I’m having loads of trouble finishing books this fall with all the new activity, but now that sports are over and the nights are longer, I can feel the evenings of reading opening up to us.  Here are a few of our current loves.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner’s Dilemma by Little Rock’s own Trenton Lee Stewart.  This is the third and final book in the series.  We are currently reading it aloud and have so far loved the puzzles and riddles within the story, often stopping so everyone can have a guess.  The characters are all lovable enough that we wanted to read more about them, so even Cole is joining in to hear what is going to happen to the four children that make up the Society.  Mary Polly has come out momentarily of her Hogwarts fervor to remember her love for Kate’s red bucket.

One of my favorite ways to discover a book is through Mary Polly’s eyes, which are opened wide to almost any suggestion given to her by an adult OTHER than her mother.  I am so thankful for how her wonderful teacher keeps shoving her backpack full to keep her reading.   And often if she really likes a book, she brings it to me too.  Firegirl is her most recent treasure, and she has not even finished it yet, but I can’t wait.  It is a short little novel with a precious story that reminded me how fragile adolescence can be…but also how one small foot in front of the other in the right direction can lead to a whole new path.

Mary Polly also brought home The Hunger Games which we both ploughed through and are now anxiously waiting on the second one, Catching Fire.  We’re passing these on to the boys next, because they are super addictive, which is sooo what a certain too cool for reading 12 year old needs right now.

And a few books that are not from the children’s shelf…

I am slowly reading and loving the stories from Sin Boldly, a birthday gift from a dear friend.  Trying to finish in time to pass on for my sister’s birthday in a couple of weeks.

I devoured The Help, which was lent to me by a former teacher of Mary Polly’s.  The dear friendships in this book make me see my own friends as the glorious treasures that they are, and not just friends but all people, and particularly people who are different from me.  It’s hard to catch this in the day to day, especially when my interactions with people have been cut so short lately by all the changes in my life, but if I step back and look at relationships over years and years of struggles and babies and love and just life, I see with different eyes.  I would have returned the book in a couple of days, but I absolutely forced my mother to read it first.  I am not unlike Mary Polly in that way.

This book is not on my table yet, but I am anxious to read it.  Even MORE so now that I read a beautiful review by someone who actually drew a parallel to it from an old favorite movie of mine and Taido’s.  Crazy.  Has anyone else read it yet?  Loved it as much as Blue Like Jazz?  Do share.

What are you loving that’s on your table these days?

OR…if you’re finding the reading to be a little on the light side here at the Chino House, head on over to Taido’s blog where you can actually join in and read things you can sink your teeth into!