1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- Jan. 1 - Jan. 7 - I can now say that I have read the silly thing from start to finish. I loved parts of it but other parts droned on.
2. The Centurion's Wife by Janette Oke - Jan. 7 - Jan. 12 - A really neat book, especially if you like Christian fiction or anything else that Oke has written. I downloaded it onto my Kindle because it was on a free-promo thing, and fell in love with it. Definitely an amazing message about the light that God brings into our lives.
3. Whirl of the Wheel by Catherine Condie - Jan. 12 - Jan. 15 - An odd little book about time travel. Super fluffy and I think geared toward younger readers. I don't like super detail heavy books, but this one was so lacking in it that it was hard to connect to any of the characters. I liked the basic story line, but would have liked a some information about what was going on historically and why she was in a wheelchair.
4. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Jan. 15 - Jan. 24 - I had seen 3 different movie versions of this book and enjoyed it quite a bit. Burnett's descriptions of the garden and the changes that take place in it are so vibrant and alive that I couldn't help but want to go and visit. Definitely a great classic.
5. Labor of Love: A Midwife's Memoir by Cara Muhlhahn - Jan. 27 - Jan. 29 - Just a precursor: No, I'm not pregnant. It was free on Amazon and it just seemed like it would be an interesting read, and boy was it! Muhlhahn manages to leave me with a sense of empowerment as a women and provided with me with confidence that I'm sure will come in handy when Sam and I do make the decision to start our family. I'm not typically a "hippie, holistic, mother nature" kind of person, but this book did an amazing job of presenting other options of labor and delivery besides being bed ridden, on your back, full of needles in a sterile (and often frightening) hospital room with everyone and their dog looking at your whoo-hah. She was not overly feministic, and spent a good deal of time discussing how hospitals are really good things in high risk pregnancies and when things go wrong, but normally, when left to her own devices, a woman can deliver her baby minus drugs and people sticking their hands all up inside them. I don't know if homebirth is something I would try, especially living in the midwest where midwives aren't in every neighborhood, but it is a great read for any woman who has thought about questioning why things are the way they are. I would definitely recommend it to any woman!
6. Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James - Jan. 29 - Feb. 1 - Meh. It was half period romance novel, half Christian fiction. I enjoyed the setting and the detail that James put into describing our characters and how the vantage point shifted from chapter to chapter (it really allowed the reader to connect with multiple characters). A good quick read.
7. Reasons to be Pretty by Neil LaBute - Feb. 2 - Feb. 3 - Oh Mr. LaBute, this may be my favorite play that he has written. It ends with a little glimmer of hope and it made me happy.
8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Feb. 7 - Feb. 9 - This would have had an end date of Feb. 8, but I technically read past midnight last night so I actually finished it today. I find it really funny how I try really hard to not watch the "bestseller" lists because I feel like its "letting the man win" or something, but when I do give in and read whats popular at the moment, it almost always a good read, even if it has some gapping holes and some strange (not to mention fairly gross) plotlines(Twilight) or even if it's not the most memorable book I've ever read. I sat in our cold little bathroom well into the wee hours of the morning trying to finish The Hunger Games. This Lord of the Flys meets The Hatchet epic kept me on the edge of my seat. I don't want to give much away, because I would recommend this book to anyone, but I would also like to emphasize that I would not let an elementary school student read it. Not only are there some very graphic, morbid parts, but the overall tone of the book is very disturbing and I think might really frighten a younger audience. Definitely worth picking up!
9. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Feb. 9 - Feb. 10 - The 2nd book in The Hunger Games trilogy, and just as rivoting as the first. I don't believe I can get my hands on book #3 fast enough!
10. Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins - Feb. 12 - Feb. 13 - The third installment of The Hunger Games trilogy. Really guys, read these books!
11. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - Feb. 27 - March 2 - I didn't really know what I was getting into when I started this story, but as usual, it was on the "free promotional" list on Amazon.com so I got it. This beautiful story about a 93 year old man in a nursing home is poignant and insightful. During his flashbacks to his life in circus, Gruen exposes us to the nitty-gritty behind the scenes work that us "rubes" never get to see. This strange lifestyle is something that we've all been curious about and we've all threatened to run of and do from time to time. While in the present, Gruen carefully takes us through the struggles of the indignity that is the aging and nursing home process in America. I would rate it PG-13 for some graphic violence and some sexual content, but all in all a lovely book.
12. After the Leaves Fall by Nicole Baart - March 3 - March 7 - There have been some really difficult things happening in my life at the moment, and this book was exactly what I needed. It may be one of the few free books that I have read on Amazon that I actually want to spend the money to get the rest of the books in the series, Summer Snow and Beneath the Night Tree. (In fact, I just took a break from writing this entry to do so.) This coming of age story about Julia, a character with whom every small town girl can relate to, follows a heartbreaking and frustrating path from a fallen, broken little girl to a fallen, broken woman in search of the grace that only come from the Father above. I didn't even know that this was a Christian fiction book until I got a fair amount into it, and I thought the spiritual aspect of the book was beautifully presented without being overly pushy. In Baart's first novel, I commend her for her beautiful analogies and comforting text. Many of the scenes left me heartbroken and in tears but the book ends with an amazing sense of hope. I can't wait to read the next book!
13. Summer Snow by Nicole Baart - March 7 - March 13 - The 2nd book of this trilogy was just as warm and touching as the first. As we continue to get to know Julia, and her crazy family, Baart does an exceptional job of capturing small town life and the difficulties with gossip, work, and an ever evolving family.
14. Beneath the Night Tree by Nicole Baart - March 13 - March 18 - The perfect end to this trilogy. Painful in places because I knew what was coming and my heart broke for Julia's situation, but it ended just like I had hoped. Well done, Ms. Baart. Thank you for sharing this family with us!
15. Wings by Aprilynne Pike - April 13 - April 15 - Another freebie on the Amazon list, and of course, I had to go get the sequel this morning from the Library. If you enjoyed the mythical nature and teenage angst of Twilight, this book is for you. A bit far fetched at times, but a quick an entertaining summer read if nothing else.
16. Spells by Aprilynne Pike - April 17 - April 18 - The sequel to Wings. I found this book just as entertaining as the first one and now I am completely sucked into the central love story. The third book is set to release the first week of May, so until then this Faerie story will be on pause. Can't wait!
17. Walking on Broken Glass by Christa Allan - April 20 - May 6 - READ THIS BOOK! That is all. A beautiful story about redemption and learning to be who you were created to be.
18. Illusions by Aprilynne Pike - May 10-13 - Darn you Aprilynne! I thought this would be the final book in the series and now I must wait a whole year before the real final book comes out. Great book in the series and I will hang on this cliff for awhile!
19. Alice at Heart by Deborah Smith - May 22-23 - I don't know how I got another fantasy book in here but I enjoyed it. This tale about mermaids and "landers" gives a great example of how far we go to fit into "normal".
20. Elisha's Bones by Don Hoesel - Sometime around Memorial Day - If you liked Angels and Demons or The DaVinci Code, I'm pretty sure you would enjoy this book. A book about intrigue, puzzles, conspiracy, and of course, a long lost biblical artifact. Elisha's Bones gets a little gory in some parts and a little long in others, but a decent enjoyable read.
21. A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer - First part of June - Ok, cute book and lovely story line and all, but it was super frustrating! Let me precursor with this: I love historical romance, Christian romance, and even a little smut now and again. This book tried to combine all three and honestly it made me feel like I was some sort of pervert. The author would talk about how the leading lady was noticing how the leading man's shirt stretched across his sinewy shoulders and firm chest and how is pants shaped his rear end and then the leading lady would chastise herself for looking at him in such a way, which in turn left me, as the reader, feeling like I was being a perv for thinking of him that way when she was the one putting the stupid thoughts in my head!
22. The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross - June 8-10 - This book is the prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset and I am finding the whole Steampunk genre very oddly interesting. If you're out of the loop and unaware of what Steampunk is, the oh-so reliable Wikipedia defined Steampunk as "a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction...an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne or real technologies like the computer but developed earlier in an alternate history." I totally loved the dark undertones of the book and how they mixed with the Victorian setting. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of this style!"
23. Surrender the Heart by MaryLu Tyndall - July 30-31 - A great historical Christian romance book set on a ship at the beginning of the War of 1812. I started reading in on our trip home from St. Louis and it kept me entertained the whole way.
24. The Golden Acorn by Catherine Cooper - Some time in June - This book turned out to be for a slightly younger audience than I was anticipating so I was bored with it.
25. Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa - Sometime in July - A novella introducing characters of a Fairy book series. The current trend of Amazon seems to be to write a pre-series book that introduces everyone to you and put that on the free list.
26. Journey to the Well by Dianna Wallis Taylor - July 25-28 - This was maybe my favorite book thus far. Set in Samaria during the time time of Jesus, this fictional tale creates the life of the woman from the well before she meets Jesus. A tale of heart break and bitterness that is turned into a sincere love story about Marah and the God Who See Her. Loved it!
Eeep! Its the end of July and I'm only half way done! Better pick up the pace I guess!
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