My 2019 Bookshelf

So last year I loaded up my little bookshelf with books I wanted to read.   I didn't get through all of them, and I didn't read only those books, but I did get a lot of those books read.  I decided to do it again for 2019, so here are the books I loaded up for this year.

I have so many books that it can get overwhelming to pick something to read after finishing a book can get a little overwhelming.  By having a shelf set aside of books to read, it does make it a little easier, although there were books I read that I got during the year or that weren't on the shelf.  But, a good starting point none the less.

Usually I set a goal of 48 books a year, which I never seem to reach, but this year I'm lowering my goal to only 24.  With school eating up a lot of my time, and wanting to get outside more, I just don't think I'll get anywhere close to 48.  So, two a month seems much more doable.

Here's a listing of what's on the shelf.   An * indicates a book that was on my shelf in 2018.

You're Already Amazing by Holley Gerth*
You Area Free by Rebekah Lyons
Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Eliot
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis*
Literary Converts by Joseph Pearce*
The Power of Prayer in a Believer's Life by Charles Haddon Spurgeon*
A Circle of Quiet by Madeline L'Engle
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie Macdonald*
The Fox was Ever the Hunter by Herta Muller*
South of Superior by Ellen Airgood*
The Last Bookaner by Matthew Pearl
When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro
Fiver Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris*
American Gods by Neil Gaiman*
The Terror by Dan Simmons*
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Severance by Ling Ma
Remembered Death by Agatha Christie
Halloween Party by Agatha Christie
The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
Finding Water by Julia Cameron*
On Writing by Stephen King
Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose*
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis*
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis*
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis*
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis*
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis*
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis*
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis*
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor
Selected Stories of O. Henry by O. Henry*
Emma by Jane Austen*
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
Dead Mountain by Donnie Eicher
In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson*
We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich*
Cooked by Michael Pollan*
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan

What are you looking forward to reading this year?

September Reading List

September already!  That means the year will be 3/4 of the way over in just a few weeks!  I always feel like a year is such a long time, and have all these plans for change and how different my life will look after another trip around the sun, but it seems to stay mundanely the same.  Maybe it's just that it's hard to notice change when we're still so close to it.  Maybe there's not much to notice.  But, anyways, there's still plenty of books I want to read before the year comes to a close, so let's get on to that.

In September, I'm aiming to get through some books that have been on my shelf for a while:

• The Passenger by Lisa Lutz had been on wish list, and I received it for a birthday present back in February.  I honestly can't remember which blog reviewed it, that made me want to add it to my wishlist, but it's languished on my shelf for over half a year now, and it seemed like it was time to give it a read.  I'm actually reading this one right now, and am enjoying it.
• The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri has been on my shelf for years!  Years! It's time to either read it or pass it on.
• In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore is a nonfiction read.  I listened to a TED Talk Honore did on slowing down, after I had found this book at the thrift store.  I found it intriguing, but never got around to reading it. 
• Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes is by the same author as The Shining Girls.  I'm hoping for a little less gore, but I'm not holding my breath.  I see someone on Goodreads describe Beukes still as paranormal crime noir, and while that sounds like a mouthful, it also seems accurate.  I don't know how I'm going to feel about this one.  The Shining Girls definitely held my interest, and I read it fast, but if I hadn't bought this one before I read the other, I'm not sure I would have brought it home with me.  That seems contrary, but it makes sense in my head.

So, that's what I'm hoping to get through this month.  What's on your reading list?  Or do you have any insight to offer into any of the books on my list?  Let me know.

August Book Recap

August was a pretty slow reading month due to all the podcast listening.  I don't know why I didn't consider that this would happen when I set my podcast goal, but oh well.  I did manage to get a couple books read.

At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie was definitely not my favorite of her books, and I had no qualms tossing this one into the book destined for the thrift store when I was done.  It's a Miss Marple mystery, but it was just missing something.  The characters where ho hum, and the mystery just seemed far fetched and unbelievable.

God Speaks Tenderly by Marie Shropshire was much better than I expected.  I went into it not expecting much, but I really came away with some applicable insights.  My job gets under my skin a lot.  I've had more headaches, insomnia, and nausea than I can remember with any job, but there's perks too- I like the people I work with, I like the residents, I don't mind most of the work, so what do you do?  Sometimes I feel like God puts you someplace to work on something in your life.  Maybe it's patience, or empathy, or even your courage.  I know there's plenty I need to work on, and you can't just quit something because it's hard, but sometimes growing feels like an impossible task.

Walking in This World by Julie Cameron is a companion book to The Artist's Way.  It stresses the importance of walking for getting the creative juices flowing, as well as giving insights into nurturing your work.  It was a good read, although I will admit, it did take me a while to get into it, and actually a while to finish it.  But, I am keeping it on my finished book shelf because I feel I may want to read it again in the future.

And as far as what I added to my book piles?  Nothing.  I didn't buy a single book last month.  That makes my totals at 25 books read this year and 22 added to my shelves.  I'm aiming for at least five books read in September, because I really need to step up my game if I'm going to make my yearly goal of 48 reads.

Podcast Challenge 37-50

Well, I didn't make my goal of 62 podcasts.  I got to 50, and ran out of month.  But, I still think that's a decent chunk of listening.  I found some gems, so clunkers, and some interesting ones I probably wouldn't have tried without the challenge, but I must admit, I'm relieved that I'm back to listening only for fun, and not scouring the interwebs for new listens.  Here's a recap of the last batch.
 
37. Hold On with Eugene Mirman
38. Reveal
39. Stuff They Don't Want You to Know
40. Twenty Percent True
41. You Must Remember This
42. I Guess We're Grown-Ups Now
43. The Practical Minimalists
44. How Stuff Works
45. Young House Love
46. It's Been a Minute
47. Lif-e.af/ter
48. That's So Maven
49. For the Love with Jen Hatmaker
50. Radiolab

Favorite of this Batch: Reveal
Best Surprise: Twenty Percent True
Definitely Going to Continue Listening to: Radiolab

Five Favorites of 1-50:

• Write Now
• Stuff You Missed in History Class
• Annotated
• Reveal
• Levar Burton Reads

And that folks, is a wrap for my August podcast challenge.  While I enjoyed it, it really did cut into my reading time.  But, I definitely found plenty of listening material for my walks and housework tasks.  And if you still haven't tried podcasts, what are you waiting for?  Just click a link and listen to one.  You can do it right from you phone or computer.  It's better than television, and easier than holding a book.  And if you have a favorite that I didn't listen to in August, please leave me the title in the comments and I'll check it out.

Podcast Challenge 25-36

Well, I think it's getting harder to find straight up amazing podcasts, but every now and then I find a gem that I'm surprised I hadn't encountered before.  And while a lot of this batch are smaller or more niche, there's been some that are real treats.

25. The Fizzle Show
26. The Mythology Podcast
27. Write Now
28. Gone Cold
29. Process
30. Spilled Milk
31. Stuff You Should Know
32. Imaginary Worlds
33. Blog Fuel
34. Annotated
35. To The Best of Our Knowledge
36. An Uncluttered Life

Favorite of this Batch: Write Now
Best Surprise: Tie between Gone Cold and Blog Fuel
Definitely Going to Continue Listening to: Annotated

Five Favorites of 1-36:

• Write Now
• Stuff You Missed in History Class
• Annotated
• Criminal
• Levar Burton Reads

So, I've made it more than halfway!  What do you think?  Is there any awesome podcasts out there that you can't believe I haven't tried yet?  And remember, if you want to follow along with my daily updates, check out my Twitter feed or Facebook page.

Podcast Challenge 13-24

Okay, so there's a lot of podcasts out there, but not all of them are winners. August 7-12 I listened to the following podcasts:

• 13. Alice Isn't Dead
  14. The Psych Files
  15. Historium
  16. Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything
  17. Stuff Mom Never Told You
  18. Here Be Monsters
  19. The Allusionist
  20. Strangers
  21. The Sporkful
  22. The Orbiting Human Circus
  23. Creating Our Own Lives
  24. 99% Invisible

Favorite of the Batch: Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything
Best Surprise: 99% Invisible
Definitely Going to Continue Listening: Stuff Mom Never Told You

Five favorites of 1-24

• Stuff You Missed in History Class
• Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything
• S-Town
• Levar Burton Reads
• Criminal

I have been listening to podcasts while I go for walks, while I clean, when I fold laundry, in the bathtub, when I'm cooking, pretty much everywhere.  And what I've learned is that not all podcasts are amazing.  I've stumbled across some that I listened to one episode tapped out as soon as it was done, but I've also found some really awesome new listens.  But really, it's made me decide to keep looking for new ones (even after the challenge is done) and giving some a try even if I don't think they'll be my cup of tea. It's been a fun experiment so far.  

August Reading List

So it's time for another reading list.  August is already here

• The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz- I've heard good things about this "fourth book" of the "Girl with the Dragon's Tattoo" trilogy.  So, I'm looking forward to catching back up with Lizabeth Sander.

• The Tempress by Paul Spice- The true story of a 1920s femme fatale?  Interested!

• At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie- Because sometimes a girl just needs a little visit with Miss Marple.

• The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman- Another true story.  The Zabinski's helped Polish Jews by hiding them in their zoo.  Serving as a safe haven for many as they were smuggled out of the country.  There's a movie coming out based on it.

What's on your August reading list?

July Book Recap

July was a decent month for reading.  I didn't make my five book goal, but I did get through three books.

•  First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde is book five in the Thursday Next series. It had been on my reading list in January, but I just finally got it read.  I think there's one left in this series, and while I've enjoyed it, I am ready to finish it.  Does that make any sense?  

• Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann was discovered in a thrift store on the shores of Lake Superior in June.  This story of sheep solving the murder of their shepherd was not all what I was expecting.  I did enjoy most of the sheep characters, but there was one or two existential sheep scenes and I wasn't sure what was going on or how they fit in the story.  There was also some confusing parts where I had to go back and reread to see if the sheep were imaging something, really experiencing what the book said, or if it was a flashback.  I don't know if something was lost in translation or it's just the authors style, but it wasn't necessarily a negative for the book.  I was expecting a cozy mystery and it was more than that.
  
•  Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was interesting.  Not as scary as 1984, but still disconcerting.  Babies are not conceived and raised by families, but rather grown in jars.  Monogamy is frowned upon and medicating any feelings of discomfort away is strongly encouraged.  Also, it was originally published in 1932, and there is a ton of sex in this book.  It's mostly implied, and it's not really gratuitous, but it still seems odd that it was wrote 85 years ago.  I wonder what the original readers thought of it.  The ending i also kind of sudden, but I think the author meant for it to be.  It's one of those books I really don't think I'll ever read again, but I am glad I read it. 

For July, I managed to only add one book.  It's another book in Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series.  Nemesis is book four and I found it on Bookmooch so I had to snap it up in preparation of getting to it of the next few months.

2017 totals:
22 Books Read
22 Books Acquired

July Reading List

July already?  How can this be?  It seems like it was just a few months ago, I was battling cold and snow and now we've already celebrated Independence Day.   Well, here's what is on my reading list for July.

• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel was found at BAM a few months back on the clearance shelf.  It's a dystopian story, and it's gotten good rating on Goodreads.  That's about all I know for sure.
• Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann was only bought a few weeks ago, but I just think it sounds really cute and sometimes you just really want to read something out of the usual.  Sheep detectives fit that mold.
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is my second dystopian pick of the month.  This was not on purpose and I just realized it as I was writing this post.  It may turn out to be a depressing month of reading.
• How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie should come in handy after I read all this fall of modern society stuff. :)  Actually, I'm not much of a worrier in the traditional sense.  But, I do feel like I have decision anxiety quite frequently, often wondering if I'm making the right choice about life stuff.  If something happens that is out of my control, like our air conditioner dies, or my car needs some work done, no worries, but if I have to make a decision, I waffle like no ones business.  So, I think this book still might have some appliciation for me.

What about you?  What are you currently reading?  Or have you read any of my pick for the month?  If so, what'd you think?

May Reading List

Okay, here's my list of what I'm hoping to tackle in May.  I know the month is about 2/3 over, but I figured better late than never.

Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott.  I think my love of Anne Lamott is well known by now.  This is another collection of essays by her.

The Bat by Jo Nesbo.  This is the first book in his Harry Hole series and I'm ready to dive into a new Scandinavian mystery.

An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina.  This is an autobiography by the man who inspired Hotel Rwanda by hiding Tutsi's during the genocide in 1994.  It was originally on my list September of last year, but never even got cracked open.

Letters to Zell by Camille Griep.  This was in my Fall Sweet Progress Swap package and  is a reimagining of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.  I'm always down with a good fairy tale retold.

So what are you reading, or have you read this month?

April Book Recap

So April was a good month of reading, but I didn't get much else done, including blogging.  I started a new job, and now my schedule is 7:00 to 3:30, Monday to Friday.  I enjoy getting done at 3:30, and had really good intentions to spend time once I got home blogging and keeping up with some of the other blogs I follow, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to establish much of a routine yet.  Instead, I get done with work, run some errands, then come home and read, eat supper, maybe go for a walk with my friend down the street and her dog, and next thing I know it's 8 o'clock and I'm falling asleep on the couch.  Still ironing out a routine that fosters blogging time.  But anyways, here's what I read and bought.

Read

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent was interesting.  It takes place in Iceland and is based on a true story.  The author did a great job of painting vivid scenes and really showing how a place looked, felt, and even smelled like, but I didn't love it as much as everyone else seemed to.  I thought it was a good story, but I wanted to know more about the family that Agnes stayed with, more about Agnes even, but she wasn't much of a talker and a lot of the story took place in her head with her remembering it and retelling it to herself.

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey started out with such promise.  I was enjoying it right up until about the time they ended up on the RV.  Then it all started to go downhill.  I enjoyed the characters and cared about most of them, and this book is bleak, no doubt, so I wasn't expecting them to fire up the RV, ride off into the sunset, and find the answer to all humanities woes. I was expecting something like Cormac McCarthy's The Road- not a happy ending but not delusional.  This book ended in such a strange way.  All it made me think is that Melanie may be super smart and observant, but she's still a child or she would have realized that her plan was not only unfeasible to save the one she loved but also cruel.  I don't want to spoil anything, but ugh, that ending just annoyed me.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller was nonfiction and a good look at how Christians have a tendency to get all wrapped up in this or hat and forget that our main purpose is to love each other.  I liked most of the stories and it did make me think.  We all have first impressions of the people we meet, but are we willing to dig deeper and see really get to know people.  I know a lot of times, I don't engage with people because I think we'll never be deep friends so why bother, but there's plenty of reasons to get to know someone even if you think they're not going to be your new bff.  This may seem like a duh thing extroverts but I think introverts are going to know what I mean.

A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay was so disappointing.  I loved how the book started, taking place in Noirmoutier and even the little flashbacks were cute at first.  Plus there was some big family secret to unravel!  Oh my, I can't wait!  Well turns out I could have.  The secret is not that devastating.  The way they were carrying on you'd have thought their mother was some sort of puppy murderer or something.  Plus, the main character, Antoine, is this sad sack divorcee who's unsatisfied in his job and can't connect with his kids, and still wants to get back with his ex-wife who left him for another guy.  But all that changes when he meets the most remarkable undertaker.  Look up manic pixie dream girl, and you'll see this chick.  She has an unconventional job, she drives a Harley, she takes the reins sexually, his kids all love her, she never has a bad day apparently, and in turn she turns dumb Antoine's life around, and I couldn't have cared less.  I kept hoping this book would get better but it didn't. 

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson lived up to what I remembered.  He goes from giving history of the trail to telling actual tales from his trip.  It's a nice balance and makes you realize what an amazing thing the Appalachian Trail is.  I don't think I'd ever want to hike the whole thing, but it does make you respect those who do.  And Bryson is funny.  I laughed out loud with this book several times.

Acquired

The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty was picked up at my library's book sale.  I almost put it back because I'm really trying to limit the amount of books I'm hauling home, but after reading more about it on Goodreads, I am glad I picked it up.

Totals for 2017
Read- 14
Acquired- 12

April Reading List

April is here!  And here's what I'm aiming to read this month.

• The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey was a gift from my Broke and Bookish Secret Santa last year.  I've been looking forward to this read and have been trying to keep away from spoilers, so I'm not sure what all I'm in for, but looking forward to the ride.
• One True Ocean by Sarah Beth Martin was on my to be read list way back in October of 2015.  But, I never even cracked it open.  So, this is the month for redemption.  It's 
• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is being turned into movie.  When I was at my aunt and uncle's cabin a few years ago, I found a copy there and started reading through it.  So, when I found a copy at a book sale, I snapped it up.
• Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller us described as a sort of Anne Lamott style book.  So, of course I had to give it a go.  It's been sitting on my shelf for months but decided it was time to dust it off.

What's on your reading list for April?

March Book Recap

March was a surprisingly good month for reading.  I had gotten into a habit of coming home, plopping in front of the TV and watching reruns until my husband got home, so I broke that and switched from TV to books.  Of course, once you're immersed in a good story, it's hard to put a book down, so I ended up spending a lot of nights curled up with a book.  Here's the details.

I read

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky, which had been on my February reading list, but I never got to it.  It was a quick read, but much more intense than I was expecting.  I was expecting this cutsie little story about friendship and finding your place in life, and that is not what this is at all, it's much darker and more intense.  But it was good and I'm glad I finally read it.
• The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (originally from my November 2016 reading list) was also darker than I normally read.  I think this would be classified as horror, where I'm more a suspense type girl.  I really liked the premise of a time traveling serial killer, but there was a lot of questions left unanswered and some of the relationships and decisions of the characters just didn't seem reliable to me, and the gore was more than I care for in my books.  But it was interesting, that's for sure.
• Still Mine by Amy Stuart didn't live up to my expectations.  I didn't really like any of the characters except for maybe the missing girl's mother, who has dementia.  The whole town sounded like a downer and being in healthcare, one my biggest annoyances was that this town of like a couple hundred people, two hours from anything in the middle of no where, isolated from everything because it's on some remote mountain road, has a hospital even though it seems like there's only one doctor and one nurse running the whole thing.  The grocery store consisted of a couple rows of stuff in the hardware store.  The town residents drive two hours to get food, but they manage to maintain a hospital?  Seriously, my town has about 4,000 people and we are pretty tiny to have a hospital.  It probably seems like no big deal to most readers, but the whole remoteness, yet randomness of this town really annoyed me.  And like I said, combine that with characters you don't care about- even the missing girl seemed unremarkable, and it makes for a fast but not really memorable read.  I did enjoy the parts of Claire's story that fleshed her out a little, but there wasn't enough to make me care about her that much.
• Children of God by Mary Doria Russell was much better than I was expecting.  It's the sequel to The Sparrow, which was my favorite read of last year.  While the sequel wasn't as good (are they ever), I did enjoy reading more about Emilio Sandoz again, and watching him overcome the trauma he experienced in the first book.  The war in the middle got long, and I felt like a lot of it could have been cut or condensed, but I liked the back and forth point of views, where one chapter would be on Earth and the next would be on Rakhat.  I think this is one of those books that you either love or hate.  And you definitely need to read The Sparrow before this one, or you're going to be lost, or at least not as emotionally invested in a lot of the characters.

I added

•  Lenten Lands by Douglas Gresham is a memoir of C.S. Lewis' stepson.  The more I find out about Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis' marriage, the more I want to hear about it, so this book by her son seems like an obvious read for me.
• What Strange Creatures by Emily Arsenault is a murder mystery with a strong family story woven in.  To be honest, the cover drew me in, but I have a feeling the book is going to go a whole different direction.
• Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes was at the dollar store, for $1.  I picked it up before I read The Shining Girls and now that I have read The Shining Girls, I worry it may be too gory for my taste, but I'm willing to give it a read.  Per Goodreads, it got slightly higher ratings that The Shining Girls.

2017 Totals
Read- 9, Acquired- 11

Winter Bingo Wrap Up

Well, it was my first time playing Bookish Bingo, hosted by Bekka from Pretty Deadly Reviews.  I didn't get many books read this winter, but did manage to eek out a Bingo.  Here it is...

Set Abroad: The Man from Beijing by Henrik Mankell

Romance: Dear Mr. Darcy by Amanda Grange

Free
Blue Cover: Stone Mattresses by Margaret Atwood

Unreliable Narrator: Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Simple

Also read...

GR Choice Nominee: The Trespasser by Tana French 

Not YA: The Cozy Life by Pia Edberg

Super Hyped: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brenea Brown

If you want to play along this spring, go to Pretty Deadly Reviews and sign up.

March Reading List

Here's what I'm looking forward to reading in March.

• Still Mine by Amy Stuart was on my reading list way back last June, but I never got around to giving it a try.  It looks like a good mystery, so I'm looking forward to giving it a whirl.

• Children of God by Mary Doria Russell is the sequel to my favorite read of 2016- The Sparrow.  I've had this copy for probably six months now, and finally decided it's time to give it a read.  I'm not expecting the same magic of The Sparrow, but I'm looking forward to seeing where this book takes those characters.

• Burial Rites by Hannah Kent was given to me in a Books and Bloggers Swap with Jenni King.  It takes place in Iceland, which is part of what drew me to it.

• Soul Shift by Steve Deneff is nonfiction book all about spiritual transformation.  It details how we sabotage our efforts to change and how to shift your mindset.  It's been on my shelf for a while, but I feel like I could really use it now.

Have you read any of these?  Or have a recommendation for me?  Feel free to drop me a note in the comments letting me know.

February Reading List

The books I picked for February are all fiction, but there's quite a variety of genres represented.

Here we go:

• South of Superior by Ellen Airgood was loaned to me by one of my friends.  It takes place in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is my most favorite spot, and seems to just be a story about small town living and how it shapes the protagonist who is new to the area.
  
• Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple is written all in letters and emails and faxes and the like, but they all work together to tell the story of a mother who disappears and how her daughter resolves to find her.  More comedy than mystery, it's gotten great reviews.
  
• Madd Addam by Margaret has been on my reading list, a couple times now- once in October of last year, and again in November of the year before.  I really want to finish up the trilogy, so I'm hoping this is the month I do it!
  
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is probably considered young adult, which I normally avoid, and reliving the awkward teenage years doesn't sound fun, but the book appears solid in the reviews department and to be honest, it's a little on the thin side so I figured it was a good pick for a short month. 😉

So there it is, my February reading list. What are you reading this month?

January 2017 Reading Recap

So we're already a month into the new year.  My goal for 2017 is to read 48 books.  (Same goal I've had for the past two years, but I haven't been able to reach it yet.  Third time's a charm.)  So, I need to read four books a month to stay on target.  Here's how January looked.

I did get four books read!  They were:

• The Man from Bejing by Henning Mankell was a nice, cross continent mystery with action taking place in Sweden, China, and even western Africa.  I love a good Swedish mystery in the winter time, but this one kept you in the know for most of the story, and you knew half way through the book who the killer was and the motive, you were just hoping the main character would put it all together. 
  One thing that annoyed me was how naive Birgitta Roslin, the protagonist, was. She was smart and kept her wits about her for the most part, but she did some stupid things, like randomly asking strangers in Beijing if they recognized the picture she had of her prime suspect for a mass murder.  I may just be a cynical American but this seemed like a bad idea on so many levels- like first off, the odds are minuscule that anyone will recognize the man in the picture so it's probably a waste of time, and if they do, then what?  And, if they recognize him, it's probably not because he's a fine, upstanding citizen known for doing good.  She also gives out her contact information to everyone and their brother, and spills her guts about looking for a killer to random strangers, but won't tell her husband she was mugged.  It just didn't really make sense to me.
• Dear Mr. Darcy by Amanda Grange, which was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice via letters many of the characters write each other.  I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.  Due to the fact that it gave more dimension to Willoughby, Georgiana Darcy, and even Mary Bennett.  It was quite enjoyable. 
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown has been on my radar for quite a while, and I am glad I finally read it.  It was more about living a whole-hearted life, than about letting go of perfectionism, although I guess if you're a perfectionist than you need to let that go in order to live a whole-hearted life.  I am not a perfectionist, but it did really make me think about a lot of the things I do in my life, and make some resolutions on things that I need to change.
• The Cozy Life by Pia Edberg was a Christmas gift from a friend and is all about living a happy life with less based on the Danish concept of Hygge.  Hygge is kind of like minimalism but it also involves nature, entertaining friends, good food, hominess, and being content.  I kind of picture it as practical minimalism.  I was happy to see I was already practicing a lot of the concepts, but it encouraged me to do more.  It's very practical and if you're new to the Hygge concept, I'd really recommend it.

As for what I acquired, both were Christmas gifts I received in January:

• The Cozy Life by Pia Edberg which has already been read
• Daily Rituals by Mason Currey is all about what different artists did to prime their creative pumps.  This was from a friend who I frequently discuss creativity with and it should be an interesting read.  Each artist is featured over one or two pages and just thumbing through it has proven interesting.

2017 totals: 4 Books Read/ 2 Books Acquired.

Top Ten Tuesday- Must Read of 2017

This week, I'm joining up with the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish to share my top ten list.  This week is a freebie week, so you can make a list about whatever you want.  Mine is the list of books that have to get out of my TBR stack and get read!

I feel like my house is getting a little overran with books as of late, and I know my husband feels the same.  There's books stacked up in our living room, dining room, my office, and even our basement.  I know it's pointless to go on a book buying hiatus, because sometimes you find something you just can't pass up or you've been looking for forever, or you're fairly sure it's going to be one of those life changing reads. 😉 But, I do want to be more conscious about what I haul home this year.

So, here's the list of books that have been sitting on my shelves for far to long, and it's time for them to be read and passed on!

1. MaddAdam by Margaret Atwood.  On the list since: 09/15/2013.  It's been on my monthly to be read list several times, and I enjoyed the other two books in the trilogy, love Atwood, but just can't seem to get this one read!
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  On the list since: 02/05/2014.  I hear nothing but good things about this book, but I have a feeling that it's going to be a big time tear jerker so I haven't read it yet.
3. The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen.  On the list since: 08/03/2015.  I love a good Scandinavian mystery and this is the first of a series so you'd think I'd be jumping all over it, but haven't yet.
4. A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay.  On the list since: 09/01/2015.  I liked the other book I read by her, and have even added this one to my monthly reading list, but it's yet to even get cracked open.   
5. Children of God by Mary Doria Russell.  On the list since:10/04/2016.  The Sparrow was literally my favorite read of 2016, so when I found the sequel at the library book sale, why didn't I drop everything and immediately give it a read?  I don't know.  I guess I'm just worried it will be not that good.
6. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.  On the list since: 06/26/2013.  Originally on a list of recommended reading from my Women's Studies professor.  I found a copy at a used book sale, snapped it up, and have proceeded to let it just sit on a shelf since.
7. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.  On the list since 08/03/2015.  Sad truth- I was unaware what the Appalachian Trail was until the whole scandal in South Carolina with Governor Mark Sanford's staff said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail while he was really in South America with his mistress.  That was in 2009.  But now that I've learned of it's existence, it definitely intrigues me.  Bryson is funny and truthful, which I think will make a good mix for this book.
8. Grace Eventually (Thoughts on Faith) by Anne Lamott.  On the list since: 07/01/2016.  I love Anne Lamott.  I think I may have mentioned that once or twice.  So I can't believe I've let this book sit on my shelf for even six months.  She encourages and makes you laugh and opens your eyes all while feeling like you're having a nice visit with a friend.
9. An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina.  On the list since: 10/05/2015.  This is an autobiography of the man who stood up against the Rwandan genocide and hid people in the motel he managed, you may have seen the movie- Hotel Rwanda. 
10. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.  On the list since: 06/26/2013.  I know I've had this book for longer than I've been on Goodreads, but I have yet to read it.  It's won a Pulitzer Prize, it's got a high rating, but I've just never picked it up.  I think this is the year I'll get it read.

January Reading List

A new year, and a new chance to meet my reading goals!  I'm once again aiming for 48 books. (Third times the charm?)  So here's what on my list for the first month of the year.

• The Gift of Imperfection by Brené Brown was originally on my reading list last September, but I never even started it.  For 2017, I really want to clear some room on my shelves and I really want to get some the books that have been on my reading list read.  I've heard Brené on a couple podcasts and a TED Talk so I'm thinking I'll enjoy this book all about overcoming the need to feel like an overachiever.
• Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton was originally written in the 1940s and is set in South Africa, involving race relations and injustice.  I know it's a pretty well known classic, but I never read it, so time to change that.
• First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde has been on my shelf for years, but I had to track down the prior book in the Thursday Next series before I could read it.  I believe there's a time hop of several years in this one and I'm looking forward to having all the characters fresh in my head, because last time, there had been a couple years between me reading the books.
• The Man from Beijing by Hennning Mankell, who is the author of the Wallander books, has been on my shelf for only a couple months, but I'm ready for a good Scandinavian mystery.  I love Wallander, but this one is a stand alone without him, so I thought it'd be a good starting point for my first foray into Mankell.

So, there it is.  What are you reading this month?  Or have you read any of these, and if so, what did you think?  Drop me a comment with your thoughts.

December Book Recap

December was kind of a shabby month for reading, but it always seems to be, with Christmas and everything.  I did finish two books and managed to only acquire the books my Secret Santa sent me.  So here we go.

Read

• Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood and it Atwood perfection.  It was nine short stories, the first couple connected the next couple not.  She has this way of writing that makes you feel for the characters.  You understand their motives, even if their motives are wrong or crazy or horrible.  I feel like she understands human emotion better than any writer, or maybe she's just not afraid to kick up the rocks and reveal the dark reasoning underneath.  She's just always great.
• The Trespasser by Tana French was not my favorite Tana French but not my least favorite neither (for one does not dislike Tana French 😉).  It left me with a pretty substantial book hang over while I tried to process what it was about the story that kept it from blowing my socks off.  In the end, I think I thought Antoinette was too distracted with her own problems to see what was right in front of her nose.  She just was all wrapped up in thinking everyone was against her and Stephen was all wrapped up in far flung theories... Maybe it was their sleep deprivation, but I felt like they had a better rapport when they first met in The Secret Place.  The mystery was good, the solve was there, I just feel like they deserve another book.  Although, when you think about it, French frequently shows their detectives at lows instead of highs, so maybe this fits.  I just didn't enjoy it as much as some of her other books.

Acquired
All these came from my Broke and Bookish swap partner, so you can read more about the books here.

• A Long Way Gone: Memoir of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
• The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey 
• Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson

2016 Grand Totals 
Read: 36
Acquired: 54

So, I got  more books than I read.  But, the good news is my bookshelf is well stocked for 2017 and I hope to finally meet my book reading goal and cut back and how much I add to my collection.