Mother Culture for the Coming Year

“The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last forever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year - the days when summer is changing into autumn - the crickets spread the rumour of sadness and change.”

 ​― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

 

(Image from Sally Clarksons Mumheart UK Instagram)

It is so funny to think that we are in August. Last week I felt it, that little turn in the air that said, "Autumn is on it's way. 

Not yet. 

Not quite. 

But nearly. 

The morning was a little cool, the windows a little condensated. The evening had that slight smell of burning and sulfer that seems to linger with the change of seasons and increase as Autumn takes hold. Right now everything is golden, all the hues seem muted and tired, and everything is sighing and soaking in the Summer sun. We are having a glorious Summer this year minus the sky stripes and occasional rainy days. And it is much needed after 9 months of perpetual grey that was almost all of last summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.  There have been many hammock, pool, and reading days outside, the odd babecue and one beach day to round it off. 

Now though, I hear the call to look forward to planning if there is any hope our home ed year is to happen. 

I truthfully have very few concrete plans for our coming homeschool year, it's is all up in the air and feels very unsettled at the minute.This is mainly due to things I expected to happen, not happening, and having to plan for lessons I didnt expect to be covering this term.  It adds more pressure I was hoping to avoid. 

With that being the case I decided instead to tidy up what my reading year will look like and focus on making some reading plans for what I would enjoy. 

So for Autumn I have picked these lovely books:

The devotional was a gift to me from a dear friend. I am keen to read that this year. I have fallen slightly in love with Susan Branch this year, so I had to include some coffee table books from her. You will see a cosy Autumn guide - this could go either way; either terrible or great, but I thought it might add direction at times.  I picked up the book of Fall poems and the Autumn Anthology really cheaply in a sale, and then I opted to  round it off with an easy read which, again, could go either way. 

For my Book Girl Fellowship reading, and from recommendations I have picked these:

The Anxious Generation is one of the reads recommended for the book girl fellowship. I am not sure I will read it in time for the meeting but I will try. There was another short book recommended too The Golden Key - which I must aim to read. The Book Girl Fellowship is ongoing.... more books will be recommended and added so no doubt I will have more reading to do. 

Samuel Taylor Coleridge caught my eye because His poem was featured in the Mary Rose Wood, Mysterious Howling books so I want to read it, and learn more of his poetry , and The Pilgrim of Tinker Creek is apparently a  marmite book, so of course I had to find out why. 😂 

Now on to my 'whole-year' reading arc. I think last year I looked at supernatural and biblical other-worldly things. But this year I was ready for a change and I have opted for Literary Theory with a side of the History Of English Language.

It all started when I unearthed The Literary Life podcast. They had a fantastic podcast all about how to handle Magic in Stories and I really loved it. Next I went on to listen to their series on Harry Potter which really expanded my understanding of the book and its themes. And Now I am in the midst of their series on A Midsummer Night's Dream. With all that was said I began to collect recommendations for books and my curiosity was piqued. After that it snowballed. I 'shopped' my bookshelves and discovered I had more than a few of the books from the list. 🫣 This at least saved me some money but made me realise a) I have always been interested in 'literary theory' without knowing it b) I buy many books I dont read. 

In my defence I am getting there in the end. 

I did get the book book Why Literature Still Matters on kindle as it isnt available in print, and I got Literary Theory: An Anthology used on Amazon for only £6.58.

Anyhow, So I decided to throw in a little about linguistics which I am also especially interested in, and, the history of bookshops - I mean, why not?!? 

All in all it will be a lot. Realistically I wont finish them all this year. I dont even know if I will finish them all in two years..... It could be a really deep dive!! 🤣

So, that is me all set up at least, and I know how and where to start. I am hoping that it will be a fun and worthwhile endeavour.