Fall Into Reading 2011

Okay, it has been awhile since I participated in any reading challenges. I burnt myself out last time by trying to read too many books.  When I saw the button for Fall Into Reading 2011 on someone's blog I just had to sign up. I know this is an easy challenge, I don't have to read a certain amount of books.  Which is great.  But I figured a challenge will get me to try to read something different or new.  I think I am annoying my hubby by the amount of times I have been rereading the Twilight Saga. So, I have some books I am supposed to be reviewing and some books I want to read that I figured this challenge would help me get to.  
Here is my list:
The Host by Stephenie Meyer I have debated reading this for a while. I didn't think I would really like it, sounded a little creepy and so different from the Twilight Saga.  Alien "souls" taking over the human race, but one survivor is fighting back, refusing to be occupied. The Soul ends up filled with thoughts of the human host's love and we end up with a really weird love triangle. Hmmm. I finally broke down and put it on hold a few weeks ago and it came in last week. So far, I like what I am reading.
Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate
This is a book I am supposed to be reviewing from Bethany House Publishers. After a divorce Andrea Henderson moves back to the town where she grew up in Texas to start a new life as a Social worker. She finds herself working with Game Warden Mart McClendon to investigate a sighting of the town recluse with a little girl. What will become with their relationship?
The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead Thanks to looking through Katrina's list for Fall Into Reading I have decided to read this book. She is reading the sequel and seemed to like this book. I like the sound of this book because it involves time travel and, from what I understand, alternate universes. 
Storm Warning by Billy Graham This is actually a revised and updated copy of Billy Graham's original book. This is from the cover, "Whether Global Recession, Terrorist Threats, or Devastating Natural Disasters, these ominous shadows must bring us back to the gospel." I was supposed to be reviewing this book but have found it very hard to get into. I am going to try again, as I am really interested in an examination of "the book of Revelation in light of current events."
Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson Yet another book I am to be reviewing. This book started out really catching my interest. Pastor Daniel Henderson explains how worship-based prayer can make a "profound difference" in the life of a Christian. I would love to learn how to come before the Lord and am going to finish this book during this challenge.
Know Why You Believe by Paul E. Little This is a book that a friend of mine studied with her church (the church where I go to play group with the girls). I saw the pile of books in the kitchen and asked if I could borrow one.  I thought it would be a nice book to strengthen my faith.
So, there you have it, the books I want to read this fall. I may also try to read a couple more books in the Left Behind series. And I will probably read Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer right before the movie comes out in November (much to my hubby's chagrin).

Fall Into Reading

Well, looking at my book list from the summer reading challenge I realize I need to set more realistic goals. Obviously the baby isn't going to let me get a lot of reading done. And my bedtime reading is not happening

1) because Hannah sleeps in our room and I can't have the light on
2)I am on my blog til all hours.

So I am going to create a whole new list with the books I am interested in reading right now.

1- Masquerade by Nancy Moser

2- Before I Wake by Dee Henderson (thriller/suspense challenge)

3- A Shred of Evidence by Kathy Herman(t/s)

4- Eye of the Beholder by Kathy Herman(t/s)

5- All Things Hidden by Kathy Herman(t/s)

6- Not By Chance by Kathy Herman(t/s)

7- And Then There Were Two by Gilbert Morris (t/s)

8- Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew)

9- The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene (ND)

10- Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene (ND)

11- The Honorable Imposter by Gilbert Morris

12- Queen Esther and the Second Graders of Doom by Allie Pleiter

13- How to Write (and sell) A Christan Novel by Gilbert Morris

14- Einstein Never Used Flash Cards by Kathy Kirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff

15- Storm Warning by Billy Graham

I am also trying to finish Harry Potter before the movie comes out

16- Order of the Phoenix

17- Half Blood Prince

18- Deathly Hallows


And last but not least-

19- New Moon (again.  It's been awhile since I reread this one.  Definitely the movie didn't do it justice)

There, that looks a little more realistic. To see what others are challenging themselves to read this fall or to join in yourself, head on over to Callapidder Days. To be eligible for any prizes you need to be signed up by midnight Sept 24th.

Summer Reading Challenge 2010

Okay, the Spring Reading Thing 2010 officially has come to a close with the beginning of summer.  You can read my wrap up post here or here.  As I was reading wrap up posts I came across a comment mentioning a new challenge, which seems to be similar to the Spring Reading Thing.  It is the Summer Reading Challenge 2010 hosted by Julie at My Book Retreat.

Here is my list:
Thriller/Suspense Challenge: Seaport Suspense Series by Kathy Herman: 1. A Shred of Evidence 2. Eye of the Beholder 3. All Things Hidden 4. Not By Chance
5. Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand 6. The Last Christian by David Gregory
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer 7. Eighth Grade Bites 8. Ninth Grade Slays 9. Tenth Grade Bleeds 10. Eleventh Grade Burns
Nancy Drew:
11. The Mystery at Lilac Inn 12. The Secret of Shadow Ranch 13. The Secret of Red Gate Farm 14. Clue in the Diary 15. Nancy's Mysterious Letter 16. The Sign of the Twisted Candles 17. Password to Larkspur Lane 18. Clue of the Broken Locket 19. The Message in the Hollow Oak 20. Mystery of the Ivory Charm 21. The Whispering Statue 22. Haunted Bridge 23. Clue of the Tapping Heels 24. Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk 25. Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion 26. Quest of the Missing Map 27. Clue in the Jewel Box 28. The Secret in the Old Attic 29. Clue in the Crumbling Wall 30. Mystery of the Tolling Bell
31. Teenage Vampire by Florence Wilson
Non-fiction (Didn't get these read for the Spring Reading Thing, hoping to get them read with in the next few months.
32. Einstein Never Used Flash Cards by Kathy Kirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff 33. Better Late Than Early: A New Approach to Your Child's Education by Raymond S. Moore 34. School Can Wait by Raymond S. Moore 35. The Power of Play by David Elkind 36. Storm Warning by Billy Graham 37. The Baby Signing Book by Sara Bingham 
Here's how you can participate in this Summer Reading Challenge, which will take place from June 21 - September 21.

1. Create a list of the books you’d like to read or finish during this summer season. There's no minimum and no requirements as to the type of books you put on your list ~ it's all up to you how many you include, and whether they're beach reads or classics or something in between.
2. Write a blog post with the list of books you want to read ~ and any other summer reading goals ~ and post it on your blog.
3. Go to My Book Retreat to sign up. She'll have a Linky set up , so you can link up to your own Summer Reading Challenge post.
4. Read! Work through your list of books throughout the summer. Write reviews if you'd like. Have fun!
5. Write a wrap-up post at the end of summer to report on your results.
6. Go back to My Book Retreat on September 21st to link your wrap-up post to the Linky she'll post that day.

Spring Reading Thing 2010 Wrap Up

It's time to wrap up the Spring Reading Thing 2010.  

Summer just crept right up on me.  In fact, looking at Hannah, and realizing she is 2 months old, is so shocking, I have no idea where these last two months have gone.  Furthermore, I can't believe we are almost halfway through this year already. Time really does fly.  Why is it that time really does seem to go faster as you get older?  

I realize I started this challenge late, but I set my goals and it seems I set them a tad too high.  In other words, to answer Katrina's first question posted over at Callapidder Days, "NO" I didn't finish the books on my list and I am a bit upset with myself.  I started out strong, I thought.  I had changed my list a few weeks into when I started the challenge because I had discovered some different books I wanted to read.  I posted about that here.  From my updated list, here are the books I did finish.

From the Christian Suspense:

Deadline by Randy Alcorn (which I have yet to review, but I loved it)

Tested by Fire by Kathy Herman

Day of Reckoning by Kathy Herman

Vital Signs by Kathy Herman

High Stakes by Kathy Herman

A Fine Line by Kathy Herman

(the last two books in the Baxter series by Kathy Herman above were not on my list but I couldn't put the series down once I got started.  Which is one reason why I didn't finish all the books I planned to read.  You can read reviews for all the books in the Baxter series at my book blog, Me, Myself, I Read.  

As stated in the update post, I did put Dominion by Randy Alcorn on hold for now as it was just so long and bulky so it was difficult to hold while nursing, which is when I do the majority of my reading.  

I did not finish any of the books in my Non Fiction category.  I am trying to read Better Late Than Early: A New Approach to Your Child's Education by Raymond S. Moore.  It is hard for me to get into this book for some reason.  I am reading Einstein Never Used Flash Cards by Kathy Kirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff , but the second half of the book is not as easy for me to focus on.  And I started reading Storm Warning by Billy Graham but then I misplaced it.  

I have definitely been addicted to my fiction books.  In fact, I started reading Twilight by Stephenie Meyer again in anticipation of the Eclipse movie coming out next week.  I have also started reading The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, another vampire series my daughter's friends are reading and she decided she would read after finishing Breaking Dawn.  Seeing as she is at her dad's this week, mommy helped herself to the books when they became available through the library.  

From the Nancy Drew challenge:

The Secret of the Old Clock

The Hidden Staircase

The Bungalow Mystery (I technically finished this one morning of the 21st, so I probably shouldn't count it, but I wanted to mention I had finished it, though I haven't written my review yet)  

You can also find reviews for these books over at Me, Myself, I Read.

I realize I had better pick up the pace if I am going to reach my goal for my other reading challenges I am participating in.  To see all the challenges I am participating in go here.

I would like to answer some more of Katrina's questions in the remainder of this post.

• What was your favorite book that you read this spring? Least favorite? Why?

           It is a toss up for me when it comes to picking a favorite book.  I enjoyed both Day of Reckoning and A Fine Line by Kathy Herman.  I feel, out of the series, these two held the most suspense and kept me glued to the book.    Better Late than Early by Raymond S. Moore would have to be my least favorite because of my difficulty in being able to get into it.

• Did you discover a new author or genre this spring? Did you love them? Notlove them?

I am so glad I started participating in these reading challenges.  I am now addicted to Christian Suspense!  I found a great site called The Suspense Zone that lists Christian Suspense authors and the suspense books they wrote.  i am looking forward to reading more by Kathy Herman, for starters.

• Did you learn something new because of Spring Reading Thing 2010 — something about reading, or yourself, or a topic you read about?

I didn't really learn anything new about myself.  Just the same old, same old... Give me a fiction book and I will bury myself in it.

• What was your favorite thing about the challenge?

I enjoyed the fact that there was no pressure in this challenge.

Head on over to Callapidder Days' Wrap Up Post to see the list of links to all the other wrap up posts to see how everyone else has done.

Spring Reading Thing update

As I have mentioned, I am participating in several reading challenges.  I realized I never posted about The Spring Reading Challenge on this blog, only over at my other blog Me Myself I Read.  I have been enjoying reading books I probably wouldn't even have looked twice at if I hadn't set out to find Christian Suspense books.  And I have loved every minute of reading these books so far.

Okay, so Lindsay over at Bytes of Memory had clued me in on this "challenge" about a month ago. These books will count toward the 100+ challenge.  As I only had a month and a half to read these books  I figured I could get an idea of how many books I will be able to read each month so I can pace myself for the rest of the year.  Here is my list of books I hope to read by June 20th (and I would sure love to know how everyone is able to get images of the books they are reading in their post, if anyone could give me a heads up):

Christian Suspense (also for the Thriller and Suspense challenge):

Deadline by Randy Alcorn (finished 5/27/10)

Dominion by Randy Alcorn

Last Light by Terri Blackstock

Night Light by Terri Blackstock

The books listed above were the original list.  I have so far finished Deadline, but have decided to skip the Terri Blackstock books for now because I discovered some great books at the church library where we go to playgroup.  I decided to try The Baxter Series by Kathy Herman.  After reading the first book in the series, Tested by Fire (you can read my review here), I was hooked.  The series is set in the town of Baxter where we are introduced to the community members sort of as minor characters, but each book focuses on different people in the community.   I have enjoyed seeing characters from the previous book make an appearance in the second book.  And I love the way she weaves the gospel message through the books.  Anyhow, my list for Christian Suspense is now:

Deadline by Randy Alcorn

Dominion by Randy Alcorn (possibly will put this on hold as it is a really thick book and very hard to hold while nursing the baby, though I loved Deadline and though I don't think it is technically a "series" the next two books spin off of the first)

Tested by Fire by Kathy Herman

Day of Reckoning by Kathy Herman

Vital Signs by Kathy Herman

Non-Fiction:

Einstein Never Used Flash Cards by Kathy Kirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff (need to finish this one)

The Baby Signing Book by Sara Bingham (also one I need to finish)

School Can Wait by Raymond S. Moore

Better Late Than Early: A New Approach to Your Child's Education by Raymond S. Moore

The Power of Play by David Elkind (also need to finish)

Writing Stories: Fantastic Fiction from start to finish by David L Harrison

Not sure if I will get to all of these non-fiction books.  I also have another one to read that I received from Booksneeze.  I was over at Mama to 3 Blessings blog and noticed the link to Booksneeze on her sidebar.  I was intrigued, so I took a look.  I get to choose a book for free, read it and write a review, then I get to keep the book!  So my first book arrived today, "Storm Warning" by Billy Graham.  It was originally written in 1992, but has been completely revised and updated for 2010.  Not sure which of the non-fiction books above will be put on hold even longer so I can read this book.  I would like to "Storm Warning" in a timely manner and get my review in.

Nancy Drew: for the Nancy Drew Challenge:

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (finished 5/15/10)

The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene (finished 5/17/10)

The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene (currently misplaced)

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene

So there you have it. If you would like to join me in this challenge just head on over to

Here’s a brief recap of how to be a part of Spring Reading Thing 2010:

• Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this spring. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like. (Also, feel free to modify your list during the challenge if it’s not working for you.)

• Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to the Spring Reading Thing post.

• Get reading! The challenge goes from today, March 20th, through June 20th, 2010.

• Check out other participants’ lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile!

• Write a post about your challenge experience in June, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how the Spring Reading Thing went for you. But remember: this is a low-pressure challenge that should be fun. As long as you do some reading this spring (and enjoy it!), that’s good enough for me.

Book Giveaway: The Last Christian

I am excited to share a book giveaway that I found out about through a link in the Suspense/Thriller reading challenge I am currently involved in.  This book sounds really interesting.  Just go to A Few More Pages to see the description and review, and to sign up for the giveaway.
I have been trying to find good Christian Suspense books and this one sounds quite intriguing.  I like the sci-fi twist that I read about in the review.

The Secret of the Old Clock review

Well, I finished my first book for the Nancy Drew reading challenge.  The Secret of the Old Clock is a quick read, as I figure all the books in the series will be.  Nancy finds herself drawn in to a search for a will when she becomes acquainted with two elderly sisters who are the guardians of a little girl Nancy witnesses almost being run over by a moving truck.  Along the way, as she searches, Nancy discovers others who are acquainted with or related to the gentleman who has passed away.  They are all in need of some financial help of which the gentleman has promised them they would receive.  But his last will and testament leaves everything to another family.  Is there a later will?  That is what Nancy sets out to discover.
Out of 5 stars I would rate this book a 3.  The way the story moved along it seemed there were too many coincidences, where the information Nancy needed just seemed to fall into her lap.  There were scenes of minor conflict that seemed to be resolved way too quickly.  At times a scene would just be introduced and next thing I knew that part of the story was over with out a lot of detail.  Toward the end of the book we finally were introduced to some suspense that helped to move the book to its conclusion.  Definitely could tell this book was not written recently.  So proper and polite.  Though it would be great if kids these days were as respectful to there parents as Nancy is to her dad and to others she meets.  All in all I would recommend this book, especially if you are looking for a quick read.  It is a great introduction to Nancy Drew and if you are looking for something for your children to read you won't have to worry about foul language, etc.

Head on over to my other blog, Me, Myself, I Read, to see what other challenges I am involved in.  Come join me on my adventure!

List of books I have read in 2010

Okay okay I know it's time to add the books!  Sorry, I was tired last night.  I now have a blog dedicated to the reading challenges called Me, Myself, I Read.  I am looking forward to this new adventure and invite you to join me.

Challenging Myself

Okay, so this is not a usual blog post for me. In fact, I have contemplated starting another blog. For now though I have decided to post here about the reading challenges I have decided to sign up for. It all started with a scroll down through the Almost Unschoolers blog. Ticia, over at Adventures in Mommydom, responded to the inquiry I made on my last post, where I asked about Christians and unschooling. She suggested I check out the Almost Unschoolers blog, which I did. The posts that I have gotten around to reading have really intrigued me. Then I found her posts on the 2010 Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge.

Which led me to search for Christian suspense novels and authors. I was surprised to realize we have some available in our church library (I know because I am now the librarian there and I remembered a couple of the names from when I was reorganizing). I plan on taking out the series by Terri Blackstock for starters.

I then happened across a link for the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge. At first I thought this would be crazy to attempt, seeing as it is already May. However, anything that has been read this year counts, soooo..... all I have to do is remember all those books I have read already this year and the task will not appear so unsurmountable. Either way, I am looking forward to the challenge.

This evening, as I was hopping around other's blogs who are involved in these challenges, I found myself intrigued once again and tempted to sign up for another reading challenge. Deborah, over at Books, Movies and Chinese Food has a Nancy Drew challenge. The goal for this challenge is to read the "yellow spine" edition of the books, starting with book #1 and ending with #56. These are the ones I fell in love with as a kid and I have wanted to reread them for a while now. I would also love if my 13 year old daughter would read along with me. One can only hope. I already have several on hold at the library!

So along with the Nancy Drew challenge and the Thriller/Suspense Challenge, I will be reading my books on homeschooling, unschooling, Montessori etc, (as I always have 2-3 books going at one time) so I think the 100+ challenge is definitely doable.

Stayed tuned for my normal Tot School/Preschool Corner post, we have concluded U and started our Creation lapbooks.

Here is the link to the post with all the books I have read, I will add to this as I go.