7 Books I Read Over and Over Again

Jayber Crow

by Wendell Berry

Jayber Crow returns to his native Port William, Kentucky after the 1937 flood to become the town’s barber. There he learns about the deep meaning of community, the discipline of place, and what it truly means to love. This is a gorgeous novel.

Emma

by Jane Austen

My favorite Jane Austen novel (at least during the times when my favorite isn't Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion) centers on an unusual household of two: Emma Woodhouse, old enough to marry but independent enough to not want to (and who can avoid the shame of spinsterhood because she's "handsome, clever, and rich") and her well-meaning but exceedingly nervous father. Distinctive friends, neighbors, and love interests spin their way into the Woodhouse orbit throughout the story's course—some quirky, some endearing, some downright obnoxious, but ALL entertaining.

A Circle of Quiet (The Crosswicks Journals)

by Madeleine L’Engle

I’ve adopted Madeleine L’Engle as an honorary mentor. Anyone who can coin a phrase like “the tired thirties” and admit that her kids told her to sit down at the typewriter and write when she got cranky is worth listening to. I suspect our brains work the same way (except for the part where hers cranks out gorgeous fiction and mine is terrified of the genre).

The Well-Trained Mind

by Susan Wise Bauer

I read this book for the first time when I was 22, and had no intention of ever homeschooling my someday-children. But the author was my college prof, and when I found out she'd written a book I wanted to read it, whether it addressed rocket science or ancient Persia or homeschooling. But reading this book made me wish I'd been educated this way, and for the first time I considered home education as a possibility for my future children. Now I'm a homeschooling mom of 4, and I turn to this book again and again to remind me why we're doing it, to help me get unstuck, and to encourage me to keep it up.

Happier at Home

by Gretchen Rubin

I've been meaning to re-read this one since I made my 2013 goals last year. Rubin reminds me it's worth making the effort to do the little things--especially in my home—because they really do make a difference.

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

by John Gottman

Gottman is the famed researcher who’s able to predict with 91% accuracy if a couple will divorce after observing them for a mere 5 minutes. Gottman fleshes out what successful relationships have in common, and shows you how to view your own relationship through a marriage counselor’s eyes. Investing in your marriage is easier than you might think.

Brideshead Revisited

by Evelyn Waugh

This sweeping novel set in Britain between the world wars chronicles the Flyte family’s unraveling—along with the rest of Britain’s aristocracy—as viewed through the wistful eyes of lieutenant Charles Ryder. It's haunting and melancholy, wistful and reverent. Themes of love, loss, and grace always capture my attention—I'm entranced by the family and the history and simply adore this book.

7 Books I Read Over and Over Again

Jayber Crow

Emma

A Circle of Quiet (The Crosswicks Journals)

The Well-Trained Mind

Happier at Home

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

Brideshead Revisited

a gateway

to reliable joy this summer

Buckle Up!

summer reading starts May 16th