fall 2025 journal

including recommended reads, a quick tip, and our next book

…but not in that order. Can we get the tip out of the way first? Because this has been bugging me.

it’s ‘ve, not of

That doesn’t make sense yet, does it? Here’s what I mean, in a quote from a book I loved earlier this summer in spite of this error strewn all throughout it:

He might of been listening to what the colonel was saying…

—Janice Holt Giles, The Kentuckians

Did you catch it? It’s supposed to be might’ve (as in, “might have”), not might of. See also: could’ve, would’ve, should’ve known better.

This was the second book I’ve read by this author (the other is Hannah Fowler) and they were both excellent historical fiction written around the 1950s. If you don’t like reading dialect, skip them, because she writes true to both the accent and regional grammar, but otherwise, they’re fun and fast reads. Also, The Kentuckians gives a perspective on the early days of the Revolutionary War that isn’t usually talked about.

A Man for All Seasons

We’re currently in the middle of this one and it’s short, so we’re flying right through. This is the first play we’ve read together in Gaining Ground, but not the first time I threw a play in the voting poll…so kudos to all of you adventurers for trying something new. Reading one play a year is a solid goal to shoot for, so I’ll keep throwing them in the polls.

This passage remains one of my favorites — the symbolism of More relighting the candle that Wolsey extinguished is gentle and powerful:

…and it makes me think of so many sections in the New Testament about praying for government, leaders, and the body. This example is from Ephesians 6:

But as I said, we’ll be done with A Man for All Seasons in no time, so let’s talk about what’s next…

coming soon: Persuasion

Fun fact #1: We have never had a book by Jane Austen in the polls that has not won a slot among the next round of scheduled reads.

Fun fact #2: Counting Persuasion, we have now read all of Jane Austen’s main works in Gaining Ground EXCEPT for Mansfield Park. So that might be added to the running sometime next year.

You can find Persuasion for free online at Gutenberg, in free audio at Librivox (lots of versions to choose from — usually the solo ones are best), or get used or new copies here at ThriftBooks.

And, speaking of polls: This is our last scheduled book, so we’ll vote on our next round of books in October.

fall book recommendations

Meanwhile, want some cozy books for cooler weather? Books that make you want to have soup and tea, curl up with blankets and cocoa, and listen to the rain outside as it pounds the leaves to the ground? Here are some good ones for kids and grown ups.

For those of you who just finished Treasure Island with us last month and want to introduce your kids to some Robert Louis Stevenson that doesn’t include quite so much piratical crime and mayhem, A Child’s Garden of Verses is filled with beautiful short poems that speak right to the wild fancies of childhood. I’m currently reading it aloud to my kids.

The Wreck of the Golden Mary: This is the easiest introduction to Charles Dickens I’ve found. The book was actually a group effort between Dickens and several of his author friends; each wrote different parts of the story but in spite of that, the tone is consistent and it flows well.

Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter: If you joined us for A Girl of the Limberlost, this is the prequel. Both can stand alone, though.

Hannah Fowler, mentioned above

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving: If you’ve never read it, it’s probably not at all as spooky as you think it might be. Also, it’s extremely short. Beautiful, beautiful writing.

Have you introduced your kids to Mr. Putter and Tabby yet? This is a huge series and sometimes they’re hit or miss, but Stir the Soup and Pick the Pears are two of our absolute favorites. These ones all take place in the fall.

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned at least two of these before, but they are so good I don’t even care.

Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem: The stories are really fun but it’s the illustrations that put it over the top. What would the inside of a giant tree look like if a family of mice lived in it, complete with elaborate pantries and stairwells, libraries and dancing halls? SO MUCH FUN

The Hundred-Year Barn by Patricia MacLachlan: This is the same author of the Sarah, Plain and Tall series and this picture book has the same gentle, perceptive feel to it.

Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler: A mother with her many children need to make a new home, starting with almost nothing. Based on the true story of the author’s grandmother; gorgeous illustrations.

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall: I fell in love with this book about 20 years ago, and have not fallen out of love with it yet. The Ox-Cart Man’s family makes and grows things throughout the year, and what they don’t use, they sell to buy what they cannot make. It is a beautiful one-sentence (a loooong sentence) story about economics, growth, patience, and achievement.

Happy reading,

Shannon

HT Kris, thanks!