My Top 5 Books of 2017

#1 - Teaching From Rest by Sarah Mackenzie

If you have talked to me at all this year I have mentioned this book.  I even wrote a blog post about it HERE.  This book has changed the way I am doing school this year.   I think this is a great book for every parent, not just homeschoolers.  The biggest things I took away from the book are: the curriculum is my guide,  I am not a slave to it, and God's end plan for my children may look different than mine.
My favorite quote from the book is this, "You are made in the image and likeness of God, and you have exactly what you need to be the mother that He wants you to be."



# 2 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

It's confession time - I have tried many times in my adult life to read this book and I just couldn't get into it.  I believed everyone that told me it was an amazing piece of literature, but I could never get past the first couple of chapters.  I came across it on audible for less than a dollar.  I  thought maybe I'll be able to listen to it!  Listening to it was a game changer.  Any chance I got I had my ear buds in listening to it.  It truly was amazing.  I'm joining an online book club in January and I'm going to read the book this time.  My encouragement for you is, if there is a book you would really like to read but can't seem to work in the time or just can't figure out the characters, try it in an audio book.   Audible is my favorite, you don't have to have a membership you can listen through the app.  The next best place is your local library.  Our library has a great audio book selection for adults and kids.   Plus, we have inter-library loan where you can find just about any book you are seeking.

#3 - Give Your Child the World by Jamie C. Martin

This book is really a collection of book lists.  The first couple of chapters discuss how to expose your kids to different cultures and different parts of the world through books.  We would love to take our kids around the world, but our budget doesn't allow that.  This book is a great resource for finding good books about different countries and cultures.  Each chapter is a different continent. She then breaks down each book by country and reading age.   If you're looking for a book on Indonesia, you just turn to the Asia chapter and find a book that fits your kid's ages or reading ability.   It has become a great asset to our homeschooling journey.


#4 -  Marriage to a Difficult Man:  The "Uncommon Union" of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards by Elisabeth Dodds

I found this book while I was searching our library page for school books.  I love a good history book and I always enjoy learning about important women from our past.  This book wasn't exactly what I thought it would be.  There really isn't a lot of information about Sarah's life, this really is more about her husband.  It was a fascinating read.  I learned a lot about what life for a minister's family would have been like in colonial America.  The book has stuck with me.   It highlights a women who's whole life was devoted to serving God and her family.  Her life was not easy.  She never wavered even during several family struggles.  If you enjoy history I would recommend this book.   It gives a good look into the life of the man behind Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.

#5 -  Out of the Ashes:  Rebuilding American Culture by Anthony E. Esolen

This is not a book I would have started reading on my own.  On one of our road trips Trevor started playing it.   Trevor is a huge fan of Dr. Esolen.  The book was fascinating.  It was also disheartening to hear how messed up our society is .   As a homeschooler I found his parts of the book about public schools very interesting.  It was also encouraging to hear that homeschooling is an affective way to change society.  He discusses the sexual revolution, government, universities, and even sports.  No subject is off limits.  I would never have guessed I would have enjoyed this book so much.  When I went though the list of books I read this year this easily made it to the top books I would suggest to friends.


I enjoyed these books so much I would love to give one away.  Leave a comment on the blog of which book you would like to add to your personal library.  I'll draw a winner on January 12th, 2018.