Welcome to Litsy!

I‘m nearing the end of my reread of the Little House series.

Much of my enjoyment has been discovering that I somehow seem to empathize with the adults now (and that I can‘t stop questioning the lifestyle choices they were happy to live with). 😆

Love this book!!! It is one of my favorites. I rated this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

July #serieslove2023 wrap up. Finished my reread of the Little House Series.

July was a slow and relatively uninspiring reading month. But look at how pretty I managed to get this months entry! It‘s never going to happen again 🙃 #readingbracket2023

I‘ve really enjoyed reading these. The tone is a bit lighter but I‘d say overall more bittersweet. Despite being children‘s lit, I now understand why I didn‘t connect with them as a kid❤️

This was another delightful book in the #LittleHouse series. I loved seeing Laura grow up through her experiences as a teacher, and her growing romance with Almanzo. The highlight of the book for me may have been her conversation with Almanzo about not using the word “obey” in their wedding vows! 🙌🏼

(Although I still can‘t get over the cover, where it looks like Almanzo had a bad experience with a tanning bed. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

What are everyone‘s final thoughts on this installment of the #LittleHouse series?

#LittleHouse #SeriesLove2023

Another wonderful installment in the Little House series. I enjoyed the slow unfolding of Laura‘s relationship with Almanzo but I missed Mary being away at college for the blind.

Laura and Almanzo marry in a quiet ceremony at Pastor Brown‘s with Laura‘s friend Ida as a witness. They have a little celebratory dinner at the Ingalls‘. Then Almanzo shows Laura around their new home where she is most impressed with the pantry. It seems Almanzo thought of everything. 😊

This was the sweetest, most sentimental chapter. I felt like I was right there in the house with the Ingalls family the night Pa played the fiddle before Laura left.

Had to finish! This is one of my favorite books because the family seems to be settled and less tragedy. I don‘t regret my decision to reread this beloved childhood series.

Laura and Ma begin her wedding dress but Almanzo comes by with a question. It‘s just like Eliza to try to take over the wedding. It‘s so sweet how Almanzo and Laura are on the same page about having a smaller wedding. Their conversation about the vow to “obey” is great. Glad Laura spoke up and Almanzo is in agreement.

A chapter to remind you Laura is still a kid at heart but also on the cusp of adulthood. Mary chastises her behavior in church and then tries to talk her into a prolonged engagement. Laura assures Mary she will come to visit. I agree with previous comments about Laura and homemaking. She prefers the outdoors but has always done her share of chores and hard work.
(Photo from Cleveland Botanical Garden yesterday)

The storm in today‘s chapter was terrifying. It‘s so hard to imagine living in a world with no weather forecast, where a storm can come upon you unawares. Nothing like our hourly forecast now.

Laura passes the teacher exams and gets a school making even more money. She and Almanzo continue to grow closer and she and Mary have a sweet conversation about that. I‘m a little miffed with Ma. Mary can go off to college but she continues to treat her like a child due to her blindness. I feel bad Mary still has to miss out on things and wish she‘d speak up for herself.

Another cozy #LittleHouse Christmas and a surprise. Almanzo came back for Christmas!

Laura shares her news with Ida who has similar news of her own. Almanzo leaves early for Minnesota for the winter, leaving Laura with Lady and the buggy.

Oh my gosh! He popped the question. And a first kiss. All in one chapter. Can‘t wait to hear everyone‘s thoughts.

Laura goes to the new two room schoolhouse. It seems so strange that she is still going to school and also teaching school. Nellie‘s gone back to NY! Yay! Almanzo in invites her to singing school and she continues to help him break Barnum in. She‘s definitely getting more come with Almanzo, singing as they ride.

After spending all of Laura‘s money on an organ, the family receives a letter that Mary will not be home that year. Hopefully someone else learns to play….
Meanwhile, sneaky Nellie Olesen invites herself along on Almanzo and Laura‘s buggy rides. But Laura has gotten as good as Ma at putting her foot down and nips that in the bud.

Ma just can‘t let a compliment slide. The claim shanty is now a proper house. Laura gets a new dress. Laura sits patiently through the Sunday sermon but kings to be outdoors. Almanzo takes her on a buggy ride and tries to “get fresh” as my gran would have said, prompting Laura to send the new colts flying.

Laura tests for her second grade certificate and gets a school closer to home making even more money! Enough to buy an organ!

Another October on the prairie. The schoolhouse is busting at its seams and the townsfolk decide they need a bigger one. I forgot to mention in the previous chapter when pa had a yearning to move on west and Ma put her foot down hard. Family comes to visit and Laura reminisces about bygone Christmases. She helps Almanzo break new colts and a mysterious gift is left for her. Pa thinks it‘s from Almanzo.

It seems we‘ve finally reached the happy golden years! And Laura‘s offered another job, sewing.

Mary has come all the way home on the train by herself and bearing gifts. She has learned so much and seems so much happier, almost like a new person. I‘m so glad for her! 😊

Laura leaves to help Mrs McKee hold down her claim. Mrs McKee has a talk with her about Almanzo. This shows how oblivious Laura is but gets her thinking a bit. Then news: Mary‘s home! Looking forward to the reunion in the next chapter.

Laura is back home with all the comforts it brings. Springtime arrives and Uncle Tom shows up, sharing stories of squatting in the Black Hills in search of gold, his run in with Natives, and subsequent rescue by the army. Almanzo and Laura go in a double “date” with Cap and Mary and Almanzo shows a little jealous streak.

It‘s hard to believe but Laura‘s first teaching job is done. She‘s definitely matured as a result of the experience. As much as her students end up appreciating her, I hope she never has to come back to the Brewsters. I‘m waiting on the happy golden years to start. So far this book is anything but.

I‘m thinking Mrs Brewster had a breakdown. How terrifying for Laura to be awoken to that! Thank heavens nothing more came of it! Laura goes to school the next time as if nothing happened, followed by a ride home in🥶 cold weather. When Laura returns again, the superintendent makes a brief visit but I‘m left wondering what that was about.

With Ma and Pa‘s advice, Laura is managing the classroom with much more success. Meanwhile Almanzo probably thinks he‘s courting Laura and Laura still considers him a stranger. 😂
Confession: I would have loved to be a teacher at her age.

Laura‘s pupils have really begun testing her. Almanzo shows up to pick her up again and, to Laura‘s horror, is announced as her beau. Cool as a cucumber, Almanzo takes it in stride.

Laura enjoys the ride home with Almanzo. She goes to church, visits friends. They wonder about Almanzo‘s feelings toward her. Everyone wants to know how she‘s getting along. She doesn‘t complain but Pa figures out the Brewsters place is ick. She even gets to enjoy Pas fiddle music before Almanzo shows up to take her back. Laura is resolved to be a good teacher.

Mrs Brewster continues to be awful. Laura dreams she‘s home and hopes Pa can come pick her up for the long weekend. But a snow storm hits and she knows he can‘t make it. But as the school day closes, sleigh bells appear and Almanzo has come to pick her up!

Three of Laura‘s five pupils are older and taller than her. She struggles with wanting to play but knowing she can‘t. So far she‘s gaining respect but the older boys may give her a run for her money. The evenings are long at the Brewstera house.

Pa took Laura the 12 miles to the Brewsters so Laura can begin her teaching career. Unfortunately Mrs Brewster seems very unsatisfied with life and Laura, unable to break through to her, seems to be lonely. Can‘t wait to see how her class is!

repost for @megnews:

Next up in the #LittleHouse chapter a day readalong: These Happy Golden Years starts 6/23

#BuddyRead

original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2596436

Next up in the #LittleHouse chapter a day readalong: These Happy Golden Years starts 6/23

Will I ever not feel sadness upon finishing this book? Decades of reading it and the answer is a firm NO. First off, my BFF Laura growing up will always feel like a betrayal to my little kid heart, and second, it feels so wrong to leave her in a strange new environment after all previous books end with familial hearthside singing. I love this book, but it'll always be a bittersweet ending to me. (Yes, ending. The First Four Years? Don't know her.)

I really enjoyed this one, as well. It feels like not as much happened in this one as in some of the others, but we followed the seasons through a few more years as Laura (and Mary) grow up and are branching out on their own. I found it interesting that she could go back and forth between teaching and being a student. Obviously she didn‘t need to finish school to become a teacher. I really do love the descriptions of the prairie and the weather.

Reading this series through with my family, early on my 7 (now 8) year old daughter figured out the Laura & Almanzo storyline due to the Ingalls Wilder name on the cover. Since then she has eagerly anticipated each moment they share between the pages and I'm elated yo share in her first light romance storyline. Almanzo will never ask Laura to obey or fail to appreciate her hard work, family love, or expect her enjoyment of horses to dull.

I know that this book (and the whole series) is #evocative in so many ways for so many people. For me, this specific book never fails to bring back the strong feelings I had when I first read it. That is, feelings of betrayal, sadness, and horror. You mean...my imaginary best friend Laura grows up?! And *gets married*?! To this day, I can't read it without at least a little melancholy on behalf of 8 year-old me. 😂 #BeautifulWords #littlehouse

#magnificentmarch #happyinthetitle

Was harder than I thought it would be to find a book with happy in the title. One thing for sure, the Little House series made me happy when I was young. I haven't reread any of the books since then and I wish I had the time to do so.

‪Ok. So the craziest thing happened. Back in the day, I had the entire Little House series of books. But we donated them yearssss ago. So I got the series again off of ThriftBooks recently & HFS this was my original copy from when I was a kid. It came back to me 😱😱😱‬

Reading the Little House books. Then I‘m reading Prairie Fires

Laura is now working as a teacher and making money for her family. It‘s been such a joy to watch her grow up and it‘s hard to believe she‘s a woman now. Almanzo courts her with buggy rides and I loved watching her show her strength and fearless nature as she becomes more comfortable around him. Definitely one of my favorites in the series!
“The last time always seems sad, but it isn‘t really. The end of one thing is only the beginning of another.”

#RedRoseSeptember
I really think this was my favorite Little House Book growing up. I think I was 9 or 10 when I first read it & I thought Laura was so grown up at 15. 😉 I don‘t remember if I thought that #EverybodysHappyNowadays by the end of the book but Almanzo & Laura certainly were. 💕💖💕

#pink #colormepretty @Sweetkokoro

Another delightful read. This book is filled with so many elements of Laura's growing up. It brings you into her world as she grows and matures.

Almanzo Wilder takes Laura on sleigh rides—first as a means of getting her back home on the weekends from her teaching job, then just for fun—as their romance slowly blossoms 💘

#sleighride #WinterWonderland @TrishB @Cinfhen

It has taken Bella and me a year to work our way through this series and we‘ve loved every page. I now know my daughter to be a true romantic; as we finished the last book she squealed and then cried as Almanzo says “...I was wondering if you would like an engagement ring...” Meanwhile I cried at “...she realised that she was going away from home, that never would she come back to this home to stay...” #raisingreaders