: Devotions for Worship Leaders (for Sunday mornings...took me 18 months to finish the 52 weeks...) *The Day the World Came to Town (stories from a Newfoundland airport on 9/11) Adult Fiction Tress of the Emerald Sea Morning and Evening (Fosse) Authentically, Izzy (Christian author = safe and sweet, maybe too sweet for me) The Miracle Man *Lady Sherlock books 3-5 *As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow (hard but good) The Awakening (Kate Chopin) *Never (Follett) The Nightingale (historical fiction, WWII) Teen/Tween Lit Once a Castle (s...

Inspired by a friend who is posting her monthly reading log, I'm going to try posting my book lists a few times a year instead of all at once in December. I hope this will give me more opportunity to give feedback on what I'm reading, as well as make some goals for myself in terms of genres I'm overlooking. Adult Nonfiction The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh (fascinating!) Boys in the Boat (so captivating, and I am NOT interested in water sports) George VI and Elizabeth Jumping Through Fires (Iranian refugee who comes to Christ, might have my teen read it) Adult Fiction The Alice Network (WW1-2 historical fiction, 4 stars) Did You Hear about Kitty Carr? A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock #2; I enjoy these immensely) The Women (to read alongside our studies of Vietnam) A Separate Peace (WWII classic, not my favorite) Teen Nonfiction The Librarian of Auschwitz: The Graphic Novel (rated "teen" for a few mature images) Games of Deception (1936 Berlin Olympic...

I keep thinking about reworking this list -- maybe even changing it to an academic year instead of calendar to more accurately reflect the topics of books I read -- but this is not the time for change. This is the time for taking an hour to do something that amuses me in between all of the other things of life. So be it. As usual, I gave brief explanations when possible. I  highlighted in green  books that I especially loved,  highlighted in blue  books that my kids especially enjoyed, and  highlighted in red  books I do not recommend. Books we (or I) read as part of our history studies have one asterisk (*); books I listened to as audio are marked with two asterisks (**). Feel free to ask if you want more nuanced opinions on anything! The Bible : the whole thing, using the M'Cheyne plan as found in the  Be Thou My Vision  liturgy Christian Non-Fiction Sacred Influence Even Better Than Eden **Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad Bumps, Babies, and th...

  Merry Christmas, one and all! Here’s what’s happening in the Gould household:          Levi , 15, is the quintessential super-scheduled high-achieving sophomore. His activities have expanded to include piano lessons, youth group, karate (plus working at the studio), math league, jazz band (new this month!), and volunteering at a local nursing home. He participates in worship team (singing or piano) about once a month, faithfully cleans the kitchen every night, and casually deflects all hero-worship from his younger siblings. Though NASA has been his end game for years, this summer’s accidental introduction to particle physics has him rethinking his life goals. Favorite 2024 memory: an excursion to Century City in Los Angeles for the “best soft pretzel ever” Favorite 2024 books: Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series Owen , 14, is now within half an inch of his mother’s height. This year he joined Levi at math league, besides continuing art lessons and...

Over the years, I've heard homeschool moms talk about doing so many activities that they can't find time to do school . This year, for the first time, I totally get it. This will officially be known as the Year of the Extracurricular. I'm going to be in the car as much as I'm in the kitchen this year, and we've already started talking about needing to make some decisions next  year. In addition, the youngest three and I will be attending a co-op twice a month, where they'll have two classes each. I also need to mention that while writing this I read my curriculum post from last year and had a good chuckle. So many things on that list got changed or ignored completely. I expect the same this year: in fact, I'm trusting that as we go along, God will make it clear which things aren't all that important and can slide off the plan without a backward glance! But I'm not one to start the year without a plan, and so without further ado: Levi: 10th grade Math...

Here it is! So many books this year. I attribute this partially to the fact that I got used to listening to audiobooks at 1.75x speed (or sometimes even double speed). The focus is still primarily on middle grade novels, prereading for my precocious fourth grader, but I'm trying to keep up with my 9th grader's American literature list and continue expanding what I know about the world, too. This year for the first time I have a "middle grade nonfiction" section! Toby blazing through Paradise Lost in an afternoon.  As usual, I gave brief explanations when possible. I  highlighted in green  books that I especially loved,  highlighted in blue  books that my kids especially enjoyed, and  highlighted in red  books I do not recommend. Books we (or I) read as part of our history studies have one asterisk (*); books I listened to as audio are marked with two asterisks (**). Feel free to ask if you want more nuanced opinions on anything! The Bible : the whole t...

I've always bought into the "one-room schoolhouse" ethos, but this year, it feels especially true. I have five school-age children! We are busy busy busy, but settling into our new school year routines in what seems like a manageable way.  Levi: 9th grade Levi was accepted into an amazing scholarship foundation at the end of seventh grade. His schoolwork and even some extracurriculars are now paid for by the foundation, opening up doors not just for him, but for the whole family as that part of our budget is assisted significantly. Math: AoPS  Intermediate Counting & Probability and  Introduction to Number Theory Science: physics 1 and 2 , in preparation for both AP tests History: American history (to 1877), with Land of Hope  as a spine, plus various other online resources Literature: a combination of Excellence in Literature American Lit and Apologia American Lit  (again, just the material up to 1877) Language Arts: IEW's Advanced U.S. History-Based Writi...

People tell me every year that they love to see my list, so I shall continue the tradition! Here's last year's , which also has links to previous years. A note: I gave brief explanations when possible. I  highlighted in green  books that I especially loved,  highlighted in blue  books that my kids especially enjoyed, and  highlighted in red  books I do not recommend. Books I listened to as audio are marked with two asterisks (**).  The Bible : the whole thing, twice for the New Testament (still following  this reading plan ) Christian Non-Fiction **On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books **M is for Mama: A Rebellion against Mediocre Motherhood The Secular Creed More than a Carpenter The Meaning of Marriage Partners in the Gospel (devotional for pastors' and elders' wives) Habits of the Household Parenting Teens with Love and Logic Philippians commentary by Ralph Martin Teaching Psalms, Volume 1 by Christopher Ash **The Astronaut...