Books I Read in 2015

So all my friends are posting the books they read in 2015, and I don't want to get left out of the fun. I have some friends that read almost 70 books last year! I didn't read nearly that many, in fact I didn't count. And I am sure I have forgotten a few because I didn't put them all in Goodreads.  I only included books I read for the first time, so there were many other school books I didn't count.

I also set a new goal for this year of reading 52 books this year, about one a week. Now, I don't actually read a book in a week most of the time, but since I currently have 20 or so going at a time, I think it will even out.

2015 Book List 

(Including my Goodreads rating. Cause I'm nice like that.) 


The Living Page  *****

The Daughter of Time ***

The Fellowship of the Rings *****

Watership Down *****

Colorado-The Bright Romance of American History *

Mere Christianity *****

The Brenden Voyage *****

Tending the Heart of Virtue *****

Galileo's Daughter ***

Of Courage Undaunted (school book)

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (school book)

Richard II (Shakespeare)

The Two Towers *****

Animal Farm ****

Ivanhoe ****

The Once and Future King

The Great Divorce

A Day in our Life- CM Open House

I'm so excited to join in the great project over at Beautiful Chaos, Charlotte Mason Open House. We are trying to be really honest and open with how this education really looks in our homes. So many times it seems like we are all perfect and have it all together when we are really all the same in our struggles.

I originally filmed almost our complete day, which ended up being an hour long even when I sped up many parts. So I re-filmed and just tried to capture the general chaotic progression of our day. On this particular day, everyone slept in, we got started late, and things just didn't go as well as many times, so you get to see us even "real-er" then normal. I was pretty frustrated by the end of the day, but it all works out.

I didn't film any of the "riches" or "extras"- the artist and composer study, the music we listen to, the poetry. We also didn't do any language learning.  Because this was the week after Christmas we really weren't getting those things done. Another moment of being real. We typically do those things around lunchtime, either while we eat or right after we finish. Sometimes we grab a rare minute between the other things when everyone is free at the same time. Sometimes it happens in the afternoon when we have quiet time and the kids all sit and read for 30 minutes. Sometimes it just doesn't happen.

Enjoy and keep coming back to Beautiful Chaos (I LOVE that name!) for the rest of the month. We have great things planned!



P.S. I really don't mind the chair. Much.

Back to the Classics Challenge

I'm taking the Back to the Classics challenge this year. It was shared on the AmblesideOnline forum and seemed like fun. Most of the books were something I was wanting to read anyway, while a few of the categories will make me search for something outside of my usual reads. Which is the fun part! 

1.  A 19th Century Classic - Three Men in a Boat. Short, funny, something I've been wanting to read. 

2.  A 20th Century Classic - Lord of the Flies. A book I feel like I should read, not really looking forward to it. 

3.  A classic by a woman author. Kristen Lavransdatter. All three if I have time and find them.

4.  A classic in translation.  Not sure... maybe Beowulf, although I am not excited about the idea. 

5.  A classic by a non-white author. Ideas please? 

6.  An adventure classic - Treasure Island, a Sir Walter Scott, or something else I decide on later. 

7.  A fantasy, science fiction, or dystopian classic. The Return of the King or Brave New World.

8.  A classic detective novel. Probably the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, because it's a book I have in hard copy and I haven't read any of his books. 

9.  A classic which includes the name of a place in the title.  Undecided. 

10. A classic which has been banned or censored. Probably To Kill a Mockingbird. I have never read this book before, and I feel like I'm behind the times since it's a high school standard. 

11. Re-read a classic you read in school (high school or college).  Probably Pride and Prejudice. I didn't read many classics in high school, but I read this and didn't really like it. Maybe my tastes have changed.

12. A volume of classic short stories. No idea. I haven't even looked into this category. It's fun to leave them open, it's like a wrapped present, so many options!