Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Favorite Audio Books, Read Alouds, Books, and Movies from this past year

This year has been a fantastic book year.

We've really, really dug into Audible and reveled in the enjoyment of having a great book read to you.

We've piled onto the couch or spread out over floors listening as I read aloud, we have been sitting in the car waiting on something or someone when I pulled out our latest book and dug right in, using what time we have to get lost in a story.

I have read my books while folding laundry, stirring spaghetti sauce, waiting on kids to finish their assignments, waiting in waiting rooms, and standing outside while waiting for our dogs to do their business...basically, anywhere I could squeeze a few minutes of uninterrupted semi-silence into.

It is hard to list all the stories that we have read this year, so I decided to choose (with lots of help from my kids) the books we are still talking about.  These stories, some from January 2017, still find their way into their daily play and/or conversations.

My favorite audio books:
Harry Potter read by Jim Dale.  I absolutely love, love, love Jim Dale's voice.
Peter and the Starcatchers also read by Jim Dale
North and South read by Kate Petrie
Edenbrooke read by Emily Elizabeth Hamilton
Hunger Games trilogy read by Carolyn McCormick

Books I have read to myself:
Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors
First Hostage, Third Target, Without Warning  by Joel Rosenberg
Deeper Waters by Denise Hughes
Sacred Mundane by Kari Patterson
Curate of Glaston by George MacDonald (still reading)
Silence by Shusako Endo
several titles by Jenny B Jones

My kids' favorites:
Tuesdays at the Castle series (aka Castle Glower series).  You HAVE to read or listen to this series - it is so enchanting and wonderful.  This series carried us along endless stretches of interstate, in October and November.
Bunnicula series read by Victor Garber
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
Caddie Woodlawn
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place (in the middle of this one)
Jesus Storybook Bible
Thoughts to Make your Hearts Sing
Andrew Clements' books (too many to list)
Mysterious Benedict Society
The Reluctant Dragon

Read-Alouds:
A Long Walk to Water
Crenshaw
Anne of Green Gables (OK so I am waaaaaaaaaaay more excited than they are about this - but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Anne of Green Gables!)
Harriet the Spy
Island of the Blue Dolphins (favorite!)
The Bronze Bow (favorite)
George Frederic Handel (the sower series)
Gladys Alward (Christian Heroes Now and Then) - favorite, favorite, favorite
Where the Red Fern Grows (reading now)
Twenty and Ten
The Years of Miss Agnes
Clementine (entire series)
Stuart Little (did not like how this ended :(, wanted more from the author )
Tom Sawyer (kids did NOT like this read aloud, but I loved reading it because it brought back memories of my teacher reading this aloud to me)
Tale of Despereaux
Because of the Winn Dixie (again - favorite)
Door in the Wall
Bambi
Brambly Hedge series
Inside Out and Back Again (I thought this was interesting, kids did not like it)
I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew by Dr. Seuss
Tree in the Trail Holling C Holling 
Pilgrim's Progress (Christian's story)
In Grandma's Attic series

Movies :
Cars 3
Epic (dreamworks cartoon)
Descendants 2
Country Wedding
Every Christmas Has a Story
My Christmas Dream
Journey Back to Christmas (LOVE LOVE LOVE Hallmark holiday movies...well most of them)
The Grizzly Adams series
Moonspinners
Against the Wild 1 & 2
Swallows and Amazons
My Little Pony season 7
Scales Mermaids are Real
The Lost Medallion
Dolphin Tale 1 & 2
Mom's Night Out (favorite, favorite, favorite)
War Room
Voyage of Dawn Treader
Lego Elves
How to Train Your Dragon movies and series
Barbie Dolphin Magic
Smurfs the Lost Village
Moana

I am ending this post with the feeling that I have forgotten one or more important books so I will add any titles as I remember them.

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