The Sound Of Gravel by Ruth Wariner

This book was completely fascinating from beginning to end.  It was difficult to read in places, due to some horrible experiences Ruth had to face. At one point while reading near the end, I found that I had dropped the book in my lap and was sitting there open-mouthed with shock at a particularly heartbreaking moment.  Her courage and strength was inspiring.

Ruth grew up in a polygamist sect in Mexico. Because I am a Mormon, I was hesitant to pick this book up, worried about how the LDS church would be portrayed.  It was interesting to me to see the differences and similarities between their beliefs and ours.

Ruth’s story has stayed with me.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

I loved this sweet middle-grade novel about the bond between a boy and his fox.  It alternates between the viewpoints of the boy and the fox, which made it hard for me to put down.  I feel like this could be described as a mash-up between Rascal and The Incredible Journey.

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Whoa. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was certainly not Zombie Apocalypse. However, I still really enjoyed this book, even though it’s far from my comfort zone. (Logically I know zombies aren’t real, but that has little to do with the fact that one might be standing behind me and I’ll see it in the mirror when I finish washing my face at night.)  This is a more character-driven story than I would have expected.  

Warning: Very strong language and a few gory bits; because: zombies.

Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman

Fun, quick read. I really like Neil Gaiman’s books for older audiences so I thought I’d give this children’s book a try. It was just fine.  Nothing earth-shattering, but a cute, silly story that only took 30 minutes or so to read.  Perfect for my 8 year old boy.  I loved the illustrations.

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout

Harrowing is the best word I could think of to describe this book. It was terrifying and inspiring and fascinating all at once. I cannot imagine going through what Amanda had to go through during her months of captivity. I cannot imagine the pain she endured physically emotionally and mentally. She is an example of courage and hope and I am so glad I read this book. She handles horrifying things with grace. The writing is not too “gritty”, though at times it was very difficult to read about her experiences.

Read Alouds

My Grandma passed away unexpectedly last month.  I took my four kiddos on a 2200+ mile road trip to Iowa for her funeral.  While we traveled we re-read some favorite read alouds:

Hello, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

Little House in the Big Woods

Little House on the Prairie

We had the chance to visit the Ingalls Homestead in De Smet, South Dakota as part of this trip.  Here’s what I wrote about the experience on Instagram: A dream come true for me today. My kids and I spent the afternoon at the Ingalls Homestead in De Smet, South Dakota. It was absolutely fantastic. Extremely hands-on and perfect for the kids. The homestead includes replicas of all the different houses the Ingalls family lived in throughout the Little House series. We had the place basically to ourselves. We spent time washing clothes by hand, riding in a covered wagon, riding horses and in a darling little buggy. We played with a foot-pump organ and sewing machine. The kids made rope and corn cob dolls and we saw a little schoolhouse like Laura would have attended and later taught in. ❤

What have you been reading lately?