Booking It update - my last couple of weeks...

So I put down The Stormchasers in a matter of days. Mmmm...maybe more like a few hours (spread over three days).  If I could have just sat down and read it...it is one that would have gone down in just one day's time.  It was GOOD.

The Stormchasers was written by Jenna Blum.  The reviews of her other books were glowing and this book deserves just as many positive accolades!  A book about twins, the incredible bond between them and what happens when life separates them - this book was amazing.  I know some twins (well, went to school with some twins) but don't KNOW know any twins.  I've always imagined that the "twindar" that Karena experiences with Charles is a real knowledge and that having that built in best friend would lead to an amazing relationship between two siblings. 

If you're looking for a good read, I'd highly recommend this.  If you're interested in Mother Nature, storms and weather then this will be a definite treat for you.

Another book I picked up is Good Grief by Lolly Winston.  Part of my current job requires me to visit competitor's websites, gather some information and then send that information out to others I work with.  In the process of sending this info out, I like to include a quote or "didyaknow" fact or something and last week I shared a quote about reading, "Charlie "Tremendous" Jones said, "You are the same today as you'll be in five years except for two things: the books you read and the people you meet" (from Dave Ramsey's website).

So anyways, in this process one of my co-workers said, if you like reading then you need to read the book Good Grief.  So I picked it up that night.  It has been a very good read.  When thirty-six-year-old Sophie Stanton finds herself widowed, she realizes she is more losing it than being a graceful widow (like Jackie Kennedy was and like she wants to be).

Some of the scenes hurt my heart.  I sit and think...how could I function if I lost Brian?  How could I get up and make it to work (which Sophie does one day...in her robe!) or take care of myself (which Sophie does...eating ice cream for breakfast and over-medicating on tranquilizers) or any of that.  I think about my cousin who, with a one-week-old daughter, lost her husband while he was playing softball.  He was 32-years-old.  And she was alone...a widow at a young age with a newborn daughter too.  How does one function?  How does one get by?

Part funny and part solemn, this book has made me laugh and cry.  I haven't quite finished it yet but will probably do so tonight or tomorrow and I can't wait to see how Sophie gets herself pulled together (if she even does!).

And next on my list...the very personal Captivating by John and Stasi Edwards.  This will not be an easy read for me, I'm sure.  This one is going to involve some soul searching.  I hope to be back next week with a good report on it.

For now...happy reading!

Another Booking It 2010 update...

I went to my books read Excel spreadsheet last night (yes I keep a spreadsheet of books I read) to record The Contemplative Mom and realized I hadn't shared about the previous five books I read.  So here's an update on those books (which I read end of June'ish through mid-July'ish)...

Moment of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury and Halfway to Forever by Karen Kingsbury
These two books follow up the mini-series Forever Faithful.  The first of the three books was Waiting for Morning which I had read (and reviewed) just a few weeks prior.  These two books included the same characters that we saw in the first book, well the first book introduced new characters and then the third book tied the couple from Waiting for Morning and Moment of Weakness together as friends who are all working towards the same cause - religious freedom.  These three books were quick, easy and enjoyable reads.  If you're a Karen Kingsbury fan - be sure to pick these up!

Roses are Red by James Patterson
In the 6th book in the Alex Cross series, James Patterson does NOT let you down.  The Mastermind, a crazy intelligent fellow, is robbing banks around the East coast.  As always, edge of your seat is the best way to describe a Patterson novel.  I've read every one of these books before and still - I'm biting my nails and can't put the book down until the very last page.  And this one...this one made me want to curse at the end!  I was so frustrated with the very last sentence.  I can't wait to get into the next one...Violets are Blue.

The $5 Dinner Mom by Erin Chase
This is the book I was looking for when I found The Contemplative Mom by Ann Kroeker.  I knew that there was some "mom" cookbook out there and couldn't remember the full title so I just searched "mom" on the online card catalog.  I found it!  This book was an easy read and after couponing and bargain shopping for over two years now - this one didn't really teach me any new tricks.  Once I got to the recipes I just flipped through to read the frugal facts - still nothing shocking.  It was an okay read - if someone is just starting out...this would probably be a great book to check out!

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky
At the suggestion of a co-worker, I picked this book up one day.  And I finished it that night.  Yeah - I tend to do that sometimes.  Once again - I stayed up WAY TOO LATE reading a good book.  It was well worth it.  This one is about a mom who is a principal at the local (small town, everyone knows everyone's business) high school who happened to have her daughter at 17-years-old.  And then a pregnancy pact happens.  Three girls (the principals daughter and her two best friends...who just happen to be daughters of the mom's best friends) get pregnant on purpose - not realizing the impact that choice will have on not only their lives but their mom's lives as well.  A very good read, it was quick and I didn't want to stop - I had to know how it ended.

And tonight I hit the library up and got Stormchasers by Jenna Blum, Captivating (both the book and workbook) by John and Stasi Eldridge (same guy who wrote Wild at Heart - from the Dave Ramsey recommended reading list) and Good Grief by Lolly Winston on the suggestion of another co-worker who said it was a good fluff summer read.

I'll be back soon to share these new books I've grabbed.  I'm sure I'll have something good to share!

Booking It 2010 update - The Contemplative Mom by Ann Kroeker

So, this book crossed my path when I was looking for the $5 Dinner Mom book on the public library's online card catalogue. I couldn't remember the name of the other book so I just searched "mom" and a whole list of books came up. I'm not sure where The Contemplative Mom was in the list but I decided to get it the next time I was in. This is written by Ann Kroeker and she's an Indiana girl too.

The first page that really struck me was page four...page four! Kroeker is talking about how having a relationship with God is lacking - if it happens it isn't what you're looking for or maybe it gets passed by completely. "Or perhaps we want to be closer to God - we really want to - and just can't figure out how." Yeah - that's me. I WANT something more - I'm not sure how to get there. This book though has set me on a path to change that.

And then she listed my favorite verse...

"Be still, and know that I am God."  (Psalm 46:10)

A few weeks ago the leader of our praise team sang a song, "Still" by Hillsong and it struck a cord with me that was amazing.  The song brought me to tears (and does every time I hear it).  So with that song still in my heart, I read that verse and knew that this book was speaking to me!  I struggle daily, hourly to have the relationship that I want with God.  I want more than what I have and this book has set me on the path to make it better.

It took me two weeks to read this book.  I could only read a few pages at a time as I had to sit and let what Kroeker said soak in and really mean something to me. She gave me so many ideas though - I'm putting that verse into a frame to set beside my bed so every morning when I wake up, that is what I see.  I'm going to start a journal - that I can write it daily wherever I am to God to tell him what I'm thinking and feeling.  I'm going to create an Ebenezer jar as a memorial to God's work in my life and my family's life. 

And for now - that is all I'm doing.  These few things are what Kroeker suggested trying in just the first half of the book.  I can't do it all at once and if I try to, I know I'll fail.  This is another one of those books that I want to buy so I can mark it up and takes notes and refer back to it as often as I want.  This is going on my "list of books I want to buy" so when my birthday or Christmas rolls around, I can give a list to Brian so he has it easy. 

With a lot of determination and dedication I'm going to walk more closely with God throughout my life.

Booking It 2010 update

It has taken me almost two weeks to read just two books! This is the reason I didn't dedicate myself to one book a week. Although, the book I'm working on now might be finished tonight (which would be one book in one day).

I read Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss on the recommendation of another Booking It participant.  What a great read!  I have a BA in Journalism and for a long time thought I'd be a copy editor so I love things like words, word use and punctuation.  This was a funny book and while I've always said I'm a punctuation nerd, maybe I'm not as bad as others.  And I like to make smilies with my keys.  :)

After that I picked up Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters - 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know  by Meg Meeker MD.  This book really, really, really affected me.  I don't normally share such long reviews of one book but this one was really good and really touched me.

Even though this was written by a woman (who is a daughter) to dads, this book really hit home for me. I think because I saw a lot of my dad and I in her stories and descriptions. And I see the starts of what Brian is doing for LeeAnn. I read this book for several reason. It was on Dave Ramsey's list of recommended reads (so I probably never would have heard of it if it hadn't been for that), my dad and I have a great relationship and I want LeeAnn to have that with her dad and Brian's not a reader...I wanted to check it out to see if it was worth trying to get him to read (and it is!).

Dave says, “This is the best book available on being a father to daughters. I have two daughters, and this book inspired me. I liked it so much that I provided a copy for every dad on my team who has a daughter. If you are a dad with a daughter, you must read this book TODAY.”

From the back of the book,
"Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters is a sobering reminder of the awesome responsibilities of fatherhood. It strongly reinforces just how important (and unavoidable) a father's influence is on his daughter's life – for good or ill – and how dangerous this world can be for girls whose fathers aren't there to protect them, guide them, and even fight for them. It shows, in the face of the popular culture, that strong dads are essential for strong daughters. Dads, you owe it to your daughters – and to yourselves – to read this book.

– David Limbaugh, nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author

From the inside flap,

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters reveals:

• The essential characteristics and virtues of strong fathers – and how to develop them
• How daughters take cues from their fathers on everything from drug use, drinking, smoking, and having sex, to self-esteem, moodiness, and seeking attention from boys
• Why girls want you to place restrictions on them (even though they'll complain when you do)
• How to become a hero to your daughter – and why she needs that more than anything
• The one mistake fathers make that is the primary cause of girls "hooking up"
• Why girls depend on the guidance of fathers through, and even beyond, their college years
• Recipe for disaster: the notion that girls "need to make their own decisions and mistakes"
• Why girls need God – and how your faith or lack thereof, will influence her
• How to communicate with your daughter – and how not to
• True stories of "prodigal daughters" – and how their fathers helped bring them back

A couple areas that really spoke to me where:
pg 163
Dr Meeker is sharing the story of Alicia and her dad and how her dad asked her to not marry Jack, the man that Alicia believed was the man of her dreams. Her dad asked her several times to not marry him, that something just didn't feel right. An anonymous call lead Alicia to hire a private investigator and come to find out, Alicia's dad was right. Jack had four other names, three wives, had never been to law school (told Alicia he had), had two children by two different women and had a warrant out for his arrest in another state. Alicia said her dad never rubbed it in that he was right. "He just came and helped me take care of things." The part that touched me most, she said, "You know, even while my dad was warning me during that time, something really bothered me about Jack: he was so different from my dad. Of course I didn't want to tell anyone. I mean, he talked differently and I caught him in a few white lies. My dad never did that. My father was quiet and honest. It never dawned on me that I couldn't trust him, but I wasn't ever quite sure whether or not I could trust Jack. ... I knew, I knew, deep in my heart that I could never marry someone so different from my dad, but I don't know, I guess I was just totally blinded by infatuation. How could I have been so stupid?"

WOW. This is me. Well, kinda. I got engaged to a boy (and he was a boy) my senior year of college. I thought for sure he was the one. Up until this point, my dad and I emailed each other daily. We told my parents about the engagement on a Sunday. I never got another daily email from my dad. I think he was so disappointed in me. My dad never told me not to marry him but I know he didn't want me to. Finally, the drugs and lying and the unfaithfulness were too much and I left. It was actually my mom who came to save me but my dad was there when I got home. And now? Brian? He is just like my dad.

And another:

pg 225
Since you are competing with e-conversations, e-songs and e-relationships, steal her away from the screen as often as you can. Remember, when all is said and experienced, you are a better communicator than cell phones, e-mail or chat rooms. They can't comfort her when she's in the hospital. They can't walker her down the aisle toward her future husband. You will.

In the afterword I read this that I really liked, "Many days we are disappointed. We find ourselves grasping for that elusive "something" that will make us feel complete. But the more we search for it, the more distant it becomes, because what we're searching for is sitting right there. It's not your job or your hobbies. It's not more money or more sex. It's your family - your children, your spouse - and God. They are the real center of our lives."

•  Realize who you are to her.
• Open your eyes to her world (it's different from yours).
• Fight for her body (error on the side of being overprotective and you'll hit is just right).
• Fight for her mind.
• Fight for her soul.
• Fight for your relationship with her (the bottom line is she needs more time with you than she does with her friends. So be with her).

Last page - last paragraph: "One day, when she is grown, something between the two of you will shift. If you have done your job well, she will choose another good man to love her, fight for her and be intimately connected to her. But he will never replace you in her heart, because you were there first. And that's the ultimate reward for being a good dad."

So. This book has touched me in so many ways. Even though I'm the mom in the equation, I'm going to employ some of these tactics. And this book? I'm going to buy it. I want to mark it up, refer to it and use it as we raise our baby girl into a woman.

Now that I've finished that amazing book I'm back to Karen Kingsbury's A Moment of Weakness that I had to take back to the library a couple weeks ago.  It has been REALLY good and I've read over 100 pages of it already today.  I'm thinking I'll need to hit up the library tomorrow to get me through the next few days - I don't go back to work until Thursday now...

Booking It 2010 update - again!

So I finished up the Carson Springs novels series by Eileen Goudge.  They were such a good set of books!  When I last shared about my reading progress I had some others to read still:  James Patterson's Pop Goes the Weasel and two Karen Kingsbury books - Waiting for Morning and the next one in that series.  Sadly, I took the second one back to the library without reading it because it was due, I'd already renewed it once and had other books I needed to read first (an inter-library loan book that can't be renewed).  I also received The Help by Kathryn Stockett in between the Carson Springs novels and the two listed here so that kinda threw me for a loop.  But Patterson's and Kingsbury's books are done and I'm to something new.  Here's what I've read in the last couple of weeks and what I've got going on now...

James Patterson's Pop Goes the Weasel is the next book in the Alex Cross series.  And while these books aren't listed as Book #1, Book #2, etc it truly helps to read them in the order he wrote them because each progressing book might refer back to a case in a previous book. 

As with other Alex Cross novels, there is a search for a killer.  A cold-blooded killer.  There is always a lot of suspense and plenty of action.  This one is about a killer who is playing a fantasy game online, a game called The Four Horsemen.  But this killer has decided to take the fantasy game into reality.  A synopsis on James Patterson's website says,

Detective Alex Cross is back- and he's in love. But his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders in Washington, D.C., murders with a pattern so twisted they leave investigators reeling. Cross's pursuit of the killer produces a suspect, a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But proving he's the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As Shafer engages in a brilliant series of surprising countermoves, Alex and his fiance become hopelessly entangled with the most memorable nemesis Cross has ever faced.

A great book (as always when it is coming from James Patterson!) that I couldn't put down - I'd recommend James Patterson's Alex Cross novels to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

Once I finished up that one I picked up Karen Kingsbury's Waiting for Morning.  I really enjoy Karen Kingsbury's books and this one was no different.  When I pulled it off the shelf at the library I thought I had read it before but didn't remember how it ended.  As I started reading, I knew it sounded familiar but a few chapters in I was completely blank.  So I'm guessing I must have picked it up before and for whatever reason, never finished it.  I'm glad I did now. 

In this novel, Hannah Ryan seems to have the perfect life - a wonderful husband and two daughters who are the best of friends until a tragic accident tears it all apart.  In the aftermath of the accident and then ensuing court battle against the drunk driver who caused the accident Hannah loses her faith in God and becomes a bitter, angry woman.  With the help of a MADD advocate, the prosecutor on the case and the book of Lamentations from the Bible, Hannah finally finds the peace that she was so desperately looking for. 

This was another quick read for me and I'm looking forward to getting the next book in this series (the one I had to take back).

And when we went to the library this past week I picked up Lynne Truss's Eat, Shoots & Leaves and a book called Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Meg Meeker which came from Dave Ramsey's recommended reading list.  Dave says, “This is the best book available on being a father to daughters. I have two daughters, and this book inspired me. I liked it so much that I provided a copy for every dad on my team who has a daughter. If you are a dad with a daughter, you must read this book TODAY.”  So while I'm the mom in the equation, I'm excited to read this book.

And finishing these two books will get me to 34 books read this year.  When I first started Booking It 2010 I was scared to set a goal of one book a week because I didn't want to overwhelm myself.  So I decided that reading 52 books in a year would be my goal.  At this point we are 24 weeks into the year so I think I'm doing pretty well on my goal!

A quick Booking It update...

I got The Help! I got The Help! And it was A.MAZING.

First recommended by another Booking It participant, I thought this book sounded great from the first mention. I quickly put myself on the waiting list at our local library. I took my kiddo and niece into the library for Story Hour last Thursday and renewed a couple other books and then found a quiet corner to read. As I was leaving a little while later - the girls from the front desk hollered at me and said a book I had requested was ready (in the 45 minutes between renewing my books and leaving) and it was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!

If you've read any Jodi Picoult then you've seen this style of writing...several people (in this case three women) telling the story every few chapters...each woman's story intertwining with the other stories. A #1 New York Times bestseller - this book is extremely well written and for me...is so hard to even wrap my mind around.

Three women, Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny are living in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962...not all that extraordinary until you realize Skeeter is white and Aibileen and Minny are black and are maids for Skeeter's friends. And Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960's was not a friendly place to be for blacks or anyone who supported the movement of equality between blacks and whites.

Now...I don't claim to be a genius or to hide away from things that happened in the past or even currently but I sometimes have a hard time wrapping my mind around things. Events like 9/11 or Katrina hit me but I can't totally comprehend what happened in these places. I know about them because I'm a big news hound and will stay glued to the TV, newspapers and news websites for hours on end but really...unless you are there and experiencing it - how can one truly understand?

This book is the same thing...I know the history of the United States and slavery and how poorly blacks were treated but really? In 1962? This was happening? Really!? My mom was 10-years-old in 1962 and for some reason I just can't see my family having a maid (well, for one they were poor and for two they lived in Northern Indiana) and maybe if they had lived in Mississippi they would have but to me 1962 doesn't seem that long ago and it seems like the kind of treatment that happened in this book should have been long over...but I also know that it still happens - even today in 2010. It is just hard for me to even understand.

The flap says, "Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed."

An incredibly moving story...this is one book you shouldn't miss and one book you won't be able to put down until you've read every single page.

Booking It 2010 update

I went to the library recently in search of something to read - I had nothing in mind and nothing was really jumping out at me. I remembered though that I'd read an Eileen Goudge book called Woman in Red some time ago and decided to pick up a couple of her novels.

Well - I picked up just one at first...Stranger in Paradise - the first of three books in a mini-series called "A Carson Springs Novel." I read 20 pages of it last Thursday night before I fell asleep...Friday I finished the other 301 pages (at 1:30am Saturday technically - I couldn't put it down!).  The story of a mom, Sam, who in her late 40's falls in love with a man (who just so happens to be more than 15 years younger than her and her youngest daughter's step-son - yeah, did you catch that?) and ends up pregnant (while her oldest daughter has been trying for years to conceive and is now divorced because her husband left her when she couldn't provide children).  The story that folds is one of love, family and learning that life isn't what it seemed to be.  A fabulous story that makes you feel like you're in Carson Springs - you won't want the story to end.

Because I finished the first one so quickly I HAD to get my hands on the other two (I knew there were more but only got the first one because I had also picked up two Karen Kingsbury novels which I have yet to touch) and so I went to the library that Saturday afternoon!

It actually took me almost another week to finish the next book, Taste of Honey. It wasn't that it wasn't just as smashing as the first - I had meetings and/or prior engagements Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights this past week and just didn't have the time to sit down and read like I like to.  It was the story of Gerry (the best friend of Sam in the first book), a middle-aged divorced mom of two (well, three) who gave up a daughter for adoption and the trials she faces when she reaches out to that older daughter - and how it affects her family at home as well as the life of the adopted daughter.  Throw in a love interest who is famous and mourning the death of his wife and you have another novel that was splendidly written with clear details and a great story line.  When I read the front cover and there was a quote from Kristin Hannah (Firefly Lane and Between Sisters) that said, "This wonderful novel is filled with characters as real and honest as your own best friends," I knew this was going to be a good one!

So I finished that one up on Saturday morning and started the third one, Wish Come True, that morning as well. I'm not quite halfway though it yet but it is just as good as the first two!  The story is about another Carson Springs resident, Anna Vincent who is employed by her sister, Monica, and whose life comes crashing down on her when Monica is found dead, floating in her pool at her house, LoreiLinda.  I've just gotten to the part where Anna meets the man the flap describes as "an ally" who becomes her partner in the hunt for the real murderer.  You'll see Sam and Gerry again, along with other characters mentioned in the other Carson Springs novels...it'll be just like being home again!

If you're looking for some good reads, I would highly recommend these books!  There were a few love scenes that surprised me (while I was reading at work!) and a tiny bit of foul language but everything else that is amazing about these books way outweighs the tiny bit of bad. 

Now, I still have to finish Wish Come True plus the two Karen Kingsbury novels I picked up almost two weeks ago AND the James Patterson novel (Cat and Mouse maybe?  Pop Goes the Weasel?  I can't remember which) that I picked up before the long weekend (just in case I needed it!).  I'm gonna be busy these next two weeks or so!

A quick book review...

So, not this last Booking It 2010 update on Life as Mom but the one prior to that, someone linked up and reviewed The Reserve: A Novel by Russell Banks.  It sounded like a good book so I picked it up.  And then spent the last three weeks struggling to get through it.  It was a fiction novel set in the 1930's but for some reason, I couldn't keep that thought in my head.  I kept thinking it was a more current setting until I'd get to a section about the Hindenburg or something like that.  And four or five times through the book there were short sections (maybe two pages) that were in an italicized font and I have no clue how those sections related to the rest of the book.  I know, strange. 

So - I finished the book.  I'm not normally one to sit a book down without finishing it.  I know for sure that this is a book that I'll never pick up again.  It just wasn't that good to me.  I did note that Russell Banks wrote other books (listed in the front of the novel) and wondered if they were any better (or worse) but didn't take the time at the library tonight to even check one out.

On my list next is a book by Eileen Goudge called Stranger in Paradise.  I read her book Woman in Red last year (maybe the year before?) and another by her (but the title is failing me now) and LOVED Woman in Red.  The second one was good but not as good as the first.  So I'm holding out high hopes for this one!
I've also got two Karen Kingsbury novels - Waiting for Morning and Moment of Weakness.  I think I've read the first one - at least, reading the flap sounded familiar but I don't remember how it ended so I picked it up again.  The other one is the second one in her Forever Faithful series.

I also put a request in for James Patterson's Pop Goes the Weasel, the next book in the Alex Cross series.  I had grabbed one of his books last week when I was there (Where the Wind Blows) but it wasn't an Alex Cross book so I took it back (I read it a long time ago - just like I have all his other books).

And I'm still on the waiting list for The Help by Kathryn Stockett (another recommendation from a LifeasMom link).  I can't wait to get my hands on it.  So for now - I'm off to read Eileen's Stranger in Paradise.

Oh yeah - anyone ever read Robert Parker?  The librarian suggested him but when I read about a character in multiple books, I want to start at the beginning and I wasn't sure which to pick up first so I decided to do some research first.  But - if anyone has read him...good, bad, indifferent?

Random book review...

Who Moved my Cheese? by Spencer Johnson MD was a book required by my employer to be read. If there is one thing I hate about reading (yeah, me - who LOVES reading) it is being told that I have to read a certain book. We were actually requested to do this the last Tuesday in April - so like the 27th or so and I just today picked up this book and read it.

It was a VERY quick read (I read it in less than an hour in between helping customers and some chit-chat with co-workers) and I can see why the President asked us to read it.

The inside flap reads, "Who Moved my Cheese? is a simple parable that reveals profound truths about change. It is an amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a "Maze" and look for "Cheese" to nourish them and make them happy. ... "Cheese" is a metaphor for what you want to have in life - whether it is a good job, a loving relationship, money, a possession, health or spiritual peace of mind. And "The Maze" is where you look for what you want - the organization you work in or the family or community you live in."

Four characters - Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw are in the maze looking for cheese. While Hem and Haw become complacent with the cheese in one section, Sniff and Scurry make sure to constantly be ready for change. Once the cheese is gone, so are Sniff and Scurry looking for new cheese...Hem and Haw, not so much though. Eventually though Haw realizes he's gonna have to look for more cheese and does. Hem - well, he doesn't ever do anything but what he's always done. Needless to say - he's not so well at the end of the story.

And the writing on the wall? It says -
* Having cheese makes you happy.
* The more important your cheese is to you the more you want to hold on to it.
* If you do not change, you can become extinct.
* What would you do if you weren't afraid?
* Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old.
* Movement in a new direction helps you find new cheese.
* When you move beyond your fear, you feel free.
* Imagining myself enjoying new cheese even before I find it, leads me to it.
* The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.
* It is safer to search in the maze than remain in a cheeseless situation.
* Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese.
* When you see that you can find and enjoy new cheese, you change course.
* Noticing small changes early helps you to adapt to the bigger changes that are to come.
* Change happens - they keep moving the cheese; Anticipate change - get ready for the cheese to move; Monitor change - smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old; Adapt to change quickly - the quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese; Change - move with the cheese; Enjoy change! - savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese!; Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again and again - they keep moving the cheese.
* Move with the cheese and enjoy it!

So - what's your cheese? Is it time to change it or look for new? If you're struggling at work or at home with your cheese, I would recommend this easy, quick read!

The post I was going to post on Tuesday...

but didn't is now here!  I just didn't feel like blogging the last two days.  I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one who reads this!  And while it's a great tracking device for me, I sometimes just don't want to sit down and do it.  But I got all caught up today so here goes!

Well, I know when to admit defeat and I've been defeated by a book. I mentioned last time I needed to finish Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. Well...I took it back to the library on Tuesday, having never finished it. I renewed it once and it was over due when I took it in and in that time period I never picked it back up again. I had less than 100 pages to go but for some reason I just couldn't do it anymore. I think the book was good. I'm not sure I agreed with it 100% but trying to read non-fiction when I can get my hands on a fiction (and in my opinion, usually a much better (easier) read) then I'll pick the fiction every time. So - while I put it on my list as having read it...I did not finish it.

And the book that pulled me away from Wild at Heart? The Color Purple by Alice Walker. This is another one of those books that I've read over and over and over again. I think the first time I read it was in middle school - I was probably 13 or so and totally didn't get it. Now, I get it and I love it (well, I've always loved it). The story covers a woman who as a young girl has two children by her father (who gives them away) and is then given "for marriage" to a man who abuses her because she isn't the woman he really loves. The book quickly covers decades of time as Celie's life changes little by little - some truths come out and she learns more about her and her family.

An excellent read, this was turned into a movie in the mid-80s starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey and Willard Pugh. I'm not one to watch movies after reading books so I've never seen this movie and probably never will. I'd recommended this book to anyone though and if you can only catch it in movie version, please do - it's an excellent story.

After I finished The Color Purple I actually picked up another non-fiction book. Based on the blog posts of many others who are Booking It, I decided to pick up The Sharper the Knife, the Less you Cry by Kathleen Flinn. As a closet foodie who loves spending time in the kitchen and who is married to a man who wants to some day own his own restaurant - this was an awesome book to read!

I'm 32 and still don't know "what I want to be when I grow up" and reading about Kathleen taking the plunge to attend Le Cordon Bleu in her mid-30's made me feel better about it all. And the fact that she was able to follow her dreams gives me great hope for myself (and for my husband and his future kitchen). A personal look into the challenges of attending a world renown cooking school and living in Paris made this book easy to read and I often times forgot that it was real...this had really happened to Kathleen and wasn't just fiction put onto a character. I loved how the book covered the school side of things as well as Paris and her personal life and friends.

As I've shared before, one of my favorite parts of a book is where you find out why the book is named what it is. In this book, I found my answer on page 47. Kathleen is in an early basic cuisine class and Chef Savard is dicing onions in a way that they've been told to not cut onions. Another student points this out...that they were told to not cut that way and so the chef tells the class (through a translator), "...with a dull knife, it's true, you end up pressing too hard on the onion. This crushes the cells, causing volatile oils from the onion to be released, and it's the oil that makes you cry." As Chef Savard continues to explain the issue, Anne continues to translate, "But with a very sharp knife... You do not have to push so hard with your knife, and that way less oil releases." The chef finishes the mini lesson by saying, in English, "So the sharper your knife, the less you cry."

One other part that really hit home for me happened towards the end of the book, when Kathleen, Jenny and Margo (the class perfectionist who pushes herself entirely too hard) are sharing a bottle of champagne and a plate of frites and talk about their final exam for graduation. Margo has spent the whole semester pushing herself (and in turn pushing away others and causing them to be short ingredients because she hoards them in case of a mistake) and realized she'd been taking everything too seriously. She had practiced her wine-reduction sauce three times the day before final and burnt it twice and she was so upset with herself... Finally though something clicked, "When I came in today, I decided to forget the burned sauces. I would just do my best because really, that's all I can do. ... Everyone learns something different at Le Cordon Bleu, and maybe this is my lesson."

Huh... Everyone learns a different lesson. These people had all gone through the same class, the same recipes, the same chefs and had all learned something different. As goes life - we all go through life and learn something different.

If you enjoy an easy read and have any interest in food or cooking, this would be a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to another book from a Booking It blogger's list to start! On the recommendation of another blogger I have The Reserve by Russell Banks in my hands and am starting it as soon as I finish this post! Hope it's a good one!

Booking It 2010

San Diego Serenade
Another romantic historic novel by Kathleen Fuller.  Another quick, predictable read.  It was done in a day - these are sometimes my favorite books though.  Sometimes I need something quick and easy that doesn't take a lot of thought!

Cat and Mouse
Okay, so I've often said if James Patterson shows up on my doorstep and asks me to leave with him - I'd be gone.  He writes excellent books and I love, love, love reading them.  It doesn't matter if I've read it once (or even two or three times prior) - I'm always on the edge of my seat while reading his stuff!  I think having a conversation with him would be amazing - although sometimes I think I'm not sure I'd want to know how his mind works!  The next one in his Alex Cross group is Pop Goes the Weasel which I just so happen to have in my own bookcase!

House Rules
Ohmygosh.  I LOVE Jodi Picoult.  Seriously.  She is amazing.  Yes, many of her books have the same premise (a crazy medical/personal battle/issue and a court case and being told by several different people) but she truly makes me devour a book.  532 pages?  Yep - done in just a matter of days.  I started it on a Thursday evening (like 9:30, read for 30 minutes) and didn't get to read at all hardly on Friday or Saturday.  I picked it up hardcore Sunday though and did nothing Monday evening but read.  It's times like those when I'm extra thankful my momma feeds my kiddo before I pick her up and that she can entertain herself!  I read from 7:00 to 9:00 and did little else...  Then after bedtime I read for another hour and a half and ta-da!  All done.  If you're a Jodi Picoult fan, then be sure you check this one out too.  I had to be on the waiting list at our library...I think it was between two and four weeks before I got it.

Wild at Heart
Another book off the Dave Ramsey suggested reading list... I've found that a lot of the books on the list REALLY make me think and this one is no exception.  This one is by John Eldredge and while I've actually been working on it for over two weeks now...it is a really good book!  I love a good non-fiction book but when books like Cat and Mouse and House Rules get into my hands, the non-fiction always gets set aside.  Anyways, the subtitle to this book is Discovering the Secret's of a Man's Soul and it dives in deep.  I've actually taken quite a few notes on this book as I've read through it.  Things it asks me to consider (about my husband and even myself) and for the male reader to ask oneself.  I've only got 60 pages or so to go and hope to finish it up by the end of this week.

So what's next on my list?  Kurt and Brenda Warner's First Things First:  The Rules of Being a Warner.  I'm not quite sure how I stumbled upon this one, but I did so it's on the list.  Also there is another book from the Dave Ramsey list by Meg Meeker and The Sharper the Knife, the Less you Cry by Kathleen Flinn (on the recommendation of another Booking It blogger!).  And I'm thinking I need to add an "old school" book in there too - something like The Color Purple or I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.  It just might depend on what is on my shelf in the back room.

Booking It 2010

So finishing Dorcas Sharp Hoover's Hitching Posts and House Calls took longer than I thought.  When I last updated on Sunday, March 27th I thought I'd be done the next day.  Yeah well - it was Monday, April 5th before I finished it.  That's because I picked up Lynette Kraft's In Faithfulness, He Afflicted Me. 

I can't remember now how I stumbled upon this book...I know it was from reading another blog but I can't remember how I found that blog or what it was even called now.  I had to have my library send for it from a Kansas library (because ours didn't have it).  I'm so glad I found it.

From the back of the book: 

"Have you ever wondered about God's purpose in allowing you to suffer? The morning Anna died Lynnette wondered why God would ask her to endure heartache a third time In her candid approach, Lynnette shares her personal story of heartache.

In Faithfulness, He Afflicted Me offers a unique look at a story of suffering. You will experience Lynnette's raw emotions through journal enteries, yet you will be encouraged as you witness God's miraculous power of healing in her life. You may even find yourself excited to face your next trial, seeing it as an opportunity to experience, as Lynnette has, the fullness of God."

Lynette and her husband were blessed with nine children, three of who have been called home to Heaven.  Three.  How does one deal with that!?  In my own anger and misery of a miscarriage at 8weeks (after two plus years of trying) I couldn't understand how one would face such tragedy.  But reading this book has shown me that I just have to let go and let God.  And I've known that, always have but when it comes to trying to get pregnant I was obsessed.  I want another child.  I will always want another child.  But if I am only blessed with the one I have, I have to be incredibly thankful because she is an amazing girl.  I'd recommend this book to anyone who has lost a child in any manner. 

Page 73 lead to the title of the book (often my favorite part of the book...whatever it is about the book that leads to the title) "I knew that this great sorrow that my family was called to endure was ordained by God, and we would once again be victorious! "I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right and that thou, in faithfulness hast afflicted me," (Psalm 119:75)."

So after finishing In Faithfulness, He Afflicted Me, I picked up Hitching Posts and House Calls again and got it finished too.  Both were really good reads and I thoroughly enjoyed them both. 

Monday evening I picked up a book off of Dave Ramsey's recommended reading list (a spot I go often to look for book ideas).  This one is titled Wild at Heart by John Eldridge and has been a really excellent read as well.  Dave says, "This is the premier book on Christian manhood. My wife, Sharon, read this book and said, ‘So that’s what’s wrong with you!’ Ha! A must-read for men and women alike."  I'm just now halfway through the book but am really enjoying it.  I'll post a wrap-up in a week or so when I get it done.

Also in the house for my reading pleasure are James Patterson's Cat and Mouse and Jodi Picoult's House Rules (her newest!).  I can't wait to get to either one - both are authors I absolutely love!

If you're interested in learning more about Lynette and her family, check out her blog at Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground.

Also, this is linked up to Life As Mom's Booking It April Update.  I update more than once a month, so if you see a book I mention here I might have discussed it in a previous post, just search for my Book It 2010 posts and I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for!

I'm Booking It!

I know that LifeAsMom only updates on Booking It 2010 once a month but I have been reading too much to do that.  I feel like I need to share more often or I'll forget what I've been reading!  With my last update I had just finished books nine and 10 on my way to read 52 for the year.  That was March 5th...  As of Wednesday night (the 24th) I had finished numbers 11, 12, 13 and 14 and have picked up number 15.  Here's what I've read most recently:


Push: A Novel by Sapphire

Wow... What a book! Usually when Short Stack and I go to the library we'll get her books first (she says I take too long) and then I get mine and before we leave we'll sit at a table and read for a bit before heading home. I opened this book first that day and knew before the bottom of the first page I was going to like it. That was on Sunday after lunch and I finished it by breakfast on Monday... When we went to Menard's later Sunday afternoon I made Brian drive so I could read, I read on the way home too (and before bed and when I woke up and ate breakfast - that's when I finished it).

I don't know how to say this without sounding like a moron or potentially offending someone but I have to say, I had a hard time sometimes getting through the words. The words are spelled how Precious (the main character) would say them (and probably how they are pronounced in the movie too) and when I first saw "muver" it took me a second to realize it was mother. And that "tesses" was tests. Once I realized though that that was how the book was written, I picked up on it much quicker.

The subject at times was heavy and hard to read.  I can't imagine facing the abuse that Precious faced at the hands of her mother and father.  I know it happens but it is not an easy subject to read about.  I picked up this book because of the awards that the movie based on the book won at the Academy Awards.  I'm not the type to watch a movie after reading a book (the movie always ruins it for me!) but I just might have to watch this one...


Sante Fe Sunrise
I recently put a request out on Facebook for suggested authors and/or books to read and someone suggested Kathryn Fuller.  I picked up this book by her and read it in a day also.  It's a historical romance and was a very easy read.  It was predictable (as I think most romance stories are) but I enjoyed it still.  I put another of her books on my list to pick up tomorrow...


Jack and Jill
Ahhhhh...James Patterson!!!  I *love* him.  Seriously.  His books keep me up at night and are definite page turners!  This one included two different serial murderers - one attacking children near where Alex Cross lives and the other attacking famous people/politicians with sights on the President of the United States.  Even though I have read all of these books (at least once!) it's been long enough that I can't remember the details and I hang onto every word.


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
I picked this one out after seeing it read by several others who are also participating in Booking It 2010.  I am so glad I picked it up!  Mary Ann Shafer and her niece Annie Barrows have put together an excellent read.  It took me a bit to get into this one.  The book is written as letters from one person to another and there are several people writing to each other and I was so confused at first!  Once I figured out who was who (and where they were too) it was a good book.  This was about the German occupation of the Guernsey Islands and at times was hard to read as well.  While this was fiction - you know that the things describe were probably based on fact and so hard to fathom.  A very good read!


And then on Thursday I picked up a book called House Calls and Hitching Posts by Dorcas Sharp Hoover about a doctor in Amish Country, Ohio who practiced medicine in a way many doctors wouldn't have starting in the 1960's.  I'll probably have it finished today and hope to hit the library later today or tomorrow after church for a few more books to keep me busy!

Have you read anything good lately?  Leave me a comment and let me know - I'm always looking for a good read!

Book It 2010

I'm well on my way to accomplishing my goal of 52 books this year. I didn't want to restrict myself and make it one book per week...I was afraid I'd get behind and then never catch up. And I didn't want to set four books per month for the exact same reason. So I chose 52 books in one year. In 365 days I need to read 52 books. In the last two days I have finished number nine and #10. 

When I decided to pursue this adventure I had an idea of what kind of books I wanted to read. I also decided I needed to read the "high school classics" - those books that were required of us in high school (and maybe even middle school). This week's book in that category was The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger.

Maybe because I'm a 32-year-old woman or maybe because I never felt the anxiety/confusion that the main character, Holden Caulfield experiences in this book, I wasn't a huge fan of the novel.  I did some internet research on the book because I knew that it was a controversial book and I couldn't see why.  Many of the sites I visited mention the amount of profanity and sexual thoughts that Holden discusses as one of the big reasons the book is controversial.  Once again, I didn't see it that way but maybe as a 16- or 17-year-old in high school it would have been.  There were a few times through the book that I just sat and thought, "What?"  I did finish it but this isn't a book that will ever make it to my "must re-read" list.

That book took me more than a week to read.  I picked up Divine by Karen Kingsbury yesterday while on lunch break.  I sat down last night at 11:30 to read a bit before bed and at 2:00 (AM!) I decided I needed to put it down.  I read through 250+ pages just yesterday between 2pm and 2am (mostly from 11:30 - 2:00).  It is SUCH a good book.  Kingsbury writes inspirational books and this one was just as good as any others of hers that I've read. 

Divine is about Mary Madison, a girl who is abused from 10-years-old until she's in her mid-twenties.  Mary Madison is a modern day Mary Magdelene - the woman that cried outside of Jesus' empty tomb on the day of His resurrection.  Mary Magdelene faced seven demons and was saved from those demons by Jesus.  Mary Madison also faces seven demons and is saved from those demons by Jesus.  A definite page turner, I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to see where the story went to next.  As a mother, this was a hard book to read but I'm so glad I did.

Tonight I'm ready to pick up James Patterson's Kiss the Girls and I hope to finish it by Tuesday so I can get more books when these are all due.

Book It 2010

For the first time in a long time...I started a book and didn't finish it.  I am a proud Dave Ramsey follower.  He is my "boyfriend" and I've actually told people that.  Back in December there was a special on his website that a friend and I took advantage of.  One of the books Rae chose was his book titled More Than Enough.  I told her when she got done with it that I'd like to read it.  Well...  I started it.  I didn't finish though. 

I don't know...there was just something about this book that I couldn't get into.  And knowing that her husband wanted to read it (or she wanted her husband to read it...you know how that works sometimes), I decided to go ahead and give it back to her.  Someday I'm sure I'll pick it up and read it...I just think I'm still smack dab in the middle of my Total Money Makeover and am not ready for that stage yet.

So, when I put that one down I picked up Jodi Picoult's Handle with Care.  Ohmygosh.  I couldn't put it down (as always).  I started it on Thursday evening and finished it Sunday evening.  It was a great book!  It is similar to her other books...a very personal, heart-wrenching decision that is made and a court case.  And the ending...ends just like several of her others.  I should have known it was coming but I finished it...and then threw it down on the couch and said, "I hate her!".  Brian laughed at me and I had to explain to him why...not sharing that here though because I don't want to ruin it for anyone else.

And LeeAnn and I didn't make it to the library Sunday (or Monday!) so when we went tonight I picked up three books:  JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, Karen Kingsbury's Divine and James Patterson's Kiss the Girls.  Quite the mix there, huh?  I decided recently (earlier this month maybe?) that I needed to reread all those books that were required of me in high school.  I've also put myself on a "reread all James Patterson's Alex Cross novels" kick so that's why that one is there.  And the Karen Kingsbury one?  I just love her. 

So, I'm off to read! 

Book It 2010

So...I sometimes get into a rut where I don't read at all - for months. And then sometimes I get into a reading machine mode and I can't quit - like I'm in right now.

I started doing Book It 2010 because I wanted to get back to reading more and reading regularly (and I thought it'd give me some accountablility). Part of my goal was to also spend more time reading with LeeAnn and except for maybe two or three nights, I've been able to do that with her. And I love reading with her. We head to bed 1/2 an hour before lights out to get ready for bed and read a book or two and sing a song and then lights out. Unless the next day is her "nothing day" and she might get to leave her light on and read a book or two to herself.

And so during the last few weeks I've made a concentrated effort to get to the library biweekly (sometimes weekly) and to have a book to read at all times.

This past week I only had two books from the library, a non-fiction by Max Lucado and a how-to digital photography book (focusing on editing on the computer) and I finished them both before Friday. I knew we wouldn't hit the library until Sunday (maybe even Monday - which is how it's ended up) so I went to my "personal" library in LeeAnn's toy room on Saturday afternoon and dug out James Patterson's first Alex Cross novel.

Yeah... I finished it last night. All 500+ pages of it. I could NOT put it down. I even read through the Super Bowl and most of the commercials. And the sad thing? I've read it before (at least once!). But it was SO good! Patterson is one of those writers who leaves little clues all throughout a book and it isn't until the end that you can finally make it all come together. It kinda reminds me of how JK Rowling works in Harry Potter's stories. There are hints and clues in the very first book Harry Potter and The Scorcerer's Stone are tidied up in the last book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

So anyways, this James Patterson novel was Along Came a Spider and I started with the first Alex Cross novel because it has been so long since I've read any of them and Brian bought me a new Patterson/Alex Cross novel for Christmas. I think I might have even missed a few so I wanted to get caught up. I'm thinking if I can read one of his books every two days (like I did this one!) I should be able to read all 15 books in a month. BUT that's not going to happen because I want to read other stuff as well and I also have to work and clean house and other things (which I did none of this weekend). I'm guesing the next one I pick will will go pretty quickly still. So tonight I'm headed to the library to get Kiss the Girls because for some reason I don't have it in my library at home (and I thought I had all of his novels up until about two or three years ago). Guess not...

Along with the next Patterson novel I'll be looking for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  I read To Kill a Mockingbird several times through middle school and high school but saw it recently on a list of must reads and decided to check it out again.

Book It 2010

I finally finished Amy Dacyzcyn's "The Complete Tightwad Gazette".  All 900+ pages of it!  And just as my mid-book review said...I still wasn't very impressed.  I just can't see myself doing many of her suggestions.  I mean, don't get me wrong - they were great and I could see the sense and sensibility in doing them, I just don't see ME doing them.  I did glean a few ideas from her book though and if the time comes that I ever become a stay-at-home mom then maybe even more of her ideas will come in handy.  For now though, I'm sticking with what I know.

I picked up Jeffrey Marx's "The Long Snapper" on Monday night.  I could NOT put it down.  I found it on Dave Ramsey's list of recommended books.  Ohmygosh.  I am so glad I chose to read it!  I finished it today at lunch and it makes me want to go back and watch the 2003 Super Bowl all over again. 

Now, I'm a huge football fan as it is.  I grew up watching football, basketball and going to track meets (my dad was the coach).  I'm one of the few wives around that asks Brian to invite the guys over on Sunday so we can hang out and watch the game.  LeeAnn knows that on Sundays, during football season - there are no cartoons because we have football on all.day.long.

I first read about "The Long Snapper" on Dave Ramsey's website and it sounded like a really great read.  Written by Jeffrey Marx, who won a Pulitzer for investigative reporting, the book is a quick and easy read that really hit home with me. 

From Dave's website (and the inside flap of the book):

"The Long Snapper is the story of a man who finally achieves the success he has always wanted. Brian Kinchen's championship ring is a powerful status symbol for all to see. But his journey forces him to re-examine what really matters, and he realizes the true measure of a man has nothing to do with status: life is not about prestige, it is about passion and purpose. It is about impacting the lives of others."

And more than once through the book Brian Kinchen talks about doing what he does (in everything he does) to glorify God.  On page 128 he is working on developing a life statement of his own (based on what he'd read in "The Man in the Mirror" by Patrick Morley).  Kinchen wrote in the back of his Bible, "Life Purpose Statement, 1-14-04.  To continually seek God's heart, and share Him with the world through the love and respect I give to everyone around me.  Love and raising my children to have hearts for God and to be my living legacy in this world and the next." 

Wow...  Kinchen's thoughts and Marx's delivery of those thoughts touched me in so many ways.  This book is an excellent read and I recommend it to everyone - even if you're not a football fan.

Next on my list:  finish "The Starter Wife" and start working on "Fearless" by Max Lucado and a digital photography how-to type of book that I found at the library on Monday night. 

Book It 2010

So I am STILL working on The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzcyn.  It is well over 900 pages and since I only read a little at night and some at lunch it is taking me longer than I thought. 

When I first read about her book (I can't remember if it was on Money Saving Mom or Life as Mom) I thought - this book sounds great!  I can't wait to get ahold of it and learn some new tricks.  Sadly, as I read through this - I shake my head at most of the tips and tricks.  I just don't see myself darning socks or placing patches on jeans. 

I guess I'm among those that feel that since I work I "deserve" to buy new things.  But I don't even always buy new things...a lot of LeeAnn's clothes come from Once Upon a Child or the extreme clearance racks at Kohls or JC Penney. 

And maybe because I do work out of the house I just can't wrap my brain around a lot of her (and reader's) suggestions.  And if I told her I worked out of the house would she break it all down and tell me I'm wasting my money?  Maybe, maybe not.  She said it wasn't feasible for her to work out of the house because of the drive and day care and the cost of clothes and on and on...  But we're blessed with parents who keep LeeAnn for us (only about two hours per day), my job is only six blocks from my house and I feel I do very well in shopping the clearance racks for my own clothes.  I truly think that me working out of the house is better for where we are right now.  Now, I would much rather be a stay-at-home mom but it just doesn't work out that way.  If I was a stay-at-home mom would I be more willing (and have more time) to work the tips and tricks?  Probably so...

I'm about halfway through her book and I do plan to finish it.  I hope to get a few good ideas out of her.  I have used one idea already...to use the return envelopes that come in the mail with bills, etc.  Since I pay a lot of bills online now I always have lots of extra envelopes.  And I use envelopes when I make my weekly grocery list (put my list on one side and then the coupons in the envelope).  I thought that was a genius idea (reusing the envelopes - I got the grocery list/coupon holder idea off of another blog).

And I've also manage to pick up a fiction book called "The Starter Wife" by Gigi Lavangie Grazer.  I read the first chapter probably two months ago on lunch break (borrowed from a co-worker since I hadn't brought a book to read at lunch) and since she finished it, she's let me borrow it. 

I also still have Marx's "The Long Snapper" waiting for me as well. Needless to say, I've been doing quite a bit more reading lately and I love it! 

BOOK IT 2010

Ahhhh...there is nothing quite like the smell of a book to make a girl happy.  I went to the public library on Sunday (which might just become routine for us - it was so nice!) to get a few books and to let LeeAnn get some books and movies too. 

We've  I've recently decided to revamp the way LeeAnn goes to bed at night - partly because of Book It 2010 and partly because I felt like we were missing some much needed one-on-one time before bed.  Her normal bed time is 10:00 and while it is still lights out at 10:00 we head upstairs at 9:30 to get ready, read a book (or two or three) and sing a song (or two).  It's been so nice since we started (mid-last week) and we've read probably six or seven different books (all multiple times).  She always picks what I'd call "name brand" books - Caillou (yuck!), Barney, Blue's Clues, Princess, etc.  I always go behind her and pick some other books too - this time was a book about snow and the bunnies playing in it.  A very cute book!

LeeAnn also fell in love with Annie over Christmas vacation.  We watched it together one day and she's asked for it every day since then.  So I found it to borrow and since it was in the youth section - we can keep it for two weeks (instead of overnight).  We've watched it once already...  I'm guessing we'll see it a few more times in the next 13 days.  We also rented Annie Jr!  The children's theater did Annie Jr a few years ago and the theater department always films the plays so we'll be checking that out Friday night probably.

Once she was all done I decided to head downstairs to find some book love for me.  After Brian and I finished FPU I found a list of recommended reads from Dave Ramsey and chose a couple books off that list to find.  I was looking for Marx's "The Long Snapper" and Max Lucado's "Fearless".  I found "The Long Snapper" and it looks like an EXCELLENT read.  I also picked up Amy Dacyzcyn's "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" - money saving at it's best!  I don't think I'll ever be able to give up my paper towel and I don't think I'll wash and reuse aluminum foil, but I'm hoping to learn a few things at least. 

To round out my reading list for the next few weeks is James Patterson's books that include the character Alex Cross.  I received a new Alex Cross book for Christmas and want to start at the beginning before I start this new one...

Book It 2010 is well under way for me!

Book It 2010

So, long before I read on Life as Mom or Organizing Your Way about resolutions (or goals) for the new year I had decided that I needed to get back to reading more. I am a reader. I am. I love to read. I'll read anything that sits still long enough for me to read it. Cereal box while eating breakfast? Check. Shampoo bottles while enjoying a warm lazy shower? Check. The little cards in the back pocket of airplane seats? Check. A good (and even a not so good) book? Check. I read it all...

Just before Christmas I realized that I hadn't set foot in the library in probably two months and it had been just as long since I'd read a book. Now, I'd done some reading here and there (you know - the backs of those cereal boxes and all) but nothing to truly quench my thirst for reading. So I had decided that I NEEDED to get back to reading.

When we kept LeeAnn in Story Hour monthly, we'd hit the library every week (for her to attend class) but with preschool two days a week and dance one day a week - we thought throwing Story Hour in there weekly might be much for the poor girl...she is only four! And so while she has done some Story Hour since the new school year started, she's done the early morning class (so Daddy gets to take her) and Mommy gets jipped on the book scene.

And then I read Organizing Your Way's post about reading more in 2010 and thought, yeah...I really need to get on it! And THEN Life as Mom had to post about BOOK IT 2010 and I knew then that my thoughts on reading more were going to become a reality.

So here are my reasonings and goals for BOOK IT 2010:

I want to read for a variety of reasons...

• I want to read for pleasure. I LOVE TO READ. LOVE IT. Seriously. When I was younger and would disobey my parents...instead of being grounded or having the phone taken away from me - my mom would take away my books. It was pure torture to my little heart and it didn't take but two or three times of that for me to get my butt in gear and not let it happen again.
• I want to read for personal growth. Brian and I have recently gone through Financial Peace University and after reading FPU Revisted and Total Money Makeover (the book that got us all started), I've decided that I'd like to continue reading (and rereading) Ramsey's teachings to keep me on the right path.
• I want to read for my family. I try to keep the house clean (well, I do try!) and watch our purse strings but I know there are books out there that can help me on this subject. I have heard of one - The Complete Tightwad Gazette - that sounds like it has some very good info in it. And I guess there are actually three separate books but the Complete one has all three books bound together. 
• I want to read more with LeeAnn. We used to read a book every night before bed (and I'd sing her a song too) but somehow (sometime - not even sure when) we got away from it and I miss it. I'm not sure if she misses it as much as I do but she's asked recently if we can read before bed. It means starting the bedtime routine a bit earlier but I think it'll be good for her (and me too).
• And if I can squeeze in some books on photography (what I love) and God (where I want to grow) then I think I'll have a nice, rounded-out reading list.

How to I plan on completing this? My first thought was a book a week. But here it is...almost a full week into the new year and I haven't even hit the library yet. So - I've considered making my goal to read 52 books this year (just not one a week). There are times (on vacation, when I'm sick) that I can put away two or three books in a week so maybe 52 per year is a better way to go. But what if I can't do it? What happens if I hit a reading slump again and don't touch a book for months? All of these thoughts and ideas have led me to say I'm going to read what I can, when I can and I'm going to keep track of them too. Whether I blog them here or just keep a paper and pen list at home, I'm going to track every book I read (well, minus LeeAnn's books because we do a lot of rereading the same books).

So, here I go. BOOK IT 2010!