Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Best Books of 2024

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Please see my suggested resources.

February 10, 2025 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

My Favorite Books I Read in 2024

I get a free eBook every month with Amazon Prime.

I love love love renting eBooks for Kindle or Libby from my local library.

I typically read about one book every week or two, sometimes more and sometimes less depending on my schedule.

I love historical fiction and scifi, but also I have been expanding into queer literature and memoirs and other genres. I still read school books with my kids too, even though they’re attending university now!

I didn’t realize that GoodReads has challenges, so I began that for the first time this year and it tracked my reading and gave me statistics.

I’ve read 77 books this year, but these stood out as my favorites.

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.

I loved his first book Cutting for Stone and this book is also wonderful and I loved the epic family legend and how everyone handled the “curse.”

Station Eleven: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel

It is fifteen years after a flu pandemic wiped out most of the world’s population. Kirsten is an actress with the Traveling Symphony, a small troupe moving over the gutted landscape, performing Shakespeare and music for scattered communities of survivors. But when they arrive in the outpost of St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who digs graves for anyone who dares to leave. Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the disaster brought everyone here, this suspenseful, elegiac novel is rife with beauty, telling a story about the relationships that sustain us.

I love dystopian fiction and yes, it’s probably overdone with the pandemic but this book is lovely. I didn’t want this book to end and I realize there’s a show based on it.

Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Herland, Gilman’s most famous novel, is a feminist utopian comedy in which three men stumble upon a society of women that has banished men. Also included in this Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics edition is a selection of Gilman’s poetry and other short fiction. Gilman scholar Denise D. Knight has written an enlightening Introduction that explores Gilman’s use of the utopian form, satire, and fantasy to provide a critique of women’s place in society and to propose creative solutions.

I enjoyed the psychology explored in this novel and can’t stop thinking about the events that took place. I just found out there is a trilogy.

The Boys from Brazil: A Novel by Ira Levin

Alive and hiding in South America, the fiendish Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele gathers a group of former colleagues for a horrifying project―the creation of the Fourth Reich. Barry Kohler, a young investigative journalist, gets wind of the project and informs famed Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman, but before he can relay the evidence, Kohler is killed.

Thus Ira Levin opens one of the strangest and most masterful novels of his career. Why has Mengele marked a number of harmless aging men for murder? What is the hidden link that binds them? What interest can they possibly hold for their killers: six former SS men dispatched from South America by the most wanted Nazi still alive, the notorious “Angel of Death“? One man alone must answer these questions and stop the killings―Lieberman, himself aging and thought by some to be losing his grip on reality.

I’m a little obsessed with Ira Levin’s novels and I’ve read most of them. They are nontraditional horror and quite chilling to think about.

The Moonflowers: A Novel by Abigail Rose-Marie

Tig Costello has arrived in Darren, Kentucky, commissioned to paint a portrait honoring her grandfather Benjamin. His contributions to the rural Appalachian town and his unimpeachable war service have made him a local hero. But to Tig, he’s a relative stranger. To find out more about him, Tig wants to talk to the person who knew her grandfather best: Eloise Price, the woman who murdered him fifty years ago.

Still confined to a state institution, Eloise has a lifetime of stories to tell. She agrees to share them all―about herself, about Tig’s enigmatic grandmother, and about the other brave and desperate women who passed through Benjamin’s orbit. Most revealing of all is the truth about Whitmore Halls, the mansion on the hill that was home to triage, rescue, death, and one inevitable day that changed Eloise’s life forever.

As Tig begins to piece together the puzzle of her mysterious family tree, it sends her spiraling toward a confrontation with her own painful past―and a reconciliation with all its heartrending secrets.

I didn’t want to like this book and it was slow at times and the characters could’ve been more vibrant, but the story was great.

I’m working through another reading challenge this year and I plan to try to read at least 100 books!

What was your favorite book this year?

You might also like:

  • My Favorite Books 2023
  • My Favorite Books 2022
  • My Favorite Books 2021
  • My Favorite Books 2020
  • My Favorite Books 2019
  • My Favorite Books 2018
  • My Favorite Life Changing Books
  • Apocalyptic Media to Binge
  • 10 Classics to Read When the World Seems Too Bleak
  • Top 10 Books for Homeschoolers
  • Great Books for Writers
  • 5 Best Life Skills Books for Teens

Linking up here!


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Best Books of 2023

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Please see my suggested resources.

January 8, 2024 By Jennifer Lambert 22 Comments

My Favorite Books I Read in 2023

I get a free eBook every month with Amazon Prime.

I love love love renting eBooks for Kindle or Libby from my local library.

I typically read about one book every week or two.

I love historical fiction and scifi.

I’ve read lots of books this year, but these stood out as my favorites.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

I highlighted so much of this book and I think about the messages and characters all the time. Heinlein is one of my favorite authors.

Raised by Martians on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith is a human who has never seen another member of his species. Sent to Earth, he is a stranger who must learn what it is to be a man. But his own beliefs and his powers far exceed the limits of humankind, and as he teaches them about grokking and water-sharing, he also inspires a transformation that will alter Earth’s inhabitants forever…

Master Class by Christina Dalcher

As a mother and educator, this book really resonated with me and I realize how easily we could slip down this slope in our society. It was very disturbing to me.

It’s impossible to know what you will do…

Every child’s potential is regularly determined by a standardized measurement: their quotient (Q). Score high enough, and attend a top tier school with a golden future. Score too low, and it’s off to a federal boarding school with limited prospects afterwards. The purpose? An improved society where education costs drop, teachers focus on the more promising students, and parents are happy.

When your child is taken from you.

Elena Fairchild is a teacher at one of the state’s elite schools. When her nine-year-old daughter bombs a monthly test and her Q score drops to a disastrously low level, she is immediately forced to leave her top school for a federal institution hundreds of miles away. As a teacher, Elena thought she understood the tiered educational system, but as a mother whose child is now gone, Elena’s perspective is changed forever. She just wants her daughter back.

And she will do the unthinkable to make it happen.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book really surprised me with all the connections and the shocking ending. I was actually surprised and that seldom happens!

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Such a poignant historical fiction across decades and continents. I learned a lot about this culture.

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.

Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles—and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined.

The Cemetery of Forgotten (4 book series) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game, The Prisoner of Heaven, The Labyrinth of the Spirits

I love how magical and literary these books are! I wish we had more from this author!

Book1 – Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets—an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

What was your favorite book this year?

You might also like:

  • My Favorite Books 2022
  • My Favorite Books 2021
  • My Favorite Books 2020
  • My Favorite Books 2019
  • My Favorite Books 2018
  • My Favorite Life Changing Books
  • Apocalyptic Media to Binge
  • 10 Classics to Read When the World Seems Too Bleak
  • Top 10 Books for Homeschoolers
  • Great Books for Writers
  • 5 Best Life Skills Books for Teens

Linking up here!

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Best Books of 2022

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

January 2, 2023 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

I read a lot…like a lot a lot.

We do read alouds for our homeschool every morning and some evenings.

I always have several books on my Kindle app or nightstand or side table, throughout the house, really.

I love exploring new concepts in history or self-help and reading fiction with my kids.

I try to intersperse fun and quick fiction reads. There are no fluffy, bad, or wrong books. There are just preferences.

I read lots of books. It tends to go in waves depending on what’s going on in my life, how busy we are, my moods and availability of library eBooks. I think I notice themes each year that help me grow and become a better person, wife, mom.

I don’t like quitting, but if I really loathe the book, the characters, and story, then I can’t find any reason to finish. Some books I read in a single evening. Others take a few days or even weeks.

I love, love, love historical fiction. My faves are Edward Rutherfurd, Ken Follett, Philippa Gregory. I’m also obsessed with cult memoirs, not sure what that says about me.

My Favorite Books I Read in 2022

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté

A culmination of everything we need to address and change in our society.

In this revolutionary book, renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the rise. So what is really “normal” when it comes to health?

Over four decades of clinical experience, Maté has come to recognize the prevailing understanding of “normal” as false, neglecting the roles that trauma and stress, and the pressures of modern-day living, exert on our bodies and our minds at the expense of good health. For all our expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today’s culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance. Now Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society—and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. Cowritten with his son Daniel, The Myth Of Normal is Maté’s most ambitious and urgent book yet.

Vita Nostra: A Novel by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko

This book is so unique and I cannot stop thinking about it. I preordered the sequel and read their other novel translated into English.

Our life is brief . . .

Sasha Samokhina has been accepted to the Institute of Special Technologies.

Or, more precisely, she’s been chosen.

Situated in a tiny village, she finds the students are bizarre, and the curriculum even more so. The books are impossible to read, the lessons obscure to the point of maddening, and the work refuses memorization. Using terror and coercion to keep the students in line, the school does not punish them for their transgressions and failures; instead, it is their families that pay a terrible price. Yet despite her fear, Sasha undergoes changes that defy the dictates of matter and time; experiences which are nothing she has ever dreamed of . . . and suddenly all she could ever want.

The School for Good Mothers: A Novel by Jessamine Chan

This book is not pleasant. It sure made me think and fear and wonder. What could our society turn out to be like if we stop trusting mothers, anyone? Do we really need a carceral state at all?

Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. She can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with Harriet, their cherubic daughter, does Frida finally attain the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she is just enough.

Until Frida has a very bad day.

The state has its eye on mothers like Frida. The ones who check their phones, letting their children get injured on the playground; who let their children walk home alone. Because of one moment of poor judgement, a host of government officials will now determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion.

Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida must prove that a bad mother can be redeemed. That she can learn to be good.

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

A lovely reminder to rest. It’s not a reward; we need to practice more rest. A snuggly reminder any time of year.

Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered.

Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain

A great example of why positivity is toxic. Just let me be melancholy and feels all the feels. If we are content, we are not changing.

Bittersweetness is a tendency to states of long­ing, poignancy, and sorrow; an acute aware­ness of passing time; and a curiously piercing joy at the beauty of the world. It recognizes that light and dark, birth and death—bitter and sweet—are forever paired. 
 
If you’ve ever wondered why you like sad music . . . 
If you find comfort or inspiration in a rainy day . . . 
If you react intensely to music, art, nature, and beauty . . .
 
Then you probably identify with the bitter­sweet state of mind.

The Maid: A Novel by Nita Prose 

I’m not normally a fan of mysteries. This one surprised me and I can’t wait to see the film. I was shocked by the ending since I really didn’t expect that.

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

The Sparrow: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell 

I also read the sequel. It made me think about what makes us human. It made me question history, capitalism, caste and class. So much philosophy and religion examined.

A visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry, The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.

You might also like:

  • My Favorite Books 2021
  • My Favorite Books 2020
  • My Favorite Books 2019
  • My Favorite Books 2018
  • My Favorite Life Changing Books
  • Apocalyptic Media to Binge
  • 10 Classics to Read When the World Seems Too Bleak
  • Top 10 Books for Homeschoolers
  • Great Books for Writers
  • 5 Best Life Skills Books for Teens

What did you read this year?

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Best Books of 2021

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

November 22, 2021 By Jennifer Lambert 18 Comments

I read a lot, like a lot a lot.

We do read alouds for our homeschool every morning and some evenings.

I always have several books on my Kindle app or nightstand or side table, throughout the house, really.

I love exploring new concepts in history or self-help and reading fiction with my kids.

I try to intersperse fun fiction reads. There are no fluffy, bad, or wrong books. There are just preferences.

I read lots of books. It tends to go in waves depending on what’s going on in my life, how busy we are, my moods and availability of library eBooks. I think I notice themes each year that help me grow and become a better person, wife, mom.

I tried and quit reading Gilead multiple times. I don’t like quitting, but I really loathed the book, the characters, and story. I couldn’t find any reason to finish. Some books I read in a single evening. Others take a few days or even weeks.

My Favorite Books I Read in 2021

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

A sweeping, revisionist history of the last seventy-five years of white evangelicalism, revealing how evangelicals have worked to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism.

This was an enlightening book explaining many historical events and helped me make connections during my lifetime.

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .

Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

I really enjoyed this book and the film was ok too. I love Amy Adams and she did a great portrayal.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

I love, love, love all the books by Matt Haig and this one was very interesting and thought provoking. I have The Comfort Book on my list to read.

Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker

Ware can’t wait to spend summer “off in his own world”—dreaming of knights in the Middle Ages and generally being left alone. But then his parents sign him up for dreaded Rec camp, where he must endure Meaningful Social Interaction and whatever activities so-called “normal” kids do.

On his first day Ware meets Jolene, a tough, secretive girl planting a garden in the rubble of an abandoned church next to the camp. Soon he starts skipping Rec, creating a castle-like space of his own in the church lot.

Jolene scoffs, calling him a dreamer—he doesn’t live in the “real world” like she does. As different as Ware and Jolene are, though, they have one thing in common: for them, the lot is a refuge.

But when their sanctuary is threatened, Ware looks to the knights’ Code of Chivalry: Thou shalt do battle against unfairness wherever faced with it. Thou shalt be always the champion of the Right and Good—and vows to save the lot.

But what does a hero look like in real life? And what can two misfit kids do?

I love this author and this book was so, so sweet and lovely. We enjoyed the characters and were so sad when it ended.

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson

In this breakthrough book, clinical psychologist Lindsay Gibson exposes the destructive nature of parents who are emotionally immature or unavailable. You will see how these parents create a sense of neglect, and discover ways to heal from the pain and confusion caused by your childhood. By freeing yourself from your parents’ emotional immaturity, you can recover your true nature, control how you react to them, and avoid disappointment. Finally, you’ll learn how to create positive, new relationships so you can build a better life.

Discover the four types of difficult parents:

  • The emotional parent instills feelings of instability and anxiety
  • The driven parent stays busy trying to perfect everything and everyone
  • The passive parent avoids dealing with anything upsetting
  • The rejecting parent is withdrawn, dismissive, and derogatory

This book was helpful for me understanding my parents and making sure not to make similar mistakes with my own children.

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

A decadent rock star. A deeply religious radio host. A disgraced scientist. And a teenage girl who may be the world’s last hope. From the mind of Chuck Wendig comes an astonishing tapestry of humanity that Harlan Coben calls “a suspenseful, twisty, satisfying, surprising, thought-provoking epic.”

Shana wakes up one morning to discover her little sister in the grip of a strange malady. She appears to be sleepwalking. She cannot talk and cannot be woken up. And she is heading with inexorable determination to a destination that only she knows. But Shana and her sister are not alone. Soon they are joined by a flock of sleepwalkers from across America, on the same mysterious journey. And, like Shana, there are other “shepherds” who follow the flock to protect their friends and family on the long dark road ahead.

For on their journey, they will discover an America convulsed with terror and violence, where this apocalyptic epidemic proves less dangerous than the fear of it. As the rest of society collapses all around them—and an ultraviolent militia threatens to exterminate them—the fate of the sleepwalkers depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart—or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world.

This was a prophetic book and very disturbing. Eye opening into the human condition.

Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Overwork is the new normal. Rest is something to do when the important things are done-but they are never done. Looking at different forms of rest, from sleep to vacation, Silicon Valley futurist and business consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang dispels the myth that the harder we work the better the outcome. He combines rigorous scientific research with a rich array of examples of writers, painters, and thinkers—from Darwin to Stephen King—to challenge our tendency to see work and relaxation as antithetical.

I am constantly searching for confirmation bias that we are counter-cultural in our seeking to be out of the rat race.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.

This book was very emotional. I am still disturbed by the ending and keep trying to figure it out in my head.

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

In a near-future world beset by war, climate change, and overpopulation, Portland resident George Orr discovers that his dreams have the power to alter reality. Upon waking, the world he knew has become a strange, barely recognizable place, where only George has a clear memory of how it was before. Seeking escape from these “effective dreams,” George eventually turns to behavioral psychologist Dr. William Haber for a cure. But Haber has other ideas in mind.
 
Seeing the profound power of George’s dreams, Haber believes it must be harnessed for the greater good—no matter the cost. Soon, George is a pawn in Haber’s dangerous game, where the fate of humanity grows more imperiled with every waking hour.

Whew, this book gave me nightmares. It has stayed with me all year. So disturbing on many counts.

Recipes for a Sacred Life: True Stories and a Few Miracles by Rivvy Neshama

On a dark winter night with little to do, Rivvy Neshama took a “Find Your Highest Purpose” quiz. And the funny thing was, she found it: to live a sacred life. Problem was, she didn’t know how.

But she set out to learn. And in the weeks and months that followed, she began to remember and encounter all the people and experiences featured in this book—from her father’s jokes to her mother’s prayers, from Billie in Harlem to a stranger in Salzburg, and from warm tortillas to the humble oatmeal. Each became a story, like a recipe passed down, beginning with her mother and her simple toast to life.

I enjoyed reading these snippets of wisdom gleaned from seeking a sacred life.

A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler

Barnaby Gaitlin has been in trouble ever since adolescence. He had this habit of breaking into other people’s houses. It wasn’t the big loot he was after, like his teenage cohorts. It was just that he liked to read other people’s mail, pore over their family photo albums, and appropriate a few of their precious mementos.

I keep thinking about how real and relatable the characters are. I highlighted so many lovely phrases and wish I had more to the story.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over—she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over…

I just cannot quit thinking about this book. What would it be like if I forgot the last ten years? What if I could go back to then? Would I even really want to? But what could I incorporate about that younger, more innocent self into the jaded me right now?

What have you enjoyed reading recently?

You might also like:

  • My Favorite Books 2020
  • My Favorite Books 2019
  • My Favorite Books 2018
  • My Favorite Life Changing Books

Linking up: Grammy’s Grid, Pinch of Joy, Anita Ojeda, Silverado, Random Musings, Mostly Blogging, OMHG, InstaEncouragements, Lou:Lou Girls, Suburbia, Jenerally Informed, Shelbee on the Edge, Anchored Abode, Soaring with Him, Note Me Happy, Being a Wordsmith, Cottage Market, Embracing the Unexpected, Pieced Pastimes, Answer is Choco, Stroll Thru Life, Ginger Snap, Ducks in a Row, Ridge Haven, Try it Like it, Slices of Life, Artful Mom, Moment with Franca, Momfessionals, Pam’s Party, Hubbard home, Create with Joy,

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Mice Unit Study

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January 25, 2021 By Jennifer Lambert 7 Comments

My son loves books about mice.

I think I understand the attraction of anthropomorphic mice in adventure stories. I enjoy reading them aloud at bedtime.

When we feel small, powerless, invisible, and lonely, escaping into a magical world of talking mice with happy endings is a great way to cheer up as we experience their fun adventures.

There is catharsis and safety in lovely fairy tales. I’m so glad my children love to hear and read stories.

My son and I look forward to bedtime and another chapter about mice escaping and outwitting enemies, cats, and people, philosophizing about power and control and whether they even matter in the grand scheme of life.

He’s almost 11 this year and I cherish these moments together, reading and snuggling, and giggling over animal antics.

Mice Books We Love

The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck

The Adventures of Henry Whiskers by Gigi Priebe

Poppy series by Avi, illustrated by Brian Floca NEW: Ragweed and Poppy!

Ralph Mouse (3 book series) by Beverly Cleary 

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo

Stuart Little by E. B White

Mouse and Mole by Joyce Dunbar

The Mouse Mansion series by Karina Schaapman

Chester Cricket and His Friends (7 book series) by George Selden

Rats of Nimh Trilogy by Robert C. O’Brien 

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Library Mouse (5 book series) by Daniel Kirk 

The School Mouse, A Mouse Called Wolf, and Martin’s Mice by Dick King-Smith

Geraldine Woolkins (3 book series) by Karin Kaufman

Mac and Cheese by Sarah Weeks

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood

Geronimo Stilton series

Word of Mouse by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem

Frederick, Geraldine, Alexander, Matthew, Tillie, Nicolas, The Greentail Mouse, and MORE by Leo Lionni

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books by Laura Numeroff

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Mouse’s First Spring by Lauren Thompson

Mousetronaut by Mark Kelly

Chrysanthemum books by Kevin Henkes

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Maisy books by Lucy Cousins

Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman

Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett

The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Mouse Tales and Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel

Angelina Ballerina books by Katharine Holabird

By Peter W. Barnes and Cheryl Shaw Barnes:

  • Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse: A Tail of the U.S. Supreme Court 
  • House Mouse, Senate Mouse
  • Woodrow for President: A Tail of Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
  • Woodrow, the White House Mouse
  • Cornelius Vandermouse: The Pride of Newport
  • Maestro Mouse: And the Mystery of the Missing Baton

Of course we love the animal tales from Beatrix Potter too!

Want to extend the lesson?

  • Literature Unit Study for Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel
  • The Mouse and the Motorcycle FREE Lesson
  • If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Lapbook Printables
  • The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Ellen Stoll Walsh Unit
  • Mouse Paint Preschool Fun
  • Norman the Doorman FREE unit
  • Stuart Little Unit Study
  • Mouse’s First Spring Kindergarten Literature Unit
  • Red Ted Art
  • Sight and Sound Reading

What is your favorite story book for this season?

Linking up: Anita Ojeda, April Harris, Marilyn’s Treats, Little Cottage, Create with Joy, LouLou Girls, Our Three Peas, Suburbia, Grandma’s Ideas, Grammy’s Grid, OMHG, Anchored Abode, Soaring with Him, InstaEncouragements, Ridge Haven, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap, Ducks in a Row, Penny’s Passion, Crystal Storms, Debbie Kitterman, Slices of Life, Mommynificent, Chic Shoestring, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, Katherine’s Corner, Simply Sweet Home, Lyli Dunbar, CWJ, Imparting Grace, Being a Wordsmith, Try it Like it, Everyday Farmhouse, Mostly Blogging,

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Ancient Times Book List

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January 18, 2021 By Jennifer Lambert 7 Comments

As my kids get older and are growing out of picture books and sometimes get bored with assigned readings, I look for more appropriate books for the entire family to enjoy.

We still gather in the mornings and most evenings for story time. I still read aloud and show any pictures like the library story lady.

We use Tapestry of Grace for our main curriculum and book lists, and I also peruse Ambleside Online and other lists for a well-rounded history curriculum. I want all sides and perspectives. See How We Do History.

We use this text as a guide, especially for younger kids: The Story of the World: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor

For older kids: The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome and The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Civilizations and Warfare in the Classical World.

I go to the library about every week and get what I can. Sometimes, I even rent or buy eBooks to save money.

We expand our home library every year and extensively update every new history cycle.

For ancient history this year, my kids are 14, 13, and 10.

My girls are doing the rhetoric level and we still read aloud together many of their selections because I love to learn too. This is their last cycle with ancient history.

My son is in dialectic level and the girls even though they’re working the rhetoric level often love to hear those readings again.

And we still pull out of some of our well-loved picture books with gorgeous images and lovely stories.

I love, love, love historical fiction or living books. I love how it uses an author’s imagination to bring real life to historical events that are often boring in textbooks.

I often read adult historical fiction alongside my kids’ reading and our read alouds. The Red Tent is still a favorite. Some biblical fiction is hard for me to swallow and others are delightful or informative.

I still love T.L. Higley books. I enjoyed The Restoration Chronicles by Lynn Austin.

The book Pontius Pilate: A Novel by Paul L. Maier was recommended to me by a pastor and I might read it aloud to my family this Easter. Flames of Rome and his Skeleton Series look good too.

It’s often difficult to find engaging historical fiction for ancient times since we only have fragments of history and many ancient peoples had no written records or were wiped out by war or natural disaster. I don’t want to rely solely on religious texts as our reading material.

We’re learning more about parallel histories to the people of the Bible, different voices to fill in the real story. We’re learning about ancient Americas and Asia and Africa. I love seeing the full tapestry.

Favorite Ancient Times Historical Fiction

The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

A Cry From Egypt and A Stand at Sinai by Hope Auer

Tirzah by Travis Lucille

Adara by Beatrice Gormley

Twice Freed by Patricia St. John

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher

God King by Joanne Williamson

Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson

Victory on the Walls by Frieda Clark Hyman

Beyond the Desert Gate by Mary Ray

Within the Palace Gates by Anna P. Siviter

The Pearl-Maiden by Henry Rider Haggard

Pharaoh’s Daughter by Julius Lester

The Eyes of Pharaoh by Chris Eboch

Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

Journey for Tobiyah by Barbara E. Morgan

Vinegar Boy by Alberta Hawse

The Corn Grows Ripe by Dorothy Rhoads

Run With Me, Nike! by Cassandra Case

The Ides of April by Mary Ray

Beyond the Desert Gate by Mary Ray

The Roman Britain Trilogy by Rosemary Sutcliff

I’m sure I will add to this list over the next few months as we finish our ancient times history cycle year.

What’s your favorite ancient studies book?

See my Pinterest board for Year 1 History:

History of Ancient Times Notebooking Pages
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Best Books of 2020

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Please see my suggested resources.

January 11, 2021 By Jennifer Lambert 11 Comments

I love to read and I love passing on this hobby to my children.

We read aloud various books for our homeschool every morning and most evenings.

While libraries were closed most of this year, I utilized online eBook library services, added to my Kindle reading with Kindle Unlimited and even purchased some eBooks and physical books I couldn’t find anywhere that had great reviews and I really wanted.

I didn’t read very much fiction this year! I read a few eBooks when I needed a break from all the seriousness, but they were nothing special.

It certainly has not been an ordinary year. I watched shows a lot more, played more games, wasted more time than in previous years.

I tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy with our homeschool and household, but some days and weeks were really hard.

My Favorite Books We Read in 2020

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.

Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas–and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

I read this book aloud in our homeschool and it was very enlightening. I highly recommend it. I love the writing style of Jason Reynolds!

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

Yes, I know he is problematic and there are better books out there now.

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

This book is imperative for anyone who has experienced trauma or to help us understand loved ones.

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein

Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you’ll never catch up to the people who got a head start. But a closer look at research on the world’s top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, shows that early specialization is the exception, not the rule.    
David Epstein examined the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They’re also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see.
Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while computers master more of the skills once reserved for highly focused humans, people who think broadly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thrive.

I enjoyed this book – part parenting, part coaching. I see parents pushing their kids too early and I want to make sure my kids are balanced.

The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby

The Color of Compromise is not a call to shame or a platform to blame white evangelical Christians. It is a call from a place of love and desire to fight for a more racially unified church that no longer compromises what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality. A call that challenges black and white Christians alike to standup now and begin implementing the concrete ways Tisby outlines, all for a more equitable and inclusive environment among God’s people. Starting today.

I read this book almost exactly a year ago. It was fascinating and I learned lots and confirmed things I thought I knew. Really helped my deconstruction.

Jemar Tisby just released another book too: How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice

Motherwhelmed: Challenging Norms, Untangling Truths, and Restoring Our Worth to the World by Beth Berry

Today’s mothers are struggling; though, it’s not for the reasons most moms tend to think. We’ve been conditioned to believe our inadequacy is the reason we can’t seem to “keep up” or enjoy mothering more, but nothing could be further from the truth.

We aren’t failing as mothers. We’re mothering within a culture that is misleading and inadequately supporting us.

Motherwhelmed is a deep, yet lighthearted exploration of the messy frontier of modern-day motherhood we’re all struggling to navigate. With compassion, realness, and rich storytelling, Beth Berry:

  • Illuminates the mindsets and narratives keeping us feeling overwhelmed, disempowered, anxious, isolated, and riddled with self-doubt
  • Provides the perspectives and tools needed for mothers to rewrite their stories and reclaim a sense of wholeness
  • Shares from her 25 years as an idealistic, passionate, all-in mother of four daughters
  • Reminds us of our worthiness and reframes our importance

This is not a book about parenting. It’s a book about mothers, our greatness, and how important it is that we thrive. It’s about untangling ourselves from the stories keeping us trapped and deconstructing those we’ve outgrown. It’s about daring the lives we’re here to live and, thereby, giving our children permission to do the same.

Until we begin to organize our lives around not only our children’s worthiness but also our own, mothers everywhere will continue to bear the brunt of cultural pain and dysfunction. This matters because we cannot be the changemakers we’re meant to be while so heavily burdened.

I’m actually still reading and rereading this. It’s so, so good and I have to step away every chapter or so to process it all.

In Pursuit of Flavor: The Beloved Classic Cookbook from the Acclaimed Author of The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis

Decades before cornbread, shrimp and grits, and peach cobbler were mainstays on menus everywhere, Edna Lewis was pioneering the celebration of seasonal food as a distinctly American cuisine.
 
In this James Beard Foundation Cookbook Hall of Fame-inducted cookbook, Miss Lewis (as she was almost universally known) shares the recipes of her childhood, spent in a Virginia farming community founded by her grandfather and his friends after emancipation, as well as those that made her one of the most revered American chefs of all time. Interspersed throughout are personal anecdotes, cooking insights, notes on important Southern ingredients, and personally developed techniques for maximizing flavor.
 
Across six charmingly illustrated chapters—From the Gardens and Orchards; From the Farmyard; From the Lakes, Steams, and Oceans; For the Cupboard; From the Bread Oven and Griddle; and The Taste of Old-fashioned Desserts—encompassing almost 200 recipes, Miss Lewis captures the spirit of the South. From Whipped Cornmeal with Okra; Pan-Braised Spareribs; and Benne Seed Biscuits to Thirteen-Bean Soup; Pumpkin with Sautéed Onions and Herbs; a Salad of Whole Tomatoes Garnished with Green Beans and Scallions; and Raspberry Pie Garnished with Whipped Cream, In Pursuit of Flavor is a modern classic and a timeless compendium of Southern cooking at its very best.

I loved reading Ms. Lewis’ stories and trying out her recipes, some of which are very similar to what I remember my grandma, aunt, and cousins making.

The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma’s Table by Rick Bragg

Margaret Bragg does not own a single cookbook. She measures in “dabs” and “smidgens” and “tads” and “you know, hon, just some.” She cannot be pinned down on how long to bake corn bread (“about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the mysteries of your oven”). Her notion of farm-to-table is a flatbed truck. But she can tell you the secrets to perfect mashed potatoes, corn pudding, redeye gravy, pinto beans and hambone, stewed cabbage, short ribs, chicken and dressing, biscuits and butter rolls. Many of her recipes, recorded here for the first time, pre-date the Civil War, handed down skillet by skillet, from one generation of Braggs to the next. In The Best Cook in the World, Rick Bragg finally preserves his heritage by telling the stories that framed his mother’s cooking and education, from childhood into old age. Because good food always has a good story, and a recipe, writes Bragg, is a story like anything else.

This book felt like home to me. I remember hearing similar stories about my matriarchal ancestors. I am seeking my lost heritage.

See my favorite books of 2019 and my favorite books of 2018. See my favorite life-changing books.

What was your favorite read of 2020?

I have a big stack of books and more eBooks waiting for me this year!

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Asian Pacific American Resources

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May 1, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

May is Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month. 

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. Check out this teacher resource page.

It’s a great month to focus our studies, our reading and watching materials on Asians and Pacific Islanders. But we shouldn’t just limit our learning about other cultures to one month out of the year!

Often in our curriculum, the white narrative dominates and I must be diligent to seek out sources and materials to honor all cultures and peoples.

I try really hard to teach my white children about other cultures, about immigrants, and the experiences of people not like us. Sometimes, it’s uncomfortable and that’s where the learning happens. I love learning along with my kids!

I update our studies every history cycle, adding more inclusive material to our lists each time. Lots of book lists and more here:

  • China Unit Study
  • Japan Unit Study
  • Korea Unit Study
  • Vietnam Unit Study
  • India Unit Study

We lived in Hawaii for three years. We loved it.

But we realized we were temporary, other, haoles in Paradise, and it wasn’t our land. Looking back, I realize there was so much more I could have learned, done, thought. My girls were very young and I can make amends now as we learn about the history and culture of Hawaii. The kids don’t even remember it.

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

Maya Angelou

Our Hawaii Travels

  • Big Island Hawaii with Kids
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
  • Maui with Kids
  • Oahu with Kids
  • Honolulu with Kids
  • North Shore with Kids
  • Kaneohe with Kids
  • Our Kaua’i Weekend
  • Our Ni’ihau Day Trip
  • Makahiki – Thanksgiving in Hawaii
  • Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Reading List

  • I love Amy Tan. Joy Luck Club and all her others! I think I’ve read them all.
  • Jhumpa Lahiri is another jewel. I love her books! The Lowland and The Namesake are great!
  • Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong
  • Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng  
  • Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
  • Home Remedies: Stories by Xuan Juliana Wang  
  • This Is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila
  • Frankly in Love by David Yoon
  • Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy by Kevin Kwan 
  • Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford 
  • Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
  • White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
  • Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong  
  • On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous: A Novel by Ocean Vuong
  • The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston
  • A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara  
  • Ask Me No Questions by Marina Tamar Budhos
  • Bamboo People and Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins
  • Born Confused series by Tanuja Desai Hidier
  • Tashi and the Tibetan Flower Cure by Naomi C. Rose
  • Candy Shop by Jan Wahl
  • Hannah Is My Name by Belle Yang
  • Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet by Sherri L. Smith
  • Two Mrs. Gibsons by Toyomi Igus
  • American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
  • Grandfather Counts by Andrea Cheng
  • The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland
  • Everything Asian by Sung J. Woo
  • Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story by Paula Yoo 
  • A Step From Heaven by An Na
  • Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong
  • Project Mulberry and A Single Shard by Linda Soo Park
  • Under the Blood-red Sun and Island Boyz: Short Stories by Graham Salisbury
  • Little Cricket by Jackie Brown
  • Fresh Off the Boat by Melissa De la Cruz
  • Beacon Hill Boys by Ken Mochizuki

I believe in exposing young children to other cultures and getting them familiar with differences so they don’t feel uncomfortable. The first time I had Asian food, I was twelve! I don’t think my parents did a good job on some aspects of my education.

Activities:

Dine out at an Asian restaurant and try new foods. Research before you go so it’s not an expensive waste since the flavors and presentation are very different than typical American food. Some foods are very spicy to a white palate used to bland food!

Learn to cook Asian food! Sushi, stir fries, and soups are easy first steps.

  • Lettuce Wraps
  • Slow Cooker Asian Pork Ribs
  • Cashew Chicken
  • Easy Stir Fry
  • Easy Lo Mein
  • Easy Fried Rice

Visit an Asian festival to learn more about the culture and support immigrants.

Go to museum exhibits on Asian art.

How do you celebrate Asian Americans?

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Math Stories

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April 13, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 5 Comments

Doing math drills is not my idea of fun. I don’t want to inflict that upon my children.

While we complete Singapore math workbooks and VideoText for high school, we really love reading about math in a fun way.

I love books and words and beautiful illustrations.

We love to read living math book or math stories that bring the numbers and equations to life in applied ways.

Life of Fred

We read a chapter of Life of Fred everyday with our morning read alouds.

I enjoy Life of Fred math books immensely and have learned so much more math than I did in Georgia public school. It’s really easy to understand and remember and apply.

We’re on Physics now with my kids – ages 10, 13, and 14.

Elementary Mathematics:

These ten books are designed to be used in alphabetical order as listed and cover grades 1-4.

  1. Apples
  2. Butterflies
  3. Cats
  4. Dogs
  5. Edgewood
  6. Farming
  7. Goldfish
  8. Honey
  9. Ice Cream
  10. Jellybeans

Middle Grades:

Intermediate Series 3-Book Set: Kidneys, Liver, and Mineshaft

Fractions to Pre-Algebra 5-Book Set: Fractions, Decimals and Percents, Pre-Algebra 0 with Physics, Pre-Algebra 1 with Biology, and Pre-Algebra 2 with Economics

High School and Beyond:

High School Set 1: Beginning Algebra and Advanced Algebra

High School Set 2: Geometry and Trigonometry

Financial Choices

Logic

College Set of 5 Books: Calculus, Statistics, Linear Algebra, Five Days, and Real Analysis

Chemistry

Living Math Books (Stories)

  • One Grain Of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale by Demi
  • Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
  • A Remainder of One by Elinor J Pinczes
  • One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J Pinczes
  • Inchworm and A Half by Elinor J Pinczes
  • The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
  • Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians
  • Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians, Vol. 2
  • The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures by Malba Tahan
  • The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
  • The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat by Theoni Pappas
  • The Joy of Mathematics: Discovering Mathematics All Around You by Theoni Pappas
  • Fractals, Googols, and Other Mathematical Tales by Theoni Pappas
  • Ada Byron Lovelace & the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark
  • Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark
  • Numbers in Motion: Sophie Kowalevski, Queen of Mathematics by Laurie Wallmark
  • Billions of Bricks: A Counting Book About Building by Kurt Cyrus
  • Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
  • The Grapes Of Math by Greg Tang
  • Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving by Greg Tang
  • The Best Of Times by Greg Tang
  • Math Fables by Greg Tang
  • Math Potatoes by Greg Tang
  • Math for All Seasons by Greg Tang
  • Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford
  • Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe
  • The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman
  • Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D’Agnese
  • The Great Divide: A Mathematical Marathon by Dayle Ann Dodds
  • Full House: An Invitation to Fractions by Dayle Ann Dodds
  • How Much Is a Million? by David M Schwartz
  • Millions to Measure by David M Schwartz
  • If You Made a Million by David M Schwartz
  • Zero the Hero by Joan Holub
  • Zero by Kathryn Otoshi
  • One by Kathryn Otoshi
  • Two by Kathryn Otoshi
  • Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money by Emily Jenkins
  • The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague by Julia Finley Mosca
  • Each Orange Had 8 Slices by Paul Giganti Jr.
  • 7 Ate 9 by Tara Lazar
  • Of Numbers and Stars by D. Anne Love
  • Mummy Math: An Adventure in Geometry by Cindy Neuschwander
  • The Power of 10 by Judy Newhoff
  • Perimeter, Area, and Volume: A Monster Book of Dimensions by David A. Adler
  • Place Value by David A. Adler
  • Fraction Fun by David A. Adler
  • Max’s Math by Kate Banks
  • Sheep Won’t Sleep: Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s by Judy Cox

Living Math Series

  • Charlesbridge Math Adventures
  • Sir Cumference by Cindy Neuschwander
  • Mitsumasa Anno
  • Marilyn Burns
  • Math and Magic Adventures by Lilac Mohr 
  • The Math Inspectors by Daniel Kenney

We check out lots of books from the library and add to our home library collection with some of the better quality math stories. These are fun to read during summer or for a math unit. Some are fun mysteries or teach historical math biographies.

We journaled a lot when my middle girls were younger. Math journals are a fun way to record learning and incorporate writing and art.

You might also like:

  • How We Do Math
  • Multiplication Unit
  • Jazzy Journals
  • Preschool Math

Linking up: Create with Joy, Kippi at Home, Mostly Blogging, Little Cottage, April Harris, Marilyn’s Treats, Anita Ojeda, Welcome Heart, Home Stories, Mary Geisen, Purposeful Faith, Suburbia, Our Home, LouLou Girls, Our Three Peas, Grandmas Ideas, Soaring with Him, Worth Beyond Rubies, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Gingersnap Crafts, Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, Anchored Abode, Crystal Storms, Debbie Kitterman, Slices of Life, CKK, OMHGW, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Answer is Choco, Simply Sweet Home, Momfessionals, Lyli Dunbar, CWJ, Fireman’s Wife, Being a Wordsmith, Random Musings,

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Apocalyptic Media to Binge

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March 21, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

We’ve been quarantined only a week or so and so many of us are unironically binge watching and reading apocalyptic movies and literature.

It brings a weird comfort. Maybe some how-to manuals. Sometimes a laugh at how unrealistic it is.

Apocalyptic Media to Binge

Movies

My kids couldn’t finish Outbreak, they said it was too real. We’ve watched lots of these end of the world movies. We love aliens, zombies, sci-fi, and fantasy.

  • Outbreak
  • 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later
  • Contagion
  • 12 Monkeys
  • Patient Zero
  • 2012
  • The Day After Tomorrow
  • I am Legend
  • Children of Men
  • Cabin Fever
  • Planet of the Apes (original series)
  • Planet of the Apes (new series)
  • The Andromeda Strain
  • The Maze Runner series
  • Divergent series
  • Hunger Games trilogy
  • Love in The Time of Cholera
  • The Horseman on the Roof
  • Logan’s Run
  • Resident Evil collection
  • 9
  • The Book of Eli
  • Knowing
  • World War Z
  • Mad Max and Fury Road
  • Night of the Living Dead
  • Dawn of the Dead (original)
  • Dawn of the Dead (new)
  • Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness

Books

We do read alouds in our homeschool every weekday morning.

We’re reading We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren. We’re finishing up our Year 4 history with the last 25 years and it’s so hard, y’all.

Many of these selections are also on my Dystopian Book List.

  • MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood
  • The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
  • anything by Robin Cook
  • The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz
  • The Stand by Stephen King
  • The Running Man by Richard Bachman
  • Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon
  • The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
  • Parable of the Sower Series by Octavia Butler
  • Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  • Logan’s Run Trilogy by William F. Nolan & George Clayton Johnson
  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  • 1984 by George Orwell
  • Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  • I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
  • The Children of Men by PD James
  • I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
  • The Road by Cormac McCarthy
  • Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
  • We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
  • Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  • Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
  • Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
  • The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
  • The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner
  • The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry

What are you reading and watching these days?

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Filed Under: Homeschool Tagged With: book list, health, movies, quarantine

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