Read-at-Home Mom Report: October 2023 Wrap-Up

October Favorites

A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler
Anne Tyler's talent for characterization never ceases to amaze me. I became totally immersed in the life of her main character, Barnaby Gatlin, and was fascinated by his every move, no matter how mundane, from beginning to end of this novel. Absolutely no one writes like Anne Tyler, and every book of hers so far has been a delight. 

The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin
This was an enjoyable book not for the mystery plot, but for all the literary allusions and witty repartee between characters. I read this with Close Reads, and it's one of my favorites of the books they did this year. 

It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway by Elizabeth Passarella
I loved this memoir about the trials and tribulations the author and her husband endured trying to buy an apartment in Manhattan from an elderly woman. The author read the audiobook, and that made me feel like I was having a chat with her whenever I listened. There is also a charming interview at the end of the audiobook with the lady who sold her the apartment, and I loved hearing that. 



Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
The dark humor in this is spot-on. I figured out the big reveal at the end pretty early on, but that in no way spoiled the reading experience. Eleanor is a one-of-a-kind character and seeing her come into her own years after significant trauma was heartwarming in a quirky way. 

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo's latest is the perfect example of why I read everything she writes. Her prose is beautiful, and there is a depth to the story beyond just entertainment. I'm so excited to know this is the first of a trilogy because I want more! 

My Family and Other Skaters by Fiorella de Maria
I'm reviewing this for Catholic Mom, and it is a delight. It absolutely would have been my favorite book if it was around when I was 9 or 10, and my girls are eating it up as well. 

Glass Helix by Katee Stein
My friend Katee wrote this sci-fi romance, and I could not put it down. I loved the world of the story, and the way the love story unfolded within the difficulties the characters faced. 

Where Darkness Dwells by Andrea Renae
This fantasy novel by my friend Andrea is a beautiful meditation on good and evil, darkness and light. Images from this book are lingering in my mind days after I finished it.  

Read-Aloud & Homeschool 

• A Lemon and a Star by E.C. Spykman (4 stars)
• The Early Human World by Peter Robertshaw (4 stars)

Series Books

• Fool Moon (Dresden Files Book 2) by Jim Butcher (4 stars)
• The Princess Diaries (Princess Diaries Book 1) by Meg Cabot (4 stars)
• Townshipped (Getting Shipped! Book 3) by Savannah Scott (5 stars)
• In the Company of Witches (Evenfall Witches B&B Book 1) by Auralee Wallace (4 stars)
• Until the Celebration (Green Sky Trilogy Book 3) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (3 stars)
• Losing the Field (Field Party Book 4) by Abbi Glines (4 stars)
• Can't Help Falling (Sweater Weather Book 3) by Courtney Walsh (4 stars)
• Meet Me on Love Lane (Hopeless Romantics Book 2) by Nina Bocci (3 stars)
• Grave Peril (Dresden Files Book 3) by Jim Butcher (4 stars)
• A Spoonful Of Spice (Seasons of Love Short Story 2) by Liwen Ho (4 stars)

Stand-Alone Books

• Howards End by E.M. Forster (5 stars)
• The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare by G.K. Chesterton (4 stars)
• St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin (4 stars)
• Snow Place Like Home by Lacey Baker (4 stars) 
• Truth on Trial: Liberal Education Be Hanged by Robert K. Carlson (4 stars)
• The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall (3 stars)

Family Reading Lists 

M. (girl 9 years, 11 months)

• The Three Brothers of Ur by J. G. Fyson
• The Heir of Mistmantle by M. I. McAllister

C. (girl, 8 years, 1 month)

• Wayside School under the Cloud of Doom by Louis Sachar
• Then Came Adventure by Emma L. Brock
• The Far Side of The Loch by Melissa Wiley
• Ramona Quimby Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
• Stella Endicott and the Anything is Possible Poem by Kate DiCamillo
• Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package by Kate DiCamillo
• All-of-a-kind-family Downtown by Sydney Taylor
• Catwings by Ursula K. LeGuin
• Catwings Return by Ursula K. LeGuin
• Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings by Ursula K. LeGuin
• Jane on her Own by Ursula K. LeGuin
• Puritan Adventure by Lois Lenski
• The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden 

E. (girl, 6 years) 

• The Book of Hob Stories by William Mayne 

R. (boy 3 years, 7 months)

• The Monsters on the Broom by Annemarie Riley Guertin
• Knock Knock, Trick or Treat! by Amy E. Sklansky
• Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection by Rev. W. Awdry 

A. (girl, 3 years 7 months)

• All About Alfie by Shirley Hughes 
• Babybug magazines
• Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection by Rev. W. Awdry

My husband

• Jane on Her Own by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Past Eight O'Clock: Goodnight Stories by Joan Aiken
• The Winged Colt of Casa Mia by Betsy Byars