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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

{December in the Books}

I did it!  I made my reading goal for the year...plus a couple extra to boot!

Here are the 13 books I finished this month:




Christmas on Mill Street, Joseph Walker
This was a cute short book I found at the library on the Christmas display.  I always enjoy reading a couple Christmasy books in the month of December.  It was a fun story about a boy from Arizona who moves to Utah and wants a sled for Christmas. It was cute and made me laugh out loud at parts.



Mile Markers, Kristin Armstrong
I read a running blog and the girl who writes it is always talking about how this is one of her favorite running books.  I thought it was ok, not my favorite running book though at all.  I just didn't relate to it.  This is Lance Armstrong's ex-wife, which I didn't know until after I read the book either.  Just a little fact.  It's also a book made up of blogs entries.



Sophia, Paula, Kremer
This is a fun, clean regency romance book.  It might have been a little bit predictable but I am always a sucker for a good regency romance.



The Year of Reading Dangerously, Andy Miller
I found this at the library and was inquired by the idea.  The authors talks about 52 books that changed his life.  I thought the idea behind the book was really good.  I just didn't really like a lot of the reviews.  I know some people have loved this book, so it's just my opinion.  I do think it's such a good concept.  I'm not sure if I'll read 100 books again next year, but I wouldn't mind reading 52, and maybe picking 52 different books...something more than, say, regency romance :)



Lady Emma's Campaign, Jennifer Moore
I am not sure if this is a series, but this book has some of the same characters from Jennifer Moore's first book, Becoming Lady Lockwood.  I have really enjoyed both of her books.  This one had some action and was fast-paced.  I'm not sure I could pick between the two books which one I like the best, but they are both great books and I am hoping there might be more coming from Jennifer Moore soon!



How to Meal Plan, Crystal VanTassel
This was a free book on my kindle and I am always looking for new ideas for dinner.  I thought it would have some good ideas.  I love to meal plan, and maybe she would offer some different advice.  I wasn't crazy about the book in the end.  It did list a lot of resources, but other than that I wasn't a huge fan.  The recipe section I was disappointed in, because really...do I need a recipe for BBQ chicken legs when the entire recipe is chicken legs, and BBQ sauce?




21 Days to a More Disciplined Life, Crystal Paine
I love, love, love, Crystal Paine and the Money Saving Mom blog.  I have read some of her other books and really loved them.  She can always inspire me, but at the same time I don't feel overwhelmed.  I loved this book.  It's got lots of printable resources too, which I like.  If you haven't read her blog or her books, look her up!



Sky Raiders, Brandon Mull
We love Brandon Mull at our house.  I read Fablehaven a few years ago and then Wade read them to the boys.  They are always talking about how good these books are.  We were pretty excited this year when we found out Brandon Mull had a new series coming out.  Wade has already read Sky Raiders to the kids, but I hadn't read it yet.  I thought since they are now almost done with the second Five Kingdoms book that I should get on the bandwagon and read the series too.  I have to admit, I half skimmed-half read the book.  I really love Brandon Mull and I think these are great books, but I wasn't in the mood for a fantasy book.  I will be reading the second book soon though.




God Rest Ye Grumpy Scroogeymen, Laura Jensen Walker
I found this book on the Christmas display at the library and thought it might be a fun little book to pick up.  I have a grumpy-scroogey man in my house (wade!) and so I thought this book would have some good ideas.  I wasn't that impressed.  I was actually pretty happy I had got it at the library and could return it!  It wasn't a bad book, but didn't offer me any new ideas and I had a hard time following the authors writing too.



The Rent Collector, Camron Wright
This was by far one of my favorite books I read this month.  Maybe even this year.  It will make my top ten books of this year for sure.  I am so glad I read it.  The story is about a family who lives in the dump in Cambodia and what happens when they are given the gift of literacy.  It is an amazing story, and so hard to describe.  I tried to describe it to Wade and he couldn't figure out why he would want to read a book like this, but he would like it.  I highly recommend this book!  It's so thought provoking.


Letters for Emily, Camron Wright
After reading The Rent Collector I quickly looked for another book by Camron Wright.  This was another amazing book.  I loved it, maybe not has much as The Rent Collector, but it was an interesting story that had me laughing and crying.



The Lady of Bolton Hill, Elizabeth Camden
I found Elizabeth Camden's book this year thanks to amazon and free kindle books.  I have really enjoyed them and found this one just as interesting as her other books.  This book has some of the same characters as her other book, Against the Tide, and I didn't know that and read them out of order, but I was able to sort it all out in my head. I love that these are a little bit more of a romance book, but a historical book as well.



The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton
My sister loaned  me this book and I wasn't sure I would be able to finish it this year, but it was a story I could not put down.  I read another book by Morton in the fall, The Secret Keeper.  I loved the ending to Secret Keeper, but found the first half pretty hard to get into.  I was worried about that with this book and wondered if it would be the same...and if it would how I would ever finish it, since it had 549 pages.  This book drew me in from the very first chapter.  It was such a good mystery! It was told from three different women and spanned through three different times in history.  I couldn't put it down and loved the ending.  Such a great book...I guess I will be looking for more books by Kate Morton in the future.

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So I did it!
Total books read in 2014:
106


Honestly, I am not sure I will make the 100 books goal again for next year.  I am still debating that.  It was a very good goal to have and I am glad that I did it..and even more glad I accomplished it.  But when I made the goal I didn't know I would be working part time at two jobs and that we would be opening a practice.  It was so hard some months.  Life is just super busy.  I learned a lot about myself...like I really don't miss my tv shows, haha, and that I really can't listen to books either.  I really enjoying sitting down with a good book and a blanket and reading.  I am not someone who can stay up late reading.  I fall asleep.  But I can wake up at 5am and read while the house is quiet. I love that.  I still am thinking about what goal I would like to make for next year...maybe just 52 books.  I think I'll keep a growing list of books I read in 2015 and post them though.  It's been interesting to keep track and see my list on my blog.  (there is a tab for the entire list at the top of the page if you haven't looked) I log my books on GoodReads, but I must log them wrong, because a few days ago I got an email from GoodReads that was "the books you've read in 2014"...it showed I read 6 total books. hahahaha.  Even Wade got a good laugh about that.

In January I'll post about my reading goals for 2015.  I'll also post my top 10 books from 2014...that is going to be tough...narrowing my favorites down to 10.


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