Even though I try to keep our traditions light and simple (and we started school in early August, so we could lighten our load in December), I still find myself frequently overwhelmed during this magical yet oh-so-busy month. As often as I can, I try to curl up in bed (made toasty by a heated mattress pad, of course) with a mug of green tea steaming on the nightstand, and a good book leaning against my knees. If you find the opportunity to sneak away and do the same (which I highly recommend you do), I've got a few book suggestions for you... as well as one that you might want to skip. Here's what I've been reading lately:

{My Personal Reading}

Upstairs at the White House: My Life With the First Ladies by J. B. West

From the publisher:

J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—and coordinated its daily life—at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings and funerals, gardens and playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and, with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home. For twenty-eight years, first as assistant to the chief usher, then as chief usher, he witnessed national crises and triumphs, and interacted daily with six consecutive presidents and first ladies, as well as their parents, children and grandchildren, and houseguests—including friends, relatives, and heads of state.

J. B. West, whom Jackie Kennedy called “one of the most extraordinary men I have ever met,” provides an absorbing, one-of-a-kind history of life among the first ladies. Alive with anecdotes ranging from Eleanor Roosevelt’s fascinating political strategies to Jackie Kennedy’s tragic loss and the personal struggles of Pat Nixon, Upstairs at the White House is a rich account of a slice of American history that usually remains behind closed doors.

My thoughts:

I actually listened to the Audible version of this book. The narrator has one of those soothing voices you might find narrating a documentary on PBS. I enjoyed the history lessons steeped in this book, and I especially appreciated it because the focus was on the first ladies, not their husbands. I could relate to and consider them from the angles of their marital relationships, how they raised their children, and how they ran a household. I found myself not at all relating to Eleanor Roosevelt (she seemed to be an extrovert in the extreme and also didn't appear to have a warm or amiable relationship with her husband), finding many similarities to Bess Truman (she was a frugal Midwesterner who valued familial relationships highly), and being fascinated with the elegant and guarded Jacqueline Kennedy. And Mamie Eisenhower sounded like a hoot! I love how her belief that a vigorous massage every morning was the only "exercise" she felt she needed. (She may have been onto something. She looked great and lived a long healthy life!) I've noticed that the Kindle and audio versions go on sale fairly frequently, so you might want to keep an eye out for a deal.

Victoria by Daisy Goodwin

From the publisher:

Drawing on Queen Victoria’s diaries, which she first started reading when she was a student at Cambridge University, Daisy Goodwin―creator and writer of the new PBS Masterpiece drama Victoria and author of the bestselling novels The American Heiress and The Fortune Hunter―brings the young nineteenth-century monarch, who would go on to reign for 63 years, richly to life in this magnificent novel.

My thoughts:

I love me some Historical Fiction, and Goodwin's novel boasts romance and vibrant (albeit obstinate) characters. My hubby and I had actually watched the PBS presentation of Victoria first. We really enjoyed that, so I suspected I was going to like the novel. (Sidenote: We also watched The Crown at the same time. While I thought The Crown was probably superior from a cinematic point of view, I enjoyed the overall cleaner nature of Victoria as well as its comparative light-heartedness. I enjoyed Victoria and The Crown equally, but Dan preferred The Crown.) Oh, and the PBS drama and the novel were very similar. The biggest difference was that the television show took on a very Downton Abbey-esque subplot among the hired help in Buckingham Palace. These characters were mentioned in the novel, but they did not have their stories developed as they were on the show.

Much of Victoria focuses on a love triangle between the queen, her Prime Minister Lord Melbourne (or, "Lord M." as she calls him), and her first-cousin Alfred. (Yes, first-cousin, ick.) When we were discussing this novel in book club, I realized that I was the only person in the group who had been secretly hoping for a union between Victoria and Lord M. I only mention this, because I've noticed a pattern in myself whenever I read a book with a love triangle... I almost always side with the character who was introduced to the readers first, even if they're not necessarily the best match! (I'm embarrassed to admit that I've read all of the Twilight books, but I was solidly Team Edward.) Does anyone else have this tendency? What does it mean?

Anyhoo, I loved this book, and I've added another Goodwin novel, An American Heiress, to my "to-read" list.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

My thoughts:

This is a book that I have read many times and never tire of. It's my book club's January read, and I can't tell you how thrilled I was to see it on our reading list.

I could talk about the plot and characters of Austen's masterpiece, but I feel like you must already be familiar with Elizabeth Bennett (arguably the best female character ever imagined into a story) and her proud and stern Mr. Darcy. If you're not, you need to get on it right away. 😉

Rosamund Pike's performance of Pride and Prejudice is brilliant. I especially love her voices for Mrs. Bennett and Mr. Collins. This is such a treat to read or listen to, and I'm seeing the Audible version of it on Amazon for $0.99. What a steal for hours (and hours) of entertainment!

{Read-Alouds With My Children}

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

From the publisher:

Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit’s friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.

Elizabeth George Speare won the 1959 Newbery Medal for this portrayal of a heroine whom readers will admire for her unwavering sense of truth as well as her infinite capacity to love.

My thoughts:

This book was suggested reading for our Classical Conversations Essentials program. I read this aloud to my nine-year-old. He and I both enjoyed it, but I think he would have been too young to have read this one independently. (I found myself having to provide a lot of explanations, which is totally OK and the whole point of reading it!) This was a great book that explained some of the prejudices that existed in Colonial America while not being overly disturbing for young readers. I would have enjoyed reading it on my own, for non-school purposes.

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

My thoughts:

This book is weird, y'all. Although my six-year-old thoroughly enjoyed it, my husband and I did not and found ourselves trying to pass off the duty of nightly reading to each other. (I think it's your turn. I don't know... my throat is feeling a little scratchy. Ha-ha-ha!) The Adventures of Pinocchio is not the warm, lovely Disney movie you and I remember from our childhoods. The cricket (who inspired Jiminy Cricket) was actually squashed against a wall and killed by Pinocchio, who was irritated by the insect's preaching. (But don't worry! The cricket makes later appearances in the book as a cricket-ghost.) In another scene, Pinocchio is the target of the Fox and the Cat, who try to steal a gold coin that Pinocchio has kept safe in his mouth. When Pinocchio refuses to give up the gold coin, the Fox and the Cat actually lynch Pinocchio (yes, hang him with a noose) and leave him to die. To make matters worse, there is actually an ILLUSTRATION of this in the book! What?! (FYI--We followed up this chapter with a long talk and lots of prayers that our son wouldn't need therapy when he was older.) Honestly, Dan and I seemed to be more disturbed by all of this than our son. But still. 

When we finally finished the book, we treated ourselves to a Family Movie Night with the Disney version. I couldn't help but think, Ah! This is so much better! as I watched it. Afterward, I asked my six-year-old if he preferred the book or the movie, and he said he liked the book better. Go figure.

As whack-a-doodle as this book is, I do think there's value in reading classic children's literature. Not only does reading of this kind help us better understand previous generations, but it also gives us foundational information for a lot of cultural references. It always seemed off to me, for example, that my oldest son was introduced to a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse variation of "Little Red Riding Hood" before he was exposed to the original story.

{The Book I Couldn't Finish}

At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider

From the publisher:

The wide world is calling.

Americans Tsh and Kyle met and married in Kosovo. They lived as expats for most of a decade. They’ve been back in the States—now with three kids under ten—for four years, and while home is nice, they are filled with wanderlust and long to answer the call.

Why not? The kids are all old enough to carry their own backpacks but still young enough to be uprooted, so a trip—a nine-months-long trip—is planned.

At Home in the World follows their journey from China to New Zealand, Ethiopia to England, and more. They traverse bumpy roads, stand in awe before a waterfall that feels like the edge of the earth, and chase each other through three-foot-wide passageways in Venice. And all the while Tsh grapples with the concept of home, as she learns what it means to be lost—yet at home—in the world.

My thoughts:

I wanted to like this book so much. For starters, the cover is gorgeous. I mean, let's just take a moment to stare at the cover for a bit. ... (If you could see me right now, my eyes are actual hearts.) In addition to the beautiful cover, I enjoy listening to Tsh on her podcast The Simple Show, and she is friends with Erin Loechner, whose writing I L-O-V-E. Further still, the content of the book intirgued me like cuh-razy. Travelling the globe for nine months with three kids?! Tell me all about it! (I can hardly stand to miss Theo's morning nap on CC days, so I'm sure I'd never have the guts to do anything as adventurous as that. But I will totally live vicariously through a more free-spirited human being!)

Here's the thing. I made very slow progress through this book when I checked it out from the library. I had only made it about 1/4 of the way through when I had to return it to the library. I put it on hold a second time, determined to read it faster. When I finally got my hands on it again, I found myself making extremely slow progress this time as well. I finally realized that reading this book had become a chore to me. I wasn't enjoying it; it had become something I felt like I had to do. You guys, I have enough real chores to do than to give myself unnecessary and burdensome tasks during my personal "fun" time! So I stopped pressuring myself to read the book, returned it to the library, and haven't missed it at all. (Except maybe the cover, which looked so pretty on my dresser.)

I tried to analyze what I didn't like about At Home in the World, and I think it boils down to two things. First, there is little (if any) joy in Tsh's writing. She admits right away that she was torn between a feeling of wanderlust and an introverted personality that loves being at home. It seems like the latter description of herself was what reigned throughout her travels, and she spends a lot of time complaining about fatigue, not having breaks from her children, their family's nonsensical travel paths (which they intentionally chose to save money), vague references to personal struggles, and depression. She glosses over cities, and I gleaned little from her cultural observations.

The other formidable quality that kept me distant as a reader was that Tsh's writing is very guarded. As a blogger, I understand her desire to protect her family's privacy. However. If you're going to be that guarded, you probably shouldn't be publishing a memoir. She mentions struggling with personal issues on her trip, primarily regarding her writing. After this tease, I, of course, wanted to know the specifics. The reader is never gratified with an explanation though. As for the children, she gives so little information on them, I was struggling to remember who was the youngest (Reed or Finn?) even though I was half-way through the book by the time I returned it to the library. Tsh's writing is so guarded and distant, I just never got "hooked."

A couple other minor complaints attributed to my passing on this book. While, as I stated above, I simply do not have the personality (or means) to attempt a trip like this myself, I was hoping for some practical information about traveling with children. There really wasn't any. Tsh also infuses her writing with flowery metaphors and lengthy, obscure words only a dictionary can illuminate. (Again, distancing herself from the reader.)

At Home in the World isn't my cup of tea, BUT I'm kind of hoping one of you will read it and give me your take on it!

{What We're Reading Now}

My Personal Reading:

Reading People by Anne Bogel (I've only just begun, but I'm loving this one so far!)

Read-Alouds:

Classic Starts: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Chris Sasaki (The Classic Starts series is a fantastic way to gently introduce young readers to the classics.)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

Picture book suggestions from Pam Barnhill's Advent Morning Time Plans (Free download HERE!)

What have you been reading lately? Do you have any suggestions for my "to-read" list? Tell me in the comments!