Hi 👋 friends! Trying to close out my yearly reads here. It’s so fun to go back and see all the years of great reading lists. ♥️

~October~

Pillars of the House Volume 2 by Charlotte Mary Yonge – 4 ⭐️ I had read the first Volume in the 3rd quarter and honestly, the Voxer/Zoom discussion group through Booktuber Kate Howe’s Patreon made this book come alive. The two volumes were over 1,000 pages combined! 😳😂 This followed generations of a large, orphaned family in England and it was heartwarming and inspiring. I learned a lot about the Oxford Movement from the group discussions which I found fascinating. The community aspect kept me going and I’m so glad I did!

Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett- 4 ⭐️ This was a charming middle grade fantasy twist on Anne of Green Gables. A young girl has nowhere to go and attempts to apprentice herself to the local, grumpy witch. I loved the found family, adventures, and gorgeous writing style. Fawcett has been very hit or miss for me, but I did enjoy this one a lot!

Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell – 5 ⭐️ This has become something of a yearly reread for me and this past Victober was no exception. I absolutely loved listening to this favorite Victorian classic again. So many great characters in this story of a widowed country doctor and his daughter and everything surrounding his remarriage. All of the lovely villagers, class tensions, and life drama makes for a wonderful story. The BBC film adaptation is wonderful, too!!!

~November~

Keturah & Lord Death by Martine Leavitt – 4 ⭐️ An YA clean fantasy w/ light romance, this was so unique. Keturah has made a deal and she has a short time to complete her end of the bargain! I found the setting so compelling and I loved Keturah as a character. I’m still thinking about this one.

Parents are Peacemakers by Essex Cholmondeley- 5⭐️ I love this short nonfiction pamphlet on parenting from a friend of Charlotte Mason. I have reread this multiple times. I love the focus on the needs of each person in a family. So good! Great way to refresh your parenting and/or homeschooling.

Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah – 4 ⭐️ Honestly, this was such a fun adventure…think Arabian nights and a gorgeously, immersive setting. Treasure, djinn, and treachery lurks around every corner! Older YA as it’s violent, but pretty clean. I’m worried about the others in the trilogy ruining my reading experience with this one. 😂 I may just stop here. 🛑

Dune by Frank Herbert – 4⭐️ I listened to the audiobook of this one and was so pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this political, sci-fi family story. It moved EXTREMELY slowly, but it was just what I needed at the time. I loved thinking of the influence this had on Star Wars.

~December~

Julie by Catherine Marshall- 4 ⭐️ A buddy read with my penpal via Voxer. This was a wonderful Depression era historical fiction story set in Pennsylvania. I loved the male characters in this book, and Julie and her father’s relationship was such an interesting dynamic. Julie and her family take over a failing newspaper in this coming of age story that brought up so many thought-provoking themes.

Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr – 4⭐️ I thought this clean Victorian era fantasy with a side of dragons was extremely fun and I loved the main character, Edith Worms. This had Jane Eyre- vibes. I’m looking forward to the second coming out this month?! The author is a mother of a large family. 😍

Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick – 4⭐️ This lovely, small town story follows 12 yo Truly Lovejoy as she adjusts to her family’s move after her dad had a terrible accident in the military. PTSD, family, new friends, Shakespeare, and birding are just a few things in this charming middle grade.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows – 5 ⭐️ This was a reread, but I listened and I adored being back with these characters even more than the first time. An unique look at WWII from a different perspective, told through letters, and so very real and humorous.

Dombey & Son by Charles Dickens – 4 ⭐️ I just finished this, but read/listened to most of it in December. It dragged just a wee bit at about 3/4th the way through, but just what you’d expect from Mr. Dickens. Amazing, quirky cast of characters and a deeper conversation on so many issues/levels. This focused a lot on parental and child relationships. It was very good! I loved so many characters!

How was your last quarter of reading for 2023? Any plans for this year? I’m thinking about how to share my reading in the new year. May change it up? Not sure. Watch soon for my 23 favorite reads of ‘23 list! Happy Reading! ♥️😁