Say Goodbye to Survival Mode (& More May Reads)

Since so many of my blog readers seem to be as big a bookworm as I am, I’ve been trying to be more faithful about sharing reading recommendations. This post, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode (& more May reads), is part of a monthly series designed to accomplish that goal on a regular basis.

Looking for a good read for summer? You should definitely check out the following seven books. I never got my “April Reads” posted, so I’ve included a couple of books from April in this list. These were all terrific.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is a must read for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the length of their daily “to do” list. Crystal gives great advice on managing your responsibilities with wisdom and grace.

Feel too swamped to even read a 256-page book? The author has a brand new video course that outlines many of the same principles. It will “Make Over Your Mornings” and help you say goodbye to survival mode in just two weeks — guaranteed! And it is being rolled out today at a super-low price. Learn more here.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Our daughter Bethany read Stargirl aloud to the family during a trip to Branson last month. The seven-hour drive just flew by as we listened, mesmerized by this wonderful story.

We laughed, cried, winced, discussed, and generally fell in love with the characters, especially the title character. Stargirl is a homeschooled free-spirit who’s starting her first year in public school. As such, she attracts a lot of attention from classmates who hardly know what to think of her non-conformist ways.

This is an endearing tale about the value of being yourself. As homeschoolers, we especially enjoyed reading and discussing it as a family.

Sweetening the Pill by Holly Grigg-Spall

Sweetening the Pill was written from an ultra-liberal, pro-abortion, anti-Christian, doctor-bashing, communist-sympathizing, sexually-licentious radical feminist perspective. In other words, the author is my ideological opposite. But I couldn’t agree with her more when it comes to the inherent dangers of hormonal contraceptives.

This book will be eye-opening for anybody who assumes FDA approval means a medicine is safe.

Want more details? You can find my full review here: Postponing Motherhood… at What Cost?

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Ivan is a first-person account of what it is like to be a wild animal raised in a shopping mall. It’s told from the perspective of a gorilla named Ivan.

Ivan displays many admirable traits. He shows real compassion and concern for his friends. He’s creative, resourceful, and determined.

The book won the Newberry Medal, for good reason. Our copy reprinted the author’s acceptance speech as part of a bonus materials section in the book. We enjoyed reading that almost as much as the story itself.

How to be Interesting by Jessica Hagy

My daughter Rebekah bought How to be Interesting and passed it along to me once she’d finished. It’s a short read — you can easily finish it in an hour or two — but thought provoking.

I especially enjoyed all the author’s diagrams, which she includes on each page to illustrate the points she’s making. I didn’t necessarily agree with all the points. And the book contains just a little bit of unsavory language. But it certainly makes one think! So much so that I took several pages of notes, and even invented a few diagrams of my own.

Darth Vader and Son by Jeffery Brown

Darth Vader and Son is a book my 12-year-old son Isaac picked out. He enjoyed it so much, he read it to his siblings.

Then he insisted I read it, too.

It explores a clever concept. How would it have looked had Luke been raised by his villain father?

Jeffery Brown’s illustrations and sparse text are simultaneously hilarious and understated. We’ve already bought the sequel, Vader’s Little Princess. It’s another must-read for Star Wars fans everywhere.

101 Conversation Starters by Gary Chapman

I spotted 101 Conversations Starters for Families at a homeschool conference I spoke at recently and snatched it up.

Written by Gary Chapman (author of The 5 Love Languages), it offers parents enough conversation starters to keep the family talking at the dinner table all summer long. Some are serious. Some are silly. All will give you some insight into how your children think.

Keep a copy in the kitchen for quick reference anytime mealtime conversations start to drag.

And that’s it for this month! How about you? Have you read Say Goodbye to Survival Mode — or any other good books lately? Tell us about them in the comment section below.