For the Record: November/December 2009:

Who knew it could be so hard to read a book or two during the holidays? Maybe a better question would be: Who on earth thought it could be easy to read a book or two during the holidays? Believe it or not, I did manage to read 10 books in November and December, bringing my 2009 total to 110 books! Crazy, that. Here's what I read in the final months:

Tom Trueheart, Ian Beck. Andrew has been bugging me for ages to read this book, and I finally did! It was a fun adventure book that touched on many well known fairy tales, putting a new spin on them.

Tirzah, Lucille Travis. This was a reread for me; I read it aloud to my kids this time through. I enjoyed the perspective on Old Testament history that the author provided in this book.

A New Kind of Christian, Brian D. McLaren. Some interesting thoughts to consider for any Christian, or anyone interested in modern evangelical Christianity.

The Johnstown Flood, David McCullough. One of my favorite books of the year. An incredible moment in American history detailed by a great historian and writer.

Fairest, Gail Carson Levine. By the author of Ella Enchanted, and written in the same style, Fairest was a very enjoyable book to read to my girls. Thought you knew the story of Snow White? You may think differently after reading this story.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami. Totally not my style, but very well written and engaging all the same. This was a Book Club pick--I love how the Book Club makes me branch out.

Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick. Apart from the misleading title, this book was well written, well researched, and informative. I know more about King Phillip's War than I ever did before, now I just have to find a book to teach me more about the Mayflower.

The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster. This book reminded me greatly of Roald Dahl's BFG for some reason. It was a great allegory surrounding a very bored boy.

Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout. I flew through this book. I just could not stop reading it. The writing was lovely; fluid yet to the point. The characters very real to life, the stories heartbreaking but satisfying.  This book really deserves a more in-depth review, hopefully I'll be able to get to that at some point.

Justin Morgan Had a Horse, Marguerite Henry. This is the story of how the Morgan horse came into being. I'm no expert on horses, but this was a great little piece of history to read, and a very enjoyable story.

For the Record: October 2009:

Somehow I've managed to reach 100 book read so far this year! I don't really know how I've done it, except that I've been so busy that I've absolutely needed some down time, and most of my quilting stuff is 500 miles away from me right now. These are the books that I read in October:

The Stranger, Albert Camus I picked this up at the book store without knowing anything about it (except that it was a lovely cloth bound book, a classic of some sort, and a very slim volume) and read it quickly. It is more modern in style than I usually read, but it was very interesting and thought provoking. Takes place in Algiers, written post WWII.

The Magician's Nephew C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis I think I actually enjoyed The Magician's Nephew more, but that may be because I was less familiar with it. It's been so long since I've read these that it doesn't even really count.

How to Read Novels Like a Professor Thomas C. Foster. I wish I hadn't spent money on this book, but even more than that I am glad I didn't have this guy as a literature professor. Severe bias and arrogance in a teacher is one of my pet peeves, and as this book went on I felt that more and more. Ugh.

Riddle of the Rosetta Stone James Cross Giblin. A great insight to hieroglyphics, easy to read.

A Separate Peace John Knowles. I actually had a hard time getting through this book, simply because I was completely uninterested in the characters. Perhaps I just wasn't ready for a coming-of-age story, I don't know. Well written though.

Adara Beatrice Gormley. I preread this for our history, but won't be using it. The writing was okay, the theme a little confused/confusing.

Earthquake at Dawn Kristiana Gregory. I bought this from Sonlight, and wasn't disappointed. It's a great little book to learn about the SF earthquake and fires. It's fact mixed with fiction, based on true characters even. Good reading.

So Long, See You Tomorrow William Maxwell. This seemed to be a continuation of the family's story in They Came Like Swallows, and since much of Maxwell's work is autobiographical, it shouldn't be so surprising. I loved both books. Simple yet deep and real.

Peter Pan J.M. Barrie. Weird and dark. Much like all the movies out there about it, yet at the same time stranger and darker. I'm not much of a fantasy reader, so I'm sure my score is reflective of that.

On Fortune's Wheel Cynthia Voigt. YA fiction, somewhat coming-of-age/historical/fantasy. I really enjoyed it, thought it was well written and engaging.

For the Record: September 2009:

Since July I have wanted to sum up my reading accomplishments for 2009 to date and set some goals for the remaining months of the year. Now in October I am no closer to achieving these goals although the desire has not waned. The point of doing this is rather dull now, with there being less than 90 days left of the year. (!!!) I would be much better served by practicing writing (typing?) "2010" instead of "2009" and coming up with New Year's Resolutions. Oh, and thinking about Christmas shopping somewhere in there too, I suppose.

Unfulfilled goals notwithstanding, I am happy with the reading I've done so far this year. I haven't read as much as I'd wanted--believe it or not--especially when it comes to books already on my bookshelf begging to be befriended. I have, however, read some amazing books and made some new favorite authors (Cather, Tolstoy). In September I finished reading:

My Antonia by Willa Cather. This book didn't touch me quite as deeply as did Song of the Lark, but then I had to read it in such a hurry to finish it by my book club meeting that I probably didn't spend as much time on it as I should have. I love Willa Cather's writing, and My Antonia only served to solidify my resolve to read all of her works.

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Buchanan. I read this as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer book, and ended up with conflicting opinions about it. The story and the history in the book were enjoyable, but I felt that there was a lack of continuity in some areas.

The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. A great read.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Who am I to review Shakespeare? Classic.

Let It Rot by Stu Campbell. Great introduction and reference about composting.

The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. I read this aloud this time as a school book. It was exciting enough that I was coerced into reading for 1.5 hours in order to finish the book. A great intro to Ancient Egypt.

And with that, I think I'll sign off and curl up with a good book. Happy reading, all.

For the Record: August 2009

I'm so busy that not only has it taken me 2 weeks to get around to doing something I'm on top of, but I'm not even going to do a thorough individual job at it...I'm going to copy and paste my book reviews from LibraryThing! The good news (or bad news, depending on your viewpoint) is that I'm so busy this month that I'll have very few reviews that even need writing next month. As it is, most of the books I read in August were pre-reading for school.

Mara, Daughter of the Nile, Eloise Jarvis McGraw Action, romance, intrigue...not to mention history and culture...this book is fast paced without being shallow. The story is balanced enough to be enjoyable for both boys and girls, I think. The romance isn't mushy, the action isn't contrived, and the suspense holds steady throughout the book. I liked seeing the difference between slave life and noble life, between Egyptian life and Syrian life...it's a great way to have fun learning some history.

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, Elizabeth Payne This book gives a good overview of the Pharaohs and historical highlights of Ancient Egypt. It includes some good b&w photos of architectural finds. There were occasions when the text was a little too opinionated, relying on conjecture, ("They seemed scarcely more human than the wild animals they so feared.") but for the most part seems to do a good job of teaching about Egypt.

Landscaping With Fruit, Lee Reich Rarely have I seen a gardening book that combines a great layout, many great photos, as well as easy to read, entertaining, and informative writing. I enjoyed reading this book and still pick it up for reference.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum Maybe it was because I never read the book when I was young, or maybe I simply don't have an innate appreciation for fantasy literature, but this book--like the movie--is just weird to me. My girls (whom I read the book aloud to) thought that it was pretty good; they have yet to see the movie. All that said, I'm glad to have read it--simply because it makes me feel more culturally literate. : )

Hittite Warrior, Joanne Williamson This book provides an interesting look at ancient history from a viewpoint other than the Egyptians. It was written fairly simply, but full of adventure and action. I liked how you get a sense of how the varying cultures interacted, as well as how much people's religions played a part in their lives.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, Mary Ann Shaffer This was a sweet lighthearted look at a heartbreaking point in history. The characters weren't very deeply drawn, but were touching and enjoyable to read about nonetheless. It was a look at the world through rose-colored glasses, a way to sympathize with those that lost without feeling swamped in the mire. I wish that I knew people like those in the book. It was a bit of a fantasy, but a nice little foray.

God King, Joanne Williamson My initial impression wasn't entirely favorable, because the story took a little while for me to get into. The action quickly picked up however, and I sped through the rest of the book. Written simply enough for younger readers, I liked the balance of ancient and biblical history. There was enough interest and adventure to hold interest, while still being fully historical. A fun way to learn about history, and to get a more personal interpretation of biblical cultures and stories.


Mr. Popper's Penguins, Richard and Florence Atwater This is the story of a housepainter in a small American town. He's always wanted to travel, but has never been able to...he loves books and movies of the Arctic and Antarctic. He is married to a lovely lady whose main concern is how tidy the house is; therefore she dreads winter--Mr. Popper's off-season--when he'll be lying around the house reading books. Too hard to keep a house tidy! Of course, the addition of a penguin to the family changes everything. This story is quick to read and funny. The fact that it was written in 1938 lends to much of it's charm. It's quite funny that nobody knows what a penguin is, and that the penguins ride on buses, in taxis, and stay in hotels mostly because no one has had any experience with them to say otherwise. My 5 year-old and 8 year-old daughters both enjoyed listening to this book.

The Song of the Lark, Willa Cather This is the second work of Willa Cather's that I've read (previously read O Pioneers!) but it convinced me to read all of Cather's works (My Antonia is next). The theme wasn't quite as strong as in O Pioneers, but there were moments that were so insightful, beautiful, and touching that it was very much worth the reading. I love how all of the feelings and emotions are described and explained. The sentiment mixed with duty (whether to others or oneself) is tangible. How Thea's journey to unleash her artistic side is so intrinsically tied to her memories of home makes for a deeply touching story.