We love books around here – and not just for tearing the pages out of.
There is nothing better than curling up in a comfortable chair with a good book.
Here is sampling of what we have been reading this week:

What I am reading
Forge (Seeds of America, book 2)
Do you ever read a book so engaging and wonderful that when you are finished you just feel restless? Like you want to read something, but nothing else sounds good? That’s how this book made me feel. It is the second in the The Seeds of America Series. (Chains was the first). This book follows the experiences of Curzon, a runaway slave turned soldier at the time of the Revolutionary War.
I love how the author presents the complexity of the issues of the time. America was fighting for freedom, but unwilling to offer it to her slaves. Not all the “good guys” from history were totally good. Nor were the “bad guys” all bad. They were people: real, complex, and flawed.
This book is written for middle-grades to young adult, but in our post-Harry-Potter world, those categories don’t always mean a lot. I really enjoyed both of the books in this series and am looking forward to the release of the third this fall. I think Newt will enjoy them as well and plan to read them to her in conjunction with our history study in the next year.

Green Market Baking Book: 100 Delicious Recipes for Naturally Sweet & Savory Treats
I’ve gotten into the habit of picking up a cookbook or two on most of our weekly library trips. I don’t remember now how I found this one, but I am so glad I did. It focuses on fresh, local ingredients and naturally sweetened baked goods (though there are some savory items as well – like the Caramelized Onion and Blue cheese Tart on page 179.) The recipes are decadent: Plum and Walnut Upside Down Cake, Fig and Blueberry Scones, Pecan Pie, but you won’t find so much as a scant teaspoon of white sugar in the entire book.
I like the way the book is organized; its format is very user friendly. The recipes are divided by season so I can get inspiration straight from the farmer’s market all year long. (I’ll be taking it with me on my shopping trip this week.) There is also an appendix with information on growing your own produce, finding local farmers markets, menus and more. And, as an added bonus, the water color illustrations are just lovely.
I’ll be adding this one to my amazon wish list.

Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education, by Shinichi Suzuki (founder of the Suzuki Method for violin/piano)
I read this book for my Mentor Mothers group. We get together every month and discuss ways to better mentor our children and help them to get excellent educations. I had erroneously thought the Suzuki Method to be torture for the suffering children of tiger-mothers. I could not have been more wrong.
Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:
“Good environmental conditions and a fine education cannot help but contribute to children’s welfare and happiness, as well as promising light and hope for the future of mankind.”
“By scolding, [Koji – an orphaned student that Suzuki and his sister took in] will certainly fancy himself wronged and grow up with this kind of feeling… If we create [an environment with good manners and no grumbling], Koji will, without noticing it, become a good child and his life will not be harmfully distorted by scolding.”
Wonderful book for any parent, mentor and/or educator.

What Newt and I are Reading Together
Man of the Family
Technically, we listened to this one, not read it. This is the second book in the Little Britches series. Although not quite as powerful as Father and I Were Ranchers, this was still an excellent book. This is the true story of the author’s boyhood: growing up in a farming community at the turn of the century. We could not believe how hard he and his family worked – it was inspiring. We listed to several chapters while pitting cherries. Newt got bored and tired, but the example of Little Britches kept her going to the last cherry.
We just reserved the next one in the series and can’t wait until the library gets it in.

Shiloh
How did I miss this gem when I was young? This is the first read aloud in a long time that had both of us really wanting to read “just one more chapter”. Besides telling a great story, the book asks compelling questions about right and wrong. It sparked some great conversations about carrying secrets that are just too big for one person.
Plus, it just begged to be read aloud in a slow southern accent. I love when I get to do the voices. 🙂
Newt is currently reading the second book in the series, Shiloh Season and hiding it under her pillow at night so I don’t steal it and finish it first. She’d better hurry; I only have so much patience.

What Newt is Reading
In addition to Shiloh Season, Newt is reading just about anything she can get her hands on that has to do with horses. Right now her favorite is Storey’s Guide to Raising Horses: Breeding, Care & Facilities.
Really.

And fall must be in the air, because she is itching to do some math. She took Go Figure!: A Totally Cool Book About Numbers to bed last night. If your child (or you) thinks they hate math and that it is boring, get this book. It is full of totally cool mathematical concepts like Fibinochi numbers, fractals, topography, mazes and really big numbers.
Here’s a quote:
“One glass of water contains about 8 septillion molecules and probably includes molecules that passed through Julius Caesar and nearly everyone else in history.”
Ewww, yes. But not boring.

What are you reading this week?

PS: This is how Newt and I feel when we are reading:

PPS: Don’t forget – this Friday’s Family Work post will be Allowance: To Pay or Not to Pay? If you link up, you’ll automatically be entered to win a fun prize at our September 2 work-party.