Book 38 of 50 – The Tall Woman

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A homeschooling mom friend recommended The Tall Woman to me. She said it was one of her favorite books. A novel set in the Smoky Mountains during and after the Civil War, The Tall Woman (affiliate link) checks all the boxes for a historical novel: accuracy of detail, realism, strong plot, larger-than-life protagonist and supporting characters, and romance.

The Tall Woman

My friend gave me a copy of this book as a gift.

Wilma Dykeman, the author, lived in this area. She was born and raised in Asheville, NC and got married in Newport, TN. Both cities are one hour from where we live, in two different directions. Continue reading »


Book 37 of 50 – The Story of My Boyhood and Youth

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Living 10 minutes away from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we hike weekly on its trails. It was high time for me to read one of John Muir’s books. I chose to start with The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (affiliate link). This book contains a hilarious account of how Muir grew up in Scotland and then immigrated to the US with his family.

The Story of My Boyhood and Youth

Cover of the paperback edition

In case you do not know, John Muir is considered the Father of our National Parks. As a conservationist, he worked tirelessly to inspire people to preserve the natural beauty of the American landscape. Muir also co-founded the Sierra Club, a prominent American conservation organization. Continue reading »


Book 36 of 50 – Women of the Smokies

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Courtney Lix wrote an extraordinary book (affiliate link) about 19 women who have lived in the Smokies, from the 1800s and on. Some of them are still alive. One used to be my neighbor before she moved out of state to be closer to her grandchildren.

Women of the Smokies

Women of the Smokies cover

These ladies accomplished many impressive feats, like Dolly Parton and Pat Summitt. Others, like Hattie Ogle, helped their family build an empire of real estate and shops. Ogle said everything she knew she learned from Irene Mize, whom I met just before she passed away. It’s a small world. Continue reading »


Book 35 of 50 – An American Beauty

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Shana Abe specializes in historical fiction. An American Beauty (affiliate link) by Abe focuses on the life of Arabella Huntington, once the wealthiest woman in the US.

Arabella Huntington, An American Beauty

Arabella Huntington, An American Beauty

This is my second book by Abe, after having read The Second Mrs. Astor. I like historical fiction and Abe does a lot of research for her books. Continue reading »


Book 34 of 50 – A Walk in the Woods

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The funniest book I have ever read, A Walk in the Woods (Amazon Affiliate link) by Bill Bryson  details a long hike along the Appalachian Trail. Bryson felt inspired to hike the AT out of the blue, in his mid-forties. Midlife crisis? Probably.

A Walk in the Woods

I laughed with tears while reading the first half of the book.

His wife tried to talk him out of it. Somehow, he managed to persuade her to let him do this crazy thing. The only person who accepted to come along with him was an overweight, out-of-shape former high school friend. The two went through several adventures together, including a bear sniffing at their tent. Continue reading »


Book 33 of 50 – Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent

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Apparently, Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent (Amazon Affiliate link) was a classic title from a few decades ago. I just now got acquainted with it. Hummel is a Christian author and his book represents a “Christian time management guide.”

Tyranny of the Urgent

You will learn how to manage your time and view it as a gift from God

I learned a few things. For instance, in Greek, there are (at least) two ways to express time: chronos and kairos. Chronos means time as we understand it in the West. That is the root we use for “chronology.” Kairos means time also, but in the sense of timeliness – the proper use of time, saying and doing the right thing at the right time. Kairos is an art, obviously. Continue reading »


Book 32 of 50 – 52 Ways to Walk

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Annabel Streets grew up in Wales without a car or public transportation, so she walked everywhere, sometimes for miles. She is not afraid to walk or write about it. In her book, 52 Ways to Walk, (Amazon Affiliate link) Streets encourages us to find innovative ways to get outside and move.

52 Ways to Walk

She found 54 ways, but her editor said they should stop at 52, one for every week of the year.

How ironic is it that her name is Streets, right? Well, we can all do better when it comes to exercise. Streets quotes many research studies which show the benefits of walking for the body and for the mind. Continue reading »


Book 31 of 50 – Things We Wish We’d Known

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Diana Waring interviewed 50 homeschooling families in the 1990s and wrote a wonderful book about it – Things We Wish We’d Known. (Amazon Affiliate link) Learning from other people’s mistakes and victories gives us such an advantage. I am a big fan of learning from others who have gone before me.

Things We Wish We'd Known

I am glad I finally finished this book, which I started 10 years ago.

Some of the details may be dated, like books on tapes. But otherwise the advice feels as fresh as anything I have ever heard in a homeschool convention workshop. Besides, one just has to replaces “tapes” with “audiobooks” and, really, it is the same tool, the same advice. Only the technology has changed. Continue reading »


Book 30 of 50 – 10 lb Penalty

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Just another thrilling novel by the master of crime mystery, 10 lb. Penalty by Dick Francis (Amazon Affiliate link) kept me turning pages. Ben Juliard, the protagonist, would love nothing more than to work as a jockey after high school. Instead, his father offers him a job on his staff, in the political world. Ben must accept this job because, well, it’s complicated. And I would not want to give away too much of the plot.

10 lb Penalty by Dick Francis

When a horse wins a race, they weigh it down by 10 lbs for the next race as a penalty.

People try to murder his father, so Ben has to grow up quickly. Ben uses everything he knows about life, weapons, and the horseracing world in order to unmask the culprit. Continue reading »


Book 29 of 50 – The Danger

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The Danger by Dick Francis covers a series of kidnappings in England, Italy, and the US, in the horseracing world. Andrew Douglas, a private detective who specializes in finding victims and negotiating with kidnappers, helps solve all these crimes.

The Danger by Dick Francis

I highly recommend any thriller by Dick Francis

Douglas and the firm he works for know a lot about kidnappings. Usually, the criminals target the wealthy. This private force of detectives and kidnap specialists collaborate with the police to save the victims. Sometimes the police cooperates with Douglas’ firm. On other occasions, the police hate taking orders from an organization which flies under the radar. And things do not end up so well. Continue reading »