Books Read in 2014

Now that February is nearing an end, I am finally remembering to enter my list of books I read in 2014.
I am posting this later each year.

I try to read a mix of Classics, fiction, & non fiction. I always read at least one of my dad's books, & this year I read his copy of Joy in the Morning, by Betty Smith. This was by far my favorite Betty Smith book. She also wrote A Tree Grows in Brooklyn & Maggie Now. I enjoyed a time travel book that was written in the 1970's. I have also been reading through the Little House books, because I never read them as a girl. I read the 1st one, & then read it to our daughter when she was young. And I also read the first couple books to our son. I think I ended up reading Little House in the Big Woods 3 or 4 times, but I never even came close to finishing all of the books. Now I just have one more to go. I have enjoyed reading them. For my Bible reading this year I read The Apologetics Study Bible (HCSB) I also enjoyed reading East of Eden & A Christmas Carol. I also really enjoyed Fannie Flagg's newest, The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion. The non fiction book that I read was Out of the Depths: An Unforgettable WW2 Story of Survival, Courage, & the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis by Edgar Harrell, & David Harrell. I learned a lot about why the Indianapolis was not even noticed as being late in arriving, & I have to say that it was a bit shocking. My dad served in the Pacific during WW2, & I know he would have enjoyed this book. He may have read it, because I think it was originally published a while back. I also loved the newest Mitford series book, Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good. And the Miss Julia books always give me a good laugh. I love her.
Well, that's it then. Until next year!


13 Easy Tomato Recipes by Joyce Zborower


30 Delicious Ice Cream Cake Recipes by Lori Burke


84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff


A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens


A Woman's Guide to Reading the Bible in a Year by Diane Storty


By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder


Crazy Jacob by Jim Ware


Daily Wisdom for Women January 2014 by Barbour Publishing Inc.


East of Eden by John Steinbeck


Hatchet by Gary Paulsen


Holy Bible (NASB Giant Print)


I still Dream about You by Fannie Flagg


Iron Scouts of the Confederacy by Lee McGiffin


Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith


Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder


Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen


Man of the Family (Little Britches #2) By Ralph Moody


Miss Julia's School of Beauty (Miss Julia #6) by Ann B. Ross


Out of the Depths: An Unforgettable WW2 Story of Survival, Courage, & the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis by Edgar Harrell, & David Harrell


Rosa by Elaine Cunningham


Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (Mitford #10) by Jan Karon


The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg


The Apologetics Study Bible (HCSB)


The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald


The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder


The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel



The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Detective Agency #1) by Alexander Smith McCall



The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate



These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder



Things That Matter by Charles Krauthammer



Time and Again by Jack Finney



Under My Skin: A Kid's Guide to Atopic Dermatitis by Karen Crowe



Waking Kate by Sarah Addison Allen

Books Read in 2012

Yep, it's clear that I am unable to keep up this blog. This makes it 3 years now that the only post I have made is my list of books read for the year. Maybe someday I can get back to it. In the meantime, I can at least copy & paste the list of books I read this year. The number of books read this last year went down quite a bit, and that is because I had a very busy year again. Also, some of the books were big ones (LOL...).
I like variety when I read, so each year along with fiction I like to read some biographies, some theology, along with some science fiction, & some classics. Most of the books I read this year were wonderful, & only one or two that I didn't really care for. I really enjoyed reading The Hobbit with our now 10 year old son. I loved 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It was NOT a horror-I can't read horror-but a great sci-fi time travel book. I would love to re-read this one. The theology that I enjoyed this year were books by J. Vernon McGee & Charles Stanley & both were re-reads because I love them very much. I like to read some of my dad's books each year, & this year I read his really old copy of Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I read a lot of John Steinbeck this year & was amazed by his writing. I also read Jane Eyre this year. I thought I would not like it at all & I really enjoyed it. I was also very moved by Elie Weisel's Night Trilogy. Elie is a holocaust survivor. One of my favorite books this year was Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. I want to own a copy of this book. I also wrapped up the Mitford series this year & even read the two Father Tim novels that continue his story. I didn't read as many books as some previous years, but I did have a really good year of reading.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey

Archaeological Study Bible

Doctrine for Difficult Days by J. Vernon McGee

Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias

Jesus Calling: A 365 Day Journaling Devotional by Sarah Young

Julia's Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child

Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Light From Heaven (Mitford series#9) by Jan Karon

Miss Julia Throws a Wedding by Ann B. Ross

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mystery #1) by Cleo Coyle

Shepherds Abiding (Mitford Series #8) by Jan Karon

The Didymus Contingency by Jeremy Robinson

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

The Night Trilogy: Night, Dawn, The Accident by Elie Wiesel

The Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters by Logan Marshall (copyright 1912)

The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life by Charles Stanley

Books Read in 2011

It's been just over a year since I last wrote anything here. And now, I'm just listing my "books read list" for last year. I got some good reading in this year! And not much internet time, obviously. I finished up the Yada Yada series this year & am still reading on the Mitford series. I've read a few good biographies & a few classics that I've always wanted to read. I want to read a few classics every year. One of my favorite books I read in 2011 was Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler & Lois Tverberg. I also enjoyed The Hunger Games series, although I did not like how it ended. And there is one book in this list that I really didn't like at all. It was very popular, but not with me. Another favorite was finishing up the Narnia series as a read aloud with our now 9 year old son!
Here's my list of books read in 2011:


A Common Life (Mitford series #6) by Jan Karon

A New Song (Mitford series #5) by Jan Karon

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Adventures of B.J. The Amateur Detcetive by Toni Sortor

America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag by Sarah Palin

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Catching Fire by Suzanne Cullins

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Dick Van Dyke My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo & Lynn Vincent

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terrror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

In This Mountain (Mitford #7) by Jan Karon

James Herriot's Yorkshire by James Herriot

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Lunatic (The Lost Books #5) by Ted Dekker & Kaci Hill

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My Life in France by Julia Child

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Out to Canaan (Mitford series #4) by Jan Karon

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler & Lois Tverberg

Southern Plate by Christy Jordan

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

The Complete Jewish Bible

The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

The Duggers: 20 and Counting by Michelle Duggar

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Hunger Games by suzanne Collins

The Inheritance of Beauty by Nicole Seitz

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

The Lord God Made them All by James Herriot

The Pioneer Woman Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out by Neta Jackson

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling by Neta Jackson

Books I Read in 2010

I haven't forgotten this place. I just have a hard time getting here.
At the end of every year I post the list of the books I've read in that year. I figured I should get it done before I forget & end up doing it in July!
I had a really good year in reading. I enjoyed almost every book.
I read Truman Capote for the first time. I enjoyed In Cold Blood, but didn't really care for Breakfast at Tiffany's. To say that I "enjoyed" In Cold Blood seems really weird to say, but I did like the book. It was not my usual kind of read, but I could see that I really liked his writing. But I just didn't like Breakfast at Tiffany's. I read a few Bios. I read both Laura & President Bush's books. I enjoyed both of them. I really liked the new Bonhoeffer book. It was very meaty & not a quick read at all. I really liked it. It was an honor to read this book about this faithful man.
I've been reading The Chronicles of Narnia to our almost 8 year old son. That's a lot of fun, & it brings back memories of reading them to our almost 20 year old daughter when she was his age. Both our kids have birthdays this week, so I couldn't just say they were 7 and 19. :)
I really enjoyed the Circle Trilogy books by Ted Dekker. Wow, they were amazing. I do not have the words to describe them. I started reading the Lost Books that follow the charactors in the Circle Trilogy, but I have not finished them. I have two more to read, & then I think there are three more books that follow another storyline from that series. It's a bit confusing, but it is a fun series. Love it! This year I re-read To Kill a Mockingbird, which I want to do every few years. I love that book, like most folks do. And I re-visited with Corrie Ten Boom. Loved those books too.
It's been a year of great books. I'm starting off 2011 with one of my dad's books, so I'm starting the year with a great book.
It's been a year of not getting on the computer very much.
It's been a year of growth, especially with our kids!
It's been a year of loss, as we lost my husband's mom. I miss her & am still grieving her. I find that I cry when I talk about her, even if it's a funny story (it usually is something funny!).
It's been a year of battling cancer for my mom. She's a survivor. :)
So here's to another year.
Here's to life, growth, & most of all, trusting in God.
Here's to giving our lives, every day, for Him.
And here's to another year of great books!

Here's my list of books read this year:



All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot

Bonhoeffer Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentile vs. the Third Reich by Eric Metaxas

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

Death Comes for the Archbiship by Willa Cather

Decision Points by George W. Bush

Healing Foods from the Bible by Bernard Ward

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

It's Not About Me by Max Lucado

Next by Michael Crichton

Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush

Tara Road by Maeve Binchy

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

The Circle Trilogy Book 0: Green by Ted Dekker

The Circle Trilogy Book 1: Black by Ted Dekker

The Circle Trilogy Book 2: Red by Ted Dekker

The Circle Trilogy Book 3: White by Ted Dekker

The Greatest Story Ever Told by Fulton Oursler

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

The Holy Wild by Mark Buchanan

The Lost Books #1 Chosen by Ted Dekker

The Lost Books #2 Infidel by Ted Dekker

The Lost Books #3 Renegade by Ted Dekker

The Lost Books #4 Chaos by Ted Dekker

The Oath by Frank Peretti

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom

Books I Read in 2009

Here's my list of books that I read in 2009. I enjoyed reading almost all of these, but thankfully I have learned that I can put a book down & stop reading it if I'm really not enjoying a book that much. I used to have to finish a book I started.
My least favorite in this list was Before the Sun Goes Down by Elizabeth Metzger Howard. I just didn't like the story at all, & didn't care for the writing either. It was after reading this book that I decided that in the future I would put a book down & not go back to it if I wasn't enjoying it. I just do not have the time to put into a book I don't like.

I had a few favorites this year & can't pick just one. I would say my favorites were Chesapeake by James Michener, All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot, any books by Beth Moore, The Chronicles of Narnia books (I'm reading them out loud to our almost 7 year old son), & I also enjoy the Yada Yada Prayer Group books by Neta Jackson.



A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik

Anne of Avonlea by L.M.Montgomery

Armageddon by Tim Lahaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

Before the sun Goes Down by Elizabeth Metzger Howard

Bible (NASB-started read through 5-5-08 reading 4 chapters a day, finished 2-27-09

Blue Ribbon Recipes: Country Fair Winners (published 1968)

Chesapeake by James A. Michener

Desecration by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin


In The President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect by Ronald Kessler

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore

Kingdom Come by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

Levi's Will by W. Dale Cramer

Maggie-Now by Betty Smith

Moon River and Me by Andy Williams

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Poems of Faith by Helen Steiner Rice

Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert

Praying God's Word by Beth Moore

Prophet by Frank E. Peretti

Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen

The Case of the Runaway Corpse (A Perry Mason Mystery series) by Erle Stanley Gardner

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Gardens For All Book of Tomatoes by Dick and Jan Raymond

The Glorious Appearing by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

The Remnant by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

The Shack by William P. Young

The Winds of War by Herman Wouk

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real (book 3) by Neta Jackson

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Tough (book 4) by Neta Jackson

These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon

Books I Read in 2008

Here's my list of books that I read during 2008:

1001 Gardening Secrets The Experts Never Tell You by the editors fo FC&A Publishing

A Light in the Window by Jan Karon

A Man Called Peter: The Story of Peter Marshall by Catherine Marshall

A Skating Life by Dorothy Hamill

An unpublished/untitled fantasy novel

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Apollyon by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

Assassins by Tim Lahaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon

Death by Darjeeling (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

Julie by Catherine Marshall

Life's Journeys According to Mister Rogers Things to Remember Along the Way by Fred Rogers

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Magic Elizabeth by Norma Kassirer

Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross

Miss Julia Takes Over by Ann B. Ross

Mistaken Identity by Don & Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak

Nicolae by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

Obsessed by Ted Dekker

Parenting Isn't For Cowards by Dr. James C. Dobson

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

Rachael Ray YUM-O The Family Cookbook

Recipes from the Herbal Kitchen by Prevention Health Books

Soul Harvest by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

The Beginner's Bible (reading aloud to 5 year old son)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Indwelling by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, & The Return of the King) by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Mark by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

The Message by Eugene Peterson

The New Testament NIV

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

The Strong-Willed Child by Dr. James C. Dobson

The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down by Neta Jackson

The Yada-Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson

When Christ Comes by Max Lucado

The Flavor Bible

I won this book!
Special thanks to my friend Lori,

who directed me over to the book reviewer's blog who was having a drawing for 3 different books. The site is called B&b ex libris. I really enjoyed going through her book reviews. I book marked her site & plan to visit again.

Thank you B&b ex libris, this is the book I was hoping to win!

And to make it even more fun, Lori won the same book!

My Dad's Books

I took these pictures back in July, & I'm just now getting around to posting about them. This is one of my few 'personal' blogs. LOL I don't really get very personal here. I'm mostly about recipes & gardening in the summer. So here's something just a little more personal.

My dad loved to read. As I look back on it, my dad read a LOT. I can close my eyes & see him in his recliner reading a book. I didn't read that much as a kid. Oh, I read...just not like I read as an adult. I remember reading Magic Elizabeth & James & the Giant Peach. I also enjoyed reading The Littles.
After I was married in the mid eighties my dad started loaning me some of his books now & then.
One of the first books my dad loaned me was Christy by Catherine Marshall. It was a hardback & my mom had given it to him for Christmas in 1970. I really loved it, so he loaned me his book by the same author, A Man Called Peter. This is a hardback too, & was puplished in 1951. In the front it has his address sticker in it. I grinned when I first noticed it, because it was the address he had after coming home from the war & after he graduated from college at Purdue. He worked in another town. He was still a bachelor! He bought this book before he & my mom married in the 50's. I don't know why, I just got a kick out of that.
Years later he & mom were asking us if there was anything of theirs that we'd like to have after they were "gone". At the time I couldn't think of anything, & it felt funny to think like that anyway. A few weeks later I thought of these two books. They were two things of my dad's that I would like to have. I thought of it later & told my dad I'd like to have them, someday. He smiled really big & went to his bookshelf & got them down for me. He wanted me to have them now. I read them both again this last year & really enjoyed each of them again.
He really enjoyed bringing out out books for me to read, & for our teenage daughter to read. He'd even bring books for my husband to read too. He brought him books about Charles Lindbergh & Eddie Rickenbacher (sp?). I also remember him loaning my husband his North & South trilogy by John Jakes. David really enjoyed reading them & would tell me about them. So after he read them I read them too. Gosh...that was a long time ago! It was probably around 1988 or so. And not to leave our son out (he's only 5 so he didn't get very many years with my dad) I have pictures of my dad reading Richard Scarry's Biggest Word Book Ever to him. It was a present to our son from my parents. He still LOVES that book. :)
A few years ago Dad brought out a big crate of books to us. He said, "Here, maybe that'll keep ya busy readin' for a while." Here are the books in the crate he brought them in:

I said, "Wow Dad! I'll be a while before I get this back to ya." He smiled & said, "Oh, just keep them here." And he winked. He gave me these just a few months before he died. It's all of his James Harriot books. He knew we loved them. Our daughter had done a book report on All Creatures Great and Small quite a few years ago. She had borrowed his book. I think he stuck that Tommy Franks book in there for my husband, & that blue book is Treasure Island.

My dad died about two & a half years ago. My mom's way of dealing with things at the time was that she wanted us kids to go through his things & pick out things we wanted, the afternoon of his funeral! I just couldn't, really. I think we each got a few little things, but none of the four of us felt like 'going through his things' that day. I did pick out a few of his books, but none of my siblings had picked out any yet, so I didn't want to be greedy with them, if that makes any sense.
I didn't want to be grabbin' all his books up without the other kids having a chance to get what they wanted. So I just got a few that day.

Well, now it's been more than two years since he's been gone (wow, do I miss him!).
My mom started dating a man & they got married over the summer. In consolidating two households into one, they both had a lot of stuff to get rid of. My mom was calling a lot to see if I wanted this dish or that pot & what-not. One day she called & asked if I wanted any of Dad's books. I think I drove out to her house THAT DAY. LOL
And there were his book shelves, & they were still full. She said the other kids had already got what they wanted, so I figured I could get all I wanted. I asked mom if I was taking too much. She assured me that I could take them ALL if I wanted. Well, I didn't take them all, but I did get a lot! Here is most of them:

Here's a close up of his James Michener books. He loved reading Michener. I remember he'd get them for birthdays & Christmas. That little book there on top is an old copy of Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Here's another box. It has the Charles Lindsbergh book in it & one of the North & South books (Heaven & Hell), but we just couldn't find the first two books in the trilogy (he probably loaned them out). I also found some surprises! He had some Mitford books! I did NOT know my dad read the Mitford books! I only just discovered the Mitford books & just finshed book 2 last night, which was my dad's copy. I had checked out the first one from the library this summer. He had book 2 and book 5, so it looks like I'll be checking the others out from the library. I also didn't know that he had a copy of Through the Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot. I read that last year, again, checked out from the library. I also noticed that we ended up with two copies of Mutiny on the Bounty (well actually, it's The Bounty Trilogy) by Nordhoff & Hall. He loved this book (maybe that's why he had 2 copies? lol), he brought it out to me once years ago, but I just couldn't get into it.
I also got two books by Betty Smith, Joy in the Morning & Maggie-Now. She is the author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. He didn't have a copy of that, & I've never read it. I did read Maggie-Now YEARS ago, like probably 1985, & I thought it was so depressing! But, I'm more than 20 years older now, so maybe I'll see it differently & like it now. I'd like to read it again, as it was the first book I remember my dad loaning me.

In this next box you can see a book called, The Case of the Runaway Corpse! I thought that was funny. It's an old Perry Mason book. There's another old Perry Mason one in there too somewhere. They are old, they have that old address label in them, so I know he had these before he married my mom. There's also another copy of Mutiny in this box, so I gave it to our daughter. She got quite a few books too. Her favorite is Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

My dad also cut out newspaper clipping & put them in books. If it had something to do with the book, or if an author died he'd cut out the obituary & place it in one of that author's books. James Michener's obit is in one of his books. He's got quite a few clippings of Ernie Pyle in a book about him. He was a famous WWII correspondent. He was from here in Indiana & I remember my dad talked about him a lot. There's even a special postage stamp taped in there, a stamp they put out quite a few years ago with Ernie Pyle on it. My dad also got some books from his aunt who lived in Washington D.C. I got a few books that had her name in them, & sure enough, she did the same thing with newspaper clippings! So every now & then I get an additional surprise when I open one of my Dad's books.

Well, that's it. That's my long post on books I've been meaning to write. I hope you enjoyed it.
I know I'll enjoy these books for years to come. I have finished only a few of them. I just finished the 2nd Mitford book that he had, A Light in the Window by Jan Karon, & a book called 5o Trees of Indiana. I'm now ready to dig into one of his James Michener books.
But which one?!

Magic Elizabeth by Norma Kassirer

I found this book a few weeks ago in our daughter's bookcase. It came from an old box of books that had been mine when I was a kid. I had forgotten that it was there, & as I looked at it a flood of memories came to my mind. I think that this is the very first book I ever read.
Magic Elizabeth by Norma Kassirer

I had thought that James and the Giant Peach was the first book I read. I remember reading it in 3rd grade. I remember sitting at my desk in school & reading the part where the sharks are trying to take bites out of the peach as it floats in the ocean. They couldn't get a bite because of their long noses. (snouts? I can't think what you call that on a shark!) Anyway, I thought that was my first memory of reading a chapter book. But as I stared at the cover of Magic Elizabeth, the plot slowly came back to me...& I'm pretty sure I read this book first. At least it is my first mystery novel. :) I was probably around 8 years old when I read it. It was a Scholastic book that was published in 1966. My copy had to have the cover taped because it was torn. And the pages are so yellowed they are more of a tan color. And...the cover said it was 50 cents!
As I looked at the cover & brushed away the cobwebs in my brain...I told my daughter the plot.
I actually remembered! This little girl, Sally, has to stay with her great aunt for a while (I couldn't remember why). While staying there, she sees a large painting of a girl that is about her same age. The painting is from the late 1800's, & the girl looks very much like Sally, and she is holding a doll. Amazingly, I remembered the 'who done it', AND...I remembered who the girl in the picture really was. :) There is also a mystery about the doll, that Sally solves.
So I took time off from reading The Lord of the Rings to read this book again.
I really got a kick out of it. It was a good mystry novel for young girls. It was sweeet too.
As an adult, I could see the foreshadowing from a mile away, LOL, but still, it's a great "first mystery". As for one of the mystries, there is a twist in the end that I thought was really neat when I was a girl. As an adult, I did remember who the girl in the painting was. But all through the book it makes you think it's someone else.
After searching Amazon, I found that this book has been re-released. It has a new cover too.
And, it's a little pricey, I'm not sure why. Here's a link to the new edition. I hope they didn't change any of the book, they may have had to change dates though.
Anyway, I enjoyed visiting my childhood reading a few weeks ago, & just thought I'd share.
Here's the first page & the first illustration which were done by Joe Krush. (I even remembered ALL of the pictures...lol)

Baby Steps Challenge

I'm a few weeks late getting this post up. This challenge ended at the end of December.
This was my first reading challenge & I really enjoyed it.
My books were
1. Ben Hur by Lew Wallace (wrote about it here)
2. Christy by Catherine Marshall
3. A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall

I really enjoyed all three books. Ben Hur was hard to get started & keep on it in the beginning, but turned into a beloved book. I will read it again.
Christy & A Man Called Peter I had read before & both of them are beloved books to me.
It was funny, that in the middle of this challenge I also read The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers. I read it between Christy & A Man Called Peter, & all three books had the common thread of Scotland. In The Last Sin Eater, the ancestors were from Whales & Scotland. It took place in the same (or near) mountains as Christy, only about 30 years earlier. In Christy, their ancestors were from Scotland & there was some Scotish history in it along with a character that was very Scotish. And Peter Marshall was an immigrant from Scotland who became a very beloved preacher here in America. I have wondered if Catherine Marshall patterened Dr.Neil McNeil in Christy after her own husband Peter.
I enjoyed this challenge & hope to enter more.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal

I have joined the newest reading challenge over at The Nattie Challenge.
I picked the book Prince Caspian by C.S.Lewis. We love the Chronicles of Narnia.
I started reading them to dd when she was 6 or 7 & she read them again on her own a few years later.
We enjoyed the movie that was made of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe so much, & we are really looking forward to the movie release of Prince Caspian this year!
I know this book is an easy & quick read, but it fits this challange since dd loaned me her copy of Prince Caspian so I could re-read it before the movie comes out. And since it is a quick read, I have already finished.
I enjoyed reading it again so much. I smiled & grinned through so much of this book. And I giggled out loud quite a few times. I had to explain to ds why I was laughing, so I read out loud to him the part where Bulgy Bear is telling Peter that he wants to be one of the marshals during the duel between High King Peter & Miraz. The dwarf Trumpkin is having a fit not wanting the bear to be one of the guards. He tells Peter, "He's a good creature, but he'll shame us all. He'll go to sleep & he will suck his paws. In front of the enemy too." LOL
But this being a 'marshal for the list' was always the right of bears in old Narnia, so he was allowed to do so. And he sucked his paws. LOL I laughed. I think I may have even held the book close to me as I giggled, & gave it a little hug. This is just the book I needed to read after the ruckus that went on in our lives last week.
Our son just turned 5, & is just not quite ready to sit & listen to a chapter book being read to him. But he will be soon, & I cannot wait to start reading The Chronicles of Narnia to him!

Books I've read in 2007

Ben Hur by Lew Wallace
Bible
Blink By Ted Dekker
Can't Wait to get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg
Christy by Catherine Marshall
Coming Attractions by Fannie Flagg
Culture Warrior by Bill O'Reilly
Discovering God's Stars by Lester E. Showalter
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
Godless by Ann Coulter
Here, There be Dragons by James A. Owen
House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker
Left Behind by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Monster by Frank Peretti
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Next Door Savior by Max Lucado
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
One of Ours by Willa Cather
Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti
Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
The Apostle: A Life of Paul by John Pollock
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
The Kingdom of God: A guide for Old Testament study by Francis Breisch, Jr.
The Rapture by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
The Regime by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
The Rising by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
The Visitation by Frank Peretti
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
Three by Ted Dekker
Tilly By Frank Peretti
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Traveling Light by Max Lucado
Tribluation Force by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! By Fannie Flagg

BEN HUR BY LEW WALLACE

I finally finished this 1st book for the Baby Steps Challenge (over at the Nattie Challange) onWednesday evening. I am so glad that I stuck with it! It was very good. I really enjoyed the story. There were a few places that I got kind of bogged down in, but I think that was mostly in the beginning. Maybe to me it was a slow start. I also had a few things ‘going against me’. My book was 432 pages of very small print. So it seemed like my progress was slower than molasses going uphill on a cold day. I had 4 or 5 different times where family members were hospitalized. We just generally had super busy times, so that there were even a few weeks in a row that I wasn’t able to read even a chapter. Even though one evening I picked up my copy of Christy & got started on it, I never did give up on Ben Hur. I am so thankful I put Christy down & kept at this one going. I really did enjoy it. I rolled my eyes at the King James English being spoken by 1st century Jews & Romans…..but I got over it. lol I even cried a few times. The first time I cried was when the story finds Judah Ben-Hur’s beloved mother & sister. And I WEPT when Amrah, the family servant, saw them for the first time. It brings chills to my arms now to even think on it! And I was so angry at Judah’s love interest….I wanted to reach thru the pages & give him a V-8 smack on the forhead! I cried when two lepers called out for Jesus as He passed them on the road leading into Jerusalem. They called out to Him, "O Master, Master! Thou seest our need: thou canst make us clean. Have mercy upon us-mercy!"
"Believest thou I am able to do this?" He asked.
"Thou art He of whom the prophets spake- thou art the Messiah!" she replied.
"Woman," He said, "great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt."
I mean I WEPT!
And I cried as Jesus was nailed to the cross.
And I even cried when Belthasar, one of the wise men from the beginning of the story, knelt at the foot of the cross.
There was one more thing about this book that I’ll remember: the author actually speaks to you, he calls you Reader. Lol For example: "O Reader, you may remember from the previous chapter that…." The first time or two it did get on my nerves a bit. But it didn’t take long to endear me to it. By late in the book, I would smile when he’d do that.
I will probably go back and read this again in a few years.
I gave it 4 stars over at goodreads.com, only because there were a few slow parts for me. But, this is a classic, & I’ve given lesser literature 5 stars, so I think I may be going over and changing that.
It’s a great bookthat took me weeks & weeks to read it. But it sure was worth it!
If I ever do get over to the Lew Wallace Study Museum, I’ll be sure to take some pictures.

The Nattie Challenge

This is my very first book challenge. I've read about them before-mostly on Think-Pink - but I have never participated in one.

This is called the baby-steps challenge .

I have chosen option B (2 of the books on my list are re-reads).

My books are:

1. Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace

2. A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall

3. Christy by Catherine Marshall

A Man Called Peter & Christy I read years ago. They are books my dad gave me. He really loved to read too. He had tons of books. These 2 books are old hardbacks of his & the date on A Man Called Peter says 1951. He has an address label in the front, & it is the address he had before he met & married my mom. My copy of Christy is also a hardback that my mom gave him for Christmas 1970 (she signed the front of it). Actually, all 3 of these books make me think of my dad. I didn't plan it that way.

I just had all 3 in my "Mt. to be read" pile. My dad gave me my copy of Ben-Hur for Christmas one year. It's super tiny print & I've just never gotten around to reading it. lol But I've always meant to. I've been to the Ben-Hur museum near where I live many times....as a child. (click on that link & read Lew's quote...it's pretty cool) We went there for field trips in grade school a lot. But now as an adult, I can't remember much about it. After I finish this book, I'd like to go back & have a look around. :)

Also, & I hope this doesn't sound creepy or weird or anything, but my dad is buried about 50-100 yards from Lew Wallace. Really, I'm not weird. lol It's just that I drive by Lew's grave to get to my dads. I know that must sound odd! lol Maybe I AM weird.....lol

Anyway, there's my 3 books. I didn't mean for them to be 'Dad' books, but that's how it turned out. So I'd like to do this 1st reading challenge in honor of my dad, who loved reading & passed that love on to me. And of course in honor of Nattie. It's a shame that I didn't know her well. I really wish I did. We talked a few times on the message board about our weather & our state starting to go with the rest of the country by observing that stupid (lol)daylight savings time.

Here's a picture of my dad & me. Thanks for my books, Dad. :)

BOOKS

This is what I am, & what I will be reading this month.
I just finished reading my 1st Ted Dekker book, Blink. One word. Wow!

I'm also currently reading The Apostle: A Life of Paul by John Pollock. I read this book 10 years ago & LOVED it. Still do. :)

Next will be Three by Ted Dekker, & then the Sherlock Holmes book.

I am so happy to be reading again.