☀️ Summer Reading Challenge, Book Ratings + US Travels

Our summer travels have officially begun! We visited Universal Studies Florida and the new Epic Universe last week and as I type this, I'm sitting north of Atlanta, Georgia, watching our daughter kayak the Chattahoochee River. 🚣🏼‍♀️ She's having the time of her life out there, and honestly? I'm a little jealous! Though I can't complain because I managed to sneak in a gorgeous hike earlier today.

I attended Mississippi State University and have traveled plenty throughout the South over the years, but somehow I'd forgotten just how much Georgia reminds me of Oregon. The rolling hills and the lush foliage. It's striking how similar they feel despite being thousands of miles apart. (However, it’s definitely warmer and muggier here!) 😅

But you’re not here to talk travels. You’re here for the BOOKS!

Here are the books I've been reading lately, plus some new finds from visiting local bookshops around Atlanta.

 
 

Over the past couple of months, I've been devouring books at a pace that even surprises me.

There's something about summer that makes me want to read everything I can get my hands on. But I’ve also noticed that I tend to jump into a lot of YA reads I can devour within a sitting or two.

Today I'm excited to share (in no particular order & with ratings when applicable):

The Eye of the World ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Violent Bear It Away (Catching up on my classics!) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out of the Silent Planet (CS Lewis space trilogy pre-read for our son’s summer scholé class) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Screwtape Letters (another read with my son for summer studies) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sunrise on the Reaping (Flew through this and am now excited to read the entire series!) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Next Breath (biography of the month) 

Hillbilly Elegy (last month’s biography) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wind in the Willows (finished this RA with my daughter last week) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Uwind and Dry (YA Reads since I enjoyed Scythe) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Faith That Sticks: 5 Real-Life Ways to Disciple Your Preteen

Breath of a Dragon (Bruce Lee’s daughter writes epic MMA fight scenes - yes THAT Bruce Lee!) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night Circus (Audiobook narrated by Jim Dale! For those of you who’ve listened to Harry Potter with your kids… IYKYK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heartwood (Audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Apartment Women & Convenience Store Woman (I’m a sucker for short translations!) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Radical: Taking Back your Faith from the American Dream ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Invisible Hour ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Gifted School ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sirens ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flirting with Disaster: True Travel Tales of Fear, Failure, and Faith ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Metal Slinger ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Belladonna ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beartown 

The Georgia Aquarium was INCREDIBLE! Thanks to those of you who recommended we visit!

 

We spent four days at Epic Universe, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure… my head is still spinning from all the rides! (The Harry Potter worlds were my favorite parts!)

 
 

Thank you for journeying through books and the US with us… it’s a pleasure not only to read alongside many of you but to also hear what YOU’RE loving too!

💌 February Book Picks + Fresh February Members Guide

Hello friends – I have a few exciting things lined up for you in February!

First, our new February Membership Simple + Fresh Guide will be available and ready to download Feb 1. We’re exploring the History of Chocolate, Quilting Stories and the Science of Shadows.

Don’t forget to download January too!

This month’s “Word of the Month” Book Challenge is “SHADOW.” (I listed books I’m reading and read in January below).

 

What I read in January:

A Beautiful Ugly ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Connie: A Memoir ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What You Are Looking for Is In the Library ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Melania ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clean ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Close Your Eyes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Deadly Game (A book that won a ton of awards by a local Floridian author) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

 
 

February Books:

 
 

So far, The Sword of Kaigen is proving to be a favorite 2025 book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And you can NEVER go wrong reading Norms & Nobility: A Treatise on Education.

I’d love to hear what YOU’RE reading in February!

☕️ Skill-Based Learning, Book-ish Updates, Fall Lessons and More…

Despite our family going through some major shifts, I still read as regularly as possible. In fact, reading helps me self-regulate! (You too?)

First, I’m sharing some books I’ve read (or am reading) this fall below, and I started a couple new book journals I’m excited to share more about in a later update.

Secondly, our Winter LIVE Classes are now enrolling. They’re about 1/3 full so while there’s still room if you’ve been on the fence, I wouldn’t wait too long!

Thirdly, I just completed another NEW, FANTASTIC Simple Studies Character Guide (woo hoo!) It releases November 12 - so be sure to check your email that day!

Love books? Me too! So glad you’re here!

Skill-Based Learning:

If you’re feeling tired and unmotivated – just know you’re not alone.

We ALL hit these slumps!

Sometimes lessons aren’t as fun as we think it’s going to be. I think that’s the case for so many of us who maybe enjoy our read alouds and then get everything in order, sit down and open up our daily lessons with our kids.

Just this week, our daughter was in tears (again) over math. I’m not doing anything crazy – in fact, we go slowly through each lesson and I’m privy to her individual needs – however, math just ain’t her thing (nor is it mine, no matter how “Charlotte Mason-ish” or “Montessori-ish” or hands-on I try to be).

I’m not ashamed to share this because I KNOW I’m not alone.

So instead of trying to crush math lessons every day, we take it a little bit at a time and instead, allow her to spend more time focusing on what she loves.

We don’t skip math but I can at least give her plenty of free time to explore the topics and activities she does enjoy to help set her up in life to use skills she’s naturally gifted with.

Encourage your kids to spend 80% of their time nurturing their natural strengths and passions. Dedicate the remaining 20% to building foundational skills in essential subjects—those areas that may not come as naturally but are valuable for life.

And when in doubt – read aloud! (Check out our favorite read aloud guides from past autumn months):

Let’s dive into the books!

Here’s a list of all the books I’ve been reading lately (they are not all clean - so please advise –it wouldn’t be fall without a bit of spooky mysteries and vampires!)

The Art of Living: The Classical Mannual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness (I’m taking diligent notes as I slowly chew on this book)

Odd and the Frost Giants (audiobook with the kids by one of my all-time favorite authors)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Read aloud with my teen)

River Sing Me Home

The Serpent and the Wings of the Night (Duology, caution advised)

Meditations

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Audiobook with the kids – we have like 15 hours remaining and waiting for a roadtrip to knock it out!)

Our Narrow Hiding Places: A Novel (Audiobook)

The Secret History (Just starting this one - it begs to be read during the autumn season and comes highly recommended)


Just finished:

Woman in the Polar Night (One of my favorite books of the year. Talk about resilience! Last year I read Letters of a Woman Homesteader – I just love this non-fiction genre)

Weyward (They had me at the cover)

Blackbeard Audiobook (Short story based on a true story from 1920s - production was wonderful!)

Gray After Dark (based on a true story here in Idaho)

Into the Drowning Deep (Loved the creepy, marine biology/scientific approach to mermaid murder mysteries! Major caution advised with this one and I skip the parts that).

Annihilation: A Novel (My husband reminded me I’ve apparently seen this movie before but I can’t for the life of me remember how it was - he tells me it wasn’t that great).

Madwoman (a BOTM Club pick: Motherhood-focused mystery/fiction/thriller - kind of dark at times)

God of the Woods (Not bad! Not the best 500pg book out there but I love me some wilderness mysteries!)

Heartless Hunter (First in the Crimson Moth series - Better than I thought it would be but contains witchy stuff if you’re not comfortable with this)

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (2nd book in the series)

Burn (I love Peter Heller books since they’re super outdoorsy (too much unnecessary cursing IMO) but this one was a disappointment IMO)

On my TBR before Fall ends
(I can’t honestly recommend any of these yet so please advise!):

Why Literature Still Matters by Jason Baxter (available Dec. 1)
The Will of The Many (Over 4.5 stars on Goodreads I simply need to stop procrastinating and dive in! I see this being recommended everywhere!)
The Wild Huntress (a BOTM Club pick)
Here One Moment (a BOTM Club pick)
HEIR (Spontaneous impulse purchase)
A House with Good Bones (I’ve enjoyed T. Kingfisher short novels when it’s dark outside)
What you are Looking for is in the Library (Because I love books about books and libraries)
The Story Collector, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Man’s Search for Meaning, Red Rising (All have been sitting on my shelf while I continue to collect and read other books).

I hope you enjoyed this week’s update! I’m not super consistent when things are busy for us but I’m so glad you’re here 🥰