Plus One

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.