During our Georgia trip I mainly worked on knitting up a few smaller projects, including a spontaneous pair of baby booties for a friend’s baby’s upcoming baptism. I gave them to her after a Wednesday night holy hour and she promptly asked one of our priests to bless them as we were standing there. My first knitting to be blessed! It made me so happy.
I finished the first of Job’s St. Nicholas day socks the day after Thanksgiving, and the second on the Eve of St. Nicholas day. They fit, but only barely, really. I need to go ahead and knit him another pair, this time with a longer cuff and longer foot.
I’ve been thinking and thinking about my favorite books, and those that might be gift worthy. Books have always been my favorite gifts to give.
So, here are some of our favorites, and there is even a giveaway of A Mother’s Rule of Life included for those interested:
My favorite fiction:
Kristin Lavransdatter is one of my all time favorites. This edition is especially beautiful as well.
I love Rumer Godden, and especially In This House of Brede and Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy. Another favorite is An Episode of Sparrows (New York Review Children’s Collection).
Bel Ria: Dog of War is technically a children’s book, but I haven’t actually convinced any of my kids to read it for some reason. I read it last year (I think?) and loved it so much.
Willa Cather is probably my favorite author and I love these two volumes of her novels: Early Novels and Stories and Later Novels.
Katherine is sooo good.
And Wilkie Collins! I’ve been loving his work lately. The best so far that I’ve read is The Woman in White .
And finally, epic and beautiful if not rather long, The Betrothed: I Promessi Sposi (Penguin Classics).
Jonny’s favorites:
One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, and Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage (Seth read this one as well).
Jon Krakauer is a favorite author, Michael Perry is another.
Faith:
If you haven’t read A Severe Mercy, you absolutely must!
I find Mother Theresa’s writings to be very encouraging and recommend No Greater Love and Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta.
I also love St. Therese and while I have read her own Story of a Soul, I also really liked this little book: The Love That Keeps Us Sane: Living the Little Way of St. Therese of Lisieux (Illuminationbooks.).
Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry is lovely and so is A Mother’s Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul.
I read A Mother’s Rule of Life years ago, and recently Sophia Institute Press sent me a copy of the latest edition. If you’d like me to send it to you, leave a comment letting me know. I’ll randomly select someone later this week.
I’ve emailed the winner!
Photography:
I am often asked for camera and photography advice. The book I always recommend, and the one I used to learn how to shoot in manual mode from is Understanding Exposure. That book would make a great gift for someone wanting to learn. A similar book by the same author, that I also recommend (and possibly prefer) is Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Photography Field Guide: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera.
Nature and field guides:
For the tree lover, we are on our second copy of Remarkable Trees of Virginia (you don’t have to live here to appreciate this book.) I also really like The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups.
Some of our most used field guides include: North American Wildlife: An Illustrated Guide to 2,000 Plants and Animals (we’re on our 3rd copy), Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont: A Naturalist’s Guide to the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia (Southern Gateways Guides), Caterpillars of Eastern North America, Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, and A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guides). I don’t have a favorite tree identification field guide, but have Native Trees of the Southeast: An Identification Guide on my wishlist.
Homesteading and Beekeeping:
The Heirloom Life Gardener: The Baker Creek Way of Growing Your Own Food Easily and Naturally, Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening, and The Small-Scale Poultry Flock: An All-Natural Approach to Raising Chickens and Other Fowl for Home and Market Growers.
The Practical Beekeeper: Beekeeping Naturally is our favorite beekeeping resource, though my favorite book about beekeeping in general is A Book of Bees: And How to Keep Them.
Knitting:
Anything by Elizabeth Zimmerman is probably a good choice. I have and love Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac, Knitting Without Tears: Basic Techniques and Easy-to-Follow Directions for Garments to Fit All Sizes, and The Opinionated Knitter.
Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book really is a great resource.
And finally my favorite Stephanie Pearl-McPhee book is Knitting Rules!: The Yarn Harlot’s Bag of Knitting Tricks.
For Children:
We have read several of the books in Tomie DePaola’s 26 Fairmount Avenue Series and I highly recommend them. Endearing stories of family life with a nice bit of humor, they make great read-alouds that will span a wide range of ages as far as interest goes. I also think they would make great first chapter books for young readers.
We have really enjoyed this Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales for years. You can’t go wrong with Beatrix Potter!
We also really like the Calla edition of Stories from Hans Christian Andersen. The illustrations by Edmund Dulac are some of my favorites. Many of the Calla Editions look really beautiful.
James Herriot is another favorite. This volume for children looks beautiful: James Herriot’s Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small (we have an older version of it.)
Picture Books:
(the images themselves are links to the books, more fun that way for pretty children’s books!)
(I better stop now!)
And finally, there are some good lists in my Amazon bookshop including my favorite books written and/or illustrated by Tasha Tudor, and some of my boys’ favorite chapter books, along with more favorite picture books.
I love making booklists!
My previous gift list is here.
Ruby says
Is it wrong that baby socks make me want another baby? They are perfect, Ginny!
Caffeine Girl says
I want to thank you for this post. I love book reviews and recommendations, and will go back and savor this post when I have more time.
I love the Kristin L. trilogy, too. I’ve always wanted to read Rumer Godden, so it’s good to have a title to start with!
Don’t put me in for the give-away as my chicks have flown and I’m sure there are other moms out there who need it more than I!
Cheryl says
I would love to read this book. I really enjoyed Mitten Strings for God. I will be looking up some of your book recommendations. I love knitting and reading too. I’ve been working on knitting socks for my children too. Don’t know if everyone will end up with a finish project though. Some may just get a ball of yarn and a promise:) There’s just so many of them and too little of me!
Jonna Stromback says
Lying here in my bed not getting anything done, o how I need this book, I want to be a better mother!
Love
/Jonna
Katie says
LOVE your booklists! Thanks so much for sharing. I just read the intro to that book on amazon and it really hit home. I think the title has come to me at the right time so I definitely need to read it!
Leah D says
Would love a chance to win this book! Thanks for putting together such a great book list!
Amy says
I’ve always wanted to read A Mother’s Rule of Life! Would love to win a copy. Thank you!!!
Nicole Spring says
I would love to win the book. My soul yearns for peace and order!
Lauren says
I would love to read this book. My home could use some order and my soul . . . yes, it needs peace.
Missy says
Love your picture book collection. It is always fun to find a new favorite! A Mother’s Rule of Life would be a good way to make life a little more sane and happy.
Janet says
I would love a copy 🙂
Tammy C says
I love books and sometimes they seem my only escape. I’d love to win the book and then I’d likely pass it on for one of my daughter’s to enjoy. Thank you!
Heather says
I’d love to gift a copy of this wonderful book to a friend 🙂
Barbara says
Love the St Nicholas shoe pic with the mandarin oranges sticking out of them!
I’d be a fan of reading “A Mother’s Rule of Life” for some thoughts on peace for my soul. But I will admit, I’m in Canada so that may squash it. I’ll click your link and check it out and see if amazon.ca carries it.
Thanks for all these book list ideas. I love seeing what other people are reading.
JoAnne says
I enjoyed your booklist, so many good books. There is a new one out “One Gorilla” by Joy Dey and illustrated by
Nikki Johnson…I think you would like it….it is about how life is a jungle and the animals (or people) treat each other mean, and then one gorilla helps out a tortoise and that can change the jungle (or the world). It is a great book to read with children and talk with them about treating others as they would like to be treated.
Sarah says
I love your booklists, esp. for the little ones; I’m excited about being able to try out some of the books for older kids too, as they grow. A Mother’s Rule… sounds really interesting – I’d love to get a grip on life around here. Thank you for the info – and the chance.
Sarah says
I was so excited when I saw the pictures of two of Rumer Godden’s books. I have loved her books since I was in my late teens, and have never come across anyone else who read them. I knew there was much to like about you, and now I see there is another reason.
A book series that my son and I really enjoyed, and I think your children would as well, is the Freddy the Pig series. Very clever books about a very clever talking pig (and his talking animal friends) and his various undertakings. The first book is “Freddy Goes to Florida” and the series is by Walter R. Brooks.
alexa says
Love books as gifts. They are such a quality item in our home – precious pearls indeed.
Rosemarie says
Thanks for such a great list of books and A Mother’s Rule looks like a great read.
Joy says
Oh my wish list just grew by leaps and bounds! Thank you. And what a gift it would be to win a copy of Mother’s Rule!
Martha says
I would love a copy of “A Mothers Rule”!
Renee says
I’d love to win A Mother’s Rule of Life! I’ve heard great things about it!
JeanetteG says
Anyone have any good recommendations on a” How to Knit” book? I am inspired by Ginny’s blog 🙂
Ginny says
There are so many options out there, I like this book http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-VISUALLY-Knitting-Consumer/dp/047052832X?&linkCode=wey&tag=smalthin-20 and this website http://www.knittinghelp.com/ Good luck!!
Julie says
If “A mother’s Rule of Life” is recommended in the same sentence as my all-time favorite “Mitten Strings for God,” I’d love to read it! I’ve taken “Mitten Strings” out from the library so many ties, I really should just buy a copy.
Vicky says
I have been wanting to read this….fingers crossed x
sarah says
that book sounds intriguing!
you really must knit like the wind. i expect they’ll be at least one gift under the tree that’s still on the needles.
Tobim says
Have you (or your children) read the Bastable family books by Edith Nesbit? (‘The Story of the Treasure Seekers’, ‘The Wouldbegoods’ and ‘The New Treasure Seekers’). I enjoyed these as a child and still read them from time to time. They always make me smile.
Lori Watson says
I just read the reviews on Amazon regarding A Mother’s Rule of Life & it sounds amazing…would love to win a copy!
Naomi says
Any booklist that starts with Kristin Lavransdatter is going to be awesome! One of my favourite all time books as well. So many great recommendations. So many books, so little time…
And that photo with the laundry drying beside the holy images is just…idealic realistic is the best way I can describe it, like Our Lady of the Broom.
Yanic says
What a wonderful list! I’ve definitely noted a few. Thank you… One of my favorite appeared on there, The Heirloom Life Gardener: The Baker Creek Way of Growing Your Own Food Easily and Naturally is on our shelf year round. Right next to their seed catalogs. Gorgeous publications, really!
The socks and booties are darling. Love the color of the socks. 🙂
Wendi says
We appear to have very similar tastes in books, so I hav to ask if you’ve ever read “The Hawk and the Dove” trilogy? It really affected my heart towards others, and their frailties in a lasting way.
I’m a mom of 8, and a pretty big reader,but somehow I’ve never even heard of A Mothers Rule of Life. Sounds like it needs to go on my reading list for 2015, along with a few others from your list hat I’ve never read. Thanks for putting this list together.
Cathy says
I notice a corkscrew type wooden element on your Faith table. Is that for Advent? It looks as if Mary and Joseph advance as the days progress. I would love for you to comment and if possible, list where this was purchased. It looks like such a cute display.
Ginny says
Hi Cathy! The details and links to those items are in this post. https://gsheller.com/2014/11/preparing-for-advent-and-christmas.html 🙂
Kris says
Thanks for sharing this list! I had just posted on FB the other day requesting ideas for first chapter book series. Will definitely consider the 26 Fairmont Avenue series as our “something to read” gift for one of the kiddos.
kim schildbach says
That book sounds just what I need right now – peace to my soul!!
Thanks for the chance!
Andrea G in Morgan Hill, CA says
I love Willa Cather too! I read My Antonia every year, and always cry at the chapter where they meet up again and Antonia has all those children and she looks old, but she is obviously very happy with her life. I’m crying now, just thinking about it.
I wanted to tell you that we are enjoying using the baseball benefit dish cloths. They are very soft and absorbent.
Thank you!
Susan says
If this is where we comment for the give away, I am interested. Looks good!
Fräulein Rucksack says
This time St. Nicolas day socks were too big. I never get it right.
I had to look at your row of shoes again and again. I had just one boot to fill. And I was filled with the task, with the magic I made. I can’t imagine it times seven! I’d sure work on the handknit socks all years, if at all.
Thanks for sharing and for the chance to win the book!
Shannon Dennis says
Did I write Willa Cather? I meant Rumor Godden. Let’s call it a pregnancy moment.
Laura says
Thank you for the book list! I love seeing what others enjoy reading and it always gives me new ideas for my family. Thanks for the chance to win the book as well!
Shannon Dennis says
I don’t know if you received my much earlier email on this topic, but my Dad illustrated Willa Cather’s book ” An Episode Of Sparrows.” It brings me a smile to see it here again on your blog as this book has happy memories for me.
I am interested in the book giveaway as well.
Elizabeth says
I have discovered Willa Cather recently and what a true gem of a writer!!! very moving!! I must read more of her! Thanks for all the book rec’s. Very helpful! Stay well dear Ginny! Blessed day to you!
Abi says
As a (relatively) new mom I’d love a copy of that book. My daughter is almost 2 and my son is 3 months old, so I am still developing my “mama mantras.” I guess that will always be a work in progress, won’t it??
Mat. Anna says
I love your booklists! I think Johnny and I would get along quite well as I own all of the books on his list and love them as well. 🙂 I have odd tastes for a 40 year old woman!
I also love that you have a children’s book on your list. I have always agreed with Madeleine L’Engle that if a book is no good for adults to read, then it’s no good for children either (paraphrasing). My husband, then my boyfriend, gave me a hardback version of Winnie the Pooh when we were in college. We loved it and to this day I find it hilarious!
I appreciate the suggestions for photography books. I’m ready to take the next step and get a little more serious about photography.
And I’ve had A Mother’s Rule of Life recommended to me a few times by friends. I’d love to win a copy!
Barbara says
Job’s socks look so comfy! And I think every baby should have blessed booties. How precious!
Alyson says
I need some rules in my life! Ha! Thanks, this would be awesome 🙂
Heather m says
I loved I am a Bunny as a child but couldn’t remember the title. I’ve scoured the library for bunny books for years trying to find it! Thank you so much for helping me solve tge mystery. I’ve plopped if in tge Amazon cart and it will be a lovely gift for my one year old. Thank you!!! The Mothers Rule looks great, I’d love a chance to win.
Spalva says
Oh, and you surely outdid me on St Nicolas! We were 100% candy! And my 14 year-old was visited soley by Krampus (maybe only a German/Austrian tradition) and got candy coal (that’s what she gets for listening to punk, we told her!).
Barbara says
One of my older sons just told me about Krampus. I think he learned about him in a college course (at least that would be much better than learning about it on FB!). He is rather demonic looking in pictures, but fun to threaten the big kids with. 😉
Spalva says
Yeah, nice if they would limit it to the older kids here in Austria (or Alsace — not sure about Germany)! They don’t. There must be many, many traumatized children here. Not really joking.
It was funny for a 14 year-old who’s into metal and punk right now (in a very sort of philosophical way special to her — maybe Ginny and Jonny the ex-punk rockers understand?) because he often has his very long tongue sticking out.
Spalva says
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone mention I promessi sposi in English. When I lived in Italy, back in the 80s, there was this extremely hilarious, pee-in-your-pants-laughing, mini-series parody of the book. I have really fond memories of watching that. I doubt it’s been dubbed but just seeing the costumes and faces might be enough, if you’ve read the book. The comedy ensemble that did it is called Il Trio.
I love Willa Cather, too. I barely read anymore.
Besides Beatrix Potter, we really love Allison Uttley’s Little Rabbit books. All of the Dahls, Nesbits, Blytons, and CS Lewis as well — slightly British-leaning here!
As far as Mother Theresa goes, I’ve had nothing but negative experiences with Theresa sisters (either racist or neurotic or both!), which is sad.
I’m enjoying your lists, though! I wanted to add matrioshkiy to the comments on the other list. My 9 year-old put on a big school concert the other day with her collection of matrioshkiy: there were the tiny ones singing jingle bells, the next biggest singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and so on. The songs got progressively harder by “class.” Then two of the teachers ended up getting married at the end of the concert! I think it was the classic Russian doll woman with the native fisherman doll we found in an antiques shop on the coast of Washington state.
Sophie says
Yes, I am interested in the book. Thank you for the chance.
Sarah says
You know, the funny thing about “Understanding Exposure” is that I gave it as a gift (based, I think, on a recommendation from you?) last year. My husband’s teenage sister loves photography and had a nice SLR but didn’t know how to shoot in manual mode so we gave her the book for Christmas. She was flipping through it, paused, and then said “hey! that’s my friend”. It was a photo labeled “my daughter”. It turns out the book is by the father of one of her good friends, though she’d never heard of it. Small world!