January - February Titles // 2024

A very early morning walk in Fort Langley

 I am currently typing this post in August - late August - because for some reason I just could not get blogging done (even though I want to record the books and vacations!). I had an empty summer (of no kids in the house) and a full summer (friend visiting, caretaking, extra work hours) and a few days away in each month and now it's over! The kids go back to school in approximately 7 days! Wild. 

Anyway, for these posts, I'm going to hope that these were the books I read 'around this time'. I can't be sure, because I don't keep notes on when exactly I finish a book, just a paper list and a pinterest board that I try to remember to update. Here we go!

North End Love Songs by Katherena Vermette - This collection of poetry was completed in a day, as they are quite short, but they are very heavy. Vermette connects the natural world (often birds) with the abuse and trauma Indigenous youth experience(d) over the course of many years. The poems are fragile and gritty. I recognized her name from a novel I read years ago in book club, The Break, which centers on an Indigenous family of women and the individual and collective trauma they suffered. 

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett - This was a book chosen for our book club and I loved it! I enjoyed the way the story was told - a mom is telling her adult daughters a love story from her younger years they've never heard of before, and also how she met their father, all while picking cherries in their family orchard. It was atmospheric and the past and present was so fluid in the storytelling. 

Wounded in Spirit: Advent Art & Meditations by David Bannon - This was my Advent book I worked through this past Christmas season, and ended in January. It was a bit more melancholy than I realized, but I love art history, and that topic, paired with Advent meditations, scripture verses, and prayers was something I enjoyed. 

West with the Night by Beryl Markham - I chose this book for my book club pick as I'd always wanted to read it, and it did not disappoint! This is a memoir of a woman who came of age in the 1930s living in Africa with her single father. She was treated more like a boy than a girl and became extremely independent, brave, and adventurous because she had opportunities I think the average female at that time wouldn't have been allowed. It was a bit disjointed at times, and there is some controversy about the veracity of the account, but imagine someone who learned to fly across Africa, almost got eaten by a lion, and was one of the best racehorse coaches in the US at that time - it almost sounds fantastical. 

And Yet by Kate Baer - This was a hilarious, clever, and fiery collection of poems about being female. I remember sharing some of the poems with some of my friends while reading and them replying with the emotional equivalent of "oh snap!!" Profusely enjoyed.


Read Alouds

The World at War by M.B. Synge - This book was published in 1929, when the world was still processing World War I. It gave an excellent account of some of the main battles across Europe at the time, along with the history of what happened, politically, that led to the war in general. I'll admit - it wasn't a page turner, but it was a worthwhile read to understand the geography and the reality of WWI on the European continent. 

Winnie's Great War by Lindsey Mattick and Josh Greenhut - This book is technically middle-grade and it was delightful. This is the true story of the bear named "Winnie" - and it is Canadian history! Winnie was a bear cub when a Canadian vet took him into camp during World War I to be a morale booster for the troops there. I did find it a bit sad towards the end (and of course, the beginning), but it's a worthwhile, well-researched true story for any age. 

Stalin: Russia's Man of Steel by Albert Marrin - This biography was both horrifying and so informative. I really didn’t know much about Stalin before studying WWII with my kids, and we read biographies of all the main leaders in the war (Hitler next time). I found it astounding how many traumatic traits Stalin and Hitler shared, especially when they were young children. Stalin was an absolute terror to his people: starvation, slave labor, manipulation, fear tactics, poisoning, and disregard for human life. It's sobering and I wouldn't read it to anyone under 14, but it's a necessary piece of history people should learn.  

Churchill by Paul Johnson - Another excellent biography about an Allied leader who I knew very little about. This man was both frustrating and hilarious, and his wife might have been one of my favorite 'characters' in his life. Along with his quippy attitude and sharp wits, he truly put in the work ahead of WWII to become 'the only man for the job' when it came to helping England get through the world intact, and with morale to spare.