Books I Read in June

These are the five books I read aloud to the boys in the month of June.

Starting from the top left - "The Stories Behind the Stories" was a chance find at the library and I'm so glad that I found it and read it aloud to the boys. It was fun to learn interesting facts about old classics we've enjoyed as well as more recent books that we enjoy, such as "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Harry Potter". "Water Cycles" was a book I read aloud primarily to Munchkin and it was full of details about the water cycle and water around the world. As this book was published by DK it was high quality and we both enjoyed reading it. I also finished off The Borrowers series with Munchkin this month as we read "The Borrowers Avenged" and re-read "Wind in the Willows" as he had forgotten that I read it to him four years ago.

Finally, my favourite read aloud this month would HAVE to be "Victory at Villers-Bretonneux" by Peter FitzSimons which I read aloud to Monkey as part of his intensive WWI study this year. If you have access to Peter FitzSimons books and you are interested in Australian history, I highly recommend you read as many of the books as possible. FitzSimons is an excellent writer and his books are full of information. Australia, specifically the state of Victoria, has a very special bond with Villers-Bretonneux, that continues even to this day. The update about that bond at the end of this book had me choking back tears as I read it aloud.

I am pleased that I managed to read six books independently this month.

Starting at the top left corner is my favourite book for this month. I've always known that humans generally don't breathe correctly anymore (through our mouth instead of our nose) but I didn't know the full extent of the wrong breathing, nor the vast number of issues it can cause. I challenge you to find a copy of this book and read it. You will be horrified I'm sure, but hopefully it will also give you tips and ideas for how to change the way you breathe, and find better health along the way.

Top middle is my second favourite book for the month of June. I am intrigued by all things Ned Kelly so when I found this book about his sister I had to read it. The information was engaging and thorough and I relished learning more about her specifically but also about the time period and the gang as well. 

"The Vagus Nerve Reset" wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be, but I still found some useful information within the book. I highly recommend it for anyone who is trying to heal from trauma as that is the general focus of the book.

I am still finding C.S. Lewis books that I haven't read. The bottom left photo is "Surprised by Joy" which is somewhat of an autobiography. I really enjoyed learning more about Lewis' early life and it has me eager to read a quality biography about the man now.

"Tears of the Giraffe" by Alexander McCall Smith (bottom middle photo) is the second book in the No. 1 Detective Ladies Detective Agency series. I have no intention of trying to read the whole series (it contains too many books and my library only has random titles) but I thought I would read the second book for fun. It was equally as enjoyable as the first book and when I need a lighter/shorter read I will enjoy choosing books from this series.

Finally, I finished reading "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. This has been a slow burn read for me as it took me nearly nine months to read it. Three dear family members recommended I read it and it was well worth the time I spent on it. I will look forward to reading other titles by Ken Follett but I will need a sufficient break before I tackle the next one.