Free Phonics Program

 

Progressive Phonics

I wanted to share this free resource for children who need a little fun phonics practice at home.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

52 Books - Week Four

The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands

by

Dr. Laura

YES! I finally finished.  I'll admit that so far this has been the hardest book for me to finish.  Reading transcripts of Dr. Laura's call-in show made me angry. She came across as being quite judgmental and critical of the callers. Also, the book didn't seem to have a logical flow.  However, there is good information in the book.  I had to take the "don't throw the baby out with the bath water" attitude while reading.

An interesting note.  Having read Madame Bovary (1840's) just before this book, I disagree with Dr. Laura's argument that the lack of respect for husbands is the fault of the feminist movement.  There's nothing new under the sun.

52 Books - Week Three

Madame Bovary

by

Gustave Flaubert

"Gradually, growing calmer, she came to see that she had been unjust to him.  But casting aspersions on those we love always does something to loosen our ties.  We shouldn't maltreat our idols: the gilt comes off on our hands."

Depressing with a capital D.  I skim-read this book several years ago.  I decided to actually read it this time and it is just as depressing as I remember.  Yes, this is no doubt a classic and the descriptions of every day life are amazing, but the tragic story line often distracted me from enjoying the author's gifted writing.  I found this review worthwhile.

Portrait note:  The book cover features a portrait of Princess de Broglie.

The Thirteenth Tale

by

Diane Setterfield

Honestly, I didn't intend to read another book this week, but this one was fun...kind of like a dark chick flick.  It included a dysfunctional family and plenty of "who done it."  Each time I thought I had it all figured out another layer of mystery was added.

52 Books - Week Two

Steve and Teri Maxwell have been homeschooling for 23+ years.  In this book they discuss the benefits of switching to Christian textbooks after their first 12 years of schooling.   It was interesting to have a peek into how they run their very organized school.

 

Phew!(668 pages worth of "phew!")  I decided to read another book that has been sitting in my "to read" pile for ages.  Eldest is the second book in the Inheritance Series.  Since it had been several years since I read the first book, Eragon, I had a hard time remembering characters, places, etc.  Much of the book dealt with Eragon's further training as a Rider which was thankfully broken up by following a separate character.  The last 100 pages of the book were the most enjoyable as there was more action.

 

I'm linking to Amazon, since the Publishers Weekly Editorial Review there is much better than I can come up with.  My favorite chapter? "Priorities: Putting God First."

Week One

I'm so excited!  I finished my first book of the year this morning, Restoring Order to Your Home by Vicki Norris.  One down, 51 to go.

Quote

As part of my deluttering efforts, I plan to read some of my self-help books and then donate them.  I'm reading Restoring Order to Your Home by Vicki Norris.  Here is an excellent quote I found while reading:

"In my view, organizing your home is about making room in your life (and your space) for that which is important to you now, not what used to be important to you or what might become important to you."