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!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
I lost my list!
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!
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!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Read this book!
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. :)
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. :)
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Request Crazy
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. :(
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. :(
Monday, March 28, 2011
Magazines
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!
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!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Spring Reading Thing 2011
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).
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).
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
March Reading
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!
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!
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