On My Nightstand

Hard to believe the first month of 2015 is already over! In an effort to keep track of the books I complete throughout the year, I plan to link up with Jessica each month:

(Except maybe next month I'll actually have my post ready by Wednesday? ;)

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So, here's what I have been reading lately:

• The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis

When I can't find anything else of interest at the library and I just need an easy, light-hearted book to read before bed, I usually gravitate toward the Amish fiction genre. So far, Beverly Lewis is the only author in the genre that can keep my interest.

Amish fiction never fails to make me want to move to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Growing up my family visited the area often and more recently my husband and I took the boys there for a camping trip. I loved taking walks and seeing the Amish homes and farms up close.

The Fiddler is the story of Amelia, a professional violinist and Michael, a Amish man. Though they obviously come from very different backgrounds, when they meet on a whim they both feel an instant connection based on their similar struggles between pleasing their parents and following their personal dreams.

A lover of classical music, I appreciated the author's ability to incorporate Amelia's violin and fiddle playing into the story so much so that I could almost hear the music in my head as she described it.

While it was not necessarily a page-turner, The Fiddler was a warm, engaging story that included just enough romance, a lot of soul-searching, and the simplicity of the Amish way of life. I definitely plan on reading the next book in the series, The Bridesmaid.

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (abridged) 

I read this abridged version, illustrated by Christian Birmingham, to my 3 1/2 year old as an experiment. I wasn't sure if I should start reading chapter books to him yet so I tried this abridged, illustrated version of the C.S. Lewis classic to test his ability to remain engaged.

I was pleasantly surprised by his interest, even in the wordy pages with very little or no illustrations.

I thought it would be a good book to read before his nap, after his younger brother was already asleep. Once I started reading it to him, however, he continued to request it the rest of the day. We ended up finishing it in less than two days.

The illustrations are absolutely exquisite and I would recommend this version even if only to look at the beautiful pictures. Although we finished the book on Tuesday, both my sons have spent long periods of time just gazing at each of the colorful pages.

I'm so happy to discover that a whole new world of classic stories has opened up to my son now that I know he is ready for chapter books.

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That's all for this month. Winter is usually a slow reading season for me because most of my reading time occurs while the boys play outside and between the cold and snow our outside play time has been very limited lately.