NEED MORE TIME TO READ!!!

I'm finding my schedule needs to be completely revamped because I don't have nearly as much time to read as much as I'd love to do!!  With that said, here are my lastest reads and thoughts on what I want to read, what we can read together.  :-)

I am actually reading the Calpurnia book right now, too.  :-)  I love it!  I'm going to add the Prunella one to my list.  :-)  I just read Scarlett Pimpernel (on the beaches of Hawaii, I might add).  Loved that one, too!  I read Impossible and I thought it was intriguing actually.  I think I just love books that are different than what I normally read, so I found it interesting.  Not a classic by any means, but good enough to read.  Margaret Haddix is my favorite author at the moment.  I just think she's a great storyteller.  I just read Found which was great except then I found out it'd be a time travelling series and didn't want to pursue further.  I also read Just Ella and thought that was a sweet love story. 

So I read something by Rachel DeMille in regards to the question, "How do you do this" (i.e. follow TJEd).  Her response was something like this, "Once you have read five classics in math, five in literature, five in science and five in history, you won't be asking that question anymore. You'll be asking different questions, better questions."  So, that is kind of my goal right now . . . to read 5 classics in each subject.  I would especially love it if we found another math classic like Fermat's Enigma.  That was an excellent read.  :-) 

Books I'd be interested in Reading:
I'd love to read & discuss the Calpurnia Tate book together
Tale of Two Cities
Robinson Crusoe
Jane Eyre
Les Miserables
Shakespeare play (one I haven't read yet)
Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortensen (my hometeacher brought this to my attention a month or so ago - a story about one man's journey to promote peace through the schools in Inida I think??)
The Origin by Irving Stone (fictional novel based on Darwin, I want to read it and watch the upcoming movie)
Darwin's Origin of Species
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - Kamkwamba
A biography of Martha Washington (any first lady I would love to read about)
5,000 Year Leap - Skousen
Flatland
How Capitalism Saved America (thanks for the suggestion Kelly!)
The Professor and the Madman - Winschester (this is about an insane man who helped to write the Oxford English Dictionary)
I Don't Have to Make Everything All Better (I need to re-read this one)
Eve and the Choice Made in Eden
There's also a book about Vemeer and the Nazis I'm interested in reading. 

I'll stop there!  See what I mean about not enough time to read?!?!  I know, your lists are equally as long!

Andrea, I appreciated your thoughts on the gospel.  I loved the little phrase to "chant" with your kiddies.  Excellent!  I've been pondering myself on a few topics.  I wrote a lengthy essay on what it means to be excellent and then my laptop broke down . . . I'm hoping to retreive the file so I can tweek it.  I was going to post it here.  Anyway, I've also been intrigued by the word "discernment" and how we can determine what is from God and what is from Satan as we try to allow the Spirit to direct our lives.  I love hearing what others are studying in the gospel just as much (if not more than) as good literature!

Question:  I had an interesting discussion this morning with my parents, sister & J.  We were talking about the Joseph Smith papers books that have come out.  My parents seemed a bit bothered by the information that is coming forth and how it's really shaking the faith of some people.  It led to the discussion that these facts aren't faith-promoting.  What do you think?  I'm also wondering this as well.  My sister, Christine, shared a story with me a little while ago.  She said that in history class in high school they started talking about the Mountain Meadow Massacre.  She stood up and defended the Church saying those things never happened.  Well, come to find out at home that the event really did take place.   She was telling me, in the present, that the youth should know what really happened.  I'm in the middle - - I think they should be able to discuss any topics that may arise at home comfortably, but is it my responsiblity to introduce them to these subjects?  Especially with homeschooling, knowing they're not going to get it in schools & most likely not directly in their own classes at church?  Just food for thought!

Summer????  I still have to get organized for the winter!!  I think I'm going to take a new twist on history.  We've been doing nothing significant in history this year (at least, that's how I've felt).  I'm going to do mini-units on The Wars of America.  I'm feeling that pull to educate my children more on American history, and patriotism.  We just went to Pearl Harbor this week, too, and boarded the battleship Missouri and it was fascinating to me.  I want my children to know what we have fought for thusfar!

Anyway, those are my blurbs, thoughts, and suggestions!  I hope you are all having a lovely January - - despite the gray!

JULIA