If you’re new to The Hourglass House or need a refresher, first find out all about our 2023 Reading Challenge: A History of You.
Then join me back here for a peek into what I’ve been reading and learning.
|Related: 2023 History Reading Challenge: A History of You
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2023 Reading Challenge: Completed Books
I set the challenge up with the idea of reading one book per month. So far, I’ve managed to meet that goal for myself. Here’s my list.
1. Peaceable Kingdom Lost: The Paxton Boys and the Destruction of William Penn’s Holy Experiment by Kevin Kenny
Category: The Area Where You Live Now
I currently live in Central Pennsylvania. The book is about William Penn’s intention for Pennsylvania to be a place of (at least) tolerance for people of various religious persuasions and for indigenous people and European settlers to live in peace.
Spoiler Alert: It did not turn out that way. But the story is far more complex than the bare bones that we tend to learn in school.
I chose this book because I needed to read it anyway for some local history work I am doing. It provided me with an excellent survey of Pennsylvania in the 18th century and provided me with context for the rest of my research.
2. Sugar, The World Corrupted: From Slavery to Obesity by James Walvin
Category: A Favorite Food or Drink
Like many people, I have a sweet tooth. This book is about how and why I was born into a world just covered in the sweet stuff and how sugar consumes us even as we consume it.
I know good and well that sugar isn’t good for me, and I hoped that this book would inspire me to reduce my consumption.
It definitely did. Sugar isn’t just bad for me. Sugar has acted like a drug and has been the impetus for foreign policy decisions, wars, forced migration, and untold human suffering in the form of slavery and indentured labor. Because sugar production is extremely labor intensive, vulnerable people have always been exploited to produce it.
As a result of reading this book, I found the motivation to significantly reduce my sugar consumption and that of my family. I also am committed to purchasing only ethically sourced sugar.
3. In the Great Green Room: The Brilliant and Bold Life of Margaret Wise Brown
Category: Art, Music, or Literature You Love (or Its Creators)
I’ve been a Margaret Wise Brown fan literally as long as I can remember. I have adored her books my whole life. I read them as a child, I read them as a librarian and literature student, and I read them with my children today.
As a lifelong fan, it was fascinating to learn about her inspiration for books and characters. As an author, I cheered her on in dealing with publishers and reviewers who just didn’t get it. As a librarian, I was embarrassed that the New York Public Library turned its nose up at Goodnight Moon until years after her death.
I was inspired by the way the threads of Margaret Wise Brown’s life came together to give her exactly the skills she needed to do her work. I’m collaborating on a children’s book next year, and I feel I learned a lot about the process of collaborating with children and valuing and incorporating their input.
2023 Reading Challenge: Partially Completed Books
I’m reading a couple of books in little bits at a time throughout the year, which is also an option for this challenge.
4. The History of Scotland for Children by Fiona MacDonald
Category: A Favorite Place/Building/Vacation Spot
I picked up this book at Stirling Castle in 2018, on my second trip to Scotland. I am scheduled to go back with a group in 2024, and I can’t wait.
My daughter and I are slowly reading this book together. It’s about 200 pages, beautifully and fully illustrated. I often read children’s books when I want to get a general survey of or introduction to a topic. It’s one of my favorite strategies.
5. Faith and History: A Devotional edited by Christopher Gerhz and Beth Allison Barr
Category: Your Religion or Belief System
I’m using this as a devotional this year.
Here’s the publisher’s description: “This unique devotional integrates historical reflection with study and prayer to help Christians meet their ongoing need for spiritual formation. Faith and History is also intended to help Christians better understand their relationship to the past at a time when history, memory, and heritage are so hotly contested in American politics and society.”
2023 Reading Challenge: Books To-Be-Read
Here are the titles I’ve jotted down as ideas.
6. In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History by Mitch Landrieu
Category: Your Home State/Province/County/Region
Mitch Landrieu is a former mayor of New Orleans who oversaw the removal of several Confederate statues. I studied American memory of the Civil War in undergrad, including the statues, so I’m very interested in his take.
7. The Battle For Christmas: A Cultural History of America’s Most Cherished Holiday by Stephen Nissenbaum
Category: A Favorite Holiday or Celebration
I’ve used this as a reference work for years, but I’ve never actually read the whole thing straight through.
Nissenbaum is an American historian who is Jewish, so he offers an interesting insider (American) – outsider (Jewish) take on the history of Christmas in the United States.
8. Practicing History by Barbara Tuchman
Category: Your Profession or Vocation
This is a book of 18 essays by one of the great (and few female) popular historians of the 20th century.
2023 Reading Challenge: Open Categories
I’m keeping my eyes peeled for books to fill in these categories. Do you have any suggestions for me?
9. A Favorite Hobby or Sport
10. Your Nationality or Ethnic/People Group
11. A Part of the Natural World that Fascinates You
12. Free Choice!
What does your 2023 History Reading Challenge look like?
Here’s how to share your reading:
If you’re already participating, comment and tell us about any of the books you’ve read.
If not, you can join in any time and customize the challenge to your personal goals.
Download the free plan and reading journal pages to get started.
Don’t forget to head over to the 2023 History Reading Challenge Discussion Group to join fellow challengers for discussion, recommendations, and support.
We can’t wait to read with you!
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8 comments
All of these books sounds amazing! I love a good historical nonfiction once and awhile when I want something more realistic and interesting! Thanks so much for sharing! I’ll check them out!
I hope you find something you enjoy!
My goodness, thank you for bringing to my attention the book Sugar! What an interesting read!
It was very interesting and definitely made me think!
I love reading! My recommendation for the nationality category is The Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See. It is a historical fiction novel set on the Korean island of JeJu and follows the lives, friendship and strife of two women from when they were children. It was heart-wrenching and I learned something new about a culture and history I didn’t know much about. Highly recommend if you haven’t already read it!
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll put it on my list.
i didn’t know there was a book about Margaret Wise Brown! Definitely putting that on my wish list!
It’s very interesting and gives a lot of insight into her work!