Current Family Reading...

The husband-man and I are reading aloud: A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille. I love this book about education and am glad my hubs is letting me share it with him. This book is primarily for homeschoolers, but I really think it would benefit anyone who wants to learn, no matter what type of learning they choose. The idea is that the best education comes from mentors and the classics, as Thomas Jefferson was taught. You can see my review of the book here.


Read-aloud with the kids: The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks. So far so good. The kids are truly enjoying this story. (Although we haven't read anything they loved nearly as much as The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe) I do substitute and skip over words here and there (like kill and stupid...), but other than that, this book has been a great addition to our read-alouds.

My personal reading: Emma by Jane Austen. I had read Emma before, of course. I mean, Pride and Prejudice is my all-time favorite book. However, I am enjoying Emma even more than ever. I remember finding it so wordy and a bit slow, but going in this time with those expectations has made it thoroughly enjoyable. What wit!

What are you reading? Do you have suggestions for great family read-alouds? I'm always looking for more!

PS. Don't forget the Giveaway! You have until Thursday night.

A Walk with Jane Austen by Lori Smith

A Walk with Jane Austen by Lori Smith
Review by Emily from Whimsy Books and Whimsy Daisy

A Walk with Jane Austen is a quiet ride through Jane Austen’s world. This book is not what I expected it to be. It is less about Jane Austen and more about author Lori Smith. It is a soft memoir. Smith’s talented writing weaves countless connections between the life of Jane Austen and her own.

Lori Smith finds herself growing older and unmarried, a position she never expected to find herself in. She tours England to visit the remaining sites of Austen’s world. During this trip, Smith discovers who she is, why we face challenges, and how faith can get us through.

From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. In this engaging, deeply personal and well-researched travelogue, Smith (a PW contributor) journeys to England to soak in the places of Jane Austen's life and writings. The book is sure to ride the wave of Austen-philia that has recently swept through Hollywood and a new generation of Americans, but this is an unusual look at Jane Austen. Readers will learn plenty of biographical details-about Austen's small and intimate circle of family and friends, her candid letters to her sister, her possible loves and losses, her never-married status, her religious feelings, and her untimely death at the age of 41. But it is the author's passionate connection to Jane-the affinity she feels and her imaginings of Austen's inner life-that bring Austen to life in ways no conventional biographer could. Smith's voice swings authentically between the raw, aching vulnerability of a single Christian woman battling a debilitating and mysterious chronic illness and the surges of faith she finds in the grace of a loving God. And yes, she even meets a potential Darcy at the start of her journey. This deliciously uncertain romantic tension holds the book together as Smith weaves her own thoughts, historical research, and fitting references to Austen's novels into a satisfying whole.

Emma by Jane Austen

Emma by Jane Austen

I recently read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, and I would list them among my favorite books. For my third Austen book, I settled on Emma. I did not care for Emma as much, but I am glad that I read it.

In some respects, Emma Woodhouse is not a likable heroine. She is self-centered and vain, and she uses others for her own entertainment and pleasure. Throughout the novel, however, Emma changes into a lady who genuinely cares for the feelings of others and learns that she cannot view the entire world through her own desires and perspective.

Although she was sometimes shallow, I liked Emma as a character, and I enjoyed following her transformation. Like the other Austen books I have read, Emma is filled with wit and humor. On the other hand, there were times when I felt the story was dragging. Sometimes, I just had to put the book down and come back to it at another time. Additionally, while I believe that Jane Austen has a gift for creating wonderful characters, there were so many people mentioned that I sometimes had difficulty keeping some of the lesser names straight in my mind.

Of the Austen books I have read, Emma was not my favorite, but I certainly recommend it. If you have never read Jane Austen, head to your nearest library now; you will not be disappointed. And, because Emma has been made into several movies, you can treat yourself to the movie as well (after reading the book, of course)!

Review by Lauren, regular contributor

Baseballs and Bows