November and December Book Reviews (and possibly my last blog post for awhile?)
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| The Artist's Wife by Henry Lamb (1933) |
Here's an unconventional little chatty blurb before my reviews. I am not sure if anyone will even read this since I know I usually just jump to the book reviews if anyone wants to talk about themselves before getting to the good stuff. But I just wanted to mention this might be my last book review post for awhile. I am trying to stay offline and have had a busy and full life with homeschooling and homemaking, so I don't have the energy or passion for blogging I once had. This has always been a passion project, not a money-making venture, and I haven't tried to "build my platform" very much (the times I did, it was short-lived because it felt inauthentic and exhausting). So I am not sure if anyone reads these reviews and if they are helpful. I hope so. I personally have really enjoyed writing my posts about homeschooling/building life-giving rhythms with my kids. But as I am trying to keep their lives private and offline, and those posts take a lot of time, I have paused those also. I will try to stay up-to-date on Goodreads, if you want to follow my book reviews there if I do in fact stop posting here. And if you know me in real life, I am usually up for a fun chat about books, homeschooling, faith, and life in general, so stay in touch. I'm still prayerfully mulling it all over, so you may see me again here and maybe not. I might pop back in for a Favorite Books of 2024, since I have done that for many years and it's fun to look back at my favorites. If not, Happy New Year!
What a way to go out with a bang in 2024 ---- ALL my books were five-star reads in November and December!
A re-read for me that I enjoyed just as much the second time around. It is a practical and easy-to-understand guide to positive discipline, which the authors define as teaching and skill building rather than punishment. Their method focuses on first connecting with the child before correcting/redirecting their behavior. They link a child's neurological development, namely the high brain (rational, analytical, empathetic) and low brain (reactionary, "reptilian", flight/fight/flee) with discipline. For example, when a toddler has a tantrum, they're acting from their lower brain (confused/overwhelmed with emotions, angry at not being able to get what they want, etc). If a parent responds in frustration and attempts to correct the behavior in the middle of the tantrum, it will often escalate and both parent and child will be working from their lower brain: rigid, angry, and escalating. But if the parent can calmly choose to first connect with the child by assuring them they are safe and loved (a hug, a reassurance that you'll stay with them while they calm down, validation of their difficult emotions, etc), the child can move from functioning from the reactionary low brain to the receptive high brain. The authors go into the exact parts of the brain that are strengthened when we repeatedly learn to work from the higher brain, which over time allows kids to make more positive, respectful, and thoughtful choices even when upset, rather than immediately freaking out. I also appreciated that Siegel and Bryson mentioned that parents/caregivers need to be in tune with their own emotional state during tantrums, disagreements, and misbehavior from children. Taking a few minutes (or even longer) to calm down and discipline from an engaging, calm demeanor entails being reflective of their own triggers and tendencies that can hinder effective resolution and restore calm. They give a lot of examples to clarify their methods and even include illustrations to help drive the point home. As a Christian parent, I definitely add on to the helpful things in the book. I discuss how God is the one who can help my son obey even when it's hard and he'd rather tune me out; how we are prone towards sin because of the Fall (way back at the creation of the world with Adam and Eve) and need the rescue and redemption of Jesus that helps was want to do the right thing, and how God (and us as parents) love him even when he chooses to sin but that we love him too much to stay there (and that we want to show him God's good path and help him learn to choose good choices, have self-control and other fruits of the Spirit, etc). Basically, I appreciate the knowledge of how the brain works in both me and my child when we are upset, but as Christians, we have to take it a step forward to grow in gentleness, love, forgiveness, patience, and right living according to His standards, which is only possible with being empowered by the Holy Spirit to show us the way. But these conversations happen during calm moments, with a loving voice, when his heart is more open to correction than in the heat of the moment, which the authors focus on throughout the book. They also focus on asking probing questions to help the child work through what's going on in the bodies when they're upset and help develop executive reasoning (making good choices). While I think they're suggestions are great, I also add in Scripture and probing questions I have found from different Christian resources, such as the Wise Words for Moms handout from Ginger Hubbard that I keep on my fridge for reference. Disciplining children is a loaded and huge topic and there's so much to say, especially since Gentle Parenting is such a big deal in today's society, so I won't go into it more than I did, but think this is a great resource for your toolbox, whether Christian or not (it is not a Christian book, just to clarify, but definitely doesn't have anything against Christianity or Biblical discipline either). I read it when my son was only a year old, so it definitely hit different this time around when there are so many opportunities to train and teach, and yes, discipline my kids, so I want to do it well, respecting my children and how God has wired them, but also standing strong on what He calls good and true.Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD That Restores Attention, Minimizes Hyperactivity, and Helps Eliminate Drug Side Effects by James M. Greenblatt, MD ★★★★★
A re-read that definitely is more useful this second time around when I see ADD symptoms in myself and a child of mine rather than reading it for work as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Dr. Greenblatt has worked with thousands of children and adults struggling to cope with ADHD symptoms and this book is a summary of his treatment plan. He provides a plethora of research along with anecdotal evidence for his Plus-Minus Treatment Plan, which entails adding certain things (such as magnesium, zinc, digestive enzymes, omega-3s, regular exercise, and mindfulness) and removing things that cause or worsen ADHD symptoms (such as eating foods the child is allergic or sensitive to, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sleep issues). Though he believes most cases of ADHD can be naturally treated, he is definitely not opposed to certain ADHD medications and discusses the safest ways to incorporate these medications when needed -- and how to minimize the horrible side effects. As a pediatric nurse practitioner as well as an adult who has struggled with some symptoms of ADHD and also as a person who is interested in natural ways to deal with health issues, I found this book informative, practical, easy-to-understand, and written by someone who obviously cares about children and adults with ADHD. Dr. Greenblatt has written this book to empower families to learn about alternative ways to treat symptoms of ADHD and to give them questions and tools to bring with them to doctor visits.
Rating: G
A delightful collection of letters Lewis wrote to children as replies to their own letters about the Narnia books. Many of these children wrote for decades, so you can see the sweet pen-pal friendships that developed. Only his own letters are included, so you have to guess what the kids wrote, but it's not hard because of his great responses that summarize their questions or main comments. This was an easy read and endeared me to Jack even more than before (and I was already a big fan). The way he respected and honored the children and teens he wrote to, not belittling them but responding with great thoughts and questions of his own, shows so much about his character. 
This is the collection of both of the original Pooh books, Winnie-the-Pooh (published in 1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Milne wrote these stories for his son, Christopher Robin Milne, who had a stuffed bear, tiger, pig, and donkey, and the illustrator (Shepherd) visited their house and based the illustrations on Christopher Robin Milne and his stuffed animals. These tender details add to the already endearing tales of the lovable Pooh and his friends. But if you're at all familiar with Disney's simplified version of Pooh, please consider reading the original, pre-Disney-fied version. Milne has such wit and humor that adults and kids will love (though kids won't always understand it all). The stories themselves, from Pooh's different attempts to secure pots of honey, to bouncy Tigger getting himself into all sorts of mischief, to Eeyore's self-deprecating woe-is-me attitude, to Rabbit's superior complex, and so many other characters that just add so much satire to real life, these were a joy to read with my five-year-old. We enjoyed listening to some of them on audiobook with background music and sounds from nature that match the stories, plus the narrator has really funny voices for all the characters. However you read it, just do it. It will be a fun adventure for yourself, and if you read with with children (I'd suggest five and up because of the older language), even better! My son and I have funny lines memorized we will quote at appropriate times, like "Tut! Tut! Looks like rain!" when it's cloudy, and "You never can tell with bees" when we see bees. Even though I love the original books more than Disney's version (which seems a lot more geared for very young children), the original cartoon adaptation in the 1977 has stories most closely aligned with the original books. 
I have read most of Martin's books at this point, and love them all. This is his first novel and reads a bit different than later novels, but is still excellent. It is a story of the devastating, lifelong ramifications of an abusive, neglectful father who was rich in the world's definition of status and finances, but was impoverished in love. The boys grow up, one chasing a career in photography to erase his past hurt (Tucker), and the other deep in mental illness that seems to have no escape (Matthew). A chance encounter with a childhood girlfriend leads Tucker to revisit the pain of his childhood as well as the hope, love, and forgiveness he learned from his housekeeper that raised the boys up. Like all of Martin's stories, the theme is redemption, especially after they encounter Jesus in powerful ways. I love that Martin's books are not preachy; they effortlessly display the beauty of the gospel within incredibly written plots, dialogue, and character development. His faith shines through the pages and his characters are always changed by the gospel at some point in his books. I also love how real his books are; there are dark subjects he approaches, from abuse and schizophrenia in this book to human trafficking in the Murphy Shepherd trilogy. He's my favorite contemporary novelist and I am glad he has such an extensive list of books that I can continue to find and read. 
An excellent, thought-provoking book about the detriment of relying on and glorifying technology and how it affects our families. Erin explores how to opt-out of the lies the tech world is tricking us to believe. I have a lot to still chew and work through, reviewing notes and making some changes in the year ahead. I appreciated the ways Erin contrasted the tech world’s “playlist” (how top tech execs try to convince us we need their new, flash gadgets and apps) and how we can hack our own low-tech alternatives to stay rooted in the real world. The research that backs her up on her convictions that technology is harming our kids, along with her own experience as an influencer (years ago when it was hardly a thing) and opting out of that fast-paced and fake life, this is a solid book and great for any parent to read and discuss with their family. 
I read through the entire Bible in 2024 using The Bible Recap alongside several of my extended family on my husband's side. It was a great experience that blessed me very much, though the pace was definitely a challenge at times. I wanted a bird's-eye-view of the whole Bible and a recent memory of every book of Scripture since it had been many years since I read some of the books of the Bible, such as some of the Law books (Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers) as well as some of the minor Prophets (like Joel, Amos, Obadiah, etc). Now in the new year, as I return to my preferred way to study the Bible (slow-paced, verse-by-verse inductive study of one book at a time for several weeks or months), I can have a recent memory of the overall story and message of the Bible and hopefully see connections more clearly. This physical book is like a transcript of every day's explanation by Tara about that day's readings. Basically, I downloaded the one-year reading plan in my Bible app, and each day, I would listen to that day's Bible reading (usually around ten minutes), then listen to the accompanying explanation by Tara (roughly eight minutes). Then I would write in my journaling Bible any notes I wanted to remember. The Bible Project's videos summarizing each book of the Bible were also extremely helpful. I have used that resource for many years and have the rather large but very helpful physical copy of the visuals and transcripts of those videos (I have an old copy like this one, which is out of print, and now they are astronomically over-priced, so I would just recommend taking a screenshot of the video at the end to get a full-picture view of the diagram if that's helpful). If you are interested in this reading plan, I suggest reading through the Start page on their website. You can start any day of the year, not just January 1st, and you don't have to rush through it in one-year. You can totally take your time. The explanations by Tara-Leigh are extremely helpful and it doesn't hurt that she has a spunky sense of humor that sometimes peeks through.
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Elle Alice