What I've Been Reading, Part IV

Full disclosure: I’m leaving at least one book out of this list, because it was so much fun I’m buying it as a Christmas present for several people, some of whom read this blog.

That said, here’s the list of what I’ve been reading lately, with short comments on each book. Some of the books deserved their own entries, which I’ve already published, so I’ve included links to those.

FICTION:
To Trade the Stars – Czerneda, Julie E. –The end of a trilogy, the beginning of which I wrote about here. This was a very fun sci-fi romp, and if you’re a fan of space opera at all, I recommend it.
Migration – Czerneda, Julie E.
Regeneration – Czerneda, Julie E. – Migration and Regeneration were also the end of a trilogy, and I think I liked it even better than the trilogy that ended with To Trade the Stars. The science part of the sci-fi was heavily weighted towards the biological, and Czerneda’s alien species were fascinating. I also loved the main character, and found her interaction with her students and friends so charming that my children learned the teasing chant, “No ribs for Mac! No ribs for Mac! Mac gets salad and BEER!” (Um, guess you had to be there.) Anyways, though the start of each book is a little slow, I highly recommend this series. (And it also gets the coveted “appeals to both sexes award”, as my husband gobbled up this series too.)

Harmony – Bentley, C. F. – this was an easy read, and fairly pleasant, but I never really got caught up in the characters. I don’t know quite how to respond to it, because she wrote a really interesting world, and the fact that it was a thick tome that nonetheless flowed quickly shows that she knows how to put a story together. I suppose I’d say read it if you’re a spec fic fan who wants a pleasant weekend read, but don’t expect to get hooked.

Stand-In Groom – Dacus, Kaye – I liked this even though it was set in the South. (Um, I have a thing about books set in the South.) Pleasant, engaging characters and a fun situation. Plus, who doesn’t like reading about weddings?
Only Uni –Tang, Camy – This had some of the most realistic characters I’ve run into in Christian fiction. I especially liked how Tang detailed all of the heroine’s family dynamics, good and bad. Often romances seem to have no one in them but the hero and the heroine, but these two main characters – like most of us in the real life – inhabited a world of all sorts of good, bad and weird people. I liked this one too.

Betsy-Tacy and Tib – Lovelace, Maud Hart – What can I say? I liked these books as a girl, and reading them out loud to my own daughter, I like them even more.

Catching Fire – Collins, Suzanne – this was the sequel to The Hunger Games (see my review here), and almost as compelling. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Be careful, this is one that will gobble up all of your free time (and some of your not-so-free time) until you get to the end.

NON-FICTION
Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need – Snyder, Blake – I read this on a friend’s recommendation and was glad I did. Though I’m not a screenwriter, and had to disregard some of the advice because of that (e.g., novelists can handle backstory and internal dialogue in a different manner than screenwriters can), Blake’s advice on story structure and story types was priceless.

The Course of French History – Goubert, Pierre – I skimmed this and didn’t read it in its entirety; it was more research for my novel. One of the weirdest parts about it was reading about our Revolutionary War from the point of view of a French historian. (The biggest point about it in his mind seemed to be how far helping us out put France into debt.)

Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum: A Guide to Catholic Home Education – Berquist, Laura – This book was very encouraging as I started looking at homeschooling last spring. Our kindergarten this year is based on her suggested structure, and it’s working well.
The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home Bauer, Susan Wise and Wise, Jessie – Goodness, this one should probably be in the “deserves its own post” category, but I’m not sure I could do it justice even then. Enough to say that this book comprises most of my game plan for going forward with this homeschooling venture (for as long as we do). I’m not following it to the letter, but I think that in this book Wise and Bauer have outlined the education all of us wish we could have had.
100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing the Right curriculum and Approach for Your Child’s Learning Style – Duffy, Cathy – This was another very worthy skim. Great for seeing what’s out there and getting ideas.

Introduction to the Devotional Life – de Sales, St. Francis – This took me almost all year to read, because I read it a bit at a time, but it was amazing. I would be starting back at the beginning again – it seems like the sort of book one could profitably read every year – except that I have another of his that I want to start in its place.
You know how the first time you read C.S. Lewis, you thought, “how could I not have seen the world this way before? Of course! It’s all so clear!”? This is that kind of book. God be praised for his servant, Francis de Sales.

Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Inner Strength – Helgoe, Laurie, PhD – I found the actual information about introversion in this book fascinating and helpful, but ended up skimming because the author talked a lot about her own journey of accepting herself as an introvert, and that was less interesting than her research. Still, if you’re an introvert who’s interested in finding more about why you are how you are, I’d recommend picking this up. There’s a lot of good stuff in there. (Also, I nominate this book as the winner for the “Lame Title Totally Redeemed by an Awesome Subtitle” Award.)

THEIR OWN POSTS:
The Actor and the Housewife – Hale, Shannon

The No S Diet – Engels, Reinhard and Kallen, Ben

Twilight – Meyer, Stephanie
New Moon – Meyer, Stephanie
Eclipse – Meyer, Stephanie
Breaking Dawn – Meyer, Stephanie

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling, J. K.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Rowling, J. K.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling, J. K.