2017 Reads

Reads for Me:
1. Two by Two* by Nicholas Sparks
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
3. All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
4. 15th Affair (Women's Murder Club #15)* by James Patterson
5. See Me* by Nicholas Sparks
6. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet* by Jamie Ford
7. The Grownup* by Gillian Flynn
8. Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected - a Memoir by Kelle Hampton
9. Leaving Time* by Jodi Picoult
10. Save Me* by Lisa Scottoline
11. Enclave* (Razorland #1) by Ann Aguirre
12. All the Light We Cannot See* by Anthony Doerr
13. Delirium (Delirium #1)* by Lauren Oliver
14. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
15. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
16. The Lost Girls by Heather Young
17. Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
18. Bullseye (Michael Bennett #9)* by James Patterson
19. The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross #9)* by James Patterson
20. Invisible* by James Patterson
21. Before the Fall* by Noah Hawley
22. London Bridges (Alex Cross #10)* by James Patterson
23. Haunted (Michael Bennett #10)* by James Patterson
24. Chase (Michael Bennett #9.5)* by James Patterson
25. Always Watching by Chevy Stevens

Reads for School:
1. Mighty Jack (Mighty Jack #1) by Ben Hatke
2. Spy School (Spy School #1) by Stuart Gibbs
3. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
4. The Pinballs by Betsy Byars
5. Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics (Mr. Lemoncello's Library #2) by Chris Grabenstein
6. Making Bombs for Hitler by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
7. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
8.  Wonder by R.J. Palacio
9. I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (I Survived #6) by Lauren Tarshis
10. Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook by Aimee Buckner

* audiobook

Books Read: 18 books
Audiobooks Read: 17 books
Total Number of Books Read: 35 books

Best Books: Two by Two, See Me, Leaving Time, Invisible, Counting by 7s, Wonder, Making Bombs for Hitler
Most Disappointing Books: All the Light We Cannot See, Chase

2016 Reads

Reads for Me:
1. Cinderella* (junior movie novel) by Elizabeth Rudnick
2. Four Blind Mice* (Alex Cross #8) by James Patterson

3. Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud

4. Tick Tock (Michael Bennett #4) by James Patterson

5. Allegiant*(Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

6. Messenger* (The Giver #3) by Lois Lowry
7. The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa TerKeurst
8. Unglued Devotional: 60 Days of Imperfect Progress by Lysa TerKeurst
9. After You (Me Before You #2) by JoJo Moyes
10. Don't Turn Around (PERSEFONE #1) by Michelle Gagnon
11. Don't Look Now (PERSEFONE #2) by Michelle Gagnon
12. Don't Let Go (PERSEFONE #3) by Michelle Gagnon
13. Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana
14. Rules by Cynthia Lord
15. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
16. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
17. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
18. Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food by Lysa TerKeurst
19. Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens
20. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
21. A Beautiful Wedding (Beautiful #2.5) by Jamie McGuire
22. Room by Emma Donoghue
23. I Was Here* by Gayle Forman
24. Those Girls* by Chevy Stevens
25. Finding Dory (graphic novel)
26. That Night* by Chevy Stevens
27. Rise* (Eve #3) by Anna Carey
28. This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
29. I, Michael Bennett* (Michael Bennett #5) by James Patterson
30. Gone* (Michael Bennett #6) by James Patterson
31. Burn* (Michael Bennett #7) by James Patterson
32. Alert* (Michael Bennett #8) by James Patterson
32. the Bible 

Reads for School:
1. Hatchet (Brian's Sage, #1) by Gary Paulsen
2. Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary
3. Who Was Neil Armstrong? by Roberta Edwards
4. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

5. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

6. Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart

7. Holes by Louis Sachar
8. Runaway Ralph (Ralph S. Mouse, #2) by Beverly Cleary
9. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
10. I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 by Lauren Tarshis

* audiobook

Total Number of Books Read: 42

Favorite Authors: Lysa TerKeurst and Chevy Stevens
Best Books: The Girl on the Train, Still Missing, Those Girls, That Night, Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere
Worst Books: The Michael Bennett series by James Patterson has gotten a bit ridiculous.

2015 Reads

My goal this year was to read 45 books. Technically I missed my goal by two books. My disclaimer is that in June I started a reading plan to read the Bible in one year, so that's what I've been reading at night before bed. If you add in books that I've read at school with my students, I most definitely would have surpassed my goal. In the spirit of not being so OCD, I'm going to let go of the fact that I missed my reading goal and look back at all of the books that I enjoyed this year and smile. They are listed in below in the order I completed them. My hope is that my list and suggestions will inspire you to pick up a book and read. Believe it or not, reading is fun. I truly believe there is a book out there for everyone.

1. Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire
2. Swimsuit* by James Patterson

3. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas* by John Boyne

4. Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock

5. The Magic of Ordinary Days by Ann Howard Creel

6. Gathering Blue* (The Giver #2) by Lois Lowry

7. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

8. Divergent* (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

9. The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner* (Twilight #3.5) by Stephenie Meyer

10. Zoo* by James Patterson

11. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

12. Dark Life* (Dark Life #1) by Kat Falls

13. Number the Stars* by Lois Lowry
14. Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
15. If We Survive* by Andrew Klavan
16. Still Alice by Lisa Genova
17. The Weight of Blood* by Laura McHugh
18. The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

19. Orange is the New Black* by Piper Kerman
20. Titanic: Voices From the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson

21. I Am Number Four* (Lorien Legacies #1) by Pittacus Lore

22. Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leah Bardugo

23. Dark Places* by Gillian Flynn

24. Where We Belong* by Emily Giffin

25. Siege & Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

26. Eleanor and Park* by Rainbow Rowell
27. Prodigy* (Legend #2) by Marie Wu
28. A Corner of the Universe* by Ann M. Martin
29. The Power of Six* (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittacus Lore
30. Champion* (Legend #3) by Marie Wu
31. Ruin & Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo

32. If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman
33. Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst
34. The Threads of Reading: Strategies for Literacy Development by Karen Tankersley

35. 14 Deadly Sins (Women's Murder Club, #14) by James Patterson

36. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

37. Worst Case (Michael Bennett #3) by James Patterson
38. Roses Are Red* (Alex Cross #6) by James Patterson
39. Violets Are Blue* (Alex Cross #7) by James Patterson
40. The Guardian* by Nicholas Sparks
41. Shades of Blue* by Karen Kingsbury
42. The Astronaut Wives Club* by Lily Koppel
43. The Choice* by Nicholas Sparks

* Audiobook

Favorites**: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Magic of Ordinary Days, Me Before You, If We Survive, Still Alice, The Light Between Oceans, Orange is the New Black, Titanic: Voices From the Disaster, Where We Belong, Eleanor and Park, Ruin & Rising, Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions, 

** Am I allowed to have so many favorites? It's my blog, so I'm going to go with yes. :)

Rereads: Divergent, Insurgent, Dark Places, Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm

Did not finish:
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith,
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - I tried this one twice, both in audio and in print.

Change Your Words, Change Your Life by Joyce Meyer

Don't waste your time: Zoo by James Patterson,

Biggest disappointment: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Reads of 2014

Here is a list of all of the books that I read this past year, in no particular order:

1. Four by Veronica Roth
2. Run For Your Life (Michael Bennett #2) by James Patterson
3. Step on a Crack* (Michael Bennett #1) by James Patterson
4. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
5. Sole Survivor* by Dean Koontz
6. Little Lies by Heather Gudenkauf
7. Lifeguard* by James Patterson
8. Juliet's Lullaby by Ash Night
9. The Daily 5 by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser
10. Cat and Mouse (Alex Cross #4) by James Patterson
11. The Guard (The Selection #2.5) by Kiera Cass
12. The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass
13. Jack and Jill (Alex Cross #3) by James Patterson
14. Following Ezra: What One Father Learned About Gumby, Otters, Autism, and Love From His Extraordinary Son by Tom Fields-Meyer
15. Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare
16. The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story by R.J. Palacio
17, The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
18. Don't Look Now (PERSEFoNE #2) by Michelle Gagnon
19. The San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 (I Survived #5) by Lauren Tarshis
20. The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 (I Survived #7) by Lauren Tarshis
21. An Unlikely Friendship: A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley by Ann Rinaldi
22. Planted By Streams of Water: Psalms of Divine Wisdom by Jane L. Fryar
23. Oceans Apart* by Karen Kingsbury
24. Between Shades of Gray* by Ruta Sepetys
25. Mistress by James Patterson
26. Sunset in St. Tropez* by Danielle Steel
27, The Private School Murders* (Confessions #2) by James Patterson
28. Unlucky 13* (Women's Murder Club #13) by James Patterson
29. Kiss the Girls* (Alex Cross #2) by James Patterson
30. 12th of Never* (Women's Murder Club #12) by James Patterson
31. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
32. Miss Perigrine's Home For Peculiar Children (Miss Perigrine's Peculiar Children #1) by Ransom Riggs
33. Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu
34. Second Honeymoon (Honeymoon #2) by James Patterson
35. Honeymoon* (Honeymoon #1) by James Patterson
36. Confessions of a Murder Suspect* (Confessions #1) by James Patterson
37. Judge & Jury* by James Patterson
38. The Giver* (The Giver #1) by Lois Lowry
39. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi
40. Fracture Me (Shatter Me #2.5) by Tahereh Mafi
41. Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi
42, The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
43. The Age of Miracles* by Karen Thompson Walker
44. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
45. The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
46. Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

* indicates a book was read as an audiobook.

I use my GoodReads account to generate this list. I caught one book that I know I read that was not listed, so I'm hoping all others are on here.

On the 2014 Reading Challenge, I set a goal to read at least 40 books. I exceeded my goal by 6 books. (Go me!) According to GoodReads, I read a total of 14,509 pages; however this number is missing book #46 on my list. 15 of these books were audiobooks. (Actually, I'm kind of surprised that the audiobook number is so small.)

As you can tell, I enjoy reading books by James Patterson. One book - #8 - was written by a former 5th grade student of mine and dedicated to myself and one of her middle school teachers. Quite an honor!

The most disappointing book that I read is definitely #32. I just couldn't handle the weirdness of Miss Perigrine. Book #24 was an absolutely outstanding read. I'd probably recommend that book before any others.

I also had the privilege of meeting two authors this past year - R.J. Palacio and Heather Gudenkauf. Both women are excellent authors, and I would certainly suggest you read their books.

Happy Reading in 2015!
becky

Book Review: Clockwork Princess

Clockwork Princess

by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess is the third book in the Infernal Devices trilogy written by Cassandra Clare. All three books take place near London during the late 1800s. Tessa Gray is caught in a love triangle between James (Jem) Carstairs and Will Herondale (*swoons*), but love isn't Tessa's biggest problem. She must stay away from the Magister. If he manages to get what he wants from Tessa, he may succeed at destroying the Shadowhunters forever.

I'd like to take a moment to give my niece Shelby a great.big.THANK.YOU. She suggested that I read this trilogy, and I am so glad that I did. Books 1 and 2 - Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince - were good reads, too; but I gotta tell ya' - Clockwork Princess was absolutely fantastic. I did not want this book to end, but when it did I was completely happy and satisfied with the ending.

Why did I enjoy this book so much? I think the setting had a lot to do with it. I've read another book from this time period that I truly enjoyed - The Night Circus. I'm thinking I should check out more books taking place in the late 1800s. Another thing in common was the fantasy genre. I didn't think fantasy would be my "thing" - though, I did devour the Harry Potter series - but the Fire and Thorns trilogy completely changed that for me. (You should most definitely check out that trilogy - whoa!)

- becky

Grandma's Leg is Dairy-o!

Back in the end of May, Tim's mom had a nasty fall and ended up with a spiral fracture in her left femur bone. OUCH! We were all glad to have the opportunity to get down and visit and see how she is doing. She loves to sing songs with the kids, and it was so adorable when we were explaining to Isaiah what happened, and he said, "Uh oh! Grandma's leg is dairy-o!" Think The Farmer in the Dell. :)

Great-Grandma came by to visit, too.

Believe it or not, there are people out there in the world who read more than I do. Tim's mom is one of them! :) Every time we see her, she's working her way through a pile of books. As a Mother's Day/Get Well Gift, we got her a Barnes & Noble Nook. (Say Bette - sign up and friend me on the Goodreads website to keep track of what you are reading! That, and I like to see what others are reading to help me decide what to read next.)

Grandma and Isaiah (I love this picture!)

The portable dvd player is a good source of entertainment when we need to keep the kiddos occupied. Judge if you want. Keeping my kids in a room is like herding cats.

Get well soon, and come to Wisconsin to see us Grandma Bette! :)

- becky

The Spark

The Spark

by Chris Downie

In June, I decided it was time to do something about the few extra post-baby pounds that I've been carrying around. I re-discovered a web site called Spark People. I had been considering Weight Watchers, but Spark People is FREE. Easy decision! The only money that I have invested into my Spark People endeavor is what I paid for the book. I bought this one instead of borrowing it from the public library. I'm glad I did, too, because this one will be re-read and probably written in.

The Spark is written by the man who started the web site. The book begins with his story - both his personal life and how he started his business. It talks about the important things one needs in order to be successful and meet goals. Part 2 goes through a 28 day program (my program will be longer; I do things in smaller steps) that ends with a healthy lifestyle.

Deciding to live a healthy life definitely takes a commitment. It takes even more will power. Some days are tougher than others, but I am learning to turn my goof ups at this into something positive and not just another excuse to fall off the wagon, so to speak.

Let me know if you want to join me! We can be SparkFriends! It's kind of like Facebook. It's social networking for healthy living - lol!

- becky

Mommywood

Mommywood

by Tori Spelling

Yes, I am a closet watcher of Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. Yes, I would like to meet Tori so that we can become good friends and let our children play together. Yes, I wish she had more Christian principles in her life. But I still like her. I will just pray for her.

Tori wrote this book to talk about being a Mommy in Hollywood. Duh - it's called Mommywood right?! She is quite an entertaining writer! I read her first book, sTORI telling, on vacation last year (or maybe the year before?) and enjoyed it, too.

I think Tori is a good mom. It's quite obvious that she loves her children. She's trying to balance being a good mom with the rest of her life, just like the rest of us mommies. As the book progressed it was nice to see her confidence as a parent build.

When I finished this book, I am looking forward to reading her new book that is out - unchartered terriTORI!

- becky

The Choice

The Choice

by Nicholas Sparks

I've decided to add something new to my blog posts - book reviews. I figure this will be a good way for me to keep track of books that I've been reading. It's always fun to look back at things like this.

I've always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks. This book is one of my favorites (of books written by him). I was an honest reader - that means I did NOT peek ahead to see what would happen! I have a hard time with that sometimes, and I think that can really ruin a book. Instead of peeking, I stayed up until nearly midnight one night to finish and see what would happen. Boy, was I tired the next day!

This book is a love story; after all, it is written by Nicholas Sparks! A lot of time is spent in telling how the two main characters, Travis and Gabby, met and fell in love. This allows the reader to really connect with them, which makes the events that much more emotional.

When I finished this book, I was pleased with the ending. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might want to read this book.

- becky

Picture Book

One of Isaiah's favorite books to "read" is a scrapbook made for me by my mom and sister when we moved to Wisconsin. I love to tell all of the special stories from my childhood, and the pictures really add to it.

We still love the scrapbook, Mom and Jenny! We look at it often.

- becky

The Simple Things in Life

Isaiah is cracking up right now. He thinks it is hilarious to drop his goldfish crackers, one at a time, on the tile floor. I know the proper parenting thing would be to tell him to stop throwing his food, but his belly laugh is one of my favorite sounds in the world. I wish we were all so easy to entertain as we get older.

Today was a typical, hectic Monday. I have yet to download the pictures from the camera. My Book Club met at a restaurant for our monthly meeting tonight. We were discussing the book Lottery by Patricia Wood. What a wonderful, super, fantastic book!!! You really should check it out.

Time for bedtime routine!

- becky