Rachel Dodge's Blog, page 20

Walking around in someone else’s armor.

Growing up, I loved walking around in high heels. Usually, they were my mom’s or a pair from the church rummage sale. They were always several sizes too big for me, but I loved to clomp around in them. I felt glamorous and grown up. But when it was time to go out of the house, my mom always made me put on my own shoes.

Why? Because they fit better.

Right before David stepped out to fight Goliath, King Saul offered him his own suit of armor. The king’s armor was likely one of the only sets of armor in Israel at the time, his sword one of the only swords. By offering David his armor, he did David a great honor and a great favor (and a tiny fighting chance).

The Bible tells us that David put on the coat of mail, the bronze helmet, and the sword. He tried to take a few steps to test out his new equipment, but he could barely move. In the New Living Translation, David says, “I can’t go in these. I’m not used to them” (1 Samuel 17:39). He took everything off and went out to face Goliath with only his own slingshot and five smooth stones.

Often, we find ourselves trying fill someone else’s shoes in life and in ministry. Sometimes we volunteer to take on new roles. Other times, tasks and responsibilities are placed (or dropped) in our laps. We find ourselves out of our league and over our heads.

The temptation to wear another person’s armor into battle.

This one sounds like, “I don’t have the skills to do this. This isn’t my gifting. I’ll let everyone down. I’ll rock the boat. I don’t know if people will like my ideas. I wish I could be more like ____ .”

Saul’s armor was designed for Saul, not for David. It was too heavy and it limited David’s ability to move freely. In 1 Samuel 9:2, we learn that Saul was head and shoulders taller than any other man in Israel. He was a huge man! Saul’s armor was too heavy and awkward for David. It didn’t fit.

David didn’t need Saul’s armor. It would have only slowed him down.

Another person’s armor (or skill set) never feels quite right. It’s awkward and fatiguing. Wearing my mom’s high heels as a girl was fun but uncomfortable. I tripped a lot. My ankles rolled. I couldn’t move around easily. I had to walk slowly. My range of motion was cut short. The shoes just didn’t fit!

David wasn’t comfortable in King Saul’s armor, but he felt right at home slinging stones. David did what he knew best, what he’d been trained to do, what he was made to do. He ran toward Goliath with his sling and stone and defeated the giant.

The temptation to believe the battle is ours to fight.

This one sounds like, “I can do this. I just need to work hard, try harder, be more efficient. I can’t afford to take a break. I’ll get up earlier, stay up later, get more organized, and spend more time on this.”

David was victorious that day because he knew that the battle belonged to the Lord. He shouts God’s truth and promises, right before stepping out to fight: “And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:47)

David had big faith in God’s power to defeat Israel’s enemies. David knew God could use someone like him – a simple sheepherder – to take down a giant. He stepped out in faith because he believed in God for the victory.

David’s willingness was more important than his equipment.

Are you using the skills and talents God has given to you, those things that come naturally? If you find yourself walking around in someone else’s armor (or another woman’s heels), ask God to show you what “sling and stone” he’s given you to use in life, in ministry, and in battle.

Do you believe that the battle belongs to the Lord? Then, it’s time to pray. Stop everything else and pray. Pray until you know you’ve heard from God for your next step. Pray on your knees, out loud, or in writing. Whatever it takes, stop, be quiet, be still, and pray.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”

(2 Corinthians 10:4, ESV)

For More:

For more articles like this, I invite you to visit my blog posts on Faith. Please share this article with one of your friends.

Join the Kindred Spirit Community:

Subscribe: Click here to subscribe to my blog newsletter. My newsletter is where I send out announcements, book reviews, and book news (including perks and giveaways)!
Free Download: To download your free English Garden printable reading map and activity guide, click here. (This is free when you subscribe!)
Kindred Spirit Book Club Facebook group: If you love to chat about favorite books with other book-lovers, then please join us on Facebook for weekly discussions!
Book Reviews: To find good books read, you can find my favorites here.

Do you love Jane Austen? Are you passionate about prayer?

My new book, Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, releases in October. Click here to read the book description and to pre-order your copy!

The post Walking around in someone else’s armor. appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Book Review: Okayest Mom

Okayest Mom: When God’s Plan of Adoption Doubled My Family was of my favorite nonfiction books I read this summer! It speaks to the heart of every mom who has ever wished she could be better or be the perfect mom. It reminded me that I have so much to offer as a mom and that I can’t/shouldn’t compare myself or my family to others.

It’s also a great view into the practical, spiritual, and emotional realities of adopting. Sometimes adoption gets romanticized, but this book shows how beautiful adoption is while also allowing readers to understand what it looks like on a daily basis.

This book is also EASY TO READ, which is important for moms! I enjoyed it because it was gentle, funny, and touching. The author, Natalie Gwyn, is a wonderful writer who shares deep, spiritual truths in an accessible, friendly way!! Highly recommend.

What was your favorite book this summer? And just for fun: Would you ever consider adoption??

Do you love Jane Austen? Are you passionate about prayer?

My new book, Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, releases this October. Click here to read the book description or to pre-order your copy!

Join the Kindred Spirit Community:

Subscribe: Click here to subscribe to my blog newsletter. My newsletter is where I send out announcements, book reviews, and book news (including perks and giveaways)!

Free Download: To download your free English Garden printable reading map and activity guide, click here. (This is free when you subscribe!)

Kindred Spirit Book Club Facebook group: If you love to chat about favorite books with other book-lovers, then please join us on Facebook for weekly discussions!

More Book Reviews: To read other book reviews and articles from my summer reading series, you can catch up here.

The post Book Review: Okayest Mom appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Praying with Jane Book Launch Team Invitation!

My upcoming book, Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, releases October 2, 2018 (Bethany House Publishers), and you’re invited to join my launch team!

Praying with Jane is a 31-day devotional book based on Jane Austen’s three surviving prayers. Writing this book has been a dream come true because it joins together two of the things I’m most passionate about—my Christian faith and my love for Jane Austen. My vision and prayer for this book is to encourage both Christian readers and Jane Austen fans (and everyone in between) to draw closer to God in prayer.

Book Launch Team

I’m looking for a group of enthusiastic people willing to help spread the word online and in person about Praying with Jane and its message. As part of my launch team, you can help me reach people I can’t reach on my own!

Launch Team Member Contributions:

Read Praying with Jane before the release date. (You’ll receive an early copy before anyone else!)
Spread the word online and in person, before and after the launch, as much as possible.
Post book reviews on retailer web sites (Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook.com, Amazon, etc.) and on sites like Goodreads.
If you have a blog or are part of any online groups, share or review the book there.

Launch team members will enjoy the following perks:

A complimentary copy of Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen – before it’s available to anyone else!
Access to a private Praying with Jane Launch Team Facebook Group where we can mix and mingle and interact together as a group.
Fun content, resources, photos, memes, updates, and announcements.
Promotional items (think book mail), digital freebies, and entrance into weekly drawings for launch team giveaway items.
Regular encouragement from me!

How to Join:

To join, click here to fill out a short questionnaire so we can connect officially and start getting to know each other better!

Due date: Friday, August 24th (by midnight PDT). My publisher has graciously allowed me a specific number of launch team members. You will receive an email notification by the end of August to let you know if you’re on the launch team.

I can’t wait to get started, and I hope you’ll join my team! If you aren’t able to help with the launch but have friends who might be interested, please do me a huge favor and share this letter with them.

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Rachel xx

“A whole family assembling regularly for the purpose of prayer is fine!”

– Fanny Price, Mansfield Park

Additional Details:

Book Launch dates:

October 2, U.S. release
November 2, U.K. release


Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Official Launch Team dates: Mid-September through October/November
Christmas Elves: Option to help share (quick & easy) special holiday promotions and giveaways in December.
Literary Representation: Janet Grant, Books & Such Literary Management
Read the Book Description Here
Read Rachel Dodge’s Bio Here

 

The post Praying with Jane Book Launch Team Invitation! appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Why we love classic stories.

I admit it: I like my books old and classic, thank-you-very-much.

There’s something about old-fashioned values, quaint language, and innocent characters and storylines that provide comfort and escape from the jumble of everyday, postmodern life.

However, most of the newer books I read also seem to echo the themes of the classics. It makes me wonder: Old or new, why do we like classic, timeless stories so much?

From The Lord of the Rings to The Chronicles of Narnia, from Austen to the Brontes to Dickens, from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games, readers are drawn to the time-tested themes of good and evil, war and peace, love and hate.

There’s a reason why the Cinderella story, Jane Austen’s novels, and the stories from the Bible have been rewritten, reinvented, and reimagined so many times.

We love classic stories because we love classic themes. There’s something glorious about that moment when the good guys beat the bad guys that makes our hearts swell. Stories of love, loyalty, and bravery inspire us to live better.

10 Reasons We Love Classic Stories:

Good triumphs over evil
Second chances come
Hope overcomes despair
Ordinary people become extraordinary heroes
Sacrifices are made
Redemption becomes possible
Things turn out better than expected
Weakness overcomes adversity and power
Healing and wholeness occur
Beauty rises up from the ashes

Classic stories come in a million and one different shapes, sizes, and genres, but most of them share these common themes. It’s human nature to look around our broken world and long for stories of faith, hope, and love. These stories keep us going. They remind us of what’s important, how to love one another better, and to never give up.

I invite you to think about your favorite books and movies. Look through your bookshelves. What themes do you notice in the stories you love most? Please share a few in the comments below.

Join the Kindred Spirit Community:

Kindred Spirit Book Club Facebook group: If you love to chat about favorite books with other book-lovers, then please join us on Facebook for weekly discussions!

Free Download: To download my English Garden Summer Book Walk and printable reading map and activity guide, click here.

If you missed the other articles in this summer reading series, you can catch up here.

The post Why we love classic stories. appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

10 Classic Themes That Never Get Old

I admit it: I like my books old and classic, thank-you-very-much.

People often ask me what I like to read, and while I do love The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and all the rest, most of the books I read were written before 1950. There’s something about old-fashioned values, quaint language, and innocent characters and storylines that provide comfort and escape from the jumble of everyday, postmodern life.

However, most of the newer books I read also seem to echo the themes of the classics. It makes me wonder: Old or new, why do we like classic, timeless stories so much?

There must be a reason the Cinderella story, Jane Austen’s novels, and the stories from the Bible have been rewritten, reinvented, and reimagined so many times. Even Harry Potter and The Hunger Games deal with the time-tested themes of good and evil, war and peace, love and hate.

We love classic stories because we love classic themes. There’s something glorious about that moment when the good guys beat the bad guys that makes our hearts swell. Stories of love, loyalty, and bravery inspire us to live better.

10 Classic Themes We Love:

Good triumphs over evil
Second chances come
Hope overcomes despair
Ordinary people become extraordinary heroes
Sacrifices are made
Redemption becomes possible
Things turn out better than expected
Weakness overcomes adversity and power
Healing and wholeness occur
Beauty rises up from the ashes

Classic stories come in a million and one different shapes, sizes, and genres, but most of them share these common themes. It’s human nature to look around our broken world and long for stories of faith, hope, and love. These stories keep us going. They remind us of what’s important, how to love one another better, and to never give up.

I invite you to think about your favorite books and movies. Look through your bookshelves. What themes do you notice in the stories you love most? Please share a few in the comments below.

Join the Kindred Spirit Community:

Kindred Spirit Book Club Facebook group: If you love to chat about favorite books with other book-lovers, then please join us on Facebook for weekly discussions!

Free Download: To download my English Garden Summer Book Walk and printable reading map and activity guide, click here.

If you missed the other articles in this summer reading series, you can catch up here.

The post 10 Classic Themes That Never Get Old appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Summer book purge.

Admit it . . . you have some borrowed books laying around and a stack of books you’ll never read. Is it time for a book purge or a book swap?

It’s the middle of summer, and I’ve collected a lot of books over the past few months. My bookshelves are lined two-deep in spots (see photo), and I keep adding new books to my TBR list! I’m a bit of a neat freak, so this does not sit well with me.

“Book clutter” adds to your mental clutter, which can actually keep you from reading. When you have too many books staring you in the face, it’s overwhelming. Those lovely TBRs can start to feel like a giant stack of to-dos.

Below are some quick and easy steps to purging the books you know you don’t have the time or energy to read. (If you have a lot of bookshelves in your home, you may want to take this challenge one bookcase at a time.) The goal: To create a bit of bookshelf room and a short list of high priority books to read.

Tools Needed:

Sticky notes or sheets of paper, marker/pen, an assortment of large and small canvas bags or paper/plastic bags, and your camera/phone. You may want to put on comfortable clothes, get a cool drink, turn on the fan, and grab an energy bar.

Sift and Stack:

For this purge, we’re going to focus on three major book categories: borrowed/gifted books, books you’ve already read, and books you haven’t read.

Borrowed/gifted books: Pull out every book you borrowed or received as a gift. Remember, you did not pick most of these books yourself. They’ve been your welcome guests these many months/years, but they didn’t come to stay. They are ready to move on. Make stacks and mark them: Keep and Give Back/Give Away.

Books you’ve already read: Pull out every book you’ve read before and ask yourself an important question: Will I ever read it again? If you can’t wait for the day when your kids will read it or if it’s a book you frequently re-read or reference, then save it. Otherwise, give the rest to someone else who might enjoy them. Make two stacks and mark them: Keep and Give Away.

Books you haven’t read: Pull out the books you’ve never read and answer these questions: Why did you buy them? Are they classics you think you might read one day; books someone recommended; books on topics you wish you knew more about; or books you feel like you should read? Pick a few you really want to read and let the rest go. Make two stacks and mark them: Keep and Give Away.

5 Simple Steps to Unburdening Your Bookshelves:

Step 1: Go back through your Keep piles. Make a final stack of books you really love and want to read or re-read.
Step 2: Dust your shelves and put the Keep books back in place. You can organize by genre, color, or alphabetical order.
Step 3: Bag up and give back any borrowed books. Your friends and family will thank you!
Step 4: Go through the Give Away piles and select loving new homes for the rest. Put a few books in bags to give to friends or family members who might want them, donate others to your local library, sell a few (if it’s worth it), or consider hosting a book swap.
Step 4: Take all the bags to your car. Make your rounds and deliver each bag. Finish this step. You’ll be glad you did!
Step 5: Treat yo’ self! Take a deep breath, pat yourself on the back, and treat yourself to an evening with a good book you actually want to read. You’ve earned it!

What makes it so hard to part with books? Comment below.

Join the Kindred Spirit Community:

Kindred Spirit Book Club Facebook group: If you love to chat about favorite books with other book-lovers, then please join us on Facebook for weekly discussions! We’re discussing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie as our July read-along.

Free Download: To download my printable English Garden reading map and activity guide, click here.

If you missed the other articles in this summer series, you can catch up here.

 

The post Summer book purge. appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

You’ll never find me; I’m buried in books.

Admit it . . . you have some borrowed books laying around and a stack of books you’ll never read. Is it time for a book purge or a book swap?

I’ve collected a lot of books over the past few months. My bookshelves are lined two-deep in spots (see photo), and I keep adding new books to my TBR list! I’m a bit of a neat freak, so this does not sit well with me.

“Book clutter” adds to your mental clutter, which can actually keep you from reading. When you have too many books staring you in the face, it’s overwhelming. Those lovely TBRs can start to feel like a giant stack of to-dos.

Below are some quick and easy steps to purging the books you know you don’t have the time or energy to read. (If you have a lot of bookshelves in your home, you may want to take this challenge one bookcase at a time.) The goal: To create a bit of bookshelf room and a short list of high priority books to read.

Tools Needed:

Sticky notes or sheets of paper, marker/pen, an assortment of large and small canvas bags or paper/plastic bags, and your camera/phone. You may want to put on comfortable clothes and grab a favorite drink or snack. Things are about to get serious.

Sift and Stack:

For this purge, we’re going to focus on three major book categories: borrowed/gifted books, books you’ve already read, and books you haven’t read.

It’s borrowed or gifted: Pull out every book you borrowed or received as a gift. Remember, you did not pick most of these books yourself. They’ve been your welcome guests these many months/years, but they didn’t come to stay. They are ready to move on. Make stacks and mark them: Keep and Give Back/Give Away.

You’ve read it already: Pull out every book you’ve read before and ask yourself an important question: Will I ever read it again? If you can’t wait for the day when your kids will read it or if it’s a book you frequently re-read or reference, then save it. Otherwise, give the rest to someone else who might enjoy them. Make two stacks and mark them: Keep and Give Away.

You’ve never read it: Pull out the books you’ve never read and answer these questions: Why did you buy them? Are they classics you think you might read one day; books someone recommended; books on topics you wish you knew more about; or books you feel like you should read? Pick a few you really want to read and let the rest go. Make two stacks and mark them: Keep and Give Away.

5 Simple Steps to Unburdening Your Bookshelves:

Step 1: Go back through your Keep piles. Make a final stack you really love and want to read or re-read.
Step 2: Dust your shelves and put the Keep stacks back in place. You can organize by genre, color, or alphabetical order.
Step 3: Bag up and give back any borrowed books. Your friends and family will thank you!
Step 4: Go through the Give Away piles and select loving new homes for the rest. Put a few books in bags to give to friends or family members who might want them, donate others to your local library, sell a few (if it’s worth it), or consider hosting a book swap.
Step 4: Take all the bags to your car. Make your rounds and deliver each bag. Finish this step. You’ll be glad you did!
Step 5: Treat yo’ self! Take a deep breath, pat yourself on the back, and treat yourself to an evening of reading. You’ve earned it!

Have you ever attended a book swap? Comment below.

Join the Kindred Spirit Community:

Kindred Spirit Book Club Facebook group: If you love to chat with other book-lovers, then please join us on Facebook for weekly discussions! We’re discussing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie as our July read-along.

Free Download: To download my printable English Garden reading map and activity guide, click here.

If you missed the other articles in this summer series, you can catch up here.

 

The post You’ll never find me; I’m buried in books. appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

5 Reasons You Should Read “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”

What is it about lengthy book titles that makes them catchy and intriguing? While most of us can never remember the exact names of our favorite, long-titled books, we still can’t help but pass on the recommendation and the content.

I think my obsession with really long titles started with Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. It just rolls off the tongue. You can’t help but want to say it. I’m also exceedingly fond of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, a tragically charming, hysterically funny, breathtakingly-real look at the life of a teen boy on a reservation. And while I’ve never read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M. Pirsig, the title alone intrigues me.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows) gets a lot of nicknames. “That potato peel pie book” is one version. Also, the “sweet potato pie book.” Mostly, I get “you know . . . that Guernsey something something potato pie” book, with a big up-singing, question-mark sound.

Regardless of their ability to remember the full title, people always seem to love it. It’s one of those books you can recommend to most of your bookish women friends and hit a home run.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society:

If you like historic fiction that reads like literature. It’s well-written, well-crafted, and literary. This book reads like a true story.
If you like history. This book is about fictional characters set against the backdrop of actual events that took place during World War II. It’s set on the island of Guernsey, a Channel island and the only British territory occupied by Germany during the war.
If you enjoy a story with one main character who’s surrounded by a group of quirky secondary characters.
If you love stories about courage, friendship, and loyalty. This book illustrates the power of people drawing together in times of hardship.
If you like to read books about people who love books. In the book, the members of the “society” pull together during the war, finding solace in one another and in good books.

Still on the fence? Here’s a simple test: If someone whispered the words “secret literary society” in your ear, would you get the warm-fuzzies and follow their directions to the next meeting? If so, this book is for you.

If you don’t usually enjoy books written in letter form (epistolary novels), don’t let that turn you off. Books written in letter form aren’t very popular with readers, historically. However, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society reads beautifully. And this is coming from someone who honestly isn’t normally a huge fan of epistolary novels.

Bonus: When you’re done reading the book, you can see it come to life in movie form! The movie version, starring Glen Powell, Lily James, and Matthew Good, premiered in the UK in early 2018 and is due out in the US in August.

And speaking of secret literary societies . . . do you want to join mine?

Join the Kindred Spirit Community:

Kindred Spirit Book Club Facebook group: If you love to chat about favorite books with other book-lovers, then please join us on Facebook for weekly discussions! We’re discussing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie as our July read-along.

Free Download: To download my English Garden Summer Book Walk and printable reading map and activity guide, click here.

If you missed the other articles in this summer series, you can catch up here.

 

The post 5 Reasons You Should Read “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Book Review: 5 Reasons You Should Read “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”

If someone whispered the words “secret literary society” in your ear, would you get the warm-fuzzies and follow their directions to the next meeting? If so, this book is for you.

What is it about really long book titles that makes them so intriguing? I think my obsession started with Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. It just rolls off the tongue. You can’t help but want to say it. I’m also exceedingly fond of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, a tragically charming, hysterically funny, breathtakingly-real look at the life of a teen boy on a reservation. And while I’ve never read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M. Pirsig, the title alone intrigues me.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows) gets a lot of nicknames. “That potato peel pie book” is one version. Also, the “sweet potato pie book.” Mostly, I get “you know . . . that Guernsey something something potato pie” book, with a big up-singing, question-mark sound.

Regardless of their ability to remember the full title, people always seem to love this book. It’s one of those books you can recommend to most of your bookish women friends and hit a home run.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society:

If you like historic fiction that reads like literature. It’s well-written, well-crafted, and literary. This book reads like a true story.
If you like history. This book is about fictional characters set against the backdrop of actual events that took place during World War II. It’s set on the island of Guernsey, a Channel island and the only British territory occupied by Germany during the war.
If you enjoy a story with one main character who’s surrounded by a group of quirky secondary characters.
If you love stories about courage, friendship, and loyalty. This book illustrates the power of people drawing together in times of hardship.
If you like to read books about people who love books. In the book, the members of the “society” pull together during the war, finding solace in one another and in good books.

If you don’t usually enjoy books written in letter form (epistolary novels), don’t let that turn you off. Books written in letter form aren’t very popular with readers, historically. However, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society reads beautifully. And this is coming from someone who honestly isn’t normally a huge fan of epistolary novels.

Bonus: When you’re done reading the book, you can see it come to life in movie form! The movie version, starring Glen Powell, Lily James, and Matthew Good, premiered in the UK in early 2018 and is due out in the US in August.

And speaking of secret literary societies . . . do you want to join mine?

Join the Kindred Spirit Community:

Kindred Spirit Book Club Facebook group: If you love to chat about favorite books with other book-lovers, then please join us on Facebook for weekly discussions! We’re discussing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie as our July read-along.

Free Download: To download my English Garden Summer Book Walk and printable reading map and activity guide, click here.

If you missed the other articles in this summer series, you can catch up here.

 

The post Book Review: 5 Reasons You Should Read “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” appeared first on Rachel Dodge.

Book List: My Top 5 favorite authors all grown up.

Just when you think you’ve read all of your favorite author’s books, you sometimes find a new gem. As you mature, books that didn’t interest you when you were younger suddenly become golden. It’s a glory-hallelujah kind of moment! Here are some gems by my favorite girlhood authors that I’ve discovered (or rediscovered and enjoyed more fully) as an adult:

The Blue Castle  by L.M. Montgomery: If you’ve never read The Blue Castle (our June read-along), it’s a pretty big departure from Green Gables and Avonlea. There’s a bit more spice. It’s funny; irreverent at times; and grown up. Interestingly, it’s the only book Montgomery wrote that was intended for an adult audience. You’ll be laughing from the first pages, spitting mad a few more pages in, and cheering soon after that.
Persuasion by Jane Austen: This is the Austen book most readers appreciate more the older they get. I read Persuasion in college, but it didn’t really resonate with me at that age. Once I was older and married, it quickly became one of my favorite books. Austen wrote this novel in the latter part of her life, and the story deals with an older heroine and a long-lost love.
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott: My mother always said this was her favorite Alcott book. I had no interest in it as a young girl. I didn’t want to read about love . . . until I was older! It’s absolutely lovely and is one of my all-time favorite books. Alcott’s A Rose in Bloom (the sequel to Eight Cousins) is another treasured story that I didn’t fully appreciate until I was more mature.
These Happy Golden Years (and Little Town on the Prairie) by Laura Ingalls Wilder: Do you remember when Laura and Almanzo first met? I do! Do you remember what Almanzo and Cap Garland did to save the town from starvation in The Long Winter? If you read the first books in this series in elementary school, don’t discount the beauty of the “grown-up Laura books” in the series. Her storytelling is captivating and their love story is endearing.
Keeper of the Bees (and The Harvester) by Gene Stratton-Porter: If you’ve read A Girl of the Limberlost (our August read-along), Freckles, Michael O’Halloran, or The Happy Garden, then you know Stratton-Porter’s books remind readers of simpler, more innocent times. If you want to delve further into her work, Keeper of the Bees and The Harvester are gorgeous “grown up” stories. Daughter of the Land, although it isn’t as popular and light-hearted as her others, is probably her most mature work. I found it unforgettable.

Like-Minded Authors:

Though these authors are lesser known, I highly recommend their books if you enjoy old-fashioned books with old-fashioned values:

Strawberry Acres by Grace S. Richmond is the story of four siblings who inherit a large house and acreage out in the country, after living in cramped quarters in the city. They have little to live on and must learn to make ends meet. The sister does her best to make the house into a home, and the brothers work to make a living on the farm. It’s a quaint book with a sweet love story.

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster is hilarious! People compare Daddy-Long-Legs to Anne of Green Gables. You can read this novel in an afternoon or two. My parents read it out loud on a road trip and laughed themselves through half of California and Nevada.

Now it’s your turn. What other old-fashioned or “new-old” titles would you add to this list?

Join the Kindred Spirit Community:

Kindred Spirit Book Club Facebook group: If you love to chat about favorite books with other book-lovers, then please join us on Facebook for weekly discussions! We’re discussing The Blue Castle as our June read-along.

Free Download: To download my English Garden Summer Book Walk and printable reading map and activity guide, click here.

This week’s Bookish Activity: Press flowers or leaves between books.

If you missed the other articles in this summer series, you can catch up here.

The post Book List: My Top 5 favorite authors all grown up. appeared first on Rachel Dodge.