Finally...a Month to Read

I read not nearly enough this year.  Honestly?  I blame this on my cellphone.  I spend too much time perusing Facebook and, yes, at times, playing Smurfville.  Crazy!

Then, over this Christmas Break, I picked up book after book and have had the greatest of revivals reigniting my love of spending an evening in a book.  First, Christmas novels, for it is the season!

May I share?

1. Karen Kingsbury's A Baxter Christmas:  A new addition to the Baxter family saga (is it a saga?  Surely, as so many books exist in this series...none, of which, have I read!)  A story of forgiveness, redemption...both of which I need to have more...especially for family.  Why is it so hard to deal with family!?
2. Richard Paul Evans' The Mistletoe Secret:  The third in this series, I loved the idea of the blog...reminds me of my love of blogging to an audience that you wonder is even out there!  The main character's audience was one...and he came for her.
3. Melody Carlson's The Christmas Angel Project:  This may have been my favorite Christmas read!  This one I am going to recommend to my ladies' book club for our next Christmas' read, as this one is about a ladies's book club.  Cool.  A club that learns about each other, about themselves, as they each take on angel project...to honor a member who passed.  I truly enjoy being an angel in disguise.  I have learned the more I disguise...the more the reward for me.
4. Mary Kay Andrews' Blue Christmas
5. Fern Michaels' Silver Bells:  This was actually a compilation of Christmas novellas...just fun, easy reads.  My take away...I need this sort of me-time more.

Then, Christmas was over...

1. Beth Moore's The Undoing of Saint Silvanus:  LOVED this book!  Hope Beth Moore writes more fiction...but I do not want her to not write her nonfiction....sooooo...
2. Corinna Montgomery's Clipped Wings:  Everyone should read this book.  Everyone.  Written by a local of her experiences in Germany in the 1970-80's.  Wow.  Seriously considering a read-aloud of this book with my classes.  Just loved how she met God in those prisons.  Loved how God met here right there in those prisons.  He meets us.  We meet Him.
3. Nora Roberts' Stars of Fortune and Bay of Sighs:  Love waiting until a series completes and them reading them back-to-back!  The third in this series should be delivered today.  Yes, reading is again on my agenda for this afternoon/evening...just as soon as Mr. UPS gets here!  About witches, shapeshifters, seers, and such.  Again, reading this genre is just relaxing, entering another world...and then coming back to reality!
4. Dean Koontz's Brother Odd:  Picked this one up...as I wait for the above final novel in The Guardian series to arrive...had read the previous two some time ago.  I like Odd Thomas.  He is a Harry Potter sort of guy.  One I would adopt.  He just needs a mom, a sister, a friend...as we all do.

Ten books.  As I told my husband, reading these books was medicinal.  Very needed.  We had a very busy Christmas Season.  A very busy fall semester.  A busy summer.  A busy year.  Was just great to end it with some downtime!

Now, for two 2017 Intentions for this blog:  

• Read one book a week.  Just for fun.  My to-be-read pile is too high; thus, this year, I hope to conquer more of it, for I do not seem to be able to...nor do I want to...and, as The Man says, "One cannot have too many books"...thus, I do not see myself NOT purchasing books; therefore, I need to read them!
• Write about what I am reading.  Cannot promise...even myself...that these will be long entries;  thus, I am planning to write about one take-away, one impact that each read had on me, which is what I am now going to do for some of the above books...so if you read the commentary on each as you read this post, you took a fantastical journey and traveled into time!  

Yes, I plan to get two more reads in this year...the above book arriving today...and the New Testament.  I have almost completed it, which will make for my first time having reading the Bible cover-to-cover.  Good for me...sad to say, though, this should have been accomplished many years ago.  Many.

What reading goals did you accomplish?  What are your 2017 reading goals?  Reading anything good?

11-13: Three more reads...

Again, time is a factor; therefore, below are condensed book reviews of my last three reads...

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

This one, I read for my senior English class, as mandated by our district.  This would not be my choice for a whole-class read.  About a boy who does not like his name, this novel journeys back and forth between Calcutta and New York, between acceptance and denial.  Maybe it ends on a note of acceptance...maybe.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rawling 

When I mentioned to some of my students that another teacher and I were going to read this series in 2016 (because he had never read Harry Potter...gasp!), their response was immediately, "I want to join."

From there, I shared the idea with friends on Facebook, and after some interest, created a group page here.

I would adopt Harry and often call him my fictional son.  :)  He just needed a mom.

On Monday, we meet to discuss this first book.  To say, I am excited would be an understatement.  First thing on the agenda, borrow the Sorting Hat from our own Coach Rowe and let the sorting begin!

Winter's Bones by Daniel Woodrell 

Our local book store's book club is supporting one of our member's family bringing this author as Lyon College's Heasley Prize Reading.  To prepare for this reading, I purchased the book...and began to read.  Not sure what I expected, but it was not what I began to dive into.

Set in the Ozarks, the story tells of a girl, who is solely responsible for two younger brothers and a mother who will never be quite right, who is about to lose the family farm if she cannot find her now-missing dad.  I realize that culture is so important to this novel...to the point of practically being a character.  The culture of close families...as in inbred, of the making of illegal substances and the selling of those substances.  Until she put earphones on, I would have thought the novel was set decades before.

As I reflect, I appreciate more and more main character Ree, who overcomes in the end.  Or does she?

Only one of these am I able to say..."Happy Reading."  Yes, time for some more Harry Potter!

10: The Gift of Friendship

I responded to a prompt about the upcoming release of The Gift of Friendship:

“We are Martha’s and Mary’s and Naomi’s and Ruth’s. Women need women! A blessing this book is.” – Tammy

Now, isn't that just the truth?!

A couple of years ago, I prayed for God to bless me with girlfriends...and He has.  Just thinking back over this week, I have spent quality girl-time on three evenings.  I am blessed.

Then, along comes this book.  Another way God is answering this prayer of mine.

The Gift of Friendship by Dawn Camp

One day, I noticed this message, asking if I would read and promo this book.  Books?  Read?  Promo?  Yes!

Then, the book arrived.  So many girls.  So many nuggets of encouragement from the gals for Jesus...and from Jesus Himself.

May I share just one?

• Leslie Richards writes of a busy life and a lived-in home that became a barrier between her and lady friends, a barrier eventually broken by a friend who cared more about laundry and dirty dishes.  As she notes, we all have messes.  Messes that the ol' devil wants to use to keep us from being blessed and a blessing to others.
• Proverbs 17:17 she quotes:  "a friend loveth at all times."
• Yes.

As I write this, thoughts of this evening's upcoming social at church flits through my mind, as I look forward to this fellowship with these girlfriends of mine who have worked and played right along beside me and am reminded of author Dawn Camp's chapter about their weekly Wednesday fellowship with friends.  With this I agree, "Life is busy.  If you don't make time to get together, once-solid friendships can fall victim to neglect."

For years, after I married, I neglected friendships.  Through a gentle nudge from the Lord Himself, I prayed the above prayer and am finding "community in...unexpected" places with unexpected children of God...just not unexpected to Him.

As I reflect on this book, a dream is beginning to emerge for our summer Women's Retreat.  Picture it:  Each lady with a copy of this book.  Wouldn't this be an excellent text upon which to explore in mini-sessions and whole-group sessions with a group of ladies seeking friendships with and in each other, only resulting in a closer "community" with Him?

Now that is exciting.

Where may you purchase this book?  Here.

Where may you meet the editor and writer?  Here.

You. Will. Be. Blessed.

8: The Life We Bury

Read for my teacher book club...more to come!

9: The Measure of Katie Calloway

An e-read for an online book club that was free...cool!  Each month Women's Bible Cafe posts two books of the month, both of which for January I chose to read.  (Actually, I have chosen to read one all year long, as our monthly ladies' group will use Fervent as its devotional focus each month.)

Back to The Measure of Katie Calloway...a Christian read, this one captured my sense of adventure that I hopefully only experience through books, as this one required her leaving her comfortable life!  I do enjoy modern conveniences!

A light read, an inspirational read, this novel reminds us that placing our faith in Him will take us many places...and always closer to Him.  If you appreciate these type of messages and a good series, then this one is for you.

Happy reading!

January Reads: Books 1-7

I prefer devoting a post to each book, but...that thing called time. Listed below, in chronological order, are the books I have read thus far in 2016:

1. The Grandfather Medicine by Jean Hager (Paper Chase Book Club, Jan. 4)
2. The Red Queen 
3. Audacious by Beth Moore (1-18-16)
4. The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth (1-18-16)
5. The Measure of Katie Calloway by Serena Miller (1-18-16)
6. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (1-20-16)
7. Turn Away Thy Son by Elizabeth Jacoway (2-1-16)