Homemaker Mondays

I've posted about this before, but each of my four children have required reading homework every.single.day. It doesn't matter if they are absent or if its a weekend, they are still required to read every night. Have I mentioned that I absolutely love it?

To prove that they have completed their homework, a reading log must be signed bya parent each night. They vary by class, but they pretty much include title, minutes read, and a parent signature. This format works fine for teachers who have to check 25 reading logs every day, but me, I like a more detailed approach.

I keep a notebook for each kid and each book they read is documented on it's own page. It includes title, author, date read, and a commentary by the reader. It helps when looking for new books to borrow from the library, no duplications or getting something you've already read.

Over at my new blog, I'll be posting some of these commentaries by my kids over the next few weeks. They will include my son's thoughts on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which he has just completely devoured the last few days and one of my girls will be talking about The Little House on the Prairie.

I also keep track of books I read, not in a notebook, but rather in a file on my computer. I just open up Word and type up a paragraph or two about the book. The basic storyline, my thoughts, things like that and save it in a folder I call Books Read. Creative, huh? Doing this makes participating in online book groups and carnivals so much easier because you already have the information handy, all you have to do is a little copy & paste work and maybe a quick edit or two and you're done.

What about you? How do you keep track of books that you read?

*Head on over to 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven for more awesome Homemaker Monday posts.

Fall Into Reading 2008

Katrina over at Callapidder Days is once again hosting the Fall into Reading challenge. It's a no pressure kind of bloggy carnival. All you do is write up a post with your reading goals for the fall season and then write up another post in December telling everyone how well you did (or didn't do.)

I love to read but I also have a family that demands so much of my time (just like every one of you) so I love no-pressure challenges. They don't mind if something comes up (it always does) or if you rearrange your goals mid-way through (it happens).

My goals for this fall are pretty simple. I usually read about 2-3 books a week but with a ton of birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas festivities looming over me this fall, I'm going to be realistic and keep my list manageable.

My first goal is to finish Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I started it a few weeks ago and am stuck a little over halfway through. It's just not pulling me in and I don't know why. It's interesting enough and I've enjoyed it. I think the pace is off from what I'm used to it and that may be causing my lask of attention to it. I'm used to page-turning thrillers and light & fluffy chick-lit. Big difference here.

Next up will be The Legal Limit by Martin Clark. I've heard that this book is as good as anything by John Grisham. John Grisham is one of my favorite authors. I've read a lot of his books and thoroughly enjoyed each and every one. This comparison is the only reason I picked it up. I hope it doesn't disappoint. I'll let ya know, either way.


I checked out Katie Fforde's Practically Perfect to read in the car on our trip to Missouri last week. It didn't get read because I decided to sleep instead. Who knew the hubs wouldn't ask me to drive half-way and that the kids would actually behave themselves the entire 200 miles? It was pure (sleeping) bliss in the car instead of the normal whining, chaotic, disaster I'm used to. I was so shocked, it knocked me out for a solid three hours. The stiff neck and back was worth it.


I'll be reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte sometime before October 7th so I can participate in the Classics Bookclub carnival over at 5 Minutes for Books. It's a classic that I should have read years ago, but I didn't. At least that I remember. I've read tons of books and don't remember half of them. That's not good, right? My daughter has the Illustrated Classics version and is going to read along with me.


William P young's The Shack is popping up all over the place. I've read a lot of comments and recommendations on it have decided I'm going to give it a shot. If anyone has read this book and can give me a few details without spoiling it for me, I'd really appreciate it. Is it as spiritually compelling as some reviews claim? How graphic are the details? I know it deals with the death of a child, and father's heartbreak over it but that's about it.

Lisa Jackson is one of my very favorite authors. I have read pretty near all of her books. I'm a big fan of her suspense thrillers and even her romance novels are pretty good. I've been waiting for Left to Die for a while and know I'll devour it the first chance I get.




I've read several of Joci Picoult's books, including Nineteen Minutes and The Tenth Circle. She has a style of writing that I love. Easy to follow, well-written, realistic characters, her books have it all. The next Picoult novel I plan to read is Second Glance. It's story of the paranormal and promise to enchant from beginning to end pulled me in. I like a good ghost story now and then.



The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood has been on my to-read list for some time now. It's always being pushed aside for some reason though and this fall, I'm hoping to finally pick it up and see if it's as good as the reviews claim.




Girls on Track by Molly Barker is a parenting book/guide to building self-confidence and independence in adolescent girls. It's a 10-week plan for parents to help their daughters to keep themselves from getting pulled into the "Girl Box" of cliques, low self-esteem, peer pressure, and all that is adolescent girl world. It promises to enhance their emotional, physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. My twins and I are patiently awaiting the arrival of this book. They are in the 5th grade and the woes of the "Girl Box" are looming just ahead.

My kids still love for me to read to them and the older three have started listening in on the preschooler's required daily story. (The school requires every kid to read or be read to every night-which is AWESOME.) I've decided to take our daily reading to the next level and instead of subjecting them to preschool books day after day, I've chosen a couple of books I think the whole family will enjoy.


The Hobbit was a favorite of mine in junior high. While my kids are not quite at that age, their reading and comprehension levels are, so we're going to be reading this book together once we get moved and settled.





One of my 4 year old's favorite movies is Matilda. We've watched it dozens of times. She even has a "Matilda" dress that she wears with her white socks and Mary Janes and a red ribbon in her hair. One of these days I'll have to post a picture. Anyway, since she loves the movie, I thought we'd give the dvd player a break and read the book by Roald Dahl. Which will probably just make her want to watch the movie even more. So much for giving the dvd player a break.


Another one I'm looking forward to reading with the kids is The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. I saw it mentioned over at 5 Minutes for Books and have wanted to read it ever since.





If you'd like to join the Fall Into Reading Challenge or find out what others are planning to read this fall, head on over to Caddapillar Days and sign-up.

I won! I won!

Yesterday, Rebecca of Girl's Gone Child hosted a giveaway of Rita Arens' new book, Sleep is for the Weak. And guess who won? That's right, lucky me!

I must be on a lucky streak since this is the second bloggy giveaway I've won in the last few weeks. And I bought a $2 lottery ticket a few days ago and won a hundred bucks. True, I lost it all at the casino later that night...

Anyway, Thanks for the great giveaway, Rebecca and Rita. I look forward to reading all my favorite bloggers offline.

And if you haven't already got your own copy of Sleep is for the Weak, you can get one here.

What's on your nightstand?

It's that time of the month again. No, not that time of the month. It's time for What's on your nightstand? hosted by 5 Minutes for Books.

Right now, I'm reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It's not the type of book I'm used to reading and it's taking me a little while to get through it. I've been working on it for about a week now whereas I usually finish a book in 2-3 days. I'm a little over halfway through and so far, it's been interesting. I have to say the beginning was more interesting than where I am now. Final verdict is still out, but so far it's been an okay book.

I checked out a couple of books the other day and planned to read them in the car on our trip to Missouri this past weekend, but I ended up sleeping instead. Oops. They are The Legal Limit by Martin Clark and Practically Perfect by Katie Fforde.

The Legal Limit is supposed to rival anything by John Grisham and if it's half as good as any of the Grisham books I've read, I'll be happy. If I get it finished before I have to return it (we are moving in 9 days!) I will post a review on next month's Nightstand.

I've read a few Katie Fforde books and she is witty and charming with her romantic comedy stories. I look forward to relaxing with a good cup of coffee and Practically Perfect.

What about you? What are you reading right now? Any recommendations for me or other readers out there? If you know of any authors similar to Janet Evanovich or Lisa Jackson, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a comment or email me. Thanks a bunch! With the winter months coming up, I'll be holed up with a good book as much as possible once the temperatures start dropping!

Classics Bookclub: Pride and Prejudice

5 Minutes for Books hosts a classic bookclub the first Tuesday every month. This month we’re discussing Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I read this book years ago as a school assignment. Back then I read it so fast I couldn’t remember parts of it. I just wanted to get through it and get my paper turned in.

This time around, I slowed it down a notch or two and took the time to enjoy the story.

I love Austen’s wit and sense of humor. The style of writing was different than what I usually read. I’m a suspense/mystery kind of girl in my everyday reading, but once I got used to Austen’s style, I was hooked.

I’ve seen the movie version with Keira Knightley and loved it. I hear that the A&E mini series collection is even better. So I will have to check it out sometime.

As you can tell, I’m not a very good book reviewer. I’m afraid to say too much and give the story away but then I’m afraid I won’t say enough and no one will want to read the book. Understand? No? Well, that’s okay, because I rarely understand me either.

Back to P&P…Overall, I enjoyed the book. I can see why it’s a classic and even though it started out slow for me, due to the style, it really grew on me and I ended up loving it. I highly recommend it!

If you’re a big fan of the classics, head on over to 5 Minutes for Books and check out the Classics Bookclub. Our next book is Jane Eyre and we’d love to have you join us.

What's on your nightstand?

Right now, I’m reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen as part of the Classics Bookclub hosted by 5 Minutes for Books. This is the second time I’ve read it. Although, I have to admit, the first time around was for a school assignment and I plowed through it so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to enjoy it. This time around, I’m taking it slow and enjoying it.

Last week, I finished up Scream for Me by Karen Rose. I’d never read anything by her before, so I was skeptical at first. It seemed to start out slow, but after I got into it, it was a pretty good read. Good plot, well-written characters, and a few surprise turns kept me interested. I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s apparently a sequel to Die for Me by the same author. I’ve researched it a little and a third book, Kill for Me, is due out in February 2009. Now, ‘;m going to have to go back and read the first one. I wish I’d known it was a series!

After being on the wait list for several weeks, I finally got to read Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich. The Stephanie Plum series is one of my favorites. I read the first one last October and was hooked from the very first chapter. Since then, I’ve read every book in the series. Love it and recommend it to anyone who likes a good, humorous suspense story with a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure. These books are light and easy to read, yet hard to put down.

I’m reading Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare to my son. It’s a good classic. I’m sure most of you have read it before. I’m enjoying it as much as he is.

I checked out The Future Homemakers of America by Laurie Graham, but haven’t cracked it open yet. It’s about a group Air Force wives who are thrown together out of circumstance and form lifelong friendships as they see each other through life’s ups and downs. Fom the reviews I’ve read about it, it’s a very entertaining story although some of it can be predictable. So we’ll see.

I’m looking for book recommendations for my 10 year old twins. They’ve tried Nancy Drew, The Bobbsey Twins, Sweet Valley, Babysitter’s Club, The Boxcar Children, and Hank the Cowdog but they’re into more modern books. I’d rather not have them reading Hannah Montana and High School Musical books all the time so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

I also want to recommend any Andrew Clements book for your middle school-aged kids. My girls have read all of his books and loved every single one. They’re fun and deal with real-life issues that kids this age are dealing with. A couple to check out are Frindle and No Talking.

Head on over 5 Minutes for Books and tell us, What’s on your Nightstand?

Recommended books for kids

With all four of my kids being in school and having reading homework requirements every night, we go through a lot of children’s books.

The twins are in fifth grade and have to read 30 minutes a night. My son is a third grader and he reads for 20 minutes each night. Even my four year old in pre-k is required to read (or listen to) one book each night.

Some we’ve read recently are No Talking by Andrew Clements and We’re Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen.

One of the twins is reading No Talking and she’s been raving on it since the first chapter. It’s about a class of fifth-graders who have contest to see who talks more; girls or boys. They have to go a whole day without talking at school. They can’t talk in the classroom, hallways, bathrooms, playground, anywhere. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? I bet their teachers loved it!

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is my four year olds favorite book right now. We’ve read it so many times, she has it memorized word-for-word and “reads” it to me almost every day. When I was a teacher’s aide a few years back, I loved reading this book to my class of 2 & 3 year olds. I made up a whole routine for the story complete with voice-changes and hand motions. They loved it too! I highly recommend this book for kids of all ages. I’ve found that my older kids still enjoy listening to me read this book.