Learning How Much I Don't Know: March 2015 Nightstand Report

Sunday, March 29, 2015

I am happy with what I accomplished in my reading this month as I learned a lot. Here were my goals (linked to reviews where applicable):

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer was my selection for Carrie's Classics Book Club. This was also one of the books on my list of books I want to read in 2015. I finished it and got a lot out of it, even as it wasn't the easiest book I've ever read. I hope to post my review this week, and we'll be discussing it on Carrie's blog this week as well.

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore. I really, really liked this memoir about two Black men raised in the same area in the same time period with the same name and many similar circumstances who took two different paths. I highly recommend it.

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver is a good storyteller, but this one didn't measure up to The Poisonwood Bible and I still don't agree with her worldview. As usual, however, she made me think, so I'm glad I read it.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I was hoping to start this classic with my son for literature this month, but we both had many commitments so I wasn't sure we would get to it. We didn't, but we cleared our calendar for it so we can look forward to it next month.

Raising Real Men by Hal and Melanie Young (from my TBR Pile Challenge). I am halfway finished with this book and anticipate finishing it next month.

Additional books I read this month included:

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman which was an interesting memoir about a WASP's time in prison. I wasn't crazy about the narrator, but I did find the book rather interesting.
One Plus One by Jojo Moyes was "escapist fiction" and I enjoyed its lightheartedness even as it discussed a couple of themes I found worth pondering.
A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer by Lyle Dorsett. I read this biography alongside The Pursuit of God and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has any curiosity about Tozer's life.

In April I hope to read:

And depending on time, maybe one or both of these from my "To Be Read" Pile Challenge:

Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish. Kristy keeps talking about how much she enjoyed this one, and she's only let me down once. . .(Jasper Fforde, cough) :)
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto. I'm in my 14th year of homeschooling and I've never read this book. How can I truly qualify as a homeschooling mom without having read it?

Amy @ Hope Is the WordMarch 30, 2015 at 10:13 PM
I'm about 80% through (or so) with the Tozer selection. I'll save my review for later, but I've really benefited a lot from reading it.

You always read the most interesting books!
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The CrislersMarch 31, 2015 at 8:27 AM
I've had The Poisonwood Bible sitting on my shelf, unread, for a few years now. I keep *meaning* to read it, but, well... you know how that goes. I do hope you love Little Heathens; I've had a few people read it on my recommendation, and they all enjoyed it, so hopefully we don't have another Fforde incident. (I STAND FIRM IN MY LOVE OF JASPER FFORDE. NO SHAME.)
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Barbara H.March 31, 2015 at 5:08 PM
I have three boys and very much enjoyed Raising Real Men.

I only homeschooled three years but never heard of Dumbing Us Down, LOL! But it was probably published after our time of schooling - mine are all grown now.

Poisonwood Bible is one of those I have wondered about but haven't ever quite felt like reading. But I probably should some day just to see what it is about.
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