The Book Devotions
Michelle Watson
I'm a homeschool mom who loves to read. Every week, I email you book recommendations and reviews, fun printables, bits of bookish news. Come on over and read with us! We'd love to have you.
A three-strike rule for your TBR
Hi Reader, Woah, did life just get busy or what? It's summer, and that means not-so lazy days. But, hey, we're adults, and we're making lazy days possible for the kids in our lives. They'll look back on them with fondness later in life when they are the grown-ups who are providing clean sheets, bottomless snacks, and four-wheeled transportation for their carefree dependents. Now, onto book chat. We all know that there are too many books to read. We can't possibly read them all. How do we...
about 19 hours ago • 2 min read
Summer Reading Printable Pack 🌻
Hey, Reader! Can you believe summer is just around the corner? One more week of homeschool, and my kids are on summer break. Summer break. 🕶️ 🍉 ⛱️ 🐚 ☀️ Oh, the glory. In celebration, I made this for you... If you were around last summer, then you'll recognize this little number. It's a HUGE printable pack filled with everything you need to create your own custom summer reading challenge. Grab the free printable Here's where you can see all of the summer reading booklists—little kids, big...
7 days ago • 1 min read
A mobile-friendly reading journal for you to try
On Tuesday, my kids and I were driving to music class, chit-chatting about various things, and we got on the topic of church sermons, and my 7-year-old said, "The best way for me to know God is with stories." He paused, then continued. "That's why I really like Jesus. He told stories." My little guy is constantly asking, "Can you tell me a story from when you were little?" He especially loves stories about how people were rascals and didn't listen to their parents. He cannot get enough of...
15 days ago • 2 min read
Book reviews are back
Hi Reader, It's that time again! I'm excited to share my monthly batch of book reviews. I read a whopping nine books in April. That's a lot for me. If you've been around here for a while, then you'll notice that I've changed my book review format. Do not be alarmed. 😂 I'm in the process of making a new master list of book reviews. Every book review gets a dedicated page. So, without further ado, here are the books I read in April: The War on the West by Douglas Murray. A political and...
24 days ago • 2 min read
Something brand-new 'round here ⭐️
Hello Reader, I'm excited to tell you about something new I've been working on behind the scenes! It's called Library Binding, and it's a literary meet-'n'-greet in 10 pictures or less. I'm interviewing authors, publishers, editors, readers, teachers, librarians—anyone who works in the book world. But, my interviews aren't your typical text-heavy affairs. Nor are they podcasts that you never quite get around to listening to... They're visual interviews—done in eye-catching, scannable...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Slow reading
Hey, Reader, Remember when you were a kid, and you'd ask, "When is dinner?" and your mom would say, "Thirty minutes," and that felt like thirty centuries? Now, as adults, thirty minutes feels like negative three seconds. Reading books keeps us connected to slow time. Unhurried time, restful time, one-task-only time. In a world of increasingly fragmented shards of time, that's a gift. I see it when my little boys have trouble settling in for Quiet Reading Time (a daily thing in our...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Blood, howling, and rites of passage
Well, this week, both of my little boys screamed harder than they ever have before. My oldest got an accidental lapful of hot peppermint tea on Easter. Then, two days later, my youngest crushed a finger between two rocks while playing outside, requiring seven stitches in the ER. Thank God, both of my boys are fine. No burns. Finger is on the mend. When we were in the ER, the doctor said, "Welp, getting stitches is a rite of passage for boys." We chuckled off our nerves. I think it's also a...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
☘️ March book reviews (revamped with new ⭐️s)
Hey there, Reader! First things first. Happy Easter! I've been reading about Christ's crucifixion with my two little boys. Our homeschool Bible curriculum just happened to line up perfectly with Easter, even though we haven't been following the day-by-day schedule to the letter. Easter fills me with mixed emotions. I'm so profoundly sad when I read about the pain and humiliation and rejection that Jesus suffered, but my joy overflows when I read about His absolute victory over sin and death,...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Star ratings running wild
Hi Reader, We took our homeschool spring break last week. We spent Monday afternoon playing at the park in the sun and sand. Besides the 200 mph winds, it seemed like Mademoiselle Spring was on the brink of making her 2024 debut. Then, on Wednesday, Madame Winter swept onstage and said, "One more thing before I go," and she sprinkled an encore of snow flurries that have continued on and off ever since. It's a textbook spring. Besides the weather, here's another thing that's been erratic: my...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
When did you get your first❓
Hey, Reader! My oldest son got his first library card last week, and, boy-oh-boy, it made my heart grow three sizes. Our sweet clerk explained all of the responsibilities and privileges that come with the card, as he nodded along and carefully printed his name in black Sharpie on the line below the barcode. What was his first checkout? A book about rainforests. 🐒 Later that day, my younger son said something that melted my heart. "Mommy, I have a plan of the books I'm going to read." A plan!...
2 months ago • 1 min read
I'm a homeschool mom who loves to read. Every week, I email you book recommendations and reviews, fun printables, bits of bookish news. Come on over and read with us! We'd love to have you.