A Time to Keep (& More January Reads)

I finished five books in the month of January — six if you count the beautiful new Tasha Tudor book, A Time to Keep, that a dear friend recently sent me. Read on for my impressions of each:

• Prodigy Project by Doug Flanders

  Doug’s gripping novel is the main one we’ve been reading lately.

  We’ve read Prodigy Project at least a dozen times in the past six months alone — it took us that many readings to get the final draft ready for the publishers. But the good news is, it’s gotten better with every reading. Literally!

  The story centers on two young prodigies whose “medical research” is being used not to cure disease, as they’ve been led to believe, but to cause it. When they discover their life’s work is the lynchpin of a deadly new bio-weapon, they seek outside help to destroy it and to flee China.

  Help comes in the unlikely guise of Jon Gunderson—doctor, bio-weapons expert, and devoted family man whose wife and nine children have unwittingly accompanied him on another assignment. Fast-paced and action-packed, THE PRODIGY PROJECT will captivate readers of all ages.

• Publicize Your Book by Jacqueline Deval

  My dear husband bought this book for me soon after I published my first book, Love Your Husband/ Love Yourself.

  Publicize Your Book was written for authors working with traditional publishing houses where a team of agents, editors, and publicists are also more-or-less focused on helping promote your book. But the information is equally useful for self-published authors.

  Deval walks her readers through the entire publishing process and gives step-by-step instruction for writing pitches, promotional materials, and press releases.

  If you’ve self-published a book but haven’t the foggiest idea what to do to let people know about it, then this book will give you guidance and direction. The real problem may be finding time to implement the treasure trove of great suggestions.
  
  

• Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

  I read this biography of Nathaniel Bowditch aloud to my children about ten years ago, but now I have a new crop of kids who either didn’t hear it the first time or don’t remember it, so we’re going through it again.

  If you’ve never read Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, you should. Especially if you homeschool.

  Bowditch’s insatiable thirst for knowledge, the diligence with which he educates himself, and his driving desire to use what he’d learns to help others — these are exactly the character traits I want to develop in my children and to model myself.

  What homeschooling mother wouldn’t love to have a houseful of self-motivated students who delight in learning new things and who don’t give up until they understand the material well enough to explain it clearly to others?
  
  

• A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor

  My little girls love Tasha Tudor’s illustrations. They have been pouring over the detailed drawings on the pages of this beautiful picture book, doing their best to imitate the artist’s distinctive style.

  A Time to Keep: Book of Holidays sends us back to a simpler time when families took joy in even the smallest things and their celebrations were homemade, heartfelt, and full of fun-loving tradition.

  This keepsake volume will make a lovely addition to any child’s library.

  I received ours as a gift from a dear friend who found out I was not hitherto acquainted with Tasha Tudors marvelous illustrations.

• Amy Carmichael: Let the Little Children Come by Lois Hoadly Dick

  I recently finished reading Amy Carmichael’s biography aloud to my children.

  Amy Carmichael had such compassion for the children she worked with, and such a love for the Lord and a dependency upon His strength.

  Her life is an example to all of us.

  The fact that our oldest daughter is currently in South Asia working with disabled children and regularly sends home photos and progress reports really made this short narrative come alive for our family.

  The stories Bethany has been telling us via Skype have helped us to sympathize all the more with the struggles Amy faced during the years she served in India. What an inspiration this story of Carmichael’s life, fully sold-out to God, proved to be.
  

• The Story of Eli Whitney by Jean Lee Latham

  As you can see, we’ve been focusing a lot on biographies during our school time lately. The Story of Eli Whitney is another re-read I thought would appeal to my little guys, who themselves are very resourceful problem-solvers and enjoy inventing stuff.

  I remember my father pulling off the road next to a cotton field one time when I was little so that my sister and I could gather a handful and see for ourselves how hard it had been to get all the seeds out before Mr. Whitney designed the cotton “gin” (short for “engine”) to do the task more efficiently.

  The ability he had to recognize a problem and find a viable solution is another trait I highly respect and wish to foster in my own life and in the lives of my kids. This book gives a glimpse inside Whitney’s genius.

Do you love to read as much as we do? I’ve gathered all my best resources for bibliophiles into this post, or you can read more of my book reviews by following this link

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