As promised here are my top 5 favorite reads from this year. In no particular order:
The Art Thief By Michael Finkel
![All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir [Book]](https://store.lproof.org/cdn/shop/products/978-1-4964-7267-0_530x@2x.jpg?v=1670445170)
All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir By Beth Moore
When Strivings Cease By Ruth Chou Simons
Pray Confidently and Consistently By Valerie Woerner
![A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking [Book]](https://i5.walmartimages.com/seo/A-Wizard-s-Guide-to-Defensive-Baking-Paperback_7b062079-6161-4c9b-b164-d8da84041e90.6c0f92155069cd704da52457515007fc.jpeg?odnHeight=768&odnWidth=768&odnBg=FFFFFF)
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking By T. Kingfisher
Honorable Mention:
The Door-To-Door Bookstore By Carsten Henn
I thought I'd share the books I've read since June. You can see my January through June reads in the post titled Mid Year Book Roundup. I'll be sharing my Top 5 reads of the year (so far) tomorrow. I think all of them would make great Christmas gifts.
Looking back through my Goodreads list it's apparent that I was on a fantasy/sci-fi kick this year. I used to read these genres a lot but hadn't read a lot, especially sci-fi, in awhie so it was fun to get back into them. I also read a few series so I'm just going to mention the series names and not list out each book in the series.
June - December Books:
The Final Dawn Series by T.W.M Ashford - This was a new author for me and I loved his writing. I described this series as Guardians of the Galaxy-esque. Fun, loveable characters, but just suspend your reality of physics sometimes. There are nine books in this series but they are each only about 200-250 pages so it felt fast since I was changing books so often.
Pray Confidently and Consistently: Finally Let Go Of The Things Holding You Back From Your Most Important Conversation by Valerie Woerner - I will never, not recommend this book. This is hands down the best book on prayer I have read. The truths, amount of Scripture and practical application are all amazing. I'm planning to restart this book soon.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - A gothic novel, something new for me, that I listened to as an audiobook. This was highly recommended by a friend and it was interesting and enjoyable to read a new-to-me genre.
The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn - This was another audiobook for me. Such a cozy story about how books connect across generations, socioeconomic statuses, differing backgrounds; and what ultimately connects us--our humanity.
The Devil and The Midwife by Kristina Suko - I love, love Kristina's YouTube channel With Love, Kristina. So when she published her first book I wanted to support her. I don't typically read romance and definitely appreciated that there was no "on screen" spice but I just didn't love this book.
The Kapamentis Crime Novels by T.W.M Ashford - This series (three books in this one) takes place about 50 years after the Final Dawn series. They can be read independent of that series but I highly suggest starting with The Final Dawn series.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher - Who wouldn't love a book about a wizard whose familiar is a sourdough starter named Bob. This was such a fun book. The main character is a 14 year old girl so it's from her perspective and the author did a great job writing in the voice of a teen.
Born On A Blue Day by Daniel Tammet - This is an autobiography by one of the world's autistic savants. He has "synesthesia, an unusual neurological syndrome that enables him to experience numbers and words as "shapes, colors, textures and motions." While the book was fascinating in some ways I got bogged down by the authors hyper-fixation and over explanations. I was glad that this was an audiobook as I most likely wouldn't have finished it if I was reading it.
The Time Traveler's Passport by Various Authors - A six book series of short stories surrounding the theme of time travel. This was a mixed bag as I really enjoyed some and other's I just didn't "get". Each book is only between 30-40 pages so each was a very quick read. I think I read the whole series over the course of two days.
What have you read this year? Any new genres you've tried? Or maybe jumped back into something you haven't read in awhile?
So I promised pictures...and then life happened. The start of the school year has been good but as per usual; also busy. I finally have a few minutes so here are some highlight pictures from our trip.
Naples & Amalfi Coast:
Castel Nuovo
(New Castle - built in 1279)
Pompeii
Church in Amalfi
Amalfi Coast
Street in Naples
Piazza Plebiscito
Royal Palace of Naples
Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II
Spanish Steps
Trevi Fountain
Pantheon
Vatican Guard
St Peter's Square
Tiber River
Colosseum
Palantine Hill
(Ruins of Nero's Palace)
Roman Forum
Traveling with all of us is definitely different than trips with just my husband and I. There are a lot of logistics to work out. We do a lot of planning beforehand but there are just so many things that we can't know or figure out ahead of time. So here are some tips. Some are basic travel tips and some are specific to Italy.
1) Set Expectations - We always try to set expectations before we leave. For this trip we let the kids know that there were long flights and that they would be experiencing jetlag for the first time. We showed them the rental apartments ahead of time so they knew what to expect for sleeping arrangements. We also discussed that we would be walking a lot.
2) Be Flexible - There were many things we had to figure out and things that were just different. We did a lot of planning but also left a lot of room for flexibility.
3) Minimize Luggage - For this trip we each took one backpack. Our reasoning was that it's easier when flying internationally; if you check baggage you have to collect your bags and then recheck them anytime you go through customs. We also knew we were taking a lot of trains and were going to be walking in the cities, minimizing our use of the Metro. Backpacks would make navigating this all much easier.
4) Don't Overschedule - It can be tempting to try to see and do everything. We knew that the kids would have jetlag and we also knew that our 7 year old would only be able to do so much museum time. Before leaving we booked or planned one big thing for each city. Other than travel days we didn't have any set time to be up. We let the kids sleep in, had slower mornings and then explored more in the afternoons and evenings. We also had some evenings where some of the kids just wanted down time so a few of us would stay at the apartment and some would go out exploring.
4b) Plan Some Down Time - Our travel days were down days. We would enjoy the train ride, do some laundry, grab some groceries but basically just hang out and get settled in the new city. Often we would go out and wander a bit in the evenings but it was nice for those that wanted to just chill to have the option to just hang out and relax. While we wanted to see a lot we also wanted this to be a real vacation.
5) Use Public Transit - We booked all of our fast trains in advance. These were great as we had assigned seats with a small table so we would grab sandwiches on our way to the station and then eat lunch on our train rides. For longer trips within the cities; the metro is also very easy to navigate and you can just buy tickets using the machines at the stations. This makes it very easy to move around and between cities.
6) Use Rental Properties - We booked rental properties for all four cities. This meant we had access to laundry and a kitchen at each place. We ate breakfast and most of our dinners in the apartment. Also, having space to spread out a bit and hang out is also helpful.
7) Check For Discounts - Italy is very family friendly. The Frecciarossa trains have a Frecciafamily rate where the kids are discounted. Most museums are also free for kids under 18 and many other places have discounts for kids.
**side note, in the US kids are often seen as an inconvenience. We never felt that in Italy. Everyone was so welcoming and positive about the kids. Kids are expected to be out late, etc.**
8) Survey The Kids - We asked each of the kids if they had anything specific they wanted to see or do. Our youngest saw a train with two levels so the next time we were on a regular train we made sure to go up top so she could sit there. Another one was most excited to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Little things like this add to their enjoyment.
9) Check Sites Again - I had read so much about how you had to book things so far in advance because tickets sold out. We were able to get last minute or day of tickets to the Castel Nuovo in Naples, the Academia in Florence, Pantheon in Rome and the Doge's Palace in Venice. As I mentioned before we didn't want to overbook but once we were there and knew we would be up for doing more then we booked them. So always check again once you're there.
10) RELAX - There were some stressful moments but I kept reminding myself; God is here, we are all together, we'll figure it out. There were many more moments when I would just stop and soak it all in. Watching the younger two girls chase pigeons in St. Peter's Square, holding hands with my husband walking the streets of Florence while our kids ran and laughed ahead of us, listening to a symphony play in a Piazza, looking out over the city of Rome from the top of an ancient castle, going for a midnight walk with three of our girls and grabbing gelato next to the Arno River...and SO many more.
It's a lot more planning and logistics to travel with six kiddos but the memories, lessons, and experiences are always worth the time and effort.
There's so much that I want to share that I'm going to be breaking this into a few parts. The posts will be long as I want to record things for our own memories too. This first post will be an overview of the trip. Later posts will be sharing tips for traveling in Italy as a family of eight and will probably do a picture heavy post of some of the sites we saw...and now on to how we ended up in Italy for twoish weeks.
More than 20 years ago my husband and I went on a Mediterranean Cruise for our honeymoon. We made a few stops in Italy and fell in love with the country. Ever since we have wanted to go back.
About 5 years ago we started discussing taking the kids on an international trip. We both feel strongly that travel and exposure to other cultures and people is very important. The above quote is one that my husband has referenced over the years. It's easy to see people as "other" or just part of a certain demographic or stereotype; until you walk with them, in their cities, look them in the eyes and interact; then you remember and understand more clearly that we are all made in God's image, all with value and a purpose and those prejudices and preconceived ideas fall away and you find a love for the beauty and diversity of the people and places God has made.
After much saving, planning (and one of our kids deciding to take Italian for all 4 years of high school) we decided that this year was the year.
We have always traveled with our kids. We travel in the U.S. quite often, typically on road trips but have flown also. Our kids are good travelers but we knew this would be much different as they had never experienced jet lag or being in another country. We still chose to take on all four major tourist areas.
July 21st - We took an evening flight with a layover in Portugal.
July 22nd - Arrived in Naples about noon. Took the Alibus from the airport to the port area. Our VRBO was about a 15 minute walk from the port. Our host was gracious to let us in about an hour early as the weather was very hot. On our way to the apartment we stopped for our first (of the trip) lemonade made with Sorrento lemons. The kids loved it!
We stayed near Piazza Plebiscito so after settling in we did a bit of exploring and also made a trip to the local grocery store. We also visited the Umberto Galleria.
July 23rd - We had left this day pretty open to account for jet lag. We all got up a bit after 11am. We spent the afternoon exploring the port area a bit and visited castel nuovo (New Castle); a medieval castle.
July 24th - We had booked a bus tour along the Amalfi Coast that would also stop for a tour of Pompeii. We met the bus at 8am. After a ride along the coast with a stop at a limoncello factory we stopped to explore the town of Amalfi for a couple hours. We had a nice lunch overlooking the sea. After Amalfi we went to Pompeii for a guided two-hour tour. It was interesting to see how much more has been excavated since the last time we were there. It was HOT and there's not a lot of shade. We had a good time but were ready to get back into the A/C of the van.
When we got back to Naples we grabbed some groceries and started packing up as we would be leaving Naples the next day.
July 25th - We got up about 8am, had a quick breakfast and then checked out of the VRBO a bit after 10am. We took the metro to the main train station and then boarded our first fast train (Frecciarossa) that would take us to Rome.
When we arrived in Rome we hopped on the metro and then had about an 18 min walk from the metro to our next VRBO. We were staying in the Trastevere neighborhood which is known for great restaurants and a nice area to explore. When we arrived the electronic lock for the outside door didn't work but thankfully there was another guest who was able to let us in (once we checked in and got the physical keys we used those). We grabbed some groceries and did some laundry and just enjoyed a slower afternoon/evening.
July 26th - We had booked an evening entry to the Colosseum. The ticket included entry to the Roman Forum ruins and Palantine Hill (the site of Nero's palace). We could visit these other sites anytime 24 hours before or after our Colosseum time. We had a slow morning and then made our way to the Forum, enjoying the sites (and lunch) along the way. We spent several hours exploring the Forum and Palantine Hill. We then made our way to the Colosseum. Having an evening entry time was perfect. All of the tour groups were gone for the day and it was a bit cooler.
On our walk back we stopped into a restaurant called Guenda, it's built in a cave in the side of a hill. This was probably our favorite meal of the whole trip. The food, the staff, the atmosphere was amazing.
July 27th - Our oldest girl had made the comment that it would be fun to go to the Vatican on Sunday. So we made this day our Vatican visit. We didn't pay for any of the museum tours; choosing instead to just visit St. Peter's square and St. Peter's Basilica since those are both free to visit. The building and artwork are impressive and it was interesting to hear the kid's perspectives on being there.
After visiting the Vatican we decided to go to Castel Sant'Angelo which is just next to the Vatican. We got there about an hour before they closed but still had plenty of time to explore. The highlight of this site is getting to the top and having stunning views out over the city of Rome.
On our walk back to the apartment we stopped at a restaurant called Da Gildo. It was a decent place with some different pizza flavors. I had a pear and blue cheese pizza that was very good.
July 28th - This day we did more of just walking around and seeing more sites. We went to Trevi Fountain, climbed the Spanish Steps and we also were able to snag tickets to the Pantheon at the door. We also did a bit of shopping. Rome is a place where everywhere you walk there is something old and interesting to see. We went back to the apartment, had dinner and then prepared to leave the next day. We also went out for a late night gelato.
July 29th - Got up at 8am had breakfast, finished packing/cleanup and then headed back to the metro. We made it to Roma Termini and got our 2nd fast train that would take us to Florence.
We arrived in Florence and had a 15 minute walk to our AirBNB. Our host met us there and gave us all the information for the apartment, he also gave us a bottle of wine to welcome us to Florence; which was a lovely surprise.
We did some laundry and grocery shopping and then headed out to explore the city at night. I LOVE Florence and it just becomes more magical when the sun goes down. It is an amazing city to just walk.
July 30th - We had booked most of our tours ahead of time but when I tried to get tickets to the Academia the site said they were sold out. On our last night in Rome (while getting gelato :) ) I decided to check again and found that there was availability for this day (30th). So we booked for the early afternoon (when it's hottest out) and were able to see Michaelangelo's David. There are also many other sculptures on display. I especially found Michaelangelo's The Prisoners to be thought-provoking. We spent a couple hours here. We then took an hour train ride to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower; we spent a couple hours here taking the typical funny pictures and then grabbed a train back to Florence.
July 31st - We had booked tickets for the Uffizi gallery for this day. We had a slower morning and then headed over in the early afternoon. We spent about 3 hours here. It is amazing! The great thing about our AirBNB is that it was a less than 10 minute walk to all of the major sites. So our oldest, who loves museums and taking his time, was able to just do his thing and then meet us later; while we and our youngest, who was a trooper but at 7 can only take so much time in a museum, could leave.
August 1st - This day we chose to just explore and shop. We had wandered the city every night we had been there but hadn't been on the Ponte Vecchio when the shops were open so we chose this day to wander over their, go to a leather shop I had heard about and just walk through more shops. I think we also got gelato (we got gelato pretty much every day in Florence). We also tried an affogato which is delicious!
August 2nd - Another travel day so after checking out of our AirBNB we hopped on the Frecciarossa and headed to Venice. This was a longer train ride (previous ones had been just over an hour, while this one was a bit over two hours) and we were able to see some of the beautiful Tuscan countryside.
We arrived in Venice and had a quick 13 minute walk to our AirBNB. Our host had said we could drop our luggage but requested we not officially check in until after 3pm so we had an hour or so to just wander Venice. We headed to Piazza San Marco but got caught in a heavy thunderstorm. It was after 3pm by then so after buying a few umbrellas we headed back to the apartment. We had a quiet evening doing some laundry and grocery shopping. The grocery store our host recommended is called Despar; it's very cool because it is in an old Italian Theater building so as you are grocery shopping you can also admire the frescoes on the walls and ceiling.
August 3rd - The one thing I wanted to do while in Venice was take a water bus over to the island of Murano. Murano is known for it's glass blowing. We spent the afternoon exploring the shops, watching a glass blowing demonstration and saw the oldest glass company on Murano, it's been there since 1295!
August 4th - This was our last day in Venice and the weather was gorgeous so we headed to Piazza San Marco. Both the basilica and Doge's Palace are very impressive. We were able to get tickets to the Doge's Palace so we grabbed a quick lunch and then toured the palace. After a few hours there we headed back to the apartment, played some games, had dinner and prepared to leave the next morning.
August 5th - This was our earliest day. We had booked one of the first trains which left Venice at 6:18am. The nice part about getting out that early is that the streets were empty. We were able to get a couple pictures of empty canals and streets before boarding our train. We took the train to Milan and then made a transfer to a train headed to Zurich, Switzerland. We had a gorgeous train ride through the Alps! We chose to fly home from Zurich as the airfare was significantly cheaper than flying home from Italy. We stayed in a hotel outside the city center for our last night in Europe.
August 6th - We got up, took an Uber to the airport and started our journey home. Our connecting flight on the way home was in Iceland. We were a little concerned as we had a short layover time but God worked that all out as our first flight was significantly delayed so the airline made announcements about connecting flights and we were able to make our connection without any problems.
It was an amazing trip and we returned home with full cameras, full hearts and heads full of priceless memories.
Stay tuned for some more posts with pictures and some tips on the logistics of traveling as a family of eight...
Last year I set a goal of reading 20 books. I did it..just barely. This year I set the same 20 book goal and last week already hit it. I'm thankful to be reading more this year.
I use Goodreads to track and rate the books I read. I also use Storygraph to check content warnings before reading books. So without further ado....here are the 20 books I have read so far in 2025 (and any reviews that I wrote):
1) Be Faithful by Warren Wiersbe
2) Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin
3) The Odyssey by Homer (this was an audio book)
4) Voices by Ursula K. LeGuin
5) When Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou Simons
There are some books that I read and never
really pick up again; and then there are books like this where I
underlined so much and will return to over and over again. Ruth's
honesty and compassion flows throughout her writing.
6) Between the Lines by Melissa Bourbon
7) Powers by Ursula K. LeGuin
8) Worlds of Exile and Illusion by Ursula K. LeGuin
9) Caught in the Flames by Sara Wright
10) The Bibliomancer's Daughter by Melissa Bourbon
If you're looking for a light read and willing to suspend reality... It's an okay read. The book magic was fun but the other ways things were revealed had me rolling my eyes. Everything gets neatly tied up at the end which is fine but the author makes huge leaps to make sure everything is revealed and it all fits. Not sure if I'll continue the series. (At this point I'm not going to finish it; so many other great books to read)
11) The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. LeGuin
12) God Knows by Lisa Whittle
This book was full of great reminders about God's omniscience and that it is ALL about and for Him.
I
wouldn't say there was much new but several things that are helpful to
hear again, as we often get distracted and forgetful. I found myself
underlining several quotes.
I was disappointed that this isn't
really a study. I found myself really wishing for more Scripture, and
that the end of chapter questions and activities were more of a deep
dive into the Truths of God. There was nothing wrong with what she said,
I was just looking for more. Maybe she'll write a study guide in the
future.
13) All My Knotted Up Life by Beth Moore
I have done a few Beth Moore Bible studies. The
depth and heart of those has blessed me. Knowing some of her story, I
knew this would be a raw read. Growing up in the church as a PK I'm very
aware of the issues in the church and grew up under a lot of the same
teachings as Beth. I so appreciate her honesty and care in sharing very
personal things.
This was a fast read for me. It had me
chuckling at points and crying at others but most of all it had me
praising God for His faithfulness in every season of our lives.
14) The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar
15) How to Pray by R.A. Torrey
While this book had some helpful thoughts on
prayer; I can't say I'd recommend it. The author often veers into
legalism. At one point he cautions against legalism but then tends to go
that way in several places. His own pet peeves make it into the book a
lot and he goes off on rants at times.
There were some helpful
things to think about; making sure your heart and motivations are
surrendered to God. I also appreciated his reminder to not rush into
prayer. To ask the Holy Spirit to lead and take time when praying to
wait on Him.
16) Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
17) About Grace by Anthony Doerr
I'm still processing this book. I've found that
Doerr's books tend to deal with a theme running through a story rather
than a fully developed plot line. This book was no different. The themes
of grace, of choices being made with limited information, of wanting
love and family...belonging. All of these are explored. He has a deep
knowledge of the natural world and also explores this a lot.
While
I loved the themes I didn't love the characters. Doerr's books are also
a slow burn as he uses a lot of descriptive language inviting readers
to slow walk through the thoughts and environments of the characters.
Knowing this is how he writes kept me reading. However, the main
character infuriated me at times.
The main character doesn't
pick up on social cues, social boundaries and gets hyperfocused on his
interest in his surrounding and the people in his life. He crosses
boundaries with stalkerish behavior, disregards the wishes of others, is
so focused on wanting grace and forgiveness for himself that he doesn't
consider the thoughts and feelings of others.
The more I read
the more I didn't like him. The ending is especially infuriating and
improbable. It was an okay read but I much preferred his other books;
All The Light We Cannot See and Cloud Cuckoo Land.
18) The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Mukesh is close to 80 years old, a recent widower.
Aliesha is 17 years old working a summer job at the library...when
their worlds cross.
A story of how books connect, heal, and push
back loneliness. A story that crosses generations and encourages each of
us to step out of our comfort zone and the beautiful things that happen
when we do. I loved this book.
19) The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
A fast and interesting read about one of the biggest art thieves. Part heist book, part psychological study. Really interesting.
20) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
What are you reading? I love to get book recommendations!
