Time again for another What's On Your Nightstand over at 5 Minutes for Books.Well, we have just concluded an AMAZING weekend with our family in which my sister-in-law performed her senior recital (for composition) and made the entire family teary-eyed and overjoyed. Our house has been packed out by our favorite people in the whole world and now our refrigerator is full of leftovers, meaning I don't have to cook all week long. I'm pretty sure anyway. With all of the happenings around here I clean forgot that tomorrow is Nightstand! Yet here we are (again) and I'm looking into May.
I knew April was going to be kinda crazy and so I tried to keep my expectations low. I don't think I succeeded in keeping them low enough but this is how I fared:
1. The Maid and The Queen. I did read this one and the title is linked to my review. Loved it. Highly recommend it!
2. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
. I did read it but I haven't had a chance to sit down and write out my thoughts just yet. I should be able to get to that shortly.3. War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles
, by Paul David Tripp. I didn't get anywhere near this book this past month. I'm going to push it into May because I do want to get to it sooner rather than later.
4. Matthew (St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary)
, by R.C. Sproul. I started it! I'm just a few chapters in so this'll continue onto the May reading docket as well.5. No Name, by Wilkie Collins I read for the Reading to Know Book Club. Loved it. My non-spoiler review is linked to the title. Highly recommended!
So what are my goals in May? Well, I'm hoping to clean off my bookshelves (again). I've been declining review books of late so that I can catch up as soon as possible and be ready to read
1. Finish Matthew (St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary)
.2. Start AND finish (ha) War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles
.
3. Island of the Blue Dolphins
is the book of choice for the May edition of the Reading to Know Book Club. I haven't decided whether I will include Bookworm1 in this and make it a read aloud or read it by myself. I've never read it. Any thoughts? Advice? Opinions? I'm listening.Amy from Hope is the Word will be leading the discussion for the month of May. Feel free to join in with us just for this one month if you please!
Then I have some review copies which I really need to knock off. For simplicity's sake, I'll just link titles.
4. The Apple Orchard
, by Susan Wiggs. This is a modern novel but I'm taking a chance on it as it is set in World War II and the publisher's description gave me hopes that I would enjoy it. We remain ever hopeful.5. The Shape of the Eye: A Memoir
, by George Estreich. I'll be reading this one for review on 5 Minutes for Books/Mom.6. Secret Storms: A Mother and Daughter, Lost then Found
- This one is a story surrounding an adoption so I'm very curious.7. The Sasquatch Escape (The Imaginary Veterinary)
, a new piece of middle grade fiction by Suzanne Selfors. Because sometimes you just have to know.8. Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II
- Because it sounds awesome!!!I'm hoping I can make a considerable dent in my reading stack this month. We have a few getaways planned as a family so I'm not entirely certain what the reading month will end up looking like but we'll give it a go and hope for the best!
So what's on YOUR nightstand? I'll be following links to find out!
I have never read Island of the Blue Dolphins, but I did enjoy another of Scott O'Dell's books, Hawk that Dare Not Hunt By Day, as a kid. So, I will boldly discover this book with the kids this month.
ReplyDeleteOn my nightstand right now:
City Life by Witold Rybczynski
Alarms and Diversions by James Thurber
The Man of Mode by Sir George Etherege
The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott
A Curtain of Green by Eudora Welty
I, too, loved The Hawk That Dared Not Hunt by Day as a kid. Tempted to get a copy and read Island of the Blue Dolphin with you. Like I don't have enough else on my plate.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about Island as a read-aloud for us. I'm wondering if it might be too intense (death, etc.). Since I've never read t, though, I can't say for sure. I'm looking forward to it, though!
ReplyDeleteI read The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day years ago -- I didn't realize the same author wrote Blue Dolphins. I'm looking forward to it even more now!
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to hear about War of Words.
Sounds like you had a great weekend! Hope you have fun on your family outings!
Leftovers in the fridge--almost as good as a full nightstand of books.
ReplyDeleteGood look starting and finishing War of Words during May. :-) Love that one. Island of the Blue Dolphins was a book I did read with my girls; we all enjoyed it. Hope you do too!
I read about Apple Orchard and may give it a try. I need to get back to Willkie Collins--I've been reading the "Moonstone" on and off for about a year on my Kindle. Interesting list this month!
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking Island would be too mature for my kiddos.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't read much else because you read No Name! I started it...don't know if I'll manage to finish or not. :)
I *haven't* read Island of the Blue Dolphins--but maybe that would be a good one to get back into the reading club thing with.
ReplyDeleteFrozen in Time looks pretty interesting to me too.
I read The Island of the Blue Dolphins a year or two ago and enjoyed it. It isn't the type of book that I want my siblings younger than 11 reading though. It is fairly mature and serious for them... My eight year old sister is enjoying Peter and the Starcatchers right now instead.
ReplyDeleteOn my nightstand for right now is:
Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
I remember really loving Island of the Blue Dolphins when I was younger (tween / young teen), it was one of my favorites though I can't remember all the details of the story now. May have to reread it sometime. I guess I'd recommend reading it first and deciding if your daughter would enjoy it / be up for it.
ReplyDeleteIsland of the Blue Dolphins was one of my childhood favorites. I hope it still is as good as I remember.
ReplyDeleteWe listened to the audio version of Island of the Blue Dolphins on a road trip. It was a at least 2 years ago, so Kyle was probably around B1's age. It was a bit slow for him, I think.
ReplyDeleteI remembered enjoying the book as a child, but I don't know if it lived up to my expectations.
Since I'm not blogging any more I don't really think about leaving comments re: my to-read list. Then a friend said she missed my nightstand posts and was curious what I was reading. So... whether or not you wanted to know here is my current nightstand list:
ReplyDeleteI am working my way through Beth Moore's A Heart Like His. While it is generally read as part of a devotional/bible study I'm reading it like a non-fiction book. Thoroughly enjoying it.
Up next is The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield, which has come highly recommended to me by several ladies I know and respect. We're reading it for our next book club meeting in May.
Then, if and when I have time I am starting Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmoutse Hall by Emily Bearn. And perhaps picking up my all but abandoned reading challenge for Agatha Christie: Elephants Can Remember (I'm almost done with this challenge!)
That's it. So, yeah, even though I don't blog, I still read!
I would suggest that Island of Blue Dolphins is not for a sensitive, younger child.
ReplyDeleteI read it when I was 10 or so, that is the age I would recommend. It's definitely more real-life and death.
I recently bought one of Selfors' YA books(The Sweetest Spell). I'm looking forward to finally reading it. I hope you like The Sasquatch Escape!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment when you reviewed the Maid and the Queen but refrained due to the giveaway, but I sooo want to read this. And the library doesn't have it. :v( I think I'll visit the used book stores and take a look for it.
ReplyDeleteThe Maid and the Queen sounds excellent - I'd like to learn more about Joan of Arc. I taught ele. school for years and read Blue Dolphins then -- honestly don't remember a lot about it but if your child is into nature, he/she would probably enjoy. I recall it being totally non-offensive, and moving kind of slowly (but for today's kids, that's not necessarily a bad thing).
ReplyDeleteThe Joan of Arc books looks very interesting. I've had a lot of discussions about her with my kids. What I know about her is based off snippets in our history readings or the Diane Stanley book. My oldest son has read Mark Twain's book about her which I want to read some day.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great list! I'll be excited to see what you get to read in May. I missed the link up as I forgot to put the post together before my vacation. Oh, well!
ReplyDelete