I’m so happy to be participating in the Five Fall Favorites linkup this year! For six days in a row, I am sharing five of my favorite books in six categories. To find the links to all the bloggers who are part of this blog tour and to see what books they are posting, visit the hosting blog. There are free books and a giveaway, so make sure to check it out. And now, let’s take a look at five of my favorite buddy-read books!
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee.
1. A Peep Behind the Scenes by Mrs. O. F. Walton
“Behind many smiling faces there hides a hurting heart, and for what may appear to be glamorous, there is usually a high price to pay. Mrs. Walton gives us a glimpse into the life of a disillusioned young actress. In her fabricated world of glamour and glitz, Rosalie finds solace in the words of a gentle old man who gives her a picture of a Shepherd who loves and cares for her. “
My mom read this story aloud to our family, and she made it come alive! Dear Mother Manikin who befriended Rosalie is one of our favorite characters. There are many sad parts, but it’s such a sweet story, and it’s in the public domain.
2. Life Verses by F. W. Boreham
“It’s the case with every great man in history that we don’t know how he became great. They all seem to explode in popularity by something great they did at their mid-age. But how? What shaped their character? What paved the way for them to rise into such a position that we still read about them centuries after their death? This book answers these questions about many notable figures. It’s a collection of religious texts that inspired men to make history.”
This book is one my dad read aloud to the family. Each chapter is stand-alone and tells about a Christian from history and the special Bible verse they each had impact their lives. There is actually a whole series of these books. They are in the public domain, and you can find this book by searching for Handful of Stars. This would be great to through as a devotional, which is what we did.
3. The Haunted Room by Charlotte Maria Tucker (A.L.O.E.)
“This book is well-written and a pleasure to read, even for adults even though it is directed toward young people. The story is credible and the “haunted room” is not what one would at first think. The main characters must deal with various crises that challenge them, and their decisions determine whether they remain in their faults or whether they grow toward a more becoming maturity, toward facing what is in ‘the haunted room.'”
I’m glad I could fit this book into a category since my sister and I have listened to the audiobook together. We’d already both read it before that. If I had to choose a favorite book next to the Bible, it might be this one. It’s such a great story! There is plenty of excitement, the characters are distinct and vivid, and the spiritual truths woven through it are profound and quite convicting. While this could be spooky for younger readers, the story is not nearly as creepy as the title would make you expect, and the only ghosts in it are deception and superstition. Join three siblings as they all battle the haunted rooms of their hearts, which take them through a rollercoaster of danger and emotional turmoil.
4. The Browns at Mount Hermon by Isabella Alden (Pansy)
“Mary Brown may have fortune and beauty, but she’s the loneliest heiress in town. She longs for a family and close friends, but she has only her bank account and mansion to keep her company. Then she receives an unexpected invitation to spend the summer at Mount Hermon, a Christian camp in California. It doesn’t take long for Mary Brown, the heiress, to realize the misdirected invitation is actually meant for a different Mary Brown—but that doesn’t stop Mary’s imagination from running wild.”
A close friend of mine have buddy read many books together, both reading them and listening to audiobooks. It’s really special because it connects us even though we live in different states and don’t get to spend time together very often. I had already listened to this book with my sister, but it’s worth hearing and hearing again. This story with all the many people named Brown and their strange connections to each other is quiet funny! But it’s also serious and full of spiritual truth as well. The perfect combination! It also has quite a surprise in store near the end. It’s on Librivox and is read by a very good reader.
5. Jill’s Red Bag by Amy Le Feuvre
“Jill is relentless in her desire to see others give their tithe to God. She and her siblings love to act out the stories that they have read about. After hearing the story of Jacob at Bethel, Jill determines to do more than play the story of Jacob. She begins a crusade to reach the Golden City by setting up her own altar and giving her tithe to God”
My sister and I loved this book so much that we ended up reading it as a family read-aloud. Dad, Mom, and I took turns reading it. This story is hilarious! Jill and her childish way of viewing things is so funny. She wants to follow the Lord, but she certainly doesn’t get everything right. She and her brother Jack and her lisping little sister “Bumps” get into all sorts of scrapes. It did not turn out very well when they tried to visit widows in their affliction without asking permission to leave home. Plenty of humor and good lessons to be found in this story! It’s also in the public domain.
And there you have it! Five of my favorite buddy-read books. These are only some of my favorite buddy-read books, and I’ll probably share some others at a later date. Especially one series. Read-aloud has been a big part of my life, and I have many favorites. A book can hold so many memories associated with it.
Let’s Chat!
Did you see any books you’re interested in? Any that you’ve not heard of before? Any that you’ve already read?
Until next time, find a good book to read and enjoy some cozy fall reading!
In Christ,
Bethany
Again, these all look SO good. But I really want A Haunted Room (wanted it for years but wasn’t sure if it was really haunted or not lol). And the life verse book looks SO COOL!!
Yes, I can definitely understand being unsure about The Haunted Room based on the title. It’s so good though; much better than it sounds! Life Verses is very interesting! It’s neat hearing how one verse of Scripture could greatly impact a person’s life and influence. And F. W. Boreham was such a great writer. He’s one of my dad’s favorite authors.
As the Librivox reader for The Browns at Mount Hermon, thanks very much! XD
We had already listened to it one or more times when we “met” you, and Hannah and I thought it was so neat to meet the reader. You did a great job, Angie!
Those all look great! I especially want to read A Peep Behind the Scenes, The Haunted Room, and The Browns at Mount Hermon!
I hope you are able to read all of them and enjoy them!
Oh, I love The Browns at Mt. Hermon! And I haven’t read Jill’s Red Bag in a long time, but I remember liking it as well as A Peep Behind the Scenes. So fun to see these books shared!
Yes, The Browns at Mt. Hermon is one of my favorite Pansy books! I’m glad you like those others too.
[…] Ryana Lynn // Faith // Bethany // Bethany G. […]
So fun to see you featuring A Peep Behind the Scenes! I loved it so much and then found out the edition I have was edited, so I tracked down an old copy and read it again and loved it even more. 🙂
Now you’re making me wonder if our copy of A Peep Behind the Scenes is the original. I thought it was just a reprint of the original, but I will have to double-check. It’s such a good story!
I’ve heard the audio drama of A Peep Behind the Scenes! 😉
I really like the audio drama too! Though it has less details, it does stick more closely to the original storyline than most of the Lamplighter dramas.
Thanks for the recs!! 🤩 I’m excited to give so many new finds a try. 😁
Yay! You’ll have to let me know what you think of them. Especially The Haunted Room if you read that one!
I will! That’s the one I’m most excited for 😉
I haven’t read any of these books! The Browns at Mount Hermon sounds the most interesting from your thoughts on it.
You have me curious about the one series, now. 😉 I wonder what it is . . . Looking forward to that post! 😀 <3
You would probably enjoy The Browns at Mt. Hermon, Vonnie! Maybe y’all could listen to the audio drama together sometime. It’s a fun story!
Looks like I made you curious! 🙂 I’m glad you’re looking forward to hearing about the series one of these days!
The Browns of Mount Hermon are severely underrated <3