Books, etc.

A Quick Update

2012-01-30T14:09:00.002-06:00

I have piles of books everywhere, but so little time to read these days!!

Before I start taking stacks of unread books back to the library, I thought I better record some of them here, just in case I want to bring them home again. :)

Recently Finished:

When You Were Mine by Elizabeth Noble

7 by Jen Hatmaker (wow-za...I will be writing more about this one soon)

Currently reading:

Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

Need to read:

Unbroken (a re-read for book club)

Sitting in a stack in my bedroom just waiting:

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

Always Something There to Remind Me by Beth Harbison

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The same two books I keep checking out by Lynn Austin, Candle in the Darkness, Fire by Night

From my son's school library:

Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

For the kitchen:

Ruhlman's Twenty

That is a lot of books. And that includes only one, no, two books that I actually own. (Oops, went back and counted again...and we do own Unbroken, along with Sacred Rhythms and 7).

What's on your list?

Kicking off the New Year

2012-01-02T12:18:00.003-06:00

Welcome 2012! I've been excited for the new year. Often I rather lament the quick passage of time and the turning of the page to the new year, but this year I was ready. A fresh start sounds wonderful after a rather roller-coaster of a year in 2011. So, here we are.

What are you reading in 2012? I haven't given too much thought to my reading list yet. Right now, I'm reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova. And, I have a stack from the library, plus my Christmas books.

You might notice that the list of books read in 2011 is no longer in the sidebar...well, it actually is, but now it is a link instead of the whole list. So, if you want to see what all I completed this past year, click on the Books 2011 link. The grand total was 93, I think. I really enjoyed keeping track this past year. As I look back over the list, I can remember what was happening around the time I read most of the books.

So, once I finish a book in 2012, you'll see the new list in sidebar.

I would love to hear what's on your list for this year!!

Christmas Books

2011-12-28T15:26:00.005-06:00

It's that time of year again, time to reveal what was in the Christmas box of books!

This time I thought I would share via picture:

What we have here:
The Lovely Bones (this is actually the book I received in my book club book exchange...excited to read it.)
Grace for the Good Girl
V is for Vengeance
Doc
Explosive Eighteen

Not pictured, the five cookbooks I received: The Gourmet (magazine) Cookie Book, I Heart Trader Joe's Around the World, On a Stick, Pinches & Dashes (Wichita Jr. League), Ratio

Also worth mentioning: Phil received Steve Jobs, Counterfeit Gods, The Forgotten God and Unbroken.

Lots of good reading to be done! And hopefully some good eating as well.

Fall Into Reading Wrap-Up

2011-12-22T08:13:00.006-06:00

As I sit amid 3-foot snow drifts, it's hard to believe that fall is only just now drawing to a close. I once again really enjoyed the Fall into Reading challenge hosted by Callapidder Days. And, I achieved some degree of success.

Of the 20 books on my list, I read 15 (actually, the 15th is one I will finish today). And, I read a fair number of non-fiction this time. In fact, of the 15, only 6 were fiction - A Trick of the Light, Tunnels, Joy for Beginners, One Dog Night, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, The Catcher in the Rye. Of those, both Joy for Beginners and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand were delightful. And, A Trick of the LIght was excellent. I really liked all of them.

The non-fiction on my list were also excellent - Unbroken was one of the best books I've read this year, as was One Thousand Gifts. Counterfeit Gods, The Good & Beautiful Life, The Forgotten God, Radical, and Kisses from Katie were all absolutely worth the read. Lost in Shangri-La was also good, but not quite the story that Unbroken was. Run with a Girl (book club) was the only one that wasn't really anything I would recommend to others.

Unread -

Game of Thrones - This one I did check out from the library and read a chapter or two. As much as I was hoping to like this series, I just didn't.

A Hole in our Gospel - one of these days...

In the Garden of Beasts - after reading 2 WWII books this fall, I thought this one was best saved for later.

The Summer We Got Saved - Just never got around to this one

The Good & Beautiful Community - This is one I hope to read early in 2012

I love this challenge. And, now I'm reading to move on to reading something else. Thanks to Callapidder Days for hosting. I can't wait to see how everyone else fared.

Fall into Reading - winding down

2011-12-16T11:48:00.004-06:00

Just a few more days of the Fall into Reading Challenge. I've probably already said this, but by the end, I start really looking forward to reading something other than what I have listed. It's amazing how many other books come across my path in just a matter of months.

I hope to finish one more from my reading list (Radical by David Platt) before next Tuesday (I think that's the last day of the challenge). Just finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (December book club pick) and really enjoyed it. The story and the writing were delightful. And, before that, I, at long last, finished Tunnels.

I'll save my wrap-up post for when it's official...just wanted to get my progress chronicled on here a bit.

What to read next?
Here's what I have from the library:
Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos
2 Lynn Austin books
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
The Three Weismanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain

Books at home (that I own and haven't read and are high on my list):
Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
Soul Searching by Mindy Caliguire
Matched by Ally Condie
The Distant Hours by Kate Mortenson

From CJ's school library:
Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson - read aloud??

Of course, I have all kinds of other projects I would like to/need to be working on...not sure when all this reading is going to happen.

RWR

2011-11-17T17:22:00.002-06:00

As always, I ended up with more books from the library than I could read in the allotted time.

Returned without reading:
The Women
Bel Canto
The Candle in the Darkness
Fire by Night

Currently reading:
The Forgotten God

Still sitting on my shelf (or actually on my window seat):
Counterfeit Gods
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk
The Lies We Told
The Three Weissmanns of Westport
Grace-Based Parenting
The Reason for God

At Long Last

2011-11-17T17:18:00.003-06:00

I read "The Catcher in the Rye". Last week, we had a couple of rainy days and it seemed like the perfect weather to sit down a read this particular book. It was good, but I probably need to talk to an English teacher to really understand what the significance of the book is and why it's been so enduring. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it.

Others that I've finished:
A Trick of the Light - Louise Penney's latest in her Inspector Gamache series. I think her books just keep getting better and better. If you like cozy mysteries, check her out.
The Good & Beautiful Life - the second of James Bryan Smith's three books. So good. I would like to read this in a group at some point.
Lost in Shangri-La - This is November's book club book.

#20

2011-11-17T17:05:00.002-06:00

You know how I said that if I had realized there were 19 books on my Fall into Reading list I would have added another. Well, my small group had a reading assignment, so I'm making that #20.

Kisses from Katie is the story of Katie Davis, a young woman from Tennessee who moved to Uganda and is living an amazing story there. A friend's husband described her as a modern day Mother Teresa. I think he's right. And the thing is, she's just obeying God and He is really the one doing amazing things through her. She is in the process of adopting thirteen girls and impacts hundreds more through the non-profit she has started.

The book tells the story of how she got there and why she's stayed. The way she lives is challenging to say the least. The exciting thing, though, is that we all have the opportunity to impact lives like she is. The co-author wrote this at the beginning of the book:
"...I've noticed something about people who want to make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters...They don't do anything to call attention to themselves, they simply pay attention to the everyday needs of others, even if it's only one person." Wow. You and I can do that too.

Plus One

2011-10-24T13:52:00.005-05:00

I'm a little behind on my posting...

I read Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister about a month ago and was so glad I did. It was a good book and a great message, one of hope and joy (as evidenced in the title). Briefly, the book begins with a celebration of one woman's victory over cancer. Her daughter has asked her to do something outside of her comfort zone in the coming year (I won't give away what) and in turn, she challenges each of the women celebrating with her to do the same. The book is divided into their individual stories. It was fun and quick read.

Now, while I was at the library picking up that book, I read some of the reviews on the back for Bauermeister's first book The School of Essential Ingredients. Here's what it said:
"A delicate meltingly lovely hymn to food and friendship. Lillian's kitchen is a place where the world works the way it should. You'll want to tuck yourself into one warm corner of it and stay all day."

Well, with a review like that, how could I not check it out as well when it was sitting there on the shelf??? So, I paused on my FIR list very briefly (like, one afternoon) to read The School of Essential Ingredients. And, it was just as delightful as Joy for Beginners and arranged the same way, each section/chapter of the book telling someone else's story. Just lovely.

I highly recommend either one if you're looking for a light, easy, and for the most part, happy, read.

Making Progress

2011-10-14T14:09:00.003-05:00

Okay, two more books can be crossed off my Fall into Reading list. Run Like A Girl, this month's book club selection and another non-fiction book, was finished last night. This book could have been better, though I think it will make for a great book club discussion, as long as some of the book club members have read it...Come on girls! :) You can do it. Mina (the author) says so.

And, One Dog Night, the next installment in a fun fiction series about a dog-loving lawyer, was a fast, easy read. I like Andy Carpenter (the character), and Dave Rosenfelt writes with a lot of humor. I enjoy some LOL when reading.

So, next up...I just picked up Joy for Beginners at the library. I'm still plugging away at The Good and Beautiful Life. I'm thinking the next non-fiction book I'll tackle is Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller. And, well, we'll see what next week's book club pick is for November.

Happy Reading!

On my way

2011-10-03T20:42:00.002-05:00

Well, I've finished two of the books on my Fall into Reading list, both non-fiction. That might be the most non-fiction I've ever managed to read in a challenge.

Unbroken was excellent. It read like a novel, even with all the airplane/bomb/ammunition/stuff I really didn't understand in it. It was such a story of survival and resiliency and miracles. Briefly, it's the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner, expected to break the 4-minute mile. His life takes a drastic turn with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and America's involvement in the Second World War. Read it. It's worth it. (I kept reminding myself as I read it that it was a true story...gut-wrenching at times, eye-opening, for sure. So good.)

I will definitely be reading Hillenbrand's first book, "Seabiscuit" (even though I have seen the movie). Her writing was excellent. Of course, it will have to wait until winter.

The second book I finished on my list was even better. Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts is worth reading again. And I will. Her writing style is different from anything I've read before. And, in the beginning, I wasn't sure I liked it. By the end, there's no doubt, she's a gifted writer and a woman who really pursues God. To say the book is about gratitude sounds trite. It is indeed about gratitude but so much more than that as well. I had already read a chunk of it before the challenge started. And I may very well read it again before it's over.

What's next? I'm not sure really...maybe the first Game of Thrones book. I also have Run Like a Girl to read for book club. Whatever else I read, the first two will certainly remain two of the best.

Book Binge

2011-09-25T22:26:00.002-05:00

I just numbered the books for the Fall into Reading Challenge to hopefully make my list a little easier to read. If I would have known I was one book short of 20, I probably would have found another to add. It's likely good that I didn't.

However, I went on a bit of a book buying binge at a conference (Formation in Christlikeness) I attended this past weekend. Fortunately, two of the books I purchased are already on my list (The Good & Beautiful Life, The Good & Beautiful Community, both by James Bryan Smith). And the others I'm really excited about. Can I really wait until winter?!?

What else did I get? Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton, Soul Searching by Mindy Caliguire and The Blue Parakeet by Scot McKnight. The latter two authors were both speakers at the conference...ditto for James Bryan Smith. So much to read. Too bad the bathrooms need cleaned. :)

Fall Into Reading '11

2011-09-21T16:03:00.012-05:00

Wow...can you believe it's already fall? Although after the very hot (most 100+ degree days EVER) summer we had, fall is more than welcome here.

I'm excited to participate in the Fall into Reading Challenge hosted by Callapidder Days for the third year in a row! Yay.

My list is perhaps a bit of a work in progress still. I'll show you what I've got, but you might check back for possible changes (basically, I think the following is a bit too ambitious given the busy fall we have at our house).

Here it goes:
1. ~~A Trick of the Light~~ by Louise Penny - Her mysteries are perfect for fall.
2. ~~Something by Timothy Keller~~ - There are several to choose from and I'm wanting to leave my options open. I ended up choosing Counterfeit Gods.
3. ~~The Good & Beautiful Life~~ - I've been working on this one for awhile, hope to finish it soon
4. ~~One Thousand Gifts~~ - Ditto on this one. Great book!!
5. Game of Thrones Book 1 - I'm curious what all the hype is about, even though this does not exactly sound like my thing
6. ~~Tunnels~~ - Jr. Fiction that I've been meaning to get to forever...and if I do, I'll probably need to add the next three in the series to my list.
7. ~~The Forgotten God~~ by Francis Chan - This book goes right along with some of the things I'm learning, looking forward to reading it.
8. ~~Joy for Beginners~~ - A book from my Amazon wish list, a little lighter than some of my other selections...perhaps.
9. ~~Unbroken~~ by Laura Hildebrand - Waiting for me at the library as I type.
10. ~~One Dog Night~~ by Dave Rosenfelt - Another quick, easy read to balance out some of the non-fiction. Love this fun mystery series.
11. In the Garden of Beasts - This one may not happen this fall, but I want it on my list anyway, so I don't forget to read it later.
12. A Hole in our Gospel - This has been on my list for every challenge. I got part of the way through this spring and put it down. Time to pick it back up.
13. ~~The Catcher in the Rye~~ - Another repeat...I want to read a classic each fall. This year, this is it.
14. The Summer We Got Saved - Maybe I should save this for summer?
15. The Good & Beautiful Community - The final book in the series by James Bryan Smith.
16. Radical by David Platt- Have this on my Kindle, started it just recently, will definitely finish.
17., 18., 19. Book Club Books - ~~Run like a Girl~~ is the choice for October. November was ~~Lost in Shangri-La~~. Finally, ~~Major Pettigrew's Last Stand~~ for December.

Whew. That's plenty. Now, head over to Callapidder Days and see what everyone else is reading!

Derailed

2011-09-12T12:48:00.003-05:00

I haven't been doing quite as much fiction reading lately. The result is a growing pile of library books. Because every time I go, I can't help but bring a few things home with me. But, I haven't been finishing anything to take back. (We did, however, watch the first 2 seasons of Veronica Mars, courtesy of the library...that cut into my reading time.)

Today, a couple books will go back without reading:
An Amish Love - was never in the mood for hokey.
Amaryllis in Blueberry - never did figure out what this one was about.

Just finished and ready to return:
The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther - this was September's book club pick. We read a book set in the Middle East last month (Son of Hamas) and I was a little slow to read this one, since the setting was similar. The book was good, though, just not a speedy read.

Still in the pile:
Divergent by Veronica Roth - I'm excited to read this one. It's very likely next up.
Call me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Bel Canto - by Ann Patchett - on my tbr list for a LONG time
Candle in the Darkness & Fire by Night by Lynn Austin
The Women by TC Boyle

Still reading:
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith
Radical by David Platt - this one's on my Kindle

Recently purchased:
66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb

What are you reading? What do you want to read?

Harry Potter Overload

2011-08-10T16:44:00.003-05:00

Well, I did it. I re-read all seven Harry Potter books. In case you wondered, that's the third time I've read #1-#6 and the second time I've read #7. They're still delightful.

Now, I'm ready to see the movies. And, on Saturday night we had dinner with some friends and they just happened to own them all (minus the new one, of course) and sent them all home with us. Now, I think I've mentioned before that we don't watch many movies, so to have a pile of 7 waiting to be watched...this could take awhile.

After an intense two weeks spent at Hogwarts (ha), I didn't feel much like reading anything. So, it's been slow going since then. I've collected quite the pile though.

Currently reading:
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
The Good & Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith
The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure - memoir by a woman who explores the world of "The Little House on the Prairie", very interesting read as a person who LOVED those books as a child

Waiting in the wings (to be read or returned):
Son of Hamas - book club book for August
Ratio - a cookbook of sorts that is unfortunately requested by another library patron, preventing me from renewing it for weeks on end
Unlocked - Karen Kingsbury's latest, don't think I'm actually going to read this one
In This Mountain - the next Mitford book, I think I'm officially further along in the series than my first go-round
An Amish Love: Three Amish Novellas - probably every bit as hokey as it sounds, but a girl needs options, right?
Amarylis in Blueberry - I know nothing about this book, just grabbed it off the New Release shelf at the library
Finally, and the only non-library book in the pile, Tunnels - I told one of my book club members I would read this series and started the book, got distracted and really want to get back to it...especially since I bought the next two books in the series.

That's all, folks.

Something about Summer

2011-07-21T19:15:00.003-05:00

I know I've said this before, but there is just something about summer and books for me. No other season holds the same reading appeal as summer. Maybe it's due to the library reading program when I was a child that rewarded my obsession, er, I mean habit. Maybe it was the fact that during college and even for quite some time afterward, summer was the only time I got to read for fun. Whatever the cause, summer says reading to me.

And, this summer has meant lots of trips to the library...obviously. (Sometimes I think my blog title should be "What I picked up at the library today"...boring, I know, but it sure captures what I write about). I'm thinking of abandoning the library books though and digging out one of my favorite series. Yep, Harry Potter, here I come.

The release of the final movie has made me want to read the series again. I've never seen any of the films, but I'm getting the itch to see what all the hype is about. Before I do that, though, I think the books deserve one more reading.

I probably should ask my husband's permission before embarking on this project. It's a whole lot of pages. Hmmm...maybe not. I'm afraid he might look at me like I'm crazy. (And he'll figure it out quickly enough).

One other reason I have for re-reading the books - I would like to read them with my soon-to-be sixth-grader in mind. He's asked about reading them, and I've put him off for now. So, this would give me an opportunity to evaluate whether or not he's ready.

So, Harry, Hermione and Ron, here I come. Can't wait to spend some more time with you!

In the Pile

2011-07-16T15:42:00.002-05:00

First of all, I really enjoyed the "Uglies" series by Scott Westerfeld. If you liked the Hunger Games, I think you would enjoy this teen sci-fi series as well. It doesn't quite match up to the Hunger Games, but really, that's a tall order, don't you think? So, check it out...Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras.

I went to the library to return a few things and can't leave without taking home some replacements.

On my nightstand:
Ratio (a book about cooking) by Michael Ruhlman
In This Mountain by Jan Karon
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult...better purchase some tissues
Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury...they were talking about this book on the radio a few days ago
Death in the Andes by Mario Vargas Llosa...my book club book, haven't convinced myself to read it yet. This is not good, because book club is mere days away.

Also, on my nightstand, not from the library:
The Help...I want to re-read this before the movie comes out in August
Tunnels...started it and may need to start over.
The Hole in our Gospel...ditto. I was doing really good about reading this for awhile. Need to get back to it.

Obviously, that's more than enough to keep me reading for awhile.

What are you reading?

A Trip to the Library

2011-06-30T09:14:00.002-05:00

It's time for a trip to the library again. We have a stack of things to return and I'm in need of a few new books for the TBR pile.

I had a dream last night that I showed up at book club in July without realizing I never read the book, didn't even check it out. So, first on my list, is a book by Mario Vargas Llosa. We are free to choose any book that he has written, so I think I'll just see what's there. (This might necessitate a trip to the main library, as the branch I usually visit doesn't seem to have any of his books).

Also, I'm hoping they have in Pretties by Scott Westerfeld. I really shouldn't read it until I read The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson series) so that my son can read it. To be honest, I'm not terribly excited about reading it. Thus, the procrastination.

We'll see what else finds its way into the pile. Stay tuned.

Spring Reading Thing Wrap-Up

2011-06-22T12:26:00.003-05:00

Summer is here! And spring is past. Although in Kansas, it's felt like summer for a few weeks now. Spring apparently made an early departure.

I basically didn't do so well on the Spring Reading Thing hosted at Callapidder Days. It wasn't that I didn't read. As you can see from the list on the sidebar, I did plenty of reading. I just didn't want to read what was on my list. Sometimes a list works for me and sometimes it doesn't.

I set my goal pretty low...just 6 books. I knew I would read others. How did I do?

I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (book club) and Left Neglected. I checked out Green but didn't get it read before needing to return it. And, I have a good start on The Hole in Our Gospel and am about halfway through The Good and Beautiful God.

Even though I didn't do so hot on my list, it's still fun to participate in these challenges and gets me thinking about what I'm going to be reading.

And now, on to summer...my favorite reading season of all.

If you want to see how other readers did, go here!

I lost my list!

2011-06-11T11:10:00.002-05:00

Oh man, I haven't done a very good job keeping my list for 2011 in the sidebar updated recently. But, I had a piece of paper sitting by the computer with all the books I had read listed, just waiting for the day I would finally update this blog.

Well, I'm ready to update my blog, but my list is nowhere to be found! Aghhh. So, I've come up with a few that I read but am definitely missing some. Bummer. I'm hopeful that the library can look up what I recently checked out, because all the books were from there. We'll see.

What I'm reading now...

Well, I just finished "A Homemade Life", which is my book club book for this month. I'm hosting, and it was my second time reading it. This time I felt like it read more like a cookbook. The first time it seemed more like a memoir. It will be interesting to see what the rest of the group thinks.

Still working on "The Good and Beautiful God" and the next Mitford series book (also a re-read for me).

With most of my free time these days, I'm watching 11- and 12-year olds play baseball.

Happy Reading!

Read this book!

2011-04-10T19:05:00.002-05:00

I've used this title before. I really mean it this time.

Get "Heaven is for Real" and read it! Wow. Not only is the story amazing, but it also references my hometown (the likelihood of this in your average book is pretty slim, since I grew up in a very small town near the Kansas-Colorado border).

Last night, I fell asleep while Phil was finishing this book. I woke up at about 11:00pm. He finished shortly thereafter and insisted that I read it (I was already planning to. I checked it out from the library for myself but let him have first dibs). At midnight, I still wasn't asleep, so I picked up the book (I have a couple others I'm in the middle of, but neither were particularly appealing at midnight). I didn't put it down until I was finished. And, I have no idea what time that was.

It is a very fast read and an amazing story about a little boy who got a glimpse, or perhaps more than a glimpse, of heaven. It's particularly a timely read for anyone who attends our church, as we're studying the book of Revelation.

Read this book. Really. :)

Request Crazy

2011-04-06T17:16:00.002-05:00

I went a little request crazy at the library lately, and they're all becoming availabe at the same time.

Here's what I picked up yesterday:
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
On Borrowed Time by Dave Rosenfelt

Here's what is waiting for me now:
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
The New York Regional Morman Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker

And, I still have 5 more not yet available! And 5 others that were already in my possession that still need read. Some are going back unread. :(

Magazines

2011-03-28T19:28:00.004-05:00

Do you keep magazines? I do. I am, perhaps, a magazine hoarder. I have every issue of Taste of Home ever delivered to my mailbox, probably close to 10 years worth at this point. Unfortunately, it's not just Taste of Home. It's pretty much every magazine I've ever laid hands on...cooking, running, reading, life. It's a problem.

Before we moved to Kansas, I did purge my Real Simple magazines, tore out anything I wanted to keep and put the rest in a pile to donate to the library. I had set aside, oh, maybe 8 that I really wanted to keep. Unfortunately, my dear husband who was taking the magazines to the library for me didn't know there was a distinction between the two piles and donated every last one. Tears may or may not have been shed.

One magazine that I no longer receive but cannot bear to part with is "Bookmarks". It rates and reviews all kinds of literature and is a priceless resource for readers. (It's also kind of pricey, which is why I no longer subscribe). My favorite feature is the article where they highlight a book club each issue. It's fun to see what other book clubs have enjoyed reading, what they haven't liked and how they're structured.

Recently, I was looking through some of my mom's old issues (she's still a subscriber) and noticed that in several issues the featured book clubs mentioned "The Other Boleyn Girl" as one of their favorites. I figured it must be worth a read.

I'm disappointed to say that it was not a book I enjoyed and not one I would recommend others read. Perhaps it's because it was so long (not normally something I dislike) and about a story that I already knew the end of. If you don't know the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry the 8th, you may find it more enjoyable, but reading 600 pages and knowing the end of the story...not my favorite thing. The story is told from the perspective of Anne's sister, Mary, and follows history to some extent. I know the author took great liberties, though. I didn't stop reading, so it obviously wasn't horrible, and parts were fascinating. But, I think what disturbed me the most was the complete and utter excess and self-indulgence of the royalty in that time period. Wow. It was repulsive.

Anyway, I don't normally post about books I don't like, but this one made quite the impression. After finishing, I read one of CJ's books that he LOVED, City of Ember. And, then I read it's sequel People of Sparks. They were great books with really good messages.

What's next? I don't know. I'll probably tackle either Green or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I am reading The Hole in Our Gospel...and committed to reading some of it each day. It's about that time.

happy reading!

Spring Reading Thing 2011

2011-03-19T22:50:00.004-05:00

Can you believe that spring has arrived? I have to tell you if there is one season where I am inclined to read less rather than more, it is spring. I'm not sure why but I think it has to do with getting out of the rut of winter, and I definitely do a lot of reading in the winter.

Nevertheless, I am going to participate in Callapidder Days Spring Reading Thing. It's an easy challenge. Just make a list of books you want to read this spring and then read them. :) Want more information? Go here.

What's on my list? I'm going to try to keep it shorter this time.

Non-Fiction:
The Whole Life Adoption Book (this has been on numerous lists)
The Hole in our Gospel (this one too)
The Good and Beautiful God

Fiction:
Green by Ted Dekker
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (book club, a re-read for me) by John Berendt
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

There are others on my nighstand and on my library list. But, this is it for my list...for now.

Want to see what others are reading? Check out all the links HERE. (I'll let you in on a little secret...my favorite part of the challenge: finding out about new books/authors from the other readers).

March Reading

2011-03-15T18:46:00.003-05:00

Ack...I'm kind of falling behind on posting and feel like I've forgotten what I've read recently.

Let's see. My book club picked "Room" by Emma Donoghue which was already sitting in my TBR pile. I waited to read until last week, so that hopefully I would remember a little more of it than last month's book (Bridget Jones's Diary -which I read too soon). Another book on the list for this month was "The Summer We Got Saved" - definitely one I hope to get at the library.

Also, this month I read Robert Whitlow's Tides of Truth series, three books about a female law clerk set in Savannah, GA. They were super quick, light reads. I actually got the first one on my Kindle for free and used the text-to-speech feature to listen to it as I drove to my parents'. The computer-generated voice takes a little getting used to and occasionally had some pretty funny pronunciations...for example, it pronounced Zach phonetically. So, once I started reading the books, I couldn't help but call him Zach (with ch- as in church).

I'm also taking part in a read-a-long of Jane Eyre hosted over at We'll Always Have Books. I'm a bit behind but should finish before the end of the month.

I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something...

What's next?

I'm looking forward to book club on Thursday where we'll pick a book for April. I also still have "Green" and "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" from the library. I've started "The Other Boleyn Girl" and need to get back to it. And I'm waiting on about 5 books from the library. I'll save those for the next post.

Happy Reading!

February Reading

2011-02-12T09:35:00.002-06:00

I love it when I go to the library and find books that I didn't even know I wanted to read. Or even books that I had considered reading or found intriguing but hadn't yet requested. I really like those library trips.

This past week I ran to the library on Tuesday when snow was falling frantically from the sky. Mostly it was to pick up a couple books on hold that had to be picked up or I risked losing them (and owing $1 for each). My two books on hold: Green by Ted Dekker and The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. When I ventured over to the new arrivals shelf, I found two more books: Roses by Leila Meacham and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.

I devoured Roses - don't judge the book by its cover. It's not one I would have picked up based on its appearance, but the back cover compared it to Gone with the Wind but set in Texas, a rather generous comparison in my estimation, but nevertheless I enjoyed the saga...a lot. And, I've just started The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and it is also a delightful book.

Also on my nightstand:
Green
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Sabotaged by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Jr Fiction)
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

Happy Reading!

Slow Recovery

2011-01-20T19:19:00.002-06:00

So, I just finished "World Without End" by Ken Follett, the 1014-page sequel to "The Pillars of the Earth". A book that size requires a sizable investment of reading time. I actually finished it early this week and I just haven't been able to bring myself to pick up a new book. It is hard to follow stories that span 1000+ pages with one of C's Jr. Fiction books that I need to read, or almost anything else. So, I'm not quite sure what will be next.

It will likely be next month's book club book...which is being chosen at book club tonight...which I am not at...sad. I had to travel for work this month, which is preventing me from taking part in what I am sure is a great discussion about Princess Di's life. I'm looking forward to hearing what book we'll be reading this next month (and actually got to cast my vote early).

Other possibilities for the next book to be read: Sabotage by Margaret Peterson Haddix, The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns or...? Anyone have any suggestions?

The Book Box

2011-01-01T13:32:00.002-06:00

The book box was filled with good things. Here's the quick recap:

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Perfect One-Dish Dinners by Pam Anderson
Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?

I've got some good reading ahead of me in 2011. Right now, on my nightstand: The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown (January book club) and Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

I added a list on the sidebar of this blog to track what I read during 2011. See that for my most recent reads.

Fall into Reading Recap

2010-12-21T10:28:00.001-06:00

Well, winter has officially arrived and with it, the end of the Fall into Reading challenge.

How did I do? Well, I lost a little steam at the end. The end of the list is much too restrictive for me. I never "feel" like reading the few things that are left. So, the three remaining on my list were "The Catcher in the Rye", "The Whole Life Adoption Book" and "The Hole in our Gospel". Shame on me. I abandoned the non-fiction once again. These three books will definitely be high on the list for 2011.

Now let's talk about what I did read. I just looked back at my list, and it seems like I read some of those books a long time ago. There were lots of great ones in this list. Without a doubt, the best read was "The Book Thief". I also really enjoyed Francine River's new duo, "Her Mother's Hope"/"Her Daughter's Dream". Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy (Black/Red/White) was different from anything else I've read and absolutely captivating. "Green" will definitely be on my 2011 list.

In my defense, I did read some non-fiction, including "A Homemade Life" and "My Life in France". I like reading about food obviously. In fact "A Homemade Life" made my Christmas list because of the delicious-sounding recipes at the end of each chapter.

I threw in a few extras as well, Dave Rosenfelt's new one, "Dog Tags" and a free book I had on my Kindle, "Mossy Creek", plus some library books "Winter Garden, "Innocent", "House Rules" and "A Rule Against Murder"...and maybe a Percy Jackson. Total books read this fall = approximately 22.

This is a great challenge! Thanks to Callapidder Days for hosting.

What's left?

2010-11-16T19:37:00.001-06:00

I realized today that I needed to check what was left on my Fall into Reading list. I feel like I've made some pretty good progress. Here's what needs to be in my to be read pile for the next month:

"The Confession" - finally available for me to pick up at the library
"The Catcher in the Rye"
"Brooklyn"
"My Life in France"
"Ape House"
"Half Broke Horses"
"A Hole in our Gospel"
"The Whole Life Adoption Book"
December's book club pick

Well, that's a few more than I thought it was. I have obviously left the non-fiction for last again. Oops. I think this list is doable. Especially if I ignore the 3 books I picked up at the library that are calling my name:
"The House at Riverton" by Kate Morton
"House Rules" by Jodi Picoult
"The Scent of Rain and Lightning" by Nancy Pickard

I like to list them here so that if I do have to return them unread, I can find them again.

October Book Club

2010-11-16T19:17:00.000-06:00

October was my month to host book club. The books on my list were "Great American Classics" and included "The Catcher in the Rye", "A Farewell to Arms", "Grapes of Wrath", and "To Kill a Mockingbird". As you may have noticed from my Fall into Reading list, "A Farwell to Arms" was the chosen book.

One of my favorite things about book club is that we eat. And, the host tries to make something that relates to the book in some way. In "FTA" there were actually quite a few references to food. Since they were in Italy, I knew some kind of pasta was in order. At one point, they had pasta but no red sauce, so I opted for Spaghetti Carbonara (recipe below). We also enjoyed a variety of cheeses. It was my first time to put together a cheese tray - Drunken Goat, Brie, Sartori (a combination of Parmesan and Cheddar), Emmentaler, and Red Leicester Cheese. We had apple slices, bread and salted almonds. The grand finale was a pumpkin bread pudding. I'll post that recipe soon over at What's Cooking. I don't want to leave out that Anne brought the most delicious chocolate cupcakes for my birthday.

Let's just say that the food went over better than the book did. But, some of us can now say we've read Ernest Heminway. I really doubt another one of his books ever makes it on a list.

Now for the recipe. The ingredients are fairly simple, but my method is a little more involved. The night of book club, this actually turned out drier than it had in the past. I changed my method. Here I will post what I did on previous attempts:

Spaghetti Carbonara
adapted from Gimme Some Oven
1 lb spaghetti
1/2 lb bacon, diced
1/2 lg. onion, diced
5 eggs
1/4 c. milk (I did about 1/2 milk, 1/2 cream)
1/4 c. - 3/4 c. grated fresh Parmesan
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Boil water for the pasta. Salt it liberally (1-2 TB).

While the water is coming to a boil, cook bacon in large skillet. When the bacon is nearly crispy, add the onion. (I discovered once that if I added the onion too soon, the bacon wouldn't get crispy and then the onion would burn...not good). So, you want the bacon almost as cooked as you want it. Once you add the onion, cook until translucent.

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, Parmesan and pepper.

Cook pasta 9-11 minutes or until al dente.

When the pasta is ready (here's where my method may sound a little strange but it works), remove it from the pasta water with tongs or a pasta spoon and put it in the bowl with the egg mixture. When you're doing this, you'll likely get a little pasta water with it. That's okay. Once you get that all added, stir, stir, stir. (Actually I stir after each addition) It should thicken a little. Next, I dump the pasta water out of the pot, and put the mixture into the hot pot. Stir, stir, stir again. (The goal is to keep the eggs from scrambling but heating them up gradually.) Then, I usually put the pot on a burner over low heat and stir, stir, stir. It's easy for the eggs to end up cooking on the bottom of the pan. It's not the end of the world. Just don't scoop that part out. It still tastes delicious. Just warm it up until the sauce thickens and clings to the spaghetti. I promise it's not as complicated as it may sound. And it's so very worth it.

Sorry it took me a month to post this. Enjoy!

Catching Up

2010-11-16T19:13:00.000-06:00

Okay, a quick catch up post from the last one -

I read:
"A Mother's Hope" -Loved this!
"Winter Garden" - Entertained by this.
"Innocent" - Good for something different after two emotional dramas.
"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" - Really enjoyed this one, too and would definitely recommend it.

I decided not to read:
"South of Broad" - I probably didn't give myself enough pages to adjust to his writing style, but there was just too many other books to read.

I had to return:
"Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" - I'll check this one out again.

I still have:
"Brooklyn"

Next post: A recipe from last month's book club

2,694 pages

2010-09-29T20:44:00.000-05:00

So, I went to the library today (seems like many of my posts start like this)...

I came home with 2,694 pages of reading. How did that happen? Let's just say that I shouldn't even stop at the new release shelves. I should go straight to the checkout when I have a book on hold. But, today I had a few extra minutes and just couldn't help myself.

Many times I walk away empty-handed. But, today the titles were just jumping off the shelves. Were any of them on my Fall into Reading (FIR) list? No. That would be too easy. And, of course, 6 of the 8 books that I left with are 14-day loans. I'm pretty sure some will be returned unread. Oh well. I did grab a couple that are on my list...they just weren't on the new release shelves.

So, what's in the pile?
Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers (the book on hold that I went there to pick up)
South of Broad by Pat Conroy - Not FIR but on my "to be read" list for some time
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - Her books are super fast, easy reads...nothing life changing here, just fun, not FIR
Innocent by Scott Turow - Also not on the list, but something a little different
Brooklyn - FIR
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - FIR
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - I've seen this on a number of FIR blogs and it looks interesting.

I can't start any of these just yet though. I'm now flying through The Book Thief. What an incredible book! I highly recommend it. More about that later...back to reading.

One down, many to go

2010-09-27T13:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I polished off my first "Fall into Reading" book last week, Friday morning to be exact. Numero uno...Molly Wizenberg's "A Homemade Life", a fun memoir/recipe book by the author of the Orangette blog. I don't read that blog very often, so I really have no idea how much of her content came directly from her blog. The book, however, did not read like a compilation of blog posts. It was an enjoyable story about her life and her family with each chapter concluding with a recipe.

I really enjoyed her writing. She tells her stories well and describes the recipes in ways that make me want to try (nearly) every one. For example, thanks to this book, I now have a desire to make stewed prunes. She makes them sound scrumptious. I'll let you know how they turn out.

So, what next? Well, I forgot to add a few books to my list last week. My 10-year old has been reading the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, but I'm trying to read each book ahead of him. So, "The Titan's Curse" became available at the library and took priority over my list, so that he can get his hands on it. I finished it this morning, so now he just has to finish reading his "39 Clues" book.

Now what? Well, I've started The Book Thief and The Whole Life Adoption book. I probably should keep pounding away on those. Like them both but not in large doses...yet. (I've heard The Book Thief gets hard to put down). I have Farewell to Arms and need to read it for next month's book club. And Her Mother's Hope is waiting to be picked up at the library. Hmmm...

When am I supposed to clean my house?

Fall Into Reading 2010

2010-09-22T04:00:00.000-05:00

The Fall Into Reading Challenge hosted by Callapidder Days is THE thing that got this blog started a year ago. I liked the idea of making a list of books to read during the fall and putting it out there for all to see, all 5 of you who occasionally check this blog, that is.

So, now it's time to do it again. I've been making my list and checking it twice. Here's what I've got right now:

The Confession (Grisham's newest and already on hold at the library)
A Homemade Life
The Catcher in the Rye (every fall I plan and, subsequently fail, to read this)
Her Mother's Hope/Her Daughter's Legacy by Francine Rivers
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (this book has been on my Amazon wish list for too long)
Brooklyn (ditto)
My Life in France
The Book Thief
Ape House (I'm hoping to attend a reading/signing by author Sara Gruen in October)
Half Broke Horses (Jeanette Walls is also going to be here for a signing...hmmm)
The Hole in our Gospel (I should probably read this one first)
The Whole Life Adoption Book (And I should probably just read a little of this one each day)
October book club: A Farewell To Arms by Hemingway
And maybe...Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy

To be added:
November and December book club picks

Other reading goals -
Read to CJ at least 4 nights a week - We've been working our way through the Little House on the Prairie series for a very long time. It would be fun to get to something else.

Ready for Fall

2010-09-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

How I love to read in the fall! (And every other season for that matter.) But, there's just something about settling in with a good book and a Pumpkin Spice Latte that can't be beat.

Not only do we welcome the arrival (technically, not meteorologically) of fall tomorrow, but it also is the kick off of Callapidder Days Fall into Reading challenge (Go here for the basic directions). I've been working on my list for a few weeks now and am excited to get started.

A little too excited, in fact. I already finished two of the books on my list.
"The Cookbook Collector" by Allegra Goodman was very good, excellent writing and captivating story. I highly recommend it.
"Crazy Love" by Francis Chan is a book I will buy and read again. So much of the book challenged me to be more committed to Christ and his commands. It was a library book, so I couldn't write in it. I look forward to having my own well-marked copy.

I guess I need to think of a couple more to add to the list...Yay.

Booking It Update

2010-09-15T20:51:00.000-05:00

(Check out Life as Mom for other Booking It updates.)

Well, let's see...what have I read lately?

I can't even seem to remember. So, let's talk about what I'm currently reading and hoping to read in the next couple months.

I just picked up "The Cookbook Collector" from the library and am excited to dig in. I am also reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. Unfortunately, it's due back today. Ack. I'm only about half-way through. Trying to decide whether to just keep it and pay the fine or get back on the list. I've been really challenged by what I've read in it and would highly recommend it. It would be even better to read it with a group though, so that you can discuss the material.

Also, in the "to be read" pile (also known as the "to be picked up from the library as soon as they become available" pile):
"The Confession" by John Grisham
"A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg
"The Titan's Curse" Percy Jackson #3 - CJ is ready to read this but has to wait for me...this will get priority.

Finally...tomorrow night is my night to suggest books for the next month's book club. I'm excited about my "theme" and all the books on the list. Can't wait to see what they pick.

Oh yeah, finally remembered what I just read: "Never Let Me Go" - This was a great book that is actually coming out as a movie this weekend. Normally, I am not interested in seeing movie adaptations, but with this one, I can't wait to see what they do with it. Maybe a date night is in my near future?

Read this book!

2010-09-03T12:09:00.000-05:00

Now, I could write about "The Hunger Games" trilogy and how everyone should read it, but I know it's probably NOT for everyone. (However, my mom had my granddad read it...the first one at least. I think his comment was "It was interesting".) This post is actually about "Sarah's Key", our book club selection for September. What a great book! And, it was a quick read and kept you (or me at least) interested to the very end. Not only that but I learned something about World War II that I wouldn't have had it not been for this book. So, put your name on the list at the library. There will likely be a wait.

Now, what to read next? I have "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan, "The Corrections" by Jonathon Franzen and (to be picked up at the library) "Never Let Me Go" by I can't spell his last name. I want to request Francine River's newest book...the sequel comes out soon, but I'm afraid of getting too many 14-day loans at once. And, David Rosenfelt has a new one out, "Dog Tags", and our library doesn't even have a copy. What's a girl supposed to do? (Please don't say buy it, I'm already fighting the urge.)

Long overdue

2010-08-24T15:36:00.000-05:00

...for an update. In fact, it's been so long, I'm not sure I can remember what I've read.

Back to vacation...I finished "Sizzling Sixteen" and "Eat, Pray, Love" - though the latter cost me a pretty penny at the library, since I didn't quite get it back on time. I also spent some time reading "The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop", which I finished shortly after we returned home. (Great non-fiction book about book publishing, selling, etc.)

Then, I went on a brief hiatus. For real. I checked things out from the library but didn't read them. Nothing sounded good. I did finally pick up "Sea of Monsters", the 2nd Percy Jackson book that my kiddo is wanting to read, but I needed to preview.

Then, I decided it was time to re-read The Hunger Games, books 1 & 2 in anticipation of today's release of "Mockingjay" (book 3). I sped through those this weekend and enjoyed them nearly as much the second time as I did the first.

Immediately following, I started "The Heart of the Matter" by Emily Giffin, a 14-day loan from the library that is due soon. On top of that, I ordered next month's book club book, "Sarah's Key" and it came yesterday. And, "Mockingjay" has been on pre-order since it became available, and while I had high hopes of it arriving today, it looks like tomorrow is more likely. So, I've finished "The Heart of the Matter" and am trying to decide whether to loan "Sarah's Key" to someone else from book club. I just don't think "Mockingjay" will take more than a couple evenings, though.

What a thrilling read this blog must be. Ha.

Obviously, I've gone from doing no reading to another reading binge. How did that happen?

Vacation Reading

2010-07-17T21:52:00.001-05:00

I think I've mentioned here before that I really love reading in the summer. And one of the only things better than summer reading is vacation reading.

What books will I be packing?

August book club pick - "If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What am I Doing in the Pits?" by Erma Bombeck - actually finished this one this afternoon.
"Sizzling Sixteen" - Janet Evanovich is pretty much only good for vacation reading.
"Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert - Unfortunately, this one is due back at the library while we're gone. And since it was such a long wait to get it, I'm going to keep it and just pay the 75-cent fine.
Checked out a few others at the library today...not sure which ones I'll take along.
Book I should read on vacation "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" - I started this one on our vacation last summer, had to put it down to finish "Gone with the Wind" in time for book club and never picked it back up.

What do you like to read on vacation?

Book Club Recommended Reads

2010-06-23T11:54:00.000-05:00

At our June book club meeting, everyone shared a few books they recommend. Here's the list:
The Tunnel series (Erin)
The Sookie Stackhouse series (Erin)
The Hunger Games trilogy (Erin & Jimi)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Jimi)
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (Jimi)
Boundaries by Cloud & Townsend (Sarah)
Raising Great Kids by Cloud & Townsend (Sarah)
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (Emily) - our July pick!
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (Emily)
Dangerous Beauty by Mark Ross (Emily)
Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange by Amanda Smyth (Emily)
Bringing up Girls by James Dobson (Jade)
Jane Austen (Jade)

Book Club books that have been a hit (for those of you who may not have been around when we read these):
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Kite Runner/A Thousand Splended Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
The Art of Making Money by Jason Kersten
Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

A Book Binge

2010-06-11T09:40:00.000-05:00

So, CJ (my 10-year old) has been gone to camp this week. Overnight camp. As you might imagine, his absence opens up some significant time in my schedule, time that should be filled with things like cleaning out the linen closet, organizing the office, catching up on laundry. Or, even more importantly, planning my in-law's 40th anniversary party or preparing freezer meals for my sister-in-law who will be delivering TWINS any day. I had plenty on my list to keep me busy this week.

What did I do? Well, I tackled a few projects here and there. We shopped for curtains and rods for our living room, since one of our cats decided to tear down what we had. And, I did get the invitations sent for the anniversary party. But, each night, after dinner, I pulled out a book and read, read, read. In fact, it's a little embarrassing how much I read this week. Oh well, here's what I finished (so far...I have until 5:30pm tonight though. I may squeeze in a little more reading):

U is for Undertow
Percy Jackson & the Olympians - The Lightning Thief (read this one to see if it was okay for CJ to read)
Beatrice & Virgil (by Yann Martel, author of one of my very favorite books, "Life of Pi"
The Recipe Club

Up Next: I should probably get started on my book club book (we meet next Thursday) "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", but I also just picked up a non-fiction book from the library "The Other Wes Moore" that I need to get started on...14 day loans don't give you much time.

Summer Reading Program

2010-06-01T13:52:00.000-05:00

I finished "The Pillars of the Earth" a little over a week ago. I'm making myself hold off for a bit on the sequel, "World without End". I must get to the library books that don't have any renewals left. I did find out that "The Pillars of the Earth" is being made into a mini-series (I guess that's what you would call it) to be shown on Starz (we don't have it, but some friends do). And, it was rather appropos to watch the new "Robin Hood" just after finishing this book. The movie is set in the same time period.

This weekend, I finished "The Housekeeper and the Professor". If you love math, you should read this book. If you don't, you might (like me) be a bit confused at points, but it's still a sweet story set in Japan. The Housekeeper works for a Professor whose memory only lasts 80 minutes. Can you imagine?

I'm still working on and loving "The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop". And, I'm picking up "Unveiled" by Francine Rivers from the library today. And, I need to get started on re-reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" for this month's book club.

On my nightstand (it's kind of like the on-deck circle in baseball): "The Book Thief", "World without End", "The Whole Life Adoption Book", and many others.

Hello, Book Club Friends

2010-05-21T19:08:00.000-05:00

Well, since I gave out this website at book club last night, I thought it was only appropriate that I welcome you all to my blog. I sure enjoyed our discussion, the delicious food and the good company last night, ladies.

We talked about "Breathing Lessons" by Anne Tyler. While no one loved the book, it still provided good discussion, real characters and some laughs.

This next month we're reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". I am very interested to see what others think of it.

Finally, an update on my own reading list:
Currently reading: "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett, "Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice" by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson
Books on deck: "The Housekeeper and the Professor", "The Yellow Lighted Bookshop", "The Parent You Want to Be", "The Hole in our Gospel"
Haven't forgotten: "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle", "The Whole Life Adoption Book"

Too many books, too little time.

Reading and Driving Don't Mix

2010-04-19T17:39:00.001-05:00

I waited entirely too long to start my book club book for April, "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell. I was not terribly excited about the book, simply because I was not at the March book club gathering, didn't know much about the book and couldn't get it from the library (the one copy was being held hostage by a fellow book club member).

I finally downloaded it to my Kindle. As you read books on the Kindle, it tells you what percentage of the book you've read. Since you can adjust the font size, page numbers aren't really an option. Perhaps if I had had a paper copy of the book, 500+ pages would have meant a little more to me. I thought I could tear through it in a couple days.

As I started reading, I wasn't particularly drawn in. The vocabulary was advanced. I was using the dictionary tool on my Kindle multiple times on each page. But, I kept reading. And, I am so glad I did.

"Cloud Atlas" is a fantastic story, really a set of six stories, each told in a different way, set in a different time and each fascinating in their own right. Each story is connected but not obviously so at first. (I'll give no more details away, though) I really loved this book, and I highly recommend it. Just give yourself more than 3 days to read it.

(I adjusted my Kindle to the largest font and finished up the book on my way to our book club meeting...and was thoroughly reprimanded for it.)

Overdue

2010-04-14T14:15:00.000-05:00

Well, true confessions, I did very little reading in March. It took me the whole month and then some to finish "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families" (a great read by the way). In fact, it was 10 days overdue at the library when I finally returned it. I figured it was cheaper to pay $2.00 in overdue fines than to buy the book...though I might buy it sometime in the future anyway. :)

I'm still working on "Getting Things Done", close to finishing. It's been a great book on organization. Now, if I could just implement all that I've read.

My book club book for April is "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell. What an intriguing book! I'm only halfway and book club is tomorrow night, so I have some serious reading to do. I think I really like it but will wait for the verdict until finished.

We took our 10-year-old to meet Andrew Clements, one of his favorite authors, last week. Unfortunately, we got there late enough, it was standing room only. Between his talk (1 1/2 hours is a little long for kiddos to listen) and waiting to get our book signed, we were there nearly 2 1/2 hours, on our feet the whole time. That might have taken away a little from the enjoyment of the evening.

I want to jump on the "Spring Reading Thing" bandwagon but am a little late...and need to make a list.

March reading

2010-03-09T16:47:00.000-06:00

What will I read in March? Hmm...well, I hope to finish "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families" and "Getting Things Done". Beyond that, I am just not sure what to read next. Maybe "The Book Thief". Maybe "The Grapes of Wrath". I should really finish "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle".

I have three "hobbies" in a sense. I love to read. I love to cook. And I love to run (most of the time). It seems that if I am really into any one of these things, the other two suffer. And right now, I'm in a bit of a reading drought. That's probably okay, since I often find myself in the midst of a reading binge. I need balance. And if I'm going to cook, I need to run. :) (Cooking and reading do not do good things to my waistline.)

The Olympics and Other Distractions

2010-03-09T16:38:00.001-06:00

Wow. I haven't done much reading in the past few weeks. I'll blame it on the Olympics, college basketball, and our Colorado ski trip. Although, if it weren't for that trip, I might not have finished but two books in February.

So, what did I read/finish since the last update?
365 Nights
The Painted Veil (but I didn't quite finish it before book club)
Sweethearts (YA)
The Cruelest Month

I've also been reading on "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families", which is good but very long. And, I've been reading a book for work called "Getting Things Done". The rest of my reading has has included cooking magazines, a running magazine, blogs, the newspaper, etc. I haven't found much in the past few weeks that has really grabbed my attention. I should probably go back to my list and request one of those books at the library.

What I've read and will be reading

2010-02-10T10:09:00.000-06:00

Visit Life as Mom for other bloggers who are Booking It.

Here is a quick summary of what I've read so far in 2010. I keep updating my 2010 books post (see below), so this is really a bit of a repeat.

What I've read:
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Mark of the Lion series (3 books)
The Hidden Art of Homemaking (Jan. book club selection)
Her Fearful Symmetry
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
True Colors
The Baker Street Letters

What I'm reading (or about to):
365 Nights
The Painted Veil (Feb. book club selection)
A Perfect Mess (for Bible study)
La's Orchestra Saves the World

The rest of the pile:
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families
Sweethearts (YA)
Twenties Girl
The Cruelest Month
The Whole Life Adoption Book

Of my lists, I really enjoyed Francine River's "Mark of the Lion" series. Wow. It's very well done Christian fiction. The best part is that my church is currently offering a class on Sunday afternoons over Ancient Church History. It adds so much to my understanding of that time period.

"The Hidden Art of Homemaking" was not a hit with my book club, though the discussion was great, and I think we all left with some good ideas. The book itself is not particularly well written.
I had too high of expectations of "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie". And I had no idea what to expect with "The Baker Street Letters", a mystery in the style of Sherlock Holmes (or so it says). "True Colors" by Kristin Hannah was okay, a love story requiring plenty of tissue.

And, in the interest of not making this post too terribly long, I'll stop there.

The minimum

2010-02-05T18:13:00.001-06:00

I can't seem to walk out of the library with just the book I went in to pick up. Today, I stopped at the library to get two books I had on hold. (After my last trip, I'm sure you're wondering why I would have put more books on hold. Good question).

So, the two books I intended to leave the library with were:
1. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective FAMILIES
2. Sweethearts by Sarah Zarr (YA)

But, as soon as I walked in I felt the pull of the new release shelves and off I went. I did better than last time. Just two books in my pile are 14-day loans and one of those is a cookbook.

So, the extras that have been added to my rather large pile:

3. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
4. Martha Stewart Dinner at Home
5. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penney (the third in a series I've been enjoying)

The thing is, I also ordered two books from Amazon today. It's starting to sound like I have a problem. They're both non-fiction, though. And one is for my small group.

So, the other two books added to that crazy pile:

6. The Whole Life Adoption Book
7. A Perfect Mess by Lisa Harper

Whew.

One other note - I returned "How to Buy a Love of Reading" today without reading it. I read a few chapters this morning and decided I wasn't interested and didn't want to invest the time to become interested. So, I just have two more 14-day loans to finish before next Friday. (And 2 more for the following Friday.)

14-Day Loans Are A Problem

2010-01-30T17:21:00.000-06:00

So, on our snow day, CJ and I made a trip to the library. We went often this past summer, but now that school has started, I usually just run in and pick up the books I have on hold. And, CJ gets his books at the school library.

So, after he found 10 books he wanted to bring home, I ventured over to the new arrivals shelf to see what was there. (I also needed to pick up my book club book for the month, "The Painted Veil").

I quickly amassed 5 books...unfortunately, they are all 14-day loans. How will I ever read them all in 14 days?!?! I brought them all home anyway.

Here's what I've got:
How to Buy a Love of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson
True Colors by Kristin Hannah
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
La's Orchestra Saves teh World by Alexander McCall Smith
The Baker Street Letters by Michael Robertson
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

And I still need to finish "As Sure as the Dawn" (Mark of the Lion #3).

There are not enough hours in the day for 14-day loans. :)

Falling Behind Fast

2010-01-24T22:52:00.001-06:00

So, I must have composed a few posts in my head, because I sure thought I was more up to date than this.

I added "Her Fearful Symmetry" to my list when my mom showed up with a copy loaned to her from a friend. I read it quickly so that I could return it to her. A rather bizarre book, I must say, but so was "The Time Traveler's Wife" (same author). I definitely preferred "The Time Traveler's Wife".

I'm certain I've added another book or two in my head but am, of course, drawing a blank now.

Also finished "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (Jan. 8th?) and "The Hidden Art of Homemaking" (Jan. 18th). That book club was interesting...it didn't rate very well among anyone.

Next month's book club pick - "The Painted Veil".

I've also started the "Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers. It took me a few chapters to get into the first book, but I'm loving it now. I finished "A Voice in the Wind" and am reading "An Echo in the Darkness". In the midst of reading this, I've also been reading a lot of the Old Testament. The series references many of the events I am reading about...the timing has been great.

Phil is finished "The Long Walk" as I type. I might need to add that to my pile.

And, last but not least, I need to decide on a non-fiction book for February. Any suggestions?

A list for 2010

2010-01-06T11:33:00.000-06:00

Well, I've been working on a list for 2010. It's far from complete, but here's a few of the titles I'm considering.

The Girl who Played with Fire - finished 1/3/10
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - finished 1/8/10
The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers: Book #1 - finished 1/23/10 , Book #2 - finished 1/25/10, Book #3 - finished 1/30/10
The Hole in our Gospel
The Hidden Art of Homemaking (January book club pick) - finished 1/18/10
Boundaries
The Strong-Willed Wife
The Grapes of Wrath
The Catcher in the Rye
The Book Thief
The Pillars of the Earth - finished 5/16/10
The Art of Racing in the Rain
- Added to the original list -
Her Fearful Symmetry - finished 1/10/10
The Painted Veil (Feb. book club) - finished 2/19/10
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - finished 2/3/10
True Colors by Kristin Hannah - finished 2/4/10
The Baker Street Letters - finished 2/7/10
365 Nights - finished 2/2010
Sweethearts (YA) - finished 2/23/10
The Cruelest Month - finished 2/28/10
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families - finished 4/2010
Getting Things Done - finished finally 4/23/2010
Down to the Wire - finished 3/2010
Cloud Atlas (Apr. book club) - finished 4/15/2010
Breathing Lessons (May book club) - finished 4/24/2010
Take One by Karen Kingsbury (free on Kindle) - finished 4/19/2010
Take Two - finished 4/21/2010
Rainwater - finished 4/25/2010 (do not judge this book by its author...it's like nothing else that she has written)
Take Three - can't quite remember when I finished this one...4/2010 or 5/2010
All God's Creatures - 5/2010
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (June book club) - finished 6/13/10
The Girl who Played with Fire (re-read) - finished 6/27/10
The Girl who kicked the Hornet's nest - finished 7/1/10
The Housekeeper and the Professor - finished 5/31/10
The Yellow Lighted Bookshop
Mockingjay (on pre-order from Amazon)
The Whole Life Adoption Book
World without End
Unveiled by Francine Rivers - finished 6/4/10
U is for Undertow - finished 6/8/10
Percy Jackson & the Olympians Book #1 - finished 6/10/10
Beatrice & Virgil - finished 6/10/10
The Recipe Club - finished 6/11/10
The Other Wes Moore - finished 6/??/10
The Lost Art of Happiness - finished 6/??/10
The Postmistress - finished 7/2010
The Poisonwood Bible - finished 7/2010 - our July book club pick. Because of baseball I had to miss the discussion. So sad. To miss the discussion that is.
If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What am I Doing in the Pits? - finished 7/17/10

Plenty will be added, I'm sure. And probably a few will be taken away.

Visit Life as Mom for her Booking It challenge this year. It will be fun to follow along as others tackle their reading lists, whatever the size or challenge.

In My Book Box

2009-12-26T23:04:00.000-06:00

This year's book box was a little lighter than usual. Its contents included: "Half-Broke Horses", "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil", "Kneadlessly Simple" (a book on bread-baking), a local cookbook and a couple movies. But, and it's a big but, the next box held an Amazon Kindle. Now, I have most books at my fingertips for a mere $9.99.

So far, I've been exploring the free books available for the Kindle. I've added "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", "Mossy Tree", and "All God's Creatures". I also purchased (with a Christmas gift card) "The Host" and "The Girl Who Played with Fire". So, I have plenty of reading.

Still working on my 2010 list...

A Recap of Reading

2009-12-21T11:18:00.000-06:00

Wow. Is fall really over? It just flew by.

I really enjoyed the "Fall into Reading" challenge and feel like I made good progress on my list. I finished 12 of 18, read a few other books in the meantime, and obviously neglected most of the non-fiction on my list. Next time, I think I need to read the non-fiction first. Or at least alternate. And, maybe, just maybe, 18 books is a few too many for two months.

I learned that just as I often want to be inspired to make a certain recipe, I feel the same about books. Certain ones on my list just didn't "sound good" when it was time to read them. I also will try to not save the most depressing books on the list for December next year. And I learned the reading others' Fall into Reading lists was a dangerous pasttime.

My favorites - "The Hunger Games" and "The Time Traveler's Wife" but I honestly enjoyed most all of them. (And "The Hunger Games" was one that I added to my list after seeing it on several others'. Thanks for the recommendation!)

Thanks to Callapidder Days for hosting the challenge. I can't wait to partipate again next time.

Last night after I finished "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (I spent most of the afternoon reading because it was due back at the library 3 days ago), my husband asked me what I'm going to read next. And, I just don't know. I feel like I need to work on another list.

Some possibilities...
January's book club pick, "The Hidden Art of Homemaking"
A few library books waiting to be read, "America, America" or "A Fatal Grace"
Any of the non-fiction books I didn't read or haven't finished, "The Strong-Willed Wife", "Boundaries", "The Emotionally Healthy Church"

Or...

Whatever is in my Christmas box of books...my all-time favorite gift to open. Stay tuned...

Note to Self

2009-12-09T14:56:00.000-06:00

Last year in December, our book club chose to read "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier". It's the only time since our book club began that I chose not to finish the book. My heart couldn't handle reading a true story about boy soldiers in Africa and the horrors they experienced and continue to in the midst of the Christmas season. I put the book down, went to book club and thoroughly enjoyed the discussion.

You would think I would have learned from that experience. But, for some reason, all the fiction books remaining on my Fall Into Reading list are a little on the depressing side, not so suitable for holiday reading. I stayed up until 1:30am last night finishing "A Thousand Splendid Suns", an excellent tale about the history of Afghanistan, particularly in its oppression of women. Not light hearted fun reading, though. I cried my eyes out.

"Shanghai Girls" was not a lot better in that regard. And, I know from reading the first half of "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" that it is not a happy book. (And right now I'm not even intending to finish it before December 20th. That tragedy can wait until January).

Alas, I also have a fair amount of non-fiction left to read. I should have spread that out a little more. Next time...

December Book Club

2009-12-08T13:04:00.000-06:00

Almost two years ago, I joined a book club. We meet the third Thursday of each month, and I look forward to it all month long. We call our book club "Women of Great Taste"...great taste in books, food, friendship.

Food? Yes, we eat at our book club, something that is somehow related to the book. It's always fun to show up and find out what the host has come up with, for examples when we read "The Five Love Languages", the host served punch and wedding cake.

At the end of our meeting, we pick our book for the next month. The next month's host chooses a genre or theme and then offers 3-5 book suggestions. A vote decides which book we will read.

This past month, I had read all the books on the list. :) But, they were all good books, and I was excited that our group chose to read "Water for Elephants". I have added it to my FIR list and am hoping to re-read it before we meet next week.

But, first I have to finish "A Thousand Splendid Suns".

Where did November go?

2009-12-01T13:53:00.000-06:00

After sailing through 8 books on my list, I started "Three Cups of Tea". Who knew that it would take me until the end of November to finish it?

It was a great book, so inspiring. It made me feel like I should be doing something but just what, I'm not sure. I am hoping my husband will read it too. He prefers non-fiction, so perhaps it will be just his thing.

I'm at a bit of a loss for what to read next. I'm tempted to start "A Thousand Splendid Suns" but since I just read about Afghanistan and Pakistan, I think I'll wait. "Shanghai Girls" is waiting to be picked up at the library.

And then, there is this pile of books I checked out last week that aren't on the list at all...gasp! And those are the books I want to read: "Entertaining Disasters" (I'm actually about 1/3 of the way through with it), "The 19th Wife", "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", and "Fatal Grace" (the book that follows "Still Life").

But, I also want to make progress on my list, so we'll see what this evening brings. I'll probably try to finish "Entertaining Disasters" and then start "Shanghai Girls" or finish (I started this summer) "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle". We will see.

Slowing Down

2009-11-04T13:58:00.000-06:00

Well, I decided it was time to tackle a non-fiction book or two before finishing off the fiction books on the list. (By the way, "The Art of Racing in the Rain" is on hold right now. I read "New Tricks" while Phil was gone last week, and a dog is a central character in it, like "The Art of Racing in the Rain". I thought it might be good to wait a little before reading another "dog" book.)

So, I just started "Three Cups of Tea" which is, so far, fascinating but definitely a much slower read than some of my previous selections. So, we'll see if I make it. I have nine books to go, and most are going to take me a little more time than "The Hunger Games" or "New Tricks".

Coming soon....book reviews, when I can figure out how to write one without giving away any important information.

An update

2009-10-27T13:17:00.000-05:00

So, I gave in and bought "Catching Fire", the second book in "The Hunger Games" trilogy. And I put aside "The Art of Racing in the Rain" to read it...in less than 24 hours. It was fantastic. I can't believe the third book in the series isn't even published yet.

(Sometimes, wouldn't you rather wait until the whole series has been written before reading it? That's how I felt with Harry Potter. I think I started it when there were four or five books out. It was so hard to wait on those last few. I can't imagine if I had started when everyone else did!)

Then, when I returned home from a fun weekend in Kansas City, "The Broken Teaglass" was waiting for me in the mailbox. Since it's our book club selection for November, I figured it could jump in front of everything else that's waiting to be read. My noble reasoning for this is so that I can pass it on to other book club members. (The library has been a little slow getting their copies on the shelves).

It was a fun book and a quick read. If you like words/dictionaries, you should definitely check it out. It was interesting to learn how a dictionary is written.

So, now you would think I would be reading "The Art of Racing in the Rain" especially since it's a library book that must be returned. Alas, I have turned instead to "New Tricks" by Dave Rosenfelt. He writes these really funny, legal mysteries about an attorney named Andy Carpenter. The first one in the series is "Open and Shut". Check it out. His books make me laugh out loud.

My husband had started reading "New Tricks" which meant I was going to have to wait awhile, but when he got a new book this weekend, "Superfreakonomics", I stole "New Tricks" from him. I'll have it finished before he gets home from his work trip this week...he'll never know.

An Interruption and an Addition

2009-10-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

We will now interrupt regularly scheduled programming with this special announcement...
I am reading a book that is not on the list! After finishing "That Old Cape Magic" (so-so) and "The Hunger Games" (excellent), the next book in my pile from the library is "The Art of Racing in the Rain." However, if I had "Catching Fire" in my possession (the book that follows "The Hunger Games") I would be willing to abandon my list altogether in order to read it. Yes, I thought "The Hunger Games" was that good, although not for everyone.

The addition to my list..."The Broken Teaglass" is November's book club pick. The theme was "Mysteries, Old and New" and the choices ranged from Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens to Emily Arsenault and Terri Blackstock. I'm looking forward to this book. It's brand new and the story line sounds intriguing. Want to know what it's about? Check it out on Amazon or elsewhere. I don't like to give anything away or have anything given away to me (I don't even read inside the cover of the book.)

Happy reading!

A Dilemma

2009-10-14T12:50:00.000-05:00

I love being able to request books from the library and have them delivered to the branch I want whenever they become available. I spend far less money on books because of this wonderful invention. And, I am very rarely without a list of books that I am waiting for. (Of course, since moving back to Kansas, I've had to get used to waiting just a bit longer.)

Today, however, the book that is currently waiting for me at the downtown branch presents a dilemma of sorts. It is not on my Fall into Reading list! So, today I need to go pick up "The Art of Racing in the Rain", but should I read it? Should I add it to my already-too-long list? Should I read another off my list and then slip it in? I've heard it's a great book, and I only have it for 14 days.

All I know is that I have to pick it up...my library recently decided to start charging $1.00 per book for any unclaimed holds. Ouch.

The Land of Book Blogs

2009-10-09T16:26:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to do this. I already have a cooking blog that I rarely post on (but often think of recipes to add). But, the Fall Into Reading challenge hosted by Callapidder Days just keeps drawing me in. I didn't even know the number of book blogs that existed until I tried to find a good address for this one.

So, I'm going to put a reading list out for all to see. Here are the books in my "to be read" pile that I hope to make a dent in before December 20th. Check out the link above for the challenge details. It's simple! Also, I'll be adding my November and December book club picks when they are chosen.

In no particular order, here is my list:
Escape (for October book club) - finished 9/27
The Time Traveler's Wife - finished 10/9
The Hunger Games* - finished 10/20
A Thousand Splendid Suns - finished 12/8
3 Cups of Tea - finished 11/30
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Boundaries
The Strong-Willed Wife
America, America
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Shanghai Girls - finished 12/4
New Tricks - finished 10/28
That Old Cape Magic - finished 10/19
The Emotionally Healthy Church
Still Life* - finished 11/1
The Forgotten Garden* - finished 10/14
The Broken Teaglass (Nov. book club pick) - finished 10/26
Water for Elephants (Dec. book club pick) - finished 12/10

*Added as a result of reading others' Fall Into Reading lists...it's a dangerous pasttime.