On a reading jag

Since Christmas, I can’t seem to stop reading.

 

First was “Seven Women” by Eric Metaxas.  Which led me to…

“The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom.  Amazing!

And then I heard about “Defying Hitler: A Memoir” by Sebastain Haffner and “In the Garden of Beasts” by Erik Larson.  Fascinating first-hand memories of pre-World War II that give the reader a real sense of the atmosphere in Berlin during those years leading up to war.

For a change of pace, I started re-reading “Aunt Jane in Kentucky” by Eliza Calvert Hall.  This is a fairly obscure book that paints a picture of Kentucky in the mid-1800’s through “Aunt Jane” telling stories about her life, her friends, church, quilting and cooking.  Her ancient colloquialisms and the rhythm of her banter so reminds me of listening to aunts talking when I was a child!

I found it on eBay years ago as preparation for a presentation about fabric arts of bygone days.  Eventually I ordered Hall’s “Tales of Long Ago”, which is a continuation of her first book.

Somehwere, sometime in February, I sped through Chip and Joanna’s book, “The Magnolia Story”. Two of my favorite people!!!

And…since I’m up to my eyeballs in the “Victoria” series on TV, I read Jerrold M. Packard’s “Victoria’s  Daughters”.  I found it to be easier to read than I anticipated with wonderful insights into the royal family! I suspect that a bio focusing on only Victoria will be next on my list!?

Now I’m working on “The Return of George Washington” by Edward J. Larson.  This book covers the years between the end of the Revolutionary War and Washington’s presidency.  Really, really intriguing…I’m a huge Washington fan and couldn’t resist adding this book to by collection.  So glad I found it!!

I also added to my Washington collection, “His Excellency, George Washington”.  Halfway through it and putting “The Return Of…” on my nightstand to be continued after I finish “The Return of…”  I know. I can’t help myself BUT…here’s my logic. Or whatever. “The Return of” hits the years between the Revolutionary War and the Presidency.  “His Excellency” is a broad overview, biographically speaking, of his entire life. So I want to get the general idea and then focus on those in between years.  More on that later… I’ve also received “The Bulletproof George Washington” by David Barton and “Being George Washington” by Glen Beck.  So many books, so little time!!!!

However…I must get in gear to teach a cake decorating class.  I haven’t taught one in quite a while and am a bit rusty.  So tomorrow, I’ll spend the day gathering supplies, whipping up buttercream, baking a cake for demo purposes and getting a lesson plan finalized.  Right after I read this next chapter, “Reeling in the West” where we find Washington headed to The Frontier aka western Virginia!!!!