Category: Back to Classics

Book Questions šŸ“š {Part 1}

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Thrifted these recently for our homeschool! āœØšŸ˜ā™„ļø

I saw some book questions on an Instagram account called PensandPoison (I like SOME of her stuff, sheā€™s a bit too clickbait-y for me) recently and have been having a lot of fun thinking about my answers. I think she answered them using all fiction, but Iā€™m using everything to answer! I adapted these questions for me. It is a lot of questions and as usual, I canā€™t have just one answer šŸ¤£, so Iā€™ll be breaking this up into parts! Iā€™d love to hear your answers and I hope you may find a new favorite if you try any of these!

Book Questions šŸ“šāœØā™„ļø

ā€¢favorite book ~ I think besides The Holy Bible, currently my favorite books are A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge, The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery, Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, and Bleak House by Charles Dickens. Thinking about this question made me want to reread all of these! šŸ˜‚

ā€¢2nd favorite set of books ~ Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery and The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge.

ā€¢3rd favorite set of books, currently ~ Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery and Anneā€™s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery. Pat of Silverbush and Mistress Pat by LM Montgomery.

ā€¢favorite book thatā€™s not Montgomery or Goudge šŸ˜~ Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

ā€¢least favorite books ~ usually contemporary rom coms that I keep trying šŸ™ƒšŸ˜«, most recent I really disliked/low-key hated,šŸ¤£ Love in Tandem by Becca Kinzer and Date with Danger by Jenessa Fayeth. These didnā€™t work for me.

ā€¢second least favorite set of books ~ I really disliked both Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. So creepy and bleak. Not for me!

ā€¢book(s) that made me cry the most ~ I donā€™t cry a ton while reading, but I remember being disturbed and shaking to the point of tears by The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder and The Labors of Hercules Beale by Gary D. Schmidt had me choked up.

ā€¢books that made me laugh the most ~ I canā€™t remember! šŸ˜‚ Maybe I donā€™t read funny books? I think Jerome K. Jeromeā€˜s Three Men in a Boat may have made me laugh and Lady Susan by Jane Austen?

ā€¢most underrated novel ~ there are SO many, but Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro comes to mind. That book stunned me and really made me think.

ā€¢most overrated novel ~ donā€™t come for me! šŸ¤£ I actually like this novel for its disturbing look at twisted desires, obsession, and family dynamics, but I think Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a bit overrated. Itā€™s pretty depressing. šŸ˜«

Want to read stack!

How about you? What are your answers to these? Have you read any of my choices? Agree or (kindly) disagree? šŸ˜ā™„ļøšŸ“š Iā€™d love to hear! Happy Reading! šŸ“–

Monday Ponderings ā™„ļøšŸŒæ

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SautĆ© zucchini with browned and drained sausage! Add s&p and red pepper flakes to taste! So good! šŸ˜‹

Good Monday morning to you all! Getting a late start! Iā€™m on a little accidental reading/planning retreat and Iā€™m not complaining. šŸ˜…ā™„ļøšŸŒæ I was thinking about all the unread books I own! šŸ˜«šŸ˜±šŸ¤£ A small project Iā€™d like to start which works well with my 50×50 list is to start reading my owned books. I get a lot from the public library or Little Free Libraries, but would like to prioritize books I own. I also reread favorites quite a bit. I was shocked that in my bedroom alone, I had over 100 books I havenā€™t read! šŸ˜‚šŸ™ƒ I had even more that I have read and want to reread. šŸ˜±So in full disclosure, I made myself write out the unread ones in my room. Eeep!

Letā€™s not even talk about my Kindle. šŸ˜‚ Those donā€™t bother me as much, but Iā€™d like to be conscious about not just getting ebooks because they are cheap or free.

This project is for fun and also a little challenge to myself as Iā€™ve been thinking a-lot about how I can use my time and energy enjoying what I already have or creating meals or art instead of chasing something ā€˜out thereā€™. Does this mean I will quit book buying/borrowing? No! I so enjoy browsing and discovering treasures. Iā€™ve already seen myself naturally start to slow book buying over the years because of our home library being so rich. What a blessing to be able to draw from our shelves life giving words. I want to be able to choose myself how my time is used and be led by the Holy Spirit instead of social media or ā€˜expertsā€™. This applies to many areas of my life, but this is one small area I can slowly make concrete changes. I can give myself ā€˜things to look forward toā€™ in nature experiences with my kids, photography, shopping our own home shelves, being creative with meals, rearranging and freshening what we have! Putting those puzzles together, using up those craft supplies, the list goes on and on! Itā€™s actually kind of exciting.

ā™„ļø Any thoughts?

Jane Austen July winding downā€¦ āœØā™„ļøšŸŒæšŸ«–ā˜•ļø

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I have really enjoyed joining in with the annual appreciation of Miss Austenā€™s life and work by reading and watching various things by Austen or inspired by! Iā€™m getting closer to finishing my reread of Sense & Sensibility. Lucy Steele is quickly becoming another all time villain in my book. Ha. I love Austenā€™s character studies! Iā€™m still plugging away at Jane Austenā€™s Bookshelf. I identify with the authorā€™s bookish love and really appreciate her personal stories of why and how she feels connected or on the flip side, uncomfortable with a book/author. I donā€™t love the modern spin authorā€™s try to eke out of classic writers by trying to twist the little bit they know using their modern lenses. Romney sounds a touch whiny sometimes, but itā€™s at least limited to the hardships female authors had to face in the 18th century, which were true. Sheā€™s not, so far, trying to read into Austen or these other authorsā€™s personal lives and make things up.

Overall, itā€™s a compelling read and Iā€™m enjoying it.

Other things I read and did in honor were watch the 2020 BBC Emma adaptation. While I liked parts of it, unfortunately, it wasnā€™t my favorite. I reread The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which I really enjoy. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a contemporary of Miss Austenā€™s.

I also read Sarah E. Laddā€™s The Governess of Penwythe Hall, which was so enjoyable as a Regency-era story. Georgette Heyer Regency novels (love!) and Amish Pride & Prejudice (donā€™t really recommend! šŸ¤£) by Ashley Emma rounded out my Austen-inspired reading. šŸ“– Sigh. ā˜•ļøšŸ«–ā™„ļøšŸŒæāœØ

Someone to be looney with me! ā™„ļøšŸ¤“

Do you enjoy Austen? What is your favorite by her? ā™„ļøšŸŒæāœØ

First ā€˜26-ā€˜27 Homeschool Year Purchase {Day 97} āœļøāœØā™„ļø

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Iā€™m getting very excited as I begin homeschool planning! šŸ˜ The past couple of years, Iā€™ve purchased a School Nest planner/record keeper, but I just never use all the features, even in the Minimalist version. I love the options and beautiful covers, but I just decided to go back to my $10 Walmart Pen & Gear brand! I love the calendar at a glance and the big daily slots. Thatā€™s really all I need. These are my ā€˜brainā€™ and my record book.

Iā€™m rereading this oldie, but goodie and itā€™s making me excited and refreshed as I pray about our learning!

Iā€™m also going back through this little gem!

Are you getting excited about autumn šŸ‚ or are you still in summer mode? What do you do to prepare? Honestly, we are still in summer mode, but I love homeschooling and stationery and books, so it doesnā€™t take much for me to fall into this rabbit hole around August! šŸ˜…I felt a bit sad because I saw the Purple Lead Plant coming up and Sumac turning colors šŸ˜Ø and it made me think of summer ending. I just love the seasonal shifts! ā™„ļøāœØHappy Friday!

Top Ten Books That Live in My Head Rent Free {Classic Edition} šŸ“šāœØ~ {Day 94}

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Joining here for TTT!
  1. The Holy Bible ~ this is not always an easy book to read and I donā€™t understand a lot of it, but my spirit connects with it. Itā€™s foundational to my life and faith. My favorite books are Psalms and John.ā™„ļøšŸ™šŸ»šŸŒæ
  2. The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry ~ this collection of Berryā€™s poetry speaks to me deeply. It makes me consider time and future generations in a huge way. It makes me think of now. It makes me consider life outside of self. Our lives have meaning for a greater purpose!
  3. Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery ~ my handle online is Amy of Hearth Ridge directly inspired by this book. Thereā€™s something to be said for hoping to be useful and a blessing to someone else in your life. How living a selfless life actually is fulfilling. Beautiful story of a daughter and fatherā€™s restored relationship bringing healing to those around them.That home keeping can be art.
  4. Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell ~ I canā€™t begin to tell you how much I love the characters and journeys they go through! The father-daughter, mother-daughter, father-son, and marriage relationship studies in this Victorian novel are fantastic. This is a beautiful story!
  5. Persuasion by Jane Austen ~ a lovely story of redemption and finally being able to have a voice. How one can live kindly and generously in the wake of S.S. Selfish People. šŸš¢
  6. Home Education by Charlotte Mason ~ late 1800ā€™s to early 1900ā€™s British revolutionary educational philosophy. This is so very Christ-centric and focused on the personhood of children and mothers. A beautiful life-giving read.
  7. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher ~ a lovely story of how a child can blossom under loving and listening caregivers.
  8. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury ~ a father and son meeting evil together face on! Underlying themes of temptation, fear, and growing older! Iā€™m due for a reread!
  9. Christy by Catherine Marshall ~ beautiful story of a young teacherā€™s growth and learning in a rural Appalachian school. Gorgeous lessons for her as the very people she came to ā€˜helpā€™ grow her so much in return. Wonderful female friendships embodied!
  10. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder ~ the sheer bravery and strength of the early pioneers is astounding, convicting, and so inspiring! I often reevaluate my complaints after rereading this one. šŸ˜Øā™„ļø

I could have put Elizabeth Goudge on this list, Gladys Taber, Susan Branch, and many more poets! How about you? Which books do you think of over and over? ā™„ļøāœØšŸŒæšŸ“š

The Simple Womanā€™s Daybook {Day 89} ā˜•ļø

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I used to participate in this blog link up on my old blog YEARS ago! I donā€™t think itā€™s done officially anymore, but loved reading them, so unofficially joining here. My Wednesday Wonders post is inspired by this original one! Thank you to the original creator wherever you are! ā™„ļøāœØ

FOR TODAY~

Outside my windowā€¦golden and pink sunrise with a haze, promises to be very hot today! Yesterday it was near 100 degrees! šŸ„µ

I am thinkingā€¦about last nightā€™s local homeschooling momā€™s meeting and how good it was to see the ladies! Need to figure out which book won the vote for our Autumn read!

I am thankful forā€¦my cat Sophie šŸ˜‚ā™„ļøSheā€™s so comforting!

From the kitchenā€¦weā€™ve been making our chicken or tuna salad a lot! Usually shredded carrots, chopped celery, sometimes chopped apples, s&p, canned chicken or tuna drained and dill weed! Yum! We eat it on lettuce, bread, or with crackers. Sometimes I shred any available veggie like cucumber šŸ„’ I have to use things up!

I am creatingā€¦I just finished my collage and little article for the letter/zine I write for! I really want to write a penpal letter and Iā€™m trying to blog daily here. This autumn Iā€™d love to pick quilting back up and learn to make granny squares!

I am goingā€¦possibly to the lake today so the kiddos can cool off swimming and Iā€™ll sit in shade with my water and book!šŸ“–

I am wearingā€¦a green tshirt and probably a flowy green, cream, and orange skirt! My pearl earrings and new brown slide sandals.

I am readingā€¦I may take Moby Dick to lake as I love reading it by water! šŸ˜šŸ˜… Iā€™m also loving Captain Blood and Jane Austenā€™s Bookshelf. Among many more. šŸ˜‰ Here is a wonderful Booktube about some lovely summer reading options!

I am hopingā€¦that my daughterā€™s bridal shower is ok and not too hot or stormy! Itā€™s outdoors! šŸ˜Ø

I am hearingā€¦ac humming and my 12 yoā€™s voice (heā€™s recovering from summer flu šŸ˜­). Iā€™m absolutely loving this album! So worshipful and comforting!

Around the houseā€¦weā€™ve have remodeling and wedding messes! šŸ˜©šŸ¤ŖšŸ¤£ I really need to climb into a storage space to find my daughterā€™s Christmas ornaments because Iā€™m giving them to her with a new one for her and her soon-to-be husbandā€™s first Christmas! šŸ˜­šŸ˜­šŸ˜­ I need to check all my boxed books and make sure they arenā€™t getting damp. šŸ˜– I also need to find our graduation party box to use the platters and twinkle lights for the bridal shower. I also need to make some treats for the bridal shower.

One of my favorite thingsā€¦early morning with the light pouring through my new sliding glass doors.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Weekā€¦a birthday party/book club with local friends and THE.BRIDAL.SHOWER. šŸ˜‚šŸ˜±ā˜ ļø

Here is a picture thought I am sharing for youā€¦

Sunrise šŸŒ…

Monday Ponderings {Day 87}šŸ“ā€ā˜ ļøšŸ“ā€ā˜ ļøšŸ“ā€ā˜ ļøā˜ ļøā˜ ļøā˜ ļøāš“ļøāš“ļøāš“ļø

amyofhearthridge8 Comments
Who is that red beetle?

A man must sometimes laugh at himself or go mad,ā€™ said he. ā€˜Few realize it. That is why there are so many madmen in the world.

~Rafael Sabatini, Captain Blood

Itā€™s HOT. šŸ„µ These Milkweed are feeling it.

I am loving this swashbuckling story! Have you read it? Thereā€™s an Errol Flynn film out there, too! šŸ˜†šŸ˜‚ Happiest Monday! ā™„ļøšŸŒæāœØšŸ„°

Read My Shelf: 50 x 50 Booklist šŸ“ššŸ“ššŸ“š {Day 85}

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Hello šŸ‘‹ Friends ~ a few of you expressed interest in my 50 books off of my owned shelf that Iā€™m trying to read by the time Iā€™m 50! A few stipulations. Two of these are on my Kindle owned shelf, as they hard to find physically. I also reserved the right to use any form to read these as long as I own a physical copy. For example, I own Moby Dick, but if I want to check out the audiobook version from the library, that is fine. I also gave myself two switch outs. If for some reason, I really canā€™t read a book, Iā€™m allowed to switch it out from my shelves. I started this project in mid-2025?, so I have till June 2030 šŸ˜…šŸ˜³ to complete it. The huge nonfiction are the ones Iā€™m mostly concerned about! šŸ˜‚ I tried to balance a few lighter things, while still challenging myself. I kept most? if not all of these books out of the great book pack-away for our remodeling. ā™„ļøšŸ“ššŸ„°

50×50 List ~

  1. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
  2. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
  3. Dante: Poet, Political Thinker, The Man by Barbara Reynolds
  4. Biography of A Cathedral by Robert Gordon Anderson
  5. Mistress Pat by L.M. Montgomery ā˜‘ļø
  6. Any of my Victor Hugo
  7. A Dark Nightā€™s Work by Elizabeth Gaskell (Kindle) ā˜‘ļø
  8. Tempest Tost by Robertson Davies
  9. Letters from Cuba by Ruth Behar
  10. The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
  11. Elizabeth Gaskell: A Habit of Stories by Jenny Uglow
  12. Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott ā˜‘ļø
  13. Dr. Wortleā€™s School by Anthony Trollope
  14. Vicar of Bullhampton by Anthony Trollope
  15. The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding
  16. Any of my unread Ray Bradbury
  17. The Virginian by Owen Wister
  18. A Pale View of the Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
  19. Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer
  20. Thoreau and the Language of Trees by Richard Higgins
  21. Any of my Elie Wiesel
  22. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot
  23. The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas ā˜‘ļø
  24. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
  25. Revelation by C.J. Sansom
  26. Jane Austen Bookshelf by Rebecca Romneyā˜‘ļø
  27. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
  28. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles ā˜‘ļø
  29. Van Loonā€™s Lives by Hendrik Willem van Loon
  30. A History of the American People by Paul Johnson
  31. A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond
  32. Kitā€™s Wilderness by David Almond
  33. Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson
  34. A Chaplet of Pearls by Charlotte Mary Yonge (Kindle)
  35. Any of my Edgar Allan Poe
  36. Any of my Nathanial Hawthorne
  37. Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore
  38. The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy
  39. You are A Tree by Joy Marie Clarkson
  40. The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults by Cheryl B. Klein
  41. Any of my unread C.S.Lewis nonfiction
  42. One of my folklore collections
  43. The Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton
  44. Poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
  45. The Divine Comedy by Dante ā˜‘ļø
  46. Any of my unread Russian authors
  47. A Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield
  48. Any of my unread L.M. Montgomery short story collections
  49. Make Believe by Elizabeth Goudge
  50. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

What do you think of my list ? Have you read any of these authors or these specific titles? Do you have a list of books you want to read in the near future? Chat books with me below! šŸ‘‡ šŸ„°šŸ“šā™„ļø

Tuesday Haiku āœØ{ Day 74}āœØ

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Follow the light āœØāœØāœØ

ā€œshe laughs without fearā€
proverbs and Melville school day
praise-pain humid tears.

~

A.M. Pine šŸŒ²ā™„ļø

June/July Journals ~ Wrap Up & Set Up šŸ““šŸ–ŠļøšŸ“ {Day 70}

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Sunset reflected āœØ

Iā€™m loosely participating in five? July specific Booktube Readathons! I really enjoy just marking off prompts! šŸ“šāœ…

I decorated some of my July pages ahead in my to-do pocket Moleskine because thereā€™s some travel and family stuff going on. I usually decorate this one the day of use because itā€™s so small, but I donā€™t pack all my journaling supplies when going on trips! I especially love the Jane Austen stickers I saved for the start of Jane Austen July! šŸ˜ā™„ļøšŸŒø

Deck-a-TBR-a-Thon! Summerween! Private Eye July! Jane Austen July! Zoom in for Prompts, if interested! šŸ˜…šŸ“ššŸ“ššŸ“š

These are some summer long prompts! I made a great dent in them in June!

Two June Read-a-Thons that I had a lot of fun with! I just read what Iā€™m in the mood for and make them fit mostly, but I do tailor a few of my choices depending on topic. Read a couple American Revolution type books with my kids etc.

June Reading Journal pages almost full!

I purchased coffee stickers and cute yellow bakery type washi so my July theme is Yellow Coffee & Flower Shop! šŸ¤ŖšŸ˜…šŸ˜šŸ’›šŸ¤ŽšŸ’›šŸ¤ŽšŸ’›

VERY ambitious health/mental/spiritual/relational goals for July! šŸ™ƒšŸ˜±šŸ˜‚

What are you creating lately? I so enjoy working in my journals.

~

Top Ten Books I Hope to Read ~ Summer 2026šŸ“š~ {Day 68}

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I found a new-to-me-blogger Lisa at Boondocks Ramblings that Iā€™m enjoying and am joining her and the host, That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday!

Iā€™m an extreme mood reader, but will make heaps of hopeful piles! Many of these are rereads or books on my 50 books by 50 list! Iā€™m in a cozy, domestic fiction mood with a side of nonfiction and a vague feeling of something else reading mood. šŸ˜…šŸ¤ŖšŸ˜Ž

  1. Iā€™m slowly rereading the Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery series because my Ann with an E is getting married this year! šŸ˜­ā™„ļøIā€™m on the 3rd book now!
  2. Moby Dick by Herman Melville ~ I love the gorgeous word-smithing and hilarious situations Ishmael finds himself in! I got 3/4ths through this a few years ago, but never finished so determined to now.
  3. Unmaking the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth ~ VERY out of my wheelhouse, but an interesting look at the dismantling of Western cultural foundations and the dehumanization of man. This is so fascinating and honestly, a bit sobering. Iā€™m not sure what Mr. Kingsnorth is totally trying to say, šŸ˜‚ but thereā€™s enough in here to make me really think.

4. The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge ~ Iā€™m due for a reread of this beautiful story of an older woman moving to an inherited house in the countryside and asking herself if she has ever truly been living.

5. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery ~ been craving a reread of this one . If you felt you had a short time to live, how would you live your life? Valency Sterling has lived a stifling existence up to this point and jumps at the chance to buck against it!

6. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery ~ yes, another Maud book! Iā€™m really leaning into the domestic, cozy fiction. Young Emily Starr is taken in by aunts when her beloved father passes away. Her writerā€™s soul aches with growing pains and trying to find a kindred spirit in her new situation. Iā€™m finally feeling ready to really dig into my reread of this sadder trilogy.

7. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh ~ this is for my in-person book club! We are all busy moms so reading it slowly, but so much to discuss on fading English aristocracy, religion, family and societal pressures.

8. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot ~ this is a book from my 50×50 list and my friend who I trust implicitly with book recommendations said itā€™s a good summer read! I donā€™t really know what this is about but looking forward to trying another Eliot!

9. Jane Austenā€™s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney ~ Iā€™ve been hoping to read this for a long time and the Booktube reading event Jane Austen July would be perfect. Iā€™m much slower at nonfiction, so weā€™ll see if I can get to it!

10. Habits for a Sacred Home by Jennifer Pepito ~ Iā€™ve been interested in checking out this home educating title for awhile and am looking for a title to read with our homeschool momā€™s group this autumn!

~These are just a few of the ones capturing my attention currently! What about you? What books are on your stack this summer? šŸŒžāœØā˜•ļøšŸ“šā™„ļøšŸ˜

ā€œThe languor of Youthā€ šŸŒ²{Day 27}

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THE languor of Youth – how unique and quintessential it is! How quickly, how irrecoverably, lost! The zest, the generous affections, the illusions, the despair, all the traditional attributes of Youth – all save this – come and go with us through life; again and again in riper years we experience, under a new stimulus, what we thought had been finally left behind, the authentic impulse to action, the renewal of power and its concentration on a new object; again and again a new truth is revealed to us in whose light all our previous knowledge must be rearranged. These things are a part of life itself; but languor – the relaxation of yet unwearied sinews, the mind sequestered and self-regarding, the sun standing still in the heavens and the earth throbbing to our own pulse – that belongs to Youth alone and dies with it.

Brideshead Revisited, p. 79

Thinking on this quote as I navigate young adult relationships. Iā€™m prayerfully trying to put myself back into ā€œtheir age shoesā€ to respond with love, compassion, and a listening spirit.