Recap Book Chat

Utterly charming and captivating, Maisie Dobbs will forever have a place in our hearts. Jacqueline Winspear does and excellent job of melding historical fiction and mystery. Maisie Dobbs is set post WWI in London England, but has flash backs before the war and during the war where we get to see pivotal moments of her childhood and youth and young adulthood.

In this episode we throw out a reading challenge to you, literary warrior. We go over our list and share books we have read from each category. Enjoy this free printable from our website to help you stay on track and keep track of your reading goals. I also provided links to the versions of each book we recommend and the link to the episode if we have reviewed it on the show. You are welcome, that was a chore! Ha! Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky are our favorite Russian translators. Be sure to look for them if you are wanting to read a Russian novel. I couldn't remember their name during the show but have linked to all their versions of the classic we read that were translated by them below. Book written by someone on a different continent or translated - Count of Monte Cristo episode 65 episode 68 Dr Zhivago episode 18⁠, ⁠episode 20⁠ Anna Karenina episode 14 Alchemist episode 40 Book written before 1900- Oliver twist written in 1837, episode 49 Count of Monte Cristo 1844, Pinocchio, Graphic Novels- I survived series I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic 1912 I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 Investi Gators series episode 62 Amulet Series 1-8 Book set in wartime- War and Peace episode 29 Beneath a Scarlet Sky episode 21 The Last Green Valley episode 26 Unbroken episode 7 The Blackout Book Club episode 71 Nightingale A Place to Hang the Moon episode 5 Book of Lost Names episode 50 Book recently turned into a movie- Where the Crawdads Sing episode 33 Redeeming Love, Book set in dystopian future- Among the Hidden Hunger Games Giver Pulitzer Prize book- All the Light We Cannot See episode 12 Gone With the Wind To Kill A Mockingbird Newbury Award- A Door In the Wall episode 36 Book about religion or spirituality- Unoffendable episode 61 Joyous Leadership episode 16 Live No Lies episode 24 Imprinted episode 48 A Lineage of Grace Sons of Encouragement Goliath Must Fall episode 70 Book written in year you were born- If You Give A Mouse A Cookie Polar Express Sarah Plain and Tall Berenstain Bears Perilous Road episode 55 Witch of Black Bird Pond A mystery- Agatha Christie And Then There Were None episode 35 The Golden Spyder episode 44 Peppermints in the Parlor Book narrated by child- Words On Fire episode 59 AScary book- Crime and Punishment episode 2 Frankenstein episode 1 (our first episode!) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde episode 51 Memoria - The Reading Promise episode 41 Broken Places and Outer Spaces. Book about spy’s - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah How I Became a Spy Book of Lost Names Romance- The Second Mrs. Astor episode 6 The Masterpiece Book Woman of Troublesome Creek episode 22 Fantasy- The Hobbit (If reading to kids this version is a must! The illustrations are great!) episode 13 The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles Wind in Willows episode 4 Plays - Shakespeare’s episode 39 Western- Call of the Canyon episode 10 Series- Among the Hidden episode 15 Agatha Christie Poirot's 1st book The Mysterious Affair at Styles Depression era A Tree Grows in Brooklyn episode 3 The Four Winds Some Place to Call Home episode 9 Nothing to Fear episode 57 Items mentioned in the show: My Book Journal: A 100-Book Reading Diary for Bibliophiles Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Connect with Kate and Sheila online at www.recapbookchat.com Note that some of the links above are affiliate links to books and brands we love and ones we think you will too! Keep those pages turning and those book lights burning!

A beautiful, intense and thought provoking novel from Kristin Hannah left our tissue boxes empty but our hearts full. The Great Alone set in Americas last frontier, follows a girl named Leni who is 13 at the beginning of the book. We get a look into her tumultuous childhood and her transition into womanhood amid the beautiful yet brutal Alaskan landscape. Leni's dad came back from the Vietnam war a forever changed and volatile man. Upon receiving land in Alaska from a fallen solder buddy, Leni, her mom and Dad head north with all they owned in VW van. Hoping the remoteness will bring peace they soon find the opposite is true. On top of her dads mental issues she now has to learn how to survive the many deadly forces of nature Alaska has to offer. The people they meet in the small town close to their homestead are a shining light for Leni and her mom. The power and need of community is life changing and eye opening. Matthew, the only child the same age as Leni becomes best friends and help each other through different tragedies they are faced with. Very unpredictable and extremely unforgettable, The Great Alone is a book I was not able to put down. ====================================================================================================================== Be sure to let us know if you have read this novel or if you have books you would like to recommend.  You can join our Facebook Group, Recap Book Chat or leave us a voice memo. My favorite way to read is curled up with a soft blanket and a hot cozy drink in my hand. Currently my go to beverage is decaf coffee with Earth Echo's Cacao Bliss blended in. Ten powerful, organic superfoods that help with relaxation, joint pain, weight goals, and mental focus. Use my coupon code KATEM10 to get 10% off your order when you try their products. Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Connect with Kate and Sheila online at www.recapbookchat.com Note that some of the links above are affiliate links to books and brands we love and ones we think you will too! Keep those pages turning and those book lights burning!

The Blackout Book Club is a unique WWII story set on the coast of Maine that highlights the power of books and the importance of connections. The story follows five main characters who are all dealing with secret issues that are all brought to light. Amy Lynn Green beautifully weaves their lives together and shows how we all need community to thrive.  This is our first Amy Lynn Green novel but for sure not our last. We loved learning new historical facts about the Hooligan Army and the what life was like on the coast during this time. The Blackout Book Club is a fantastic story that was captivating from cover to cover. A feel good, and feel informed book that left us wishing the story didn't end. ====================================================================================================================== Be sure to let us know if you have read this novel or if you have books you would like to recommend.  You can join our Facebook Group, Recap Book Chat or leave us a voice memo. My favorite way to read is curled up with a soft blanket and a hot cozy drink in my hand. Currently my go to beverage is decaf coffee with Earth Echo's Cacao Bliss blended in. Ten powerful, organic superfoods that help with relaxation, joint pain, weight goals, and mental focus. Use my coupon code KATEM10 to get 10% off your order when you try their products. Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Connect with Kate and Sheila online at www.recapbookchat.com Note that some of the links above are affiliate links to books and brands we love and ones we think you will too! Keep those pages turning and those book lights burning!

Well all have giants in our lives that taunt us and try to crush us. Some mock us or pretend to be our friend yet all of these giants ultimately want our destruction.  Louie Giglio does an excellent job in Goliath Must Fall of bringing an awareness to these giants and a strategy to not let them have a place at our table.  Fear, rejection, addiction, anger and comfort are the giants that are discussed in the book. We look at these giants and share the ones we struggle with in our own lives. We unpack how some giants are hard to see such as perfectionism, aka fear in a tuxedo. If you are curious about the tea stain picture from the story we talked about you can view it and find out more about the artist here. We finished the book feeling empowered and motivated to take responsibility for what we are allowing in our daily lives and to be intentional about our thoughts and actions. Louie Giglio also has written devotional books for families. We have How Great is our God and Indescribable at home and my kids love them. Louie combines scientific findings and scripture in a quick to read, fun format. We always learn a cool new scientific fact and experience awe and gratefulness to the one who created it. ======================================================================================================================= Be sure to let us know if you have read this novel or if you have books you would like to recommend.  You can join our Facebook Group, Recap Book Chat or leave us a voice memo. My favorite way to read is curled up with a soft blanket and a hot cozy drink in my hand. Currently my go to beverage is decaf coffee with Earth Echo's Cacao Bliss blended in. Ten powerful, organic superfoods that help with relaxation, joint pain, weight goals, and mental focus. Use my coupon code KATEM10 to get 10% off your order when you try their products. Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Connect with Kate and Sheila online at www.recapbookchat.com Note that some of the links above are affiliate links to books and brands we love and ones we think you will too! Keep those pages turning and those book lights burning!

Reading takes time so why not get the most bang for your buck and the greatest return on your investment. Today we discuss three different ways to do that with reading strategies. These strategies help strengthen our connection to the text and have a more impactful reading experience. 1. Upside down Triangle -student preferred strategy 2. CSI - Color, Symbol, Image 3. SPW- Sentence, Phrase, Word Sheila has used these strategies frequently in her classroom and ministry and has seen great results and a deeper level of learning. Here is a link to a free printable PDF file to help you start incorporating these strategies! We recently started a new resource page on our website with a reading strategy free printable. Be sure to check back often as more bonus material will up soon! ======================================================================================================================= Be sure to let us know if you have read this novel or if you have books you would like to recommend.  You can join our Facebook Group, Recap Book Chat or leave us a voice memo. My favorite way to read is curled up with a soft blanket and a hot cozy drink in my hand. Currently my go to beverage is decaf coffee with Earth Echo's Cacao Bliss blended in. Ten powerful, organic superfoods that help with relaxation, joint pain, weight goals, and mental focus. Use my coupon code KATEM10 to get 10% off your order when you try their products. Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Connect with Kate and Sheila online at www.recapbookchat.com Note that some of the links above are affiliate links to books and brands we love and ones we think you will too! Keep those pages turning and those book lights burning!

Today we wrap up the epic classic, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. The link to the book is the exact version and translation we read and thoroughly enjoyed. We discuss some new characters that show up in the second half of the book and talk about our favorite quotes. Also discussed are themes of betrayal, vengeance, retribution, wealth and power.  Although this novel was completed in 1844, it still brings impactful and relevant messages for us today. Dumas shows us how vengeance is never as sweet as we think it will be.  The Count of Monte Cristo is an insightful, educational, and intriguing read that we will carry with us as we journey down our literature road.  The book ends with a beautiful quote, “All human wisdom is contained in these two words: ‘wait’ and ‘hope’!” ======================================================================================================================= Be sure to let us know if you have read this novel or if you have books you would like to recommend.  You can join our Facebook Group, Recap Book Chat or leave us a voice memo. My favorite way to read is curled up with a soft blanket and a hot cozy drink in my hand. Currently my go to beverage is decaf coffee with Earth Echo's Cacao Bliss blended in. Ten powerful, organic superfoods that help with relaxation, joint pain, weight goals, and mental focus. Use my coupon code KATEM10 to get 10% off your order when you try their products. Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Connect with Kate and Sheila online at www.recapbookchat.com Note that some of the links above are affiliate links to books and brands we love and ones we think you will too! Keep those pages turning and those book lights burning!

A must read for parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone else with children in their life. The 5 Love Languages of Children  is full of insightful and uber beneficial information that helps us connect and love our kids to the max. In this episode we give real life examples of the benefits of understanding love languages and learning to speak our children's primary language. We discuss ways to help our kids take more responsibility for their homework, chores, and after school activities. The website for 5 Love Languages of Children also has a lot of additional resources to help us embrace and use these languages in our daily relationships. Briefly we mention the drama triangle. Check out this pdf for more information on what that is and how to recognize if you or your kids are in it. ======================================================================================================================= Be sure to let us know if you have read this novel or if you have books you would like to recommend.  You can join our Facebook Group, Recap Book Chat or leave us a voice memo. My favorite way to read is curled up with a soft blanket and a hot cozy drink in my hand. Currently my go to beverage is decaf coffee with Earth Echo's Cacao Bliss blended in. Ten powerful, organic superfoods that help with relaxation, joint pain, weight goals, and mental focus. Use my coupon code KATEM10 to get 10% off your order when you try their products. Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Connect with Kate and Sheila online at www.recapbookchat.com Note that some of the links above are affiliate links to books and brands we love and ones we think you will too! Keep those pages turning and those book lights burning!

We opened up our kid lit locker today and discussed the final book in the Whole Nother Story series. Such an adventurous, fun and intriguing book. It wrapped up all of our unanswered questions very nicely. Our two kid consultants joined us in talking about our favorite parts and in singing the Fighting Paper Clip anthem. No Other Story begins in “some times” a time were all of history is occurring at the same time. This setting leads the Cheeseman family into crazy circumstances that had us on the edge of our seat and laughing a lot. If you are interested in reading the series here are links to book one A Whole Nother Story, and book two Another Whole Nother Story.  If you missed our reviews of the first of the series I have links to those below. A Whole Nother Story episode. Another Whole Nother Story epsisode. ======================================================================================================================= Be sure to let us know if you have read this novel or if you have books you would like to recommend.  You can join our Facebook Group, Recap Book Chat or leave us a voice memo. My favorite way to read is curled up with a soft blanket and a hot cozy drink in my hand. Currently my go to beverage is decaf coffee with Earth Echo's Cacao Bliss blended in. Ten powerful, organic superfoods that help with relaxation, joint pain, weight goals, and mental focus. Use my coupon code KATEM10 to get 10% off your order when you try their products. Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Connect with Kate and Sheila online at www.recapbookchat.com Note that some of the links above are affiliate links to books and brands we love and ones we think you will too! Keep those pages turning and those book lights burning!

Written 180 years ago we step back in time through the pages of the classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. This is such a hefty book and contains so much we wanted to talk about we decided to break it up into two parts. We are really enjoying our Penguin Classics version of the book that features the A Storm with Smuggler's Landing on the cover. The artwork was done by Philip James de Loutherbourg (1740-1812)  In part one we try to give an overview of the story and lay the foundation by introducing characters and historical happenings. Our discussion covers the background on Alexandre Dumas and his struggles as a mixed race author. Dumas was inspired to pen The Count of Monte Cristo by a true story of an innocent man who was imprisoned unjustly. The story begins in 1815 and takes place in France, islands in the Mediterranean and Italy. Chapter one is the day that Napoleon left his first island of exile, starting the hundred days period when Bonaparte returned to power. Dumas expertly tied the plot of the story to actual events in history. The main character is Edmond Dantès, the wide-eyed, hard working, honest, handsome, naïve sailor who is unjustly imprisoned in the The Château d'If which is the equivalent of Alcatraz in the United States. The story follows Edmonds journey through insurmountable joy, confusion, devastating grief, harrowing loneliness, the life giving light of hope and the hardening of revenge.  The Count of Monte Cristo is our first French novel to read. We like to watch videos on Course Hero to help us learn how to properly pronounce the names in the book. Here is the podcast episode we mentioned from Politics By Faith with Mike Slater.  ======================================================================================================================= Be sure to let us know if you have read this novel or if you have books you would like to recommend.  You can join our Facebook Group, Recap Book Chat or leave us a voice memo. My favorite way to read is curled up with a soft blanket and a hot cozy drink in my hand. Currently my go to beverage is decaf coffee with Earth Echo's Cacao Bliss blended in. Ten powerful, organic superfoods that help with relaxation, joint pain, weight goals, and mental focus. Use my coupon code KATEM10 to get 10% off your order when you try their products. Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Connect with Kate and Sheila online at www.recapbookchat.com Note that some of the links above are affiliate links to books and brands we love and ones we think you will too! Keep those pages turning and those book lights burning!