Our December began in Paris and ended in sunny Alabama. It's been a great last month of the year.
December 1 - A Late-Night Alabama Game
December 2 - A December Walk
December 3 - Outside Looking In My Christmas Window
December 4 - Took the Train to Shop with Noreen before the Strikes Began
December 5 - Mince Pies and Stories by the Fire with Noreen
December 6 - A Pink Sunrise
December 7 - Christmas Market with Dana
December 8 - Christmas-y Cafes
December 9 - Early Morning Lights
December 10 - Made it to the Atlanta Airport!
December 11 - Visiting Granny
December 12 - Cozy Christmas Spot
December 13 - Making Cherry Tarts with Granny
December 14 - Ah, Mexican Food...
December 15 - Playtime for these Two Pals
December 16 - Home for Christmas
December 17 - My mom made such a pretty orange garland.
December 18 - Alabama Sunsets
December 19 - A Boy and His Red Ryder
December 20 - At the Murphy Homestead
December 22 - Christmas Siblings
December 23 - My Mom's Homemade Potato Soup
December 24 - Christmas Eve Service
December 25 - Uno with Granny
December 26 - Cousin Gifts
December 27 - A Musical Christmas Present
December 28 - Brothers and Sisters
December 29 - Bright-Eyed Nephew
December 30 - Cousin Laser Tag
December 31 - Happy New Year!
Happy new year to one and all!
It's that time of year where we do all the reflecting on the previous year and think about what we hope will happen in the year ahead. I enjoy this kind of thing, and it was fun to look back at my 2019 reading, because it was a great reading year for me.
I read 145 books this year, and I spent a little time looking at some particular categories. For instance, 22 of those were picture books or early chapter books. I love picture books, and I read aloud a lot to my kids and my nephews this summer. Keeping a record of these books is helpful when other parents ask for recommendations or when I need to buy a birthday gift. I also just like remembering all my reading, even the "small books." These were some standouts in that category this year:
1. Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket by Barbara Park
Junie B. always makes us laugh out loud. These books are written from a kindergartner's perspective, which makes them ideal read-alouds for kids older than that because they can understand the humor.
2. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss
I've always had an affinity for this sequel to The Cat in the Hat. I read it to my nephews last night, and I was reminded of an episode of the Read Aloud Revival podcast about poetry when the five-year-old who really didn't want to sit down and listen to a book was immediately and completely captivated by the rhyme and rhythm of Dr. Seuss.
3. Goodnight Darth Vader by Jeffrey Brown
The Force is with this little book. Always.
4. Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk by Jane Sutcliffe
Even though this is a picture book, it's probably more appropriate for older kids because they'll be familiar with a lot of the words and phrases William Shakespeare gave to the English language.
5. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
It's not at all like the movie your kids might have seen, but it's a lovely classic all the same.
6. Autumn Story by Jill Barklem
This little book has beautiful illustrations and a lovely English countryside feel, which some of you might love.
About ten years ago I read a lot of Middle Grade fiction just because I really liked it, and I ended up being so glad I did that because I was ready with recommendations for Ella when she hit the 8-12 year age range. I read 20 books of this type this year. Here were some of my favorites:
1. Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine by Caroline Starr Rose
I gave this one to James for Christmas last year and read it aloud to both kids in January. It's a gold rush adventure story in the Yukon.
2. The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine
This is the first in a series about a young woman who gets a job at a new department store in London and uncovers a few mysteries along the way. It has Mr. Selfridge vibes.
3. The Long-Lost Home by Maryrose Wood
This is the end of a six-book series about three children raised by wolves and adopted by a wealthy English lord. It combines the genres of children raised in the wild and English governess stories in a creative, well-written way. For some readers, the mystery of the Incorrigible Children may feel like it's unveiled too slowly, but Maryrose Wood is an incredibly good writer, and I think this makes up for that.
4. The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton
This book was a funny and delightful surprise. It's a highly creative world, and both E + J enjoyed hearing it read aloud.
I counted up my non-fiction reads because it's a category I don't read as much of either. My favorite non-fiction is usually people's stories written as memoir, but I also love history and books for spiritual growth. I just read these at a much slower rate than novels! This year I read around 16.
1. Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson
After two decades living in England Bryson writes about his transition back to American life. I didn't live in England as long as he did, and I haven't transitioned back to American life yet, but there was so much I could relate to in this book of short and funny columns. It also just brought back nostalgia from life in America in the late 90s when it was published.
2. Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson
Sarah writes about the role and importance of books in her life and gives a lot of good book lists.
3. untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
I found this book written by a psychologist with a lot of experience working in girls' schools very commonsense and helpful, which is how I like my psychology. I didn't agree with all of her applications, but it was an overall helpful framework for thinking about the transition from childhood to being an adult.
4. The Shepherd's Life: A Tale of the Lake District by James Rebanks
Rebanks writes of how he embraced the life of a shepherd in the Lake District, a family legacy.
5. Grace for the Good Girl: letting go of the try-hard life by Emily P. Freeman
The title is probably self-explanatory. I always appreciate Emily's kind words of wisdom in my ear.
6. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
This falls into the historical, investigative type of nonfiction. Grann researches and tells the story of the Osage tribe in Oklahoma, moved to a reservation by the United States government, made wealthy by finding oil there, and then several people who were killed by white men who wanted the money and land that made the Osage wealthy.
The last category I counted up was short story collections. Having to keep starting new stories, entering new worlds, and learning new characters is frustrating reading for me, but I've learned this year that short stories can be perfect when I'm traveling and don't have much time to read. The really good short story writers tell a compact story that packs a punch. I read 6 short story collections in 2019.
1. The Cornell Woolrich Omnibus
I picked this up because Woolrich wrote Rear Window, and the Alfred Hitchcock movie is a family favorite. It was interesting to see how Hitchcock expanded the short story into the classic Jimmy Stewart movie. The rest of the short stories were well-written and sucked you right into the story, and the novellas read like episodes of The Twilight Zone. This was actually a really good collection.
2. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and other stories by Robert Louis Stevenson
The "other stories" in this collection were strange and creepy in a 19th century sort of way. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a novella that I wish had been expanded into a full novel!
3. The Twelve Doctors of Christmas
This short story collection includes a Christmas story for each of the first twelve Doctors. They all captured the essence of each Doctor and are really delightful if you're a fan of the show.
Did you try any books in different genres than you usually read this year?
With all the cooking required out of Thanksgiving, I completely forgot about my monthly picture-a-day post. Let's remedy that.
November 1 - Waiting at the Bus Stop with My Girl
November 2 - A Versailles Pumpkin Patch
November 3 - After Church Hangout
November 4 - Rare November Sunshine
November 5 - The orange doesn't last for long.
November 6 - Autumn in the City
November 7 - The yellow leaves have been the prettiest this year.
November 8 - A Walk in the Park
November 9 - The park is a magical place in the autumn.
November 11 - Tea at the British Embassy
November 12 - We found a big pumpkin walking to the bakery.
November 13 - Going to small group in the city gave me some amazing views.
November 14 - An Old-Fashioned Window
November 15 - My Dishwasher
November 16 - A lot of places in France are getting rid of their plastic straws, and we got a laugh out of McDonald's directions for the new kids' cup.
November 17 - Christmas Decor going up at the Mall
November 18 - I found some fun teas at Costco.
November 19 - Ella calls this neighborhood place The Lantern Waste.
November 20 - Tried a Delightfully-Named Restaurant with a Friend
November 21 - I love the railroad tracks in the fall.
November 22 - I bought this when we were in England in September; it was one of my favorite coffees.
November 23 - I really enjoyed reading this this month.
November 24 - Back Garden Yellows
November 25 - A Very Cool Sculpture of Famous Lovers
November 26 - A Street with a Hashtag
November 27 - Nothing makes you feel more at home than the smell of cornbread in a skillet.
November 28 - Thanksgiving
November 29 - I walked to the grocery store that was farther away just to see this tree.
November 30 - "Raise your hand if you're American!"
I'm so glad I went back and spent the time looking at November as a whole. Amidst all of the everyday jobs of teaching school and endless rounds of laundry, it's easy for me to forget about all the many cool things I did this month. I visited the British Embassy twice, had two meals out with two different friends, got together with my book club, and celebrated two Thanksgivings. There's a lot of things to remember and many reasons to give thanks. Thanksgiving was so last week (😉), but what are you thankful for?
