The Charlotte Mason Parlour

 The parlour.  Mother's room for her own needs.  Or at least that is the way we see it!  Our very own corner of cyberspace, devoted entirely to Motherculture as expressed by Karen Andreola.  Here we have stashed the books we recommend and a few good websites and blogs too.

SITES AND BLOGS WE LIKE:

A PR Article on Mother Culture

The 4 Real Forums

Raising Godly Tomatoes

RACHEL: The Jacobite Rose
My site... Basically it is be all about homeschooling,homemaking, knitting, baking... the stuff I do normally!

OUR RECOMMENDED READING LIST:

Parenting

To Train up A Child by Michael and Debi Pearl
This book is recommended with reservations, we don't always agree with ALL of it, but some suggestions are worthwhile

Raising the Whole-Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp

Raising Godly Tomatoes

The Bible Particularly Proverbs!

Homeschooling

A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot
Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss
A guide for the Catholic homeschooler, this book is good for evryone to read. Mrs. Foss is a homeschooling mother of eight, who writes articles about homeschooling for her local, Northern Virginia Paper. The book is filled with wonderful, Charlotte Mason ideas. Worth a read!
A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola:
An essential guide for the homeschooling CM-Style Mother. it is full of information and suggestions (and even a Victorian Lace Knitting Pattern!)


Entertaining

I always like to make a few mentions of books I have enjoyed, but there are so many! So here are some good authors to look for:

AUSTEN, Jane: definitely a classic series worth reading, Austen's books allow you a little glimpse of what life was really like at the beginning of the 19th century.  Definitely read Pride and Prejudice, then treat yourself to the BBC TV Series starring Jennifer Erhle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.  Colin Firth is especially recommended as Mr. Darcy
GEORGE, Elizabeth: the Inspector Lynley mysteries are now a popular Mystery! series on PBS. A little harsher than the other mysteries, these are written by an American author and set in England.  Read the books in order, especially the early ones to help you understand what happens on the show, and to get you ahead of where we are on TV!
HERRIOT, James: A real vet in England back in the 1930's and 1940's, these stories are fictionalised events of the author (who is not really called James Herriot ). Recommended by a list member.
KARON, Jan: author of the Mitford series, which is very popular among list members. Her stories are set in a fictional town called Mitford, and are about an Episcopalian Minister and his flock.
LEWIS, C.S.: Lewis wrote the wonderful Chronicles of Narnia for children... as well as several adult books. All of his works are Christian in theme, but I highly recommend reading the Narnia series to your kids, or re-reading them as an adult! Most of his work is good!
PETERS, Ellis: Nearly everyone has heard of the Brother Cadfael mysteries, and I highly recommend them too ;) Set in the 13th Century Benedictine Abbey of Shrewsbury, Cadfael uses his experiences as a soldier and herbalist monk, to solve mysteries. The backdrop to this series, is the little know civil war in England between cousins Stephen and Maude, during the late 1200's.
PRATCHETT, Terry: A fantasy write and satiric genius, Terry's books are not the traditional fare you expect. His Discworld series is a great laugh, and the parodies of Shakespearian Plays are something I found very funny. Check out Wyrd Sisters and Lords and Ladies especially.
SAYLOR, Stephen: writes mysteries set in ancient Rome. With the backdrop of the Roman Empire as the setting of the stories, these mysteries can be very entertaining.
TOLKIEN, J.R.R.: With the release of the trilogy of 'The Lord of the Rings', few people have not heard of Tolkien. His fantasy stories; The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings trilogy, were written for his children. Christian (particularly Catholic) allegory abounds, but not unless you are truly looking for it! As entertaining fantasy books, they can not be beaten! Read The Hobbit first, out loud to your children!
TREMAYNE, Peter: writes mystery books set in early Christian Ireland and England.  This is truly a fascinating time period to read about, and the author, who's real name is Peter Berresford Ellis, is actually a scholar of the times.


Life Changing

The Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney
Bruchko by Bruce Olson:
You will stand in amazement as you watch a missionary obey the Lord through sovereign difficulties and see how these South American Indians whom no white man had ever seen and lived come to know Jesus.
Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson:
This book is beyond incredible how God has revealed himself in a general sense to the entire world and prepared them to receive the truth of the gospel, you all would love it! And your jaw will drop with these amazing missionary stories that are not about the missionaries but about the people groups themselves.
Peace Child by Don Richardson:
the story of a missionary, his wife and 8-month old son as they go to minister to a New Guinean cannibalistic tribe

Thought Provoking

The Endurance by Alfred Lansing There are many books out there that tell this story, but I especially liked his version - I will never complain again after reading this book!

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