FFF Day 4: Books I Love

Wow, we’ve already passed the halfway point of the week. Is it flying by for anyone else besides me? Is anyone else wondering just how many books your TBR will have grown to by the end of the week?

Here’s the list of Team Oak bloggers:

Rebekah @ Read Another Page

Bethany @ A Ruby In The Rough

Cate @ Southern Scribblings

Ellie @ Ellie’s Book Haven

Rhys @ A Handful of Quietness

Savannah @ Savannah Jane Author

Now let’s get to today’s list, books that I love. Today’s official category is books from genres I don’t usually read, but since I don’t read much outside of my regular genres, I went with a substitute category.

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Aurie’s Wooden Leg

“A story about faith and Christian love, Aurie’s Wooden Leg tells about Tony and Valerie Johnson and their hard life with the Davis family. The adopted twins are unloved and unwanted—but not by Jesus. A fire, an orphanage, a flight up the Peace River, a dangerous criminal, a thrilling manhunt—all these are part of their story. Through all these adventures, Valerie discovers Jesus to be an all-sufficient friend and protector and freely shares Him with those she meets. Will Tony ever find a way to believe in Valerie’s Friend too?”

This is a book that deserves to be more well-known than it is. It’s a middle-grade book, but it’s one that all ages would enjoy. It’s got great themes, an exciting plot, humor, Mounties, and more! If you can find a copy of this book, you should get it!

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Cowboys and Cattle Trails by Shannon Garst

Brave and loyal were the booted, spurred cowboys of the old cattle trails. Their lives were packed with daring adventure and hard work.

One of the best of these men was John Benjamin Kendrick (1857-1933). He knew the wide open range and the long, dusty miles of the cattle trails. He knew the dangers and the lonely lifemof a cowboy.

Like all pioneers, the cowboys did their share in settling this great country of ours. With a “Hi! Yi! Yipee!” they rode and roped their way into American History.

This was one of my favorite books when I was younger, even though it violated one of my rules that usually meant a book got put on my “Do Not Like” list. I won’t tell what that rule was, though, because that would be a spoiler. It’s such an exciting story about cattle drives, outlaws, stampedes, and more. There are some pretty neat relationships, and best of all, the main character was a real person, John B. Kendrick, a boy from Texas who grew up to become a successful rancher, senator, and governor of Wyoming.

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Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat,” an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor’s world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn’t promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout.” Nat’s long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors’ Bible”), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.

I’ve listened to the audiobook read by Jim Weiss a number of times, and I love this story so much. It may be embellished or altered a bit here and there, but it’s based on a true story. The characters are all so endearing, and there’s so much humor, especially between Nat and Captain Prince. There’s a lot of sadness in the book, but I just remind myself that these were real people, and real life can be very sad.

I highly recommend the book, but even more I recommend the audiobook. The book comes to life in a whole new way, especially Captain Prince’s repeated quote of, “Carry on, Mr. Bowditch.”

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Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne

“Since 1926, Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends—Piglet, Owl, Tigger, and the ever doleful Eeyore—have endured as the unforgettable creations of A.A. Milne, who wrote this book for his son, Christopher Robin, and Ernest H. Shepard, who lovingly gave Pooh and his companions shape.

These characters and their stories are timeless treasures of childhood that continue to speak to all of us with the kind of freshness and heart that distinguishes true storytelling.”

I’m sure this one doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me from KDWC. This has been a favorite book of mine for many, many years. One never grows too old to appreciate Pooh, the “Silly old bear,” and all of his companions.

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Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry

Long ago, a lone little burro roamed the high cliffs of the Grand Canyon and touched the hearts of all who knew him: a grizzled old miner, a big-game hunter, even President Teddy Roosevelt. Named Brighty by the prospector who befriended him, he remained a free spirit at heart. But when a ruthless claim-jumper murdered the prospector, loyal Brighty risked everything to bring the killer to justice.

Brighty’s adventures have delighted generations of readers, and he has become the symbol of a joyous way of life. Some people say that you can even see his spirit roving the canyon on moonlit nights-forever wild, forever free.

I love this book for many reasons, one of them being that I actually bought my copy at the Grand Canyon after hiking on Bright Angel Trail. It’s such a heart-warming story with the special relationship between Uncle Jimmy and Brighty. And, it’s one of the books that I read aloud with one of my English students several years ago. We took turns reading a chapter or so at each lesson, and at the end, I showed her some pictures of the real Brighty.

If you haven’t read this book by the same author as the Misty books, I suggest you check it out!

Well, I didn’t intend for my whole post of books I love to be children’s stories, but sometimes those are the most timeless and the ones we love best. Have you read any of these? Are there any new ones that look interesting? Let me know in the comments, and as usual, don’t forget to enter the giveaway and check out Kate’s and Rebekah’s blogs for more book recs, giveaway info, and the full list of all the participating bloggers!

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