Thursday, August 27

Monthly Bookshelf Review - August 2020

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 


August has been a month of ups and downs, busy-ness and laziness. Times when I read a lot, but most of the month was busy with so much that my reading was somewhat sporadic. I finished and reviewed two really awesome books, and I'm nearly finished another. I'm working on several and looking forward to more books as school starts!


August's Books Completed and Reviewed

The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - Fourteen-year-old Adunni captured my heart with her sweet and simple ambition to get an education. The odds are stacked against this girl from a poor Nigerian village, but she never loses hope. Absolutely loved this novel! (Read my full review HERE)
Everybody in the whole world be speaking different. Big Madam, Ms. Tia, Kofi, Abu, even me, Adunni. We all be speaking different because we all are having different growing-up life, but we can all be understanding each other if we just take the time to listen well.


Well, Girl: An Inside-Out Journey to Wellness by Jami Amerine - Although this is a book about getting healthy and physically well, the real focus and the starting point is on becoming spiritually well and accepting God's love for us. It's a poignant, encouraging, and humorous read. (Read my full review HERE)
Consider this: Is there any other relationship in your life you give up on Wednesdays at noon with the promise to try that relationship again on Monday?


During August I started reading:

Ever Faithful by Karen Barnett - A romantic mystery set in Yellowstone during the 1930s. Elsie is a ranger's daughter earning money for college by teaching the CCC recruits working at the park, and Nate is a young man from Brooklyn serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Ranger Vaughn folded his arms. "Teaching the three Rs to the three Cs? You've got your work cut out for you." 
"I'll do my best." She ducked her head, afraid his smile would have her stammering again.


The Seaside Affair by Vicki Hopkins - Reading this historical fiction for a review, and not enamored of it so far. Hoping I enjoy it more as I get further in. 



During August I continued reading:

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa - This delightful little book kept getting set aside while I worked on other books, but I'm so close to being finished - the review will be coming very soon!
Okay then -- let's go. As Satoru's roommate, I had been a perfect cat, so I should be the perfect companion on this journey he seemed so intent on making.


Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I started this for an online book club but then wasn't available during the discussion, so I didn't worry about finishing it on time either. Because it's a re-read, I'll keep going a bit at a time and it may take me a long time to finish!
If, in the moments I and my pupil spent with him, I lacked spirits and sank into inevitable dejection, he became even gay. Never had he called me more frequently to his presence; never been kinder to me when there--and alas! never had I loved him as well.

 
Coming Up in September!

 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley  
Summer of Dreams by Elizabeth Camden
Claiming Mariah by Pam Hillman
When Silence Sings by Sarah Loudin Thomas

   

        



On my blogs recently . . . 

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:


And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:



What I'm Highlighting . . . I usually highlight a couple things from my homeschool blog here, and this month is no exception. First, since it's a homeschool blog, and the school year is about to begin (or has just begun), I'm trying to provide information and guidance on how to start homeschooling and on curriculum and resources for homeschooling or supplemental learning at home. Check out some of my resources and feel free to share. I'm happy to help too - just drop me a line and let me know! Start here: Suddenly Homeschooling - How To Get Started or with the series From the High School Lesson Book, which features collections of resources and curriculum by subject in several recent posts.


Whether you homeschool or not, you're invited to join me at Homeschool Coffee Break for the Twenty-Six Lists link-up. It's every other week and the list prompts are for everyone, not just homeschoolers. The current list is Favorite Apps and Websites, and I happened to feature educational apps and sites. Next week we'll have some fun sharing about the Jobs We've Had.


And one more from Homeschool Coffee Break - I used to host an art showcase link-up called the Virtual Refrigerator there regularly but since graduating my youngest student, I put that on hold. We painted a bunch of kindness rocks to hide recently, so I decided to share that with a link-up. So if you have any arts or crafts of your own (or your kids) that you'd like to showcase, please drop by Virtual Refrigerator - Kindness Rocks to do that.

Jolly Old Elf on the Virtual Refrigerator  - share your art posts on our Virtual Refrigerator - an art link-up hosted by Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com


This post will be linked at the August 2020 Wrap-Up Roundup and Giveaway hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction, and at It's Monday! What Are YOU Reading? hosted at Book Date.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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2 comments:

  1. My August sounds like the opposite of yours. I did nothing but work and read. lol. I hope you have a great September.

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  2. I'm glad you enjoyed The Girl With the Louding Voice. I have a copy here to read this fall. Well Girl sounds like a perfect choice for me to read--I'm on my own continuous spiritual journey and also working very hard on my health. I hope your September is going well.

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