Recent Reads {The Seven Wonders of the World}

The Seven Wonders of the World by Ron Tagliapietra - This book is kind of like a combination of a travel brochure, a history lesson, and a Bible tract.  It presents a short description of each of the accepted wonders of the ancient world, and then lists and describes the seven wonders of some other categories - technological, archaelogical, architectural, and natural.  In each Tagliapietra carefully explains the criteria and why some 'wonders' were chosen over others.  When describing the wonders of the ancient world, he puts them in context of Biblical history and draws some contrasts between the religious beliefs of the builders of these wonders and the truth of God.  The descriptions of all the wonders are fairly short - about three to five pages - and most include historical background and some brief information about visiting the sites.  I've found this book to be a good "extra" when studying history and geography in our homeschool.  When we studied Egypt, we read the section on the Great Pyramid.  When we studied Australia, we read about the Great Barrier Reef (a natural wonder).   The narrative lacks continuity in some places, and a few of the Biblical lessons seem a bit contrived, but overall it's a unique study of various wonders of the world suitable for readers from middle school up.

Recent Reads {Pompeii: City on Fire}

Pompeii: City on Fire by T.L. Higley - It's the intriguing setting of this novel that captured my attention - Pompeii, shortly before the catastrophic eruption of Mt Vesuvius.  I don't think I've ever seen a Christian 'romance' novel set in Pompeii before.  The main characters are Cato, a rich patrician Roman who has left an unfulfilling career as a politician in Rome and wants to build a new life in Pompeii; and Ariella, a Jewish slave who has disguised herself as a young boy sold into a gladiator troupe.  Pompeii's local government is corrupt and despite Cato's attempts to sidestep the issue, he is finally drawn into the upcoming election after his own business and family are threatened.  In the meantime, Ariella must prove herself in the gladiator ring while keeping her secret.  Cato and Ariella cross paths and, predictably, find themselves drawn together.  They also come in contact with the Christians in Pompeii and must make their own decisions regarding the faith.  All while Vesuvius is giving the first warning signs of the disaster to come.  The story itself was interesting, with new perspectives on the setting and the daily life of Roman citizens and slaves at that time.  However, every few chapters there was a short excerpt that was from the mountain's 'point of view' that I didn't care for.  It set the tone for the chapters to come, and revealed that the eruption was coming ever closer, but it also gave a little nod to the earth goddess belief system, suggesting that the mountain viewed itself as a 'mother' to the city and was making her own decision to punish and destroy.  This is only partially debunked at the end.  I found it slightly off-putting to read a page of the thoughts of the 'volcano goddess-mother' while chapters before and after featured Christians claiming that there is only One God and rejecting the Roman belief in many gods.

By the same author:  In the Shadow of Colossus (which I read awhile ago, but failed to write about...)

Recent Reads {Read For the Heart}

Read For the Heart: Whole Books for Wholehearted Families by Sarah Clarkson - Sarah Clarkson is the adult daughter of well-known homeschool author Sally Clarkson.  In this book, she shares her own love of books which was fostered by her family's priority on reading and enjoying books.  Clarkson begins by sharing how important good books are to a well-rounded education and a well-lived life, through stories from her own experience as well as research that highlights the value of reading quality books.  She then shares book recommendations in many different categories and genres, with brief summaries of the books along with age guidelines.  I found this to be a great resource, with ideas for read-alouds and for companions to our science and history studies, and full of encouragement and inspiration to keep providing opportunities for my children to get familiar with good literature and uplifting stories.

Recent Reads {Jane Eyre}

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - since I was kind of on a classic novel kick, I thought I'd better include the Bronte sisters on my reading list.  I have to admit it took me awhile to really get into this one.  Just at the point where I was thinking to myself "is this whole book going to be about Jane being 10 years old at the boarding school?" she introduced the tenth chapter by skipping ahead several years to the time she spent as a teacher at the same school, and the following chapter finally took her to Thornfield Hall where she would meet Edward Rochester.  From that point on, the novel had my full attention with the melodrama, psychology, and the unlikely romance between Jane and Rochester.  I was often reminded of the type of Gothic romance that Austen satirized in Northanger Abbey - a dark secret hidden somewhere in the mansion that threatens the happiness of the lovers.  There are coincidences and foreshadowings to spare, yet it all seems to "fit" and doesn't seem unbelievable at all while reading.  I also noticed the contrast in Bronte's style and Austen's  - Austen leaves the reader to decide what characters look like, other than the barest of descriptions, and really doesn't spend much time describing settings in detail; while Bronte goes into great detail about the appearance of characters and engages in lengthy descriptions of settings.  These features are used to establish character and mood.  I truly enjoyed this classic novel, and it's reminded me that I never did finish the Jasper Fforde series that stars with The Eyre Affair, and its many references to Jane and other characters from the novel!

Recent Reads {Already Gone}

Already Gone by Ken Ham & Britt Beemer with Todd Hillard - This book explores the results of research into the reasons why young people are leaving the church, and suggests the issues that need to be addressed in order to rectify the problem.  Why have America's churches lost a generation of believers?  The research suggests that it may be largely due to the lack of a firm stand on the authority of Scripture and a failing to teach apologetics and to connect the Bible with the real world.  One thousand twenty-somethings who were raised in the church but no longer attend were surveyed, and the results deserve our attention and sober consideration if we want to change outcomes.  I think this book should be required reading for Sunday School teachers, youth directors, and parents.

Recent Reads {The Scarlet Letter}

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - This classic American novel is on the reading list for American Literature (Notgrass Exploring America) and even though Spencer will not be reading it this year, I decided I would like to read through everything on the list.  I vaguely remember reading it many years ago, and oddly enough I couldn't remember exactly how it ended.  I read it this week and once I'd adjusted to Hawthorne's style, I found it hard to put down!  In keeping with the story's theme, the tone of the narrative is rather dark, and the reader is immediately drawn into sympathy with Hester Prynne as she stoically faces her public humiliation for adultery, and wears her beautifully embroidered letter almost as a badge of honor.  She refuses to name the man who fathered her child, but the reader is left to decide why she withholds the information - whether love or fear motivates her.  As fate would have it, her husband, whom all had presumed dead, shows up and takes it upon himself to discover her fellow-sinner and take revenge, and he convinces Hester to keep the secret of his identity as well.  Over the years, the townspeople gentle in their treatment of Hester, although she and her child are never accepted as part of the town's society.  Hester finally decides to tell Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale (who is the child's father) the true identity and intent of the man acting as his physician when she sees how Arthur's health and spirits are failing.  Arthur and Hester decide to run away and return to Europe, but Arthur realizes he is near death, and so he mounts the scaffold where Hester was punished and confesses his sin.  Definitely not a happy ending, feel-good book, but thought-provoking.  It's easy to understand why it is considered a classic.

Recent Reads {Cleopatra's Daughter}

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran - I didn't know much, if anything, about the children of Cleopatra and Marc Antony before reading this historical novel, so it came as a bit of a surprise to me that the daughter, Kleopatra Selene, and her husband were known for their great love story as well. Moran's well-researched novel tells the story, from Selene's viewpoint, of the defeat of Marc Antony and the death of Cleopatra, followed by the exile of the three youngest children to Rome under Caesar Augustus (as he would be later known). Selene and her twin brother Alexander must cope with the sudden deaths of both parents, followed by their captivity and the death of their younger brother.  They are treated as honored guests in Rome, brought up in the Caesar's household, with his sister Octavia (who was Marc Antony's former wife! - this is where soap operas get some of their ideas, I think!) as their guardian.  Friendships grow and are threatened, especially as they all grow older and closer to marriageable age.  At the same time, someone calling himself the Red Eagle is challenging the system of slavery in Rome and stirring up possible rebellion, and Alexander and Selene have their own speculations about the Red Eagle's identity.  Selene faces tragedy, fear and injustice with determination and hope, and there is a happy ending for her when she is given in marriage to Juba, the heir to the kingdom of Mauretania who has been serving Caesar for most of his life.  This is a great read for anyone interested in this historical time period!