Books Read in 2024

Books Read in 2024

You will see an odd variety of books in this list...some I read for work, some for personal interests, some are just kids books, and you will see a lot of titles by Amy LeFeuvre. 

Amy LeFeuvre was a prolific writer of books and stories during the late 1800's and on into the early 20th Century. 

As far as I can tell at this point, Amy wrote 119 books, all of which, are filled with Biblical wisdom and principle. Thus far, whether written for young or old, I've not read a single thing from the pen of Amy LeFeuvre that I have not liked. My goal is to read all of her writings...if I can find them.

I am a great fan of Lamplighter Publishing and, as you will see, many of the books that I read are aquired through them.

Books Read in 2024

1. Sarah, Plain, and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

2. Prisoners of the Sea by Florence Kingsley (Lamplighter)

3. Trapped Beneath The Surface by Catharine Shaw (Lamplighter)

4. The Wonderful Door by Mrs. O.F. Walton (Lamplighter)

5. The Locked Cupboard by Amy LeFeuvre (Lamplighter)

6. The Trail of Tears Across Missouri by Joan Gilbert

7. The Secret Bridge by Amy LeFeuvre (Lamplighter)

8. Pride and His Prisoners by A.L.O.E. (Lamplighter)

9. Dwell Deep by Amy LeFeuvre (Lamplighter)

10. Dragons - Legands & Lore of Dinosaurs - Edited and compiled by Brodie Hodge and Laura Welch

11. The Gold of Cape Girardeau by Morley Swingle

12. A Puzzling Pair by Amy LeFeuvre

13. Bulbs and Blossoms by Amy LeFeuvre

14. Probable Sons by Amy LeFeuvre

15. Life of Black Hawk by Black Hawk (Edited by Milo Milton Quafes)

16. Teddy's Button by Amy LeFeuvre (Lamplighter)

17. The Village Hero by Amy LeFeuvre (Lamplighter)

18. The Captain's Sword by Amy LeFeuvre (Lamplighter)

19. Indian Paintbrush by Edna Walker Chandler

20. On the Edge of the Moor by Amy LeFeuvre (Lamplighter)

21. Key to the Treasure by Peggy Parish (with some of the grands)

22. Dear Olive by Amy LeFeuvre (Lamplighter)

23. Buffalo Music by Tracey E Fern (recommended by a young friend that regularly attends my library programs)

24. The Buffalo Storm by Katherine Applegate (also recommended by my young library friend, Amber T.)

25. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

26. The Fireflies Book by Brett Ortler

27. Trim Healthy Life by Pearl Barrett & Serene Allison

28. Sir Knight of the Splendid Way by W. E. Cule (Lamplighter)

29. Prairie Man - My Little House Life & Beyond by Dean Butler

30. Red Tail Feathers by Wendi Lee Lou

31. The War For Missouri 1861 - 1862 by Joseph W. McCaskrie

32. The Haunted Room by A.L.O.E. (Lamplighter)

33. Rosa of Linden Castle by Christoph Von Schmid (Lamplighter)

34. The Shiny Coin by Mrs. C.E. Bowen (Lamplighter)

35. The Golden Thread by Norman MacLeod

That's what was on my reading list in 2024. What was on yours? Feel free to share some of your favorite titles in the comments section below.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Books Read in 2023

At long last I am, finally, getting around to posting the list of books I read in 2023 and what a mixed-up conglomeration of books it was! 

Some books read were work-related; others were read for personal pleasure and interests. 

Either way, such as it is, here is my reading list for 2023...

1. Mobsters in our Midst - The Kansas City Crime Family by William Ouseley

2. Biblical Minimalism by Cheryl E. Smith

3. The 1849 Cholera Outbreak in Jefferson City by Gary Elliot

4. Mafia Democracy by Michael Franzese

5. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

6. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

7. Gracious House Keeping by Mrs. Sharon White

8. Resolute in the Face of Persecution - 1824 - A Tale of Scotland by Robert Pollok

9. Civil War Plants and Herbs by Patricia B. Mitchell

10. The Home Front in the Civil War by Dale Anderson

11. The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn

12. Homespun Devotions - Volume I by Cheryl E. Smith

13. The Unforgettable Summer by Emily Brodie

14. The Lost Clue by Mrs. O.F. Walton

15. Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

16. Little Miss Moth by Amy LeFeuvre

17. The Least of These by Mrs. Coates

18. The White Dove by Christoph Von Schmid

19. Jill's Red Bag by Amy LeFeuvre

20. Fire in the Sky by Christoph Von Schmid

21. The Runaway Darling by Amy LeFeuvre

22. Let Me Be A Woman by Elisabeth Elliot

23. Bittersweet Country - edited by Ellen Gray Massey

24. Walking in the Fruit of the Spirit by Gloria Copeland

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Book Review and Giveaway: SERVING IN THE KITCHEN by Mrs. Sharon White

Book Review and Giveaway: SERVING IN THE KITCHEN by Mrs. Sharon White

I have enjoyed many of Mrs. Sharon White's books over the years and have recently added 'Serving in the Kitchen' to my collection.

The 152-page book features recipes, advice, and encouragement for Christian homemakers based on Mrs. White's own experience and is divided into three parts.

'Part One' contains a selection of tips and ideas for help in the kitchen...stocking a pantry, setting a table, planning meals, managing portions, teaching children to help in the kitchen, packing lunches, preparing for picnics, setting a food budget, and more.

'Part Two' features information on serving meals and Mrs. White's own house specials...breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

In 'Part Three', Mrs. White shares several of her own, personal, family-favorite recipes. Black and white photos taken in Mrs. White's home are featured throughout the book.

To find out more, visit Mrs. White @ The Legacy of Home.

Now...for the giveaway!!!

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Serving in the Kitchen of your own, simply leave a comment below (or on my Hearth and Home Facebook page) telling one thing that you do to 'serve in the kitchen' at your home or an area that you feel you might need help in or would like to learn more about. That's it!

The giveaway starts today (Tuesday, February 6, 2024) and will run through Tuesday, February 27, 2024. A winner will be selected and announced on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. The winner will have 48 hours to make contact. If they have not done so within 48 hours an alternate winner will be selected. 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Book Giveaway - Biblical Minimalism by Cheryl E. Smith

Recently I posted a book review over Biblical Minimalism by Cheryl E. Smith and promised an upcoming giveaway for the same. Well, today's the day! 

To enter the giveaway simply leave a comment below (or on the Hearth and Home Facebook page) telling me why you'd like to be the winner; share the post to tell others about the giveaway (and leave a comment below telling me that you did so) and you'll get a second entry! That's it! No fancy-schmancy nothin'! Just leave a comment below and you're in the drawing!

The giveaway starts today (Wednesday, February 15th, 2023) and will run through Tuesday, February 28th, 2023. A winner will be selected and announced on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023. The winner will have 48 hours to make contact. If they have not done so within 48 hours an alternate winner will be selected. 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Book Review: Biblical Minimalism by Cheryl E. Smith

Back in 2021 I promised to read, and do a book review, for a gal I met online. Her name is Cheryl Smith and the book I promised to read and review is called Homespun Devotions - Volume 1. 

Before Cheryl mailed the book to me she asked if I'd also be interested in reading and reviewing her first book Biblical Minimalism. Of course I would! She mailed both books to me right away.

Of course, I had the best of intentions when I agreed to read and review the books and was thrilled to get them when they arrived, but, sadly, with being in the throes of grief after my husband's death, I laid the books aside and forgot all about them. 😢

 

That is until recently when I got an email from Cheryl looking for my past reviews and announcing her latest book, Homespun Devotions - Volume 2! Oh. my. word! Here she was announcing book THREE and I hadn't even started reading book ONE yet, let alone posted a review! I felt so bad! 

I sent Cheryl an email of apology and promised to pull the books out and get started on reading them right away. She assured me that all was well and that there was no need to be sorry, but I was...and, since she's ready for reviews on Homespun Devotionals - Volume 2, I probably should have started with Homespun Devotionals - Volume 1, but didn't. I started with Biblical Minimalism - Following Jesus From a Life of Abundance to a More Abundant Life and I'm so glad that I did! It was just what I needed at this particular time in my life!

Biblical Minimalism is a book about, not only overcoming overloaded schedules, overwhelming debt, and being enslaved to excess physical possessions, but it's about breaking free of worldly (and sometimes self-imposed) expectations, putting God first in every area, and discovering His plan and purpose for your life.

The thing I liked most about this book is that, as Cheryl shares her own family's personal story of finding the freedoms that they've come to enjoy in every facet of life, she stays vigilent and true to scripture, constantly reaffirming and backing up every word she has to say with it. She also offers a lot of practical advice, as well.

This book helped me regain my perspective. I found, without doubt, that my husband and I were on the right track and had already achieved many of the things Cheryl discusses in the book. I found that, in my own situation, it's just a matter of keeping my eyes on Jesus and, no matter how frightened I get at times, to just keep moving forward, fine-tuning as I go, as I seek to find God's will for my life in a new season.

I'm very thankful for this book...to Cheryl for writing it and sharing it with me, and to God for His perfect timing and allowing me the opportunity to share it with you. I pray that, should you choose to read it, that Biblcial Minimalism will minister to your spirit and soul as deeply as it has my own. 

Biblical Minimalism is 213 pages long and has 16 chapters. Chapter titles include For His Name's Sake, Why Do We Have So Much Stuff?, What Do We Really Own Anyway?, Putting God First, Don't Look Back, Shaking The Dust Off, and Some Practical Advice. 

In all honesty, next to the Bible Itself, this is one of the best books that I've read.

I'm getting ready to start Homespun Devotions - Volume 1 now and will post a review for it when I am finished. In the mean time, please check out Cheryl's website and all of her books by clicking on the links below.

Cheryl's Website:

Homespun Devotions

Cheryl's Books - 

Biblical Minimalism

Homespun Devotions - Volume 1

Homespun Devotions - Volume 2

Until next time...

~Rebecca

P.S. - I will be doing a Biblical Minimalism book giveaway soon, so be watching for it! 

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A Second Chance Winner...

 Well...it's happened again! Sadly, I have been unable to reach the first place winner of Homemaking for Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home by Mrs. Sharon White.

But...that means that one of my other readers gets a second chance at winning!!!

And the new winner is...Tracy Dixon!!!

Congratulations, Tracy!!! Please contact me at proverbs31heart@yahoo.com within 48 hours with your mailing address so I can have Mrs. White mail the book right out to you! If I do not hear from you within 48 hours an alternate winner will be selected. 

Again...CONGRATULATIONS, Tracy!!! 💗

Thank you to all who have entered this drawing! Random Result Generator was used to determine today's winner.

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Book Review and Giveaway - HOMEMAKING FOR HAPPINESS: Wonderful Days at Home by Mrs. Sharon White

I finished reading Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home by Mrs. Sharon White back when my husband was sick and was planning on doing a giveaway back then. When John passed away everything else fell by the wayside and I forgot all about plans for the giveaway. My thoughts are just now coming back around to it.

Fortunately, Mrs. White and I have been online friends for many years and she is so understanding. When I messaged her last week to ask if she was still okay with me doing the giveaway, she sweetly informed me that, back in May (when we first discussed it), she had "...set aside a gift copy, neatly wrapped with a pretty card for the winner..." and that it had been sitting right there, waiting "...for just the right time..." when I felt ready. 

I'm ready. 💗

Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home is not the usual, run-of-the-mill home economics book full of 'how to' facts and tips. Rather, it is a beautiful, 106 short chapters, 307-page collection of Mrs. White's own, personal experiences in the making of a home on her family's lovely 'estate' in Vermont.

Mrs. White is a devout Christian wife and has been a housewife for more than 30 years. She is the granddaughter of a revival preacher, a mother of five, grandmother of twelve, and a homemaker without apology. Mrs. White has been writing about homemaking on her blog, The Legacy of Home, since 2009. 

Whenever I read Mrs. White's writings I am filled with emotion and wonder as she shares her struggles, her hopes, her dreams, and her ability to see the work that she does in the home, not as mundane drudgery, but as a purposeful, joyful act of service to her family, and as a humble act of reverence and worship before God. 

Mrs. White is inspiring! I love her determination to be sweet and cheerful no matter how hard times might be, and I am delighted by her ability to see beauty in simplicity.

Throughout this book, which is divided into four sections (spring, summer, fall, and winter), Mrs. White shares godly wisdom in the areas of child care, cleaning, etiquette, finances, homemaking, hospitality, cooking, holiness, and more. She greatly encouraged me, personally, in the areas of contentment, thrift, and living life purposefully and productively, no matter what the circumstance.

What I appreciate most about Mrs. White is her honesty concerning finances. She has learned, as did the Apostle Paul, to be abased and to abound, and to be content in whatsoever state she finds herself. 

As is the case with every other book of Mrs. White's that I have read (which have been many), from Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days At Home I gleaned a wealth of thought-provoking ideas and am truly challenged to re-think and evaluate my current financial circumstance, and the stewardship of the blessings that God has bestowed upon me. I am challenged to use them more wisely in the days ahead

Here are a few of my favorite lines from Mrs. White's book, Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home...

"At other times, the prayers and the worries were so hard to bear. There would be shoes needed for the children. We may not have had enough food. My husband was laid off work or lost jobs and those were the hardest times to manage. I would write down the prayers and the needs and then get back to mothering and homemaking. I would leave it with the Lord. Sometimes he answered those prayers before the end of the day. At other times, I waited weeks. But always the prayers were answered. I learned to depend on God for all things in this way. I learned not to rush out and try to fix it all myself. I gained patience, and faith, and trust, and was greatly blessed with a journal of answered prayers" (Chapter 22 - Reviving the Prayer Journal - Page 75)

"There was a comforting feeling of not having to leave our property to find pretty thing to make our home look lovely and inviting." (Chapter 23 - Flowers for the Dinner Table - Page 78)

"The Lord is so good to provide us with the beauty of nature to enjoy each year. I love things that are familiar and the routines of life. Each season brings us something of beauty, and there is always something delightful to look forward to." (Chapter 24 - Missing the Lilacs - Page 81)

"...how important it is to be good and pleasant and to give to those we love, without conditions, or expecting anything. It is a kindness based on personal contentment in the Lord. This is part of being happy." (Chapter 57 - Domestic Happiness - Page 164)

In a time when the Titus 2 woman is mysteriously missing, or is, at best, difficult to come by, I find that Mrs. White helps to comfortably fill that gap. I highly recommend her book to anyone who is seeking Biblical womanhood as a keeper of the home, or to anyone who just wishes to learn how to slow down and live a simpler lifestyle in our out-of-control, modern age.

To find out more, visit Mrs. White @ The Legacy of Home.

Now...for the giveaway!!!

To enter, simply leave a comment below (or on my Hearth and Home Facebook page) telling something that you do in your home to create wonderful days at home for you and your family. That's it! 

The giveaway starts today (Tuesday, November 9th, 2021) and will run through Tuesday, November 30, 2021. A winner will be selected and announced on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. The winner will have 48 hours to make contact. If they have not done so within 48 hours an alternate winner will be selected. 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Happy Birthday Harold Bell Wright

The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright is one of my favorite books.

Today is Mr. Wright's birthday! He was born one-hundred and fourty-nine years ago today on May 4, 1872.  

Harold Bell Wright made the Missouri Ozarks famous and he has touched my husband's and I's lives in multiple ways through his writing. 

To read more about Harold Bell Wright click HERE. 

To read a review that I wrote a few years ago that contrasts The Shepherd of the Hills book and movie click HERE.

Happy Birthday, Harold Bell Wright, and THANK YOU!!!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser - A Book Review and More

Prairie Fires - The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser

I was raised on the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My mother read them aloud to me when I was very young; then, when I learned to read, I read them for myself...over and over again. I felt that Laura had written the books just for me. I had put Laura Ingalls Wilder up on a pedestal that she was about to be knocked off of.

The first blow came when visiting Rocky Ridge (Laura and Almanzo's home and museum in Mansfield, Missouri) for the first time. It was there that I discovered there was a whole world of people out there that knew about Laura's books and that they loved her just as much as I did! I felt betrayed! 😳 (I think I was eight...maybe nine-years-old.)

It didn't detour me though. I was still fascinated with Laura's stories and I hung on to every word of them. I never tired of reading the series and I read them and re-read them over and over again with my own children. Our youngest and I used the series as the basis of our literature one year using The Prairie Primer by Margie Gray which fell out into all kinds of unit studies. 

My fascination with Laura Ingalls Wilder continued until my husband bought me the book Little House in the Ozarks - A Laura Ingalls Wilder Sampler - The Rediscovered Writings edited by Stephen W. Hines. It was then that I discovered that there was more to Laura Ingalls Wilder than was revealed in the Little House series and, somehow, her life just didn't seem as pleasant. The image was tarnished and it frightened me. In fact, I never finished the book. The truth is, I barely started it. 😞

And I never did like Rose (Laura's daughter). I couldn't tell you why though. I just didn't. I remember checking out Let The Hurricane Roar by Rose Wilder Lane at the school library as and I couldn't read it. It was like I sensed that there was something wrong and that somehow Rose had used it to hurt Laura. Isn't that strange? 😲

Anyway, after all these crazy mixed up feelings about a woman...an author...a total stranger...that died before I was even born and was someone that I would never know, Prairie Fires - The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser has finally brought me middle of the road and helped me to accept the truth that Laura Ingalls Wilder was a real person, with real feelings, and real life stuff happened to her on every front. 

I'm convinced that Prairie Fires is the most in-depth look into the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder that has been (or ever will be) written and I am totally fascinated by it!

Not only does the book tell us more of Laura's story, but it also delves into a bit more of her family history and into the history of the characters that made the Little House series come alive.

Drawing on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries, and land and financial records, Caroline Fraser (the editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House series) fills in the gaps in Laura's biography. She reveals the grown-up story behind the most influential childhood epic of pioneer life and chronicles Laura's tumultuous relationship with her journalist daughter, Rose Wilder Lane.

Today I love Laura Ingalls Wilder more than ever and, after reading Prairie Fires, I have a new found respect for this dear lady whose life spanned nearly a century of change, from the Indian Wars to the Dust Bowl, providing us a unique perspective on American history and a lesson in self-reliance.

At 640 pages (hardcover) Prairie Fires isn't a fast read, but it's a read that I highly recommend for anyone who is a fan of, or has been touched by, Laura Ingalls Wilder's life in any way. 💗

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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And The Winner Is... (Dear Christmas Mothers by Connie Hultquist Book Giveaway)

And the winner of Dear Christmas Mothers by Connie Hultquist is (drum-roll, please)...

Dear Christmas Mothers by Connie Hultquist

Mrs. Laura Lane of Harvest Lane Cottage! 

In her comment, Laura said:

 "Christmas wouldn't be the same without carols. 

I love singing and listening to them as well as the 

newer Christmas music..."

How right you are, Laura! Christmas certainly wouldn't be the same without carols and I like a lot of the newer Christmas music, too! 😊

Thank you so much for entering your name in the drawing and congratulations on being the winner of today's giveaway! Thanks for sharing your comment about Christmas with me, too! I enjoyed reading it very much! 

Please, e-mail me within 48 hours with your contact information, so Mrs. White can mail your copy of Dear Christmas Mothers right out to you as soon as possible.

Blessings for lovely Christmas and I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

Thanks to all the other sweet ladies that entered this giveaway, too, and thanks for sharing your sweet Christmas memories with me. I enjoyed reading each and every one of them! 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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