Don't Let the Muggles Get You Down

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[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 30) The writing was more entertaining than the subject matter. Natural history is always going to be tedious, uncertain, and controversial, but Bryson really gets you interested in scientists as people. After reading this, I really need to know more about Edwin Hubble. He sounds like quite the character. #read #reading #readersofinstagram #nonfiction #naturalhistory #science https://www.instagram.com/p/CqX5wWSuCTg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 29) It's definitely not necessary to read all of them, but it was fun. Shakespeare went through some MOODS, all of which appear to be well documented in 154 sonnets. I’ve included some of my favorites, including a particularly funny one for your enjoyment. #read #read2023 #readersofinstagram #shakespeare #poetry https://www.instagram.com/p/CqWSamBvBwL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 28) Beartown by Fredrik Backman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 This one really got to me. It took me forever to read this one, but it was worth it. In a word, this book is heavy. The subject matter is heavy. The writing is excellent, but heavy. The characters come burdened with so much baggage you can almost feel the weight on your own shoulders. It took me almost two months to read this book, and it might take the rest of the year to process it. Backman is a fantastic author. He creates engrossing settings and vivid characters. He includes profound thoughts on almost every page, using the lives of everyday people to examine the human experience on a deeper, thought-provoking level than one would normally attribute to small towns and sports teams. When I say heavy, I mean heavy. Each chapter will give you your own little existential crisis. I didn't give this five stars because of language and some content, but mostly I didn't because it's made me terrified of having teenagers. However, I was deeply moved by this book and will probably read it again in a few years. I would give some trigger warnings (there are plenty), but I think that would defeat the purpose of the book. #read #read2023 #readersofinstagram #fiction #modernliterature #sweden https://www.instagram.com/p/CqLtUy5vT1E/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 27) A Little History of Science by William Bynum ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "At any moment of history, the science has been a product of that particular moment." I love the way science and history go hand in hand. This book was a great overview - I might even revisit it later. Of course, there are some conclusions that I take issue with, but this is a great place to start if you're interested in learning about the history of science or want to get some ideas of specific scientific topics that interest you enough to explore more. #read #read2023 #readersofinstagram #nonfiction #science #history #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CqD3RK3voyX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 25) Impeached by David O. Stewart ⭐️ I'm glad this was free on audible, because it was incredibly dry. Here's my main take-away (it's pretty much been my take-away from all of these presidential biographies): there's nothing new under the sun. Attempted impeachment, actual impeachment, constitutional scholars fighting over the definition of "high crimes and misdemeanors", it's all the same stuff that we hear today. It's a little discouraging that almost two hundred years later, we're still having the same arguments. Unfortunately for Mr. Johnson, after being drunk at his own inauguration as Lincoln's VP, it was all down hill from there. #read #reading #readersofinstagram #read2023 #americanhistory #ushistory #potus #impeachment https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp0Zb2TgLfp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 23) A. Lincoln by Ronald C. White Jr. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "The Almighty has His own purposes. 'Woe unto the world because of offenses for it must needs be that offenses come but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.' If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which in the providence of God must needs come but which having continued through His appointed time He now wills to remove and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him. Fondly do we hope- fervently do we pray- that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword as was said three thousand years ago so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'" I don't know what more can be said of Abraham Lincoln than what has already been said by generations. I found myself deeply moved multiple times during this read. As far as the actual book is concerned, this biography was well-written, engaging, and is one I would recommend. #read #read2023 #nonfiction #presidentialbiographies #ushistory #civilwar #potus #lincoln https://www.instagram.com/p/CpdO_0xPg8i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 22) 101 Great American Poems ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A nice sampling from American poets, both familiar and unfamiliar. While I don't always get poetry, I usually enjoy it. One of favorites from this collection was "Dream Deferred (Harlem)" by Langston Hughes: What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. <i>Or does it explode?</i> #read #read2023 #readersofinstagram #poetry #springreading #americanpoetry https://www.instagram.com/p/CpWDL_8vePl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 21) The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner ⭐️⭐️ I wanted to like this, but I think I went in with expectations too high. Overall, it was okay. The plot was a little flat and the characters were likeable but not particularly compelling. The only thing I found charming was the setting. The most interesting part of this book was how the couple in the book were written to mirror some couples in Jane Austen's novels, but even that only went so far to keep me engaged. This one wraps up my February theme of chick-lit and light romance. I’ve concluded that this just isn’t my genre. In January, I read psychology and personal development, which I enjoyed more. However by the end of the month I was feeling a little overwhelmed by all the ideas for improvement. 😅 February was a nice change of pace, even if some of it was just plain silly. So far I’m enjoying reading “seasonally”. While at times I feel a little boxed in, it has forced me to read some things that have been on my TBR for years and not constantly returning to favorite genres. Today being March 1st, I will start my spring reading, which I plan to do through April. Spring genres include poetry, classics, and whimsy for fiction and natural science and physical health for nonfiction. #read #reading #readseasonally #readersofinstagram #read2023 #historicalfiction #janeausten https://www.instagram.com/p/CpPwMhzAKFf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 19) Book Lovers by Emily Henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'm still not a huge fan of this genre, but this one grew on me. While it's full of Hallmark tropes, it's fully self-aware. If you love Hallmark movies and books about books, you would enjoy this. Both main characters work in publishing, and part of the plot involves saving a small town bookstore. However, unlike Hallmark movies, it's not clean - there's language throughout, a couple of steamy scenes, and one smutty chapter to be skipped. The last few surprisingly heart-warming chapters bumped this review up from three stars to four. #read #reading #readersofinstagram #read2023 #fiction #books #romancebooks #chicklit #booksaboutbooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CoxV4-LO2xF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Books 17&18) The Royal We & The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan ⭐️⭐️⭐️ These were okay. Lots of nonsense, some funny. But, in the first one, where the romance is the point, it was just a little too flat. However, I did enjoy the British-ness. Overall, chick-lit is just not my thing. Lots of drama, little plot. This month I’m taking the opportunity to read a few that looked interesting enough to accumulate on my TBR, but I don’t know if this is a genre I’ll regularly revisit. #read #reading #readersofinstagram #fiction #romance #chicklit #uk #britishmonarchy https://www.instagram.com/p/CovHVOyPQ65/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 16) An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire by Amanda Collins ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not as good as the first one, but still fun. This one was just a little too heavy handed with the feminism, and the romance was a little flat. No language warnings, but there was a brief bit of smut to be skipped over. I still enjoyed this start to my February (light romance/chick-lit) reads, although I think this season is going to have me rolling my eyes. A lot. #read #readersofinstagram #reading #readingchallenge #read2023 #romancebooks #chicklit https://www.instagram.com/p/CoXKujRg94a/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 15) Taken At The Flood by Agatha Christie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lots of twists, compelling characters, I had trouble putting this one down. While I'm reading seasonally this year, I'm still working on my long-term goals. This is Agatha Christie 47 out of 81 for me. Only 34 to go! #read #reading #readersofinstagram #readingchallenge #read2023 #mystery #agathachristie https://www.instagram.com/p/CoIHJ_mP6iA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 14) Mama Bear Apologetics by Hillary Morgan Ferrer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'd give this five stars if it weren't for some of the Calvinism and evangelical theology. The purpose of this book is to prepare mothers (the primary audience is mothers, but everything said is relevant to fathers, too) to prepare their children to face the ideas promoted by the world - specifically the ideas that go against Biblical teaching. Each chapter tackles a different "ism", helping you understand the basic ideas behind each and examining their arguments in light of logic and scripture. One of my favorite things about this book was how in each chapter the author(s) tried not to dismiss everything about an ism, but instead - when applicable - would point out which aspects of the ism were valid, relevant, or harmonized with Biblical teaching. I found this to be refreshing, as opposed to the "only pointing out the flaws" approach. I will be ordering a hard copy for future reference (I did the audible - it's free right now). It has made me hungry for an apologetics class or at least the opportunity to discuss some of these ideas with other mothers. #read #readersofinstagram #reading #read2023 #christianity #apologetics #momlife #nonfiction https://www.instagram.com/p/CoC_LZrOlDx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 13) Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday by Valarie Woerner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Overall, this was pretty good. I may be experiencing a little bit of self-help burnout, but I appreciated the author's take on common mom-complaints and her push towards Biblical responses to these complaints. I'm a grumpy mom. I know this, and I want to be different. This book was highly introspective, in that it calls for a lot of self-examination and doesn't offer a ton of practical tips. A common theme I've been seeing pop up in a lot of these books is focusing on what really matters - to you, personally, and to God, ultimately. Here, I appreciate that the focus is kept on Godly living, first and foremost. Here are some quotes worth sharing that will give you an idea of the tone of this book. *** "It’s possible to have victory over our thoughts, but only if we set our minds on the one who never changes." "The hiccups in parenting aren’t just things that push my buttons. They’re opportunities for me to grow. Just as I long to rub out the rough spots in my kids to help them become the people God wants them to be, God is doing the same thing with me." "The problem is that living ready for a fight desensitizes us. We can’t always be looking for a battle without becoming jaded in the way we see other people. We can’t love well and forgive an offense if we train our eyes to find every little thing someone else does wrong." "The Lord is delighted when we give all we have." @valmariepaper #read #read2023 #readersofinstagram #readingchallenge #nonfiction #parenting #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #spirituality #christianity https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn6wGidA8CT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 12) Triggers by Amber Lia and Wendy Speake ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Some good things to keep in mind when dealing with our own anger. A little soft when it comes to discipline, especially if you have strong-willed children. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnz3_oDPyEf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 11) The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This one was not as relevant to me as Habits of the Household (by the same author), and there's a great deal of overlap between the two books. Also, some of the habits pushed in this book felt more even more ambitious than those in HOTH. However, I like where the author is coming from - trying to help steer lives back towards healthy habits of living, healthy media consumption, and ultimately back towards God. While I would recommend HOTH for parents, I’d recommend The Common Rule for single, working professionals. #read #reading #audible #nonfiction #personaldevelopment #productivity #habits https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxGLZgvy95/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kathryninthelibrary]

(Book 7) Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Our habits won't change God's love for us, but God's love for us can and should change our habits." This book takes an exclusively spiritual look at habit creation and routine formation in the Christian family. While some of the suggested liturgies are what I would call "extrascriptural" (not necessarily found in scripture, e.g. rote catechisms), the heart of this book is about running a household that gives God glory and reflects God's love. There are a lot of ideas and suggestions on what kinds of habits to adopt and implement. It was a little overwhelming, but, as with most habit-building, it's probably best to start small and just pick one or two that you can easily implement. I know I need to practice greater patience - especially around bedtime - so I'll be starting there. The goal of any Christian parent should be to raise children to love God and have a relationship with him and Jesus Christ. This book does a great job of keeping the focus there, while still giving some practical logistical advice. "We become our habits, and our kids become us. So, we should care about the habits of the household.” #read #reading #read2023 #habits #christianity #home #nonfiction #personaldevelopment https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnj2dh0OZmu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=