Thursday, January 17, 2008

The Joy of Reading

Back when I was pregnant and still working, I used to think, "I can't wait til I quit work! I'll get to read all the books I haven't had time for!" But then I quit work and didn't read all that much. Mostly I watched TV and wrote thank-you cards! And then the babies came, and there was barely time to eat, much less even glance at a book from across the room!



But sometime early last year, when the kids settled into more predictable routines, sudden;y I had time for myself again. Now granted, I spend a lot of my child-free time loading and unloading the dishwasher or doing laundry and picking up toys and books and socks, etc., but I also make time to do things I enjoy, like blog and scrapbook and spend time with Jim and READ!



My friend Becky started keeping a list last year of all the books she read in 2007, and at the end of the year was surprised and delighted to find that she had read 47 books! That got me to thinking...what a great idea! and I wonder how many books I read last year! Well, it's impossible for me to remember all the books I read last year. I'm sure there weren't 47 of them! But I do like the idea of keeping track of the books I read, so I'm going to do it here!

Last night I finished my second book for 2008, so here is my list of books for 2008. I will continue to add to this list as the year goes on, so feel free to click on the link in the What Mommy's Reading section if you ever want to see how I'm doing!

(Becky requested that I rank the books so you the reader will know if they are, in my opinion, any good or not. I'm not good at ranking things, but I'll leave a brief opinion for each one, okay?)

1. Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella--the fifth in a hilarous series, I've loved them all!

2. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield--an excellent read, mysterious, couldn't put it down

3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte--one of my all-time faves! I enjoy it every time I read it!

4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis--another classic, I had never read it but thoroughly enjoyed it!

5. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde--the first in a series of very cleverly written books for anyone who loves literature, espescially British lit

6. Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis--a thought-provoking read for anyone who wants to raise godly sons

7. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver--this book really made me think about how the world sees me as a Christian, and how far I'm willing to go to do the work of the Lord

8. Whispers of the Bayou by Mindi Starnes Clark--an entertaining and easy read, interesting Cajan history interwoven with mystry plot

9. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella--entertaining and funny, I enjoyed this book but not as much as her shopaholic series

10. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gragory--a thrilling read if you like historical fiction and have an interest in the life of Henry VIII, or at least his wives and mistresses!

11. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis--the next in the Narnia series, a good book, but not as good as Lion, Witch and Wardrobe

12. Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson--super-short classic that I had somehow never read, I found I knew a lot less about the story than I thought, and really enjoyed it, very thought-provoking!

13. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson--a wonderful true story that proves one person can make a difference
14. Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge--a must-read for all women! I highly recommend it!
15. Love in the Time of Cholera--an interesting read, very digressive story, it was okay
16. Uglies by Paul Westerfeld--book 1 of a really fun sci-fi trilogy involvong a future society where everyone gets plastic surgery at the age of 16 to become pretty, before that you're an ugly, absolutely loved it! Be warned-cliffhanger ending!
17. Pretties by Paul Westerfeld--book 2 of the above trilogy, another great fun read, HAD to read it after reading the first one, loved it too!
18. Specials by Paul Westerfeld--book 3 of the above trilogy, loved it but not as much as the first two, was sad when it was over though, would love the story to go on
19. Mother Teresa by Kathryn Spink--an inspiring biography of an inspiring woman
20. Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire--an intersting sequel to Wicked, a good read but not great
21. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley--a classic, if you've only ever seen the movie versions, you'll be surprised by the book, it's not what you expect!
22. A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgens Clark--a nice, mystery that doesn't make you think too hard
23. Princess by Jean Sason--very interesting true story of the life of a princess in Saudi Arabia
24. The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian--a must-have, must-read over and over for every wife, in my opinion!
25. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis--Narnia's 4th book, a good read but not as good Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe, I look forward to seeing the movie version soon, I feel like they must have changed it quite a bit to have made this story into an action-packed movie, but maybe not

5 comments:

Unknown said...

yea! i love book lists. i would suggest you rate them also so I can know if they are any good!

Andria said...

Neat idea! Maybe you can inspire me to read some books - besides Dr. Seuss or Parent's Magazine. I'm impressed already!

Emily said...

I've started keeping track of my books this year too! Just finished "The Secret Lives of Bees" and am starting "The Memory-Keeper's Daughter."

Bridgette said...

I hope you don't mind if I totally steal your idea and post my lists on my blog. I can only count up 13 for last year, but that gives me a goal to aim for this year!

Is It Healthy? said...

"Three Cups of Tea" is one of my favorite books!!! Currently reading "Anna Karenina" and loving it.