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Several years ago, I had this lofty visions of consistently sharing my Mother Culture book lists here on the blog. Unfortunately, the only thing I’ve been consistent with is not sharing the lists. However, I’m going to rectify that starting today!
I’ve read some really good books (including some EPICS) this year and I’m so excited to share them with you!
I’ll start with this PNEU quote, because this is my inspirations and it’s how I categorize the books below:
“The wisest woman I ever knew–the best wife, the best mother, the best mistress, the best friend–told me once, when I asked her how, with her weak health and many calls upon her time, she managed to read so much, ‘I always keep three books going–a stiff book, a moderately easy book, and a novel, and I always take up the one I feel fit for!’ That is the secret; always have something ‘going’ to grow by. If we mothers were all ‘growing’ there would be less going astray among our boys, less separation in mind from our girls.“
Parent’s Review, Vol. 3, No. 2
MY MOTHER CULTURE BOOK LIST FROM THE FIRST HALF OF 2024.
MY “STIFF” BOOKS FROM QUARTERS 1 & 2
As you can see, most of my “stiff” reading this year was initially about Orthodoxy. We started attending our Orthodox Church last November, became Catechumens in February, and were Chrismated in June. In order to try to understand Orthodoxy and make sure we were making the right choice for our family, I devoured everything I could for the first half of 2024.
This part of the list won’t resonate with everyone, and that’s okay! But these were my “stiff” reads:
Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy (If you’re curious about how Orthodoxy compares to many of the main Protestant denominations, this is a really great book!)
The Orthodox Faith | Volumes 1-3 (as part of our catechism)
MY “MODERATELY EASY” BOOKS FROM QUARTERS 1 & 2
This section of my list is absolutely EPIC. I read both the Kristin Lavransdatter Trilogy (a rich historical trilogy set in Medieval Norway) AND The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in the first half of 2024, and both of these are absolute must-reads!
Kristin Lavransdatter (the trilogy). I love this 1,144 page story for so many reasons. It follows Kristin’s life from youth until her last breath, and it is stunning in the way it includes such extraordinary detail and the way the characters are so completely human, with all of their virtues and flaws.
Olav Audonsson (all 4 volumes). After I finished Kristin Lavransdatter, I was still really in the mood to keep reading more from Sigrid Undset that was set in a similar time period. The Olav Audonsson books were perfect for that, and I loved them almost as much as Kristin Lavransdatter.
Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I’m almost ashamed to admit this, but I was never really into LOTR. I had tried to watch the movies when they came out during my high school years, but they just felt really long and, honestly, kind of boring. I finally caved to peer pressure this year when everyone from our church insisted that I needed to 1.) read the entire trilogy start to finish and 2.) watch the extended cut versions of all three movies. I am so sad it took me all of these years to give LOTR a fair chance, because I LOVE them! The whole trilogy was so, so good!
Raising Boys to Men. I read and loved Durenda Wilson’s book, The Unhurried Homeschooler, several years ago, so when I saw she’d released this new book (and as a mom of two boys), I knew I had to read it. It did not disappoint!
Beyond Mere Motherhood. What can I say about Cindy Rollins except that I absolutely LOVE her work! I devoured Mere Motherhood a few years ago and it left me with so many emotions. Her newest book, Beyond Mere Motherhood once again had me laughing, crying, and highlighting like crazy!
Habits for a Sacred Home. This was the first Jennifer Pepito book I’ve read, and it was perfect for the season of life I’m in. Since becoming Orthodox, we’ve been very intentional about creating a sacred home. While this book is written from what seems to be a Protestant perspective, the ideas are the same and it was such a practical and encouraging book for Christians of any denomination.
MY NOVELS FROM QUARTERS 1 & 2
I once heard that C.S. Lewis encouraged people to read the favorites of their favorite authors. For me, one of my very favorite authors is Andrew Peterson. He shared that Leif Enger is one of his favorite authors, so I decided I had to give him a try. I started with Peace Like a River, and as you’ll see in future posts, I’ve read almost all of Enger’s novels this year – they’re that good!
I also really loved Cutting for Stone, even as hard as a lot of it was to read, and went on to read another of Verghese’s novels over the summer.
I’m a big fan of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, so when I saw A Thousand Ships, which tells the story of the aftermath of the sacking of Troy from the women’s perspectives, I knew I had to read it. There were definitely parts I wanted to close my eyes and skip, but overall, I enjoyed the different perspective on a well-loved epic.
Finally, I’m a sucker for WWII fiction, so I really enjoyed The Last Bookshop in London, Code Name Hélène, and The Huntress.
Here are the other novels I read during the first half of the year:
A Cup of Cold Water (This is actually nonfiction, but reads like a novel. It’s the AMAZING true story of Edith Cavell, who helped smuggle Allied soldiers out of Belgium during WWI and it’s a YA book that’s worth reading with your kids.)
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (I did not enjoy this one at all. I’m still trying the learn that it’s okay to not finish a book I don’t like.)
ADE at Home Charlotte Mason Homeschool Conference
In addition to the books I read during the first half of the year, I also attended the annual ADE @ Home Conference in February. As always, it provided a boost of encouragement and infused our homeschool with fresh perspective during that mid-winter slump.
Just like in years past, I’m already excited about 2025’s conference!
That’s my Mother Culture book list for the first half of 2024. What great books have you read? Drop your suggestions below and I’ll add them to my list!
