Yesterday I shared the first 5, in my list of 10, books that we’re smack in the middle of around here–including a couple completely new-to-us series that we’ve discovered recently.

I also shared a giveaway for Walking in High Cotton readers–Childhood of Famous Americans, Davy Crockett–Young Rifleman. You can enter at the bottom of this post–or the bottom of yesterday’s post–or every day by tweeting about it!

But on to the books on this Momma’s nightstand!

I actually cleaned it up, just for you! {grin}

6. Voice in the Wind, by Francine Rivers. Actually, I’m in Book 3: As Sure as the Dawn right now, but #1 is my favorite, and I pretty much read through the whole series at least once or twice a year. I’m on my 3rd copy of book 1 because I keep loaning it out and not getting it back and I always want to read it again. Besides just being an absolutely captivating historical fiction, these books about the trials and hardships faced by those first generation Christians really helps put any little challenges in my life in perspective. (And a book about a blonde, German, barbarian trying to put aside his anger and desire for violent revenge and follow Christ’s path of forgiveness and peace..wow, hits in the heart right now.)

7. The Power of a Positive Mom/Woman, by Karol Ladd. These books have a great message and are formatted for quick, easy reading. You can grab snippets from them without losing the message, or read the whole thing at once and feel rather chipper for days! {smile} This one stays permanently on my nightstand for days when I really start to feel defeated. I also have The Power of a Positive Wife, and recommend it as well.

Our nightstands are actually wrought-iron bar chairs. Mr. Fix-It cut the back off and welded it into the bottom where your feet hang to give me more space. I covered it with pretty fabric to give him some relief from the clutter.

8. Life Management for Busy Women and Beautiful in God’s Eyes, by Elizabeth George. These books stay on my nightstand permanently (and most of her other books are on our bookshelves as well!) and I read them several times a year–particularly when I start to feel overwhelmed or like a complete Proverbs 31 failure.

9. Right-Brianed Child in a Left-Brained World, by Freed and Parsons. My Ladybug struggles with school work. Not with school, she loves school, but with the school work. When “words” like ADD, ADHA, and Dyslexia started coming out I immediately searched out some books. (Well, after crying. A lot.) This book is less about ADD and more about simply understanding different learning styles and gave me a lot of hope and encouragement, as well as some strategies to try. I’m also using their footnotes and commentary to make a list of other books to work through. The choices are overwhelming!

Ok, I’m actually working on several more than 10 books right now.

10. Living at Nature’s Pace, by Gene Logsdon. Yes, this one is about farming. But more than that, it’s about simplicity, about seasonality, about a philosophy of peace and routine and not being swept up in every new fad that comes along. Another farming book that’s about more than farming is Joel Salatin’s Family Friendly Farming. I’ve wanted to read this one again, but I lent it out and haven’t gotten it back yet. Salatin’s book is more about a philosophy of family and community than about farming. It applies to any family business and includes some good, solid ideas on raising competent, confident kids.

I know it’s strange, but I actually like to read the same books often. If I enjoy them or get something out of them, I don’t mind re-reading them. Sometimes again and again!

What have you been reading lately? Do you have favorites you go back to, or do you prefer to read new material all the time?