Challenge: 50 Books discussion
Finish Line 2014
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Juli's 2014 Reading Quest
date
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Mod
Wow! I don't think I'd ever be that brave, or logical :)
Good luck this year!
January1) The Lost Wife - Alyson Richman
1/1-1/12
344 pages
5 stars - Emotional story of love separated by war.
2) Strange Fire: the Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship - John MacArthur
1/5-1/21/14
333 pages
5 stars - Came away with lots to think about. I'll be digesting this one for awhile.
3) Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
1/9-1/29
13 discs, 15.5 hours
5 stars - Glad I persevered to the end - a mesmerizing and haunting read.
Total Pages Read: 677
Total Hours Listened: 15.5
February4) The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches - Alan Bradley
1/30-2/2
7 discs, 8 hours
4 stars - Satisfying read with more de Luce family secrets revealed.
5) The Hidden Flame - Davis Bunn and Janette Oke
1/24-2/10
394 pages
5 stars - Sequel to The Centurion's Wife and a good imagining of what the early church might have been like.
6) Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books - Tony Reinke
2/5-2/12
208 pages
5 stars - I'd give it 10 if I could. Gave me much to think about and helped me organize my reading priorities for the year. Highly Recommend.
7) Community-Led Libraries Tooklit - Brian Campbell
11/26/13-2/20/14
148 pages
5 stars - Learned new techniques for delivering inclusive library service.
8) "I Love Lucy": a Celebration of all Things Lucy - Elisabeth Edwards
2/13-2/20
256 pages
5 stars - An interesting read about one of my favorite t.v. series
9) The Technologists - Matthew Pearl
2/7-2/28
15 sound discs, 18.5 hours
4 stars - Suspenseful historical fiction about the early days of MIT.
Total Pages Read: 1,683 pages
Total Hours Listened: 42 hours
Gave it a ShotOne Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp - Just couldn't get into this author's writing style.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra - It was too slow moving and I kept losing the thread of the story.
March10) Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
1/21-3/9
9 sound discs, 11.5 hours
5 stars - Persevered and ended up loving it.
11) Old World Murder - Kathleen Ernst
2/24-3/13
326 pages
4 stars - typical formulaic mystery, but I liked the characters she created.
12) Expository Listening: a Handbook for Hearing and Doing God's Word - Ken Ramey
2/26-3/21
127 pages
5 stars - This book led me to establish new habits to prepare for attending Sunday worship and applying God's word to my life.
13) Verbal Judo: the Gentle Art of Persuasion - George J. Thompson
2/24-3/28
222 pages
4 stars - Good advice on communication that will serve me well in a new position at work.
Total Pages Read: 2,358 pages
Total Hours Listened: 53.5 hours
April14) A Promise Kept - Robertson McQuilkin
4/7-4/11
85 pages
4 stars - Beautiful picture of selfless love as McQuilkin cares for his wife who has Alzheimer's (non-fiction)
15) The Poetry of Rober Frost - Edward Connery Lothem, ed
2/13-4/14
607 pages
3 stars - Trying to read more poetry this year and Frost is a favorite.
16) Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief - Dorothy Gilman
4/7-4/16
4 discs, 4.93 hours
4 stars - Lots of action, a bit of romance, and funny scenes between Carstairs and Bishop.
17) Mrs. Pollifax Pursued - Dorothy Gilman
4/22-4/27
4 discs, 4.9 hours
5 stars - Mrs. Pollifax faces more danger and intrigue...this time right in her own backyard.
18) Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library - Don Borchert
4/7-4/27
223 pages
3 stars - Good storyteller, but I face similar situations every day at work, so don't necessary want to read about it in my free time.
19) The Maid of Fairbourne Hall - Julie Klassen
3/14-4/28
414 pages
4 stars - Gentle romance and family secrets.
Total Pages Read: 3, 687 pages
Total Hours Listened: 63.33 hours
May20) Humility: True Greatness - C.J. Mahaney
11/18/13-5/6/14
174 pages
3 stars - Read for Bible Study - a guide in how to live out true greatness as defined in the Bible
21) Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert - Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
5/3-5/14
153 pages
5 stars - Butterfield's testimony really touched my heart and convicted me. An inspiring and thought-provoking read.
22) Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer - Dorothy Gilman
5/11-5/23
6 sound discs, 6 hours
3 stars - Overall, not a bad read, but I did miss two of my favorite characters who didn't appear in this book.
23) The Deepest Waters - Dan Walsh
5/2-5/22
300 pages
3 stars - Christian Fiction story of survival at sea.
Total Pages Read: 4,314 pages
Total Hours Listened: 69.33 hours
Five days to the start of the 9th annual 48 Hour Book Challenge over at the mother reader blog! So excited! Can't wait :)http://www.motherreader.com/2014/05/n...
Juli
June24) Crow - Barbara Wright
6/6-6/7
298 pages
5 stars - Fictionalized account of the Wilmington Race Riots of 1898 as told through the eyes of a child - intense, emotional read, well-written
25) Glory Be - Augusta Scattergood
6/7-6/7
202 pages
4 stars - well written debut novel set in Mississippi, 11 year-old Glory comes of age the summer of 1964 as her town is on the cusp of the civil rights movement.
26) The White Cascade: The Great Northern Railway Disaster and America's Deadliest Avalanche - Gary Krist
6/7-6/8
315 pages
5 stars - Intense nonfiction read, hard to put down, and it left me breathless.
27) The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Rebecca Schaeffer
5/15-6/11
214 pages
3 stars - A bit dated, but I still came away inspired to do more creative activities.
28) The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou - Maya Angelou
5/1-6/13
273 pages
3 stars
29) Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist
5/28-6/18
6 discs, 6.25 hours
4 stars - As always, there is danger afoot for the intrepid Mrs. Pollifax.
Total Pages Read: 5,616 pages
Total Hours Listened: 75.58 hours
July30) Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled - Dorothy Gilman
6/22-7/8
6 discs, 6 hours
5 stars - Action packed read, and a good end to the series
31) Silkworm - Robert Galbraith
7/4-7/10
14 sound discs, 17.5 hours
4 stars - A second suspenseful case for Cormoran Strike and his office assistant Robin.
32) Between Expectations: Lessons from a Pediatric Residency - Meghan MacLean Weir
7/3-7/13
273 pages
4 stars - A poignant look at what it's like to be a pediatric resident and what the author learned about herself during her three-year residency.
33) In the Presence of His Majesty - Oswald Chambers
7/15-7/18
70 pages
5 stars - Precious reminders from God's Word on faith, hope, and love
34) Eats, Shoots, & Leaves - Lynn Truss
6/23-7/21
209 pages
4 stars - A passionate plea for proper grammar. Fun and educational read.
35) Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
7/11-7/24
5 sound discs, 6 hours
4 stars - A fun light-hearted sic-fi classic.
Total Pages Read: 6,168 pages
Total Hours Listened: 105.08 hours
August36) London Buildings - Elaine Harwood
8/1-8/5
95 pages
2 stars - Interesting book, but not as pictorial as I was expecting.
37) The Arrival - Shaun Tan
8/5-8/6
128 pages
4 stars - Wordless graphic novel, stunning illustrations
38) The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams
7/25-8/7
5 sound discs, 5.76 hours
3 stars - Second in the "trilogy." Martin Freeman's narration made the story!
39) Collected Poems - Emily Dickinson
6/18-8/22
416 pages
4 stars - beautiful classic works of poetry
40) Banished: Surviving my Years in the Westboro Baptist Church - Lauren Drain and Lisa Pulitzer
8/4-8/26
293 pages
4 stars - Eyeopening look at a controversial group of people
41) Gold - Chris Cleave
8/3-8/31
326 pages
3 stars - Two frustrating characters and some uneven pacing, but Sophie's character overcomes all this. Not a great read, but not a bad on either.
42) Life, the Universe, and Everything - Douglas Adams
8/8 (approx) - 8/25 (approx.)
5 sound discs, 5.75 hours
3 stars - the further adventures of Arthur Dent and company
Total Pages Read: 7, 426 pages
Total Hours Listened: 116.59 hours
September 43) So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams
9/1-9/11
4 sound discs, 4.5 hours
4 stars - What really happened to Arthur Dent?
44) A Maze Me: Poems for Girls - Naomi Shihab Nye
9/1-9/25
118 pages
4 stars - Poems that speak to the heart of young girls becoming young women
45) Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams
9/2014
6 sound discs, 6.5 hours
3 stars - I enjoyed the ending to this series.
Total Pages Read: 7, 544 pages
Total Hours Listened: 127. 59 hours
October46) At Home in Mitford - Jan Karon
9/23-10/5
1 Audio file 19.35 hours
5 stars - This is my go-to series when I need a comfort read.
47) Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book About a (Really) Big Problem - Kevin DeYoung
5/28-10/7
128 pages
4 stars - Good, biblical read on the busyness of life.
48) Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before - Steve Taravella
9/1-10/12
370 pages
4 stars - Interesting read about one of Hollywoods most famous character actresses.
49) The True Meaning of Someday - Adam Rex
10/6-10/12
9 sound discs, 10.5 hours
3 stars - Funny tween read about alien invasion.
50) Better Nate than Ever - Tim Federle
10/12-10/12
5 sound discs, 5.75 hours
3 stars - Fun, exciting tween read about a boy chasing his dreams in New York City.
51) One Crazy Summer - Rita Williams Garcia
10/15-10/27
5 sound discs, 5.25 hours
5 stars - Well crafted children's read about Oakland, CA in the summer of 1968 and the Black Panther movement.
Total Pages Read: 8,042 pages
Total Hours Listened: 168.44 hours
November52) The Wig in the Window - Kristen Kittscher
10/5-11/1
351 pages
5 stars - Well-written debut novel in the juvenile mystery genre
53) Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney - Lee Cockerell
9/1-11/1
270 pages
5 stars - An informative and inspiring read
54) The Gospel for Real Life: Turn to the Liberating Power of the Cross...Every Day - Jerry Bridges
9/1-11/7
208 pages
4 stars - A great reminder of precious truths
55) My Life as a Book - Janet Tshjian
11/7-11/14
224 pages
3 stars - A potentially boring summer turns exciting for reluctant reader Derek Fallon.
56) A Light in the Window - Jan Karon
10/22-11/14
16.8 hours
4 stars - Another relaxing visit to Mitford. One of my favorite comfort reads.
Total Pages Read: 9,095 pages
Total Hours Listened: 185.24 hours
December 57) Paperboy - Vince Vawter
11/17-12/6
224 pages
5 stars - Coming of age story about a boy overcoming a stutter and learning of changes in the world around him.
58) The Measure of Success: Uncovering the Biblical Perspective on Women, Work, & the Home
11/17-12/15
178 pages
5 stars - The subtitle says it all...an eye opening read.
59) The Rose that Grew from Concrete - Tupac Shakur
11/17-12/20
150 pages
4 stars - Poetry filled with raw emotion that left me breathless at the end.
60) These High Green Hills - Jan Karon
12/6-12/31
13.85 hours
5 stars - A fun, gentle fiction read.
Total Pages Read: 9,647 pages
Total Hours Listened: 199.09 hours
And that's that. It was a good reading year filled with lots of enjoyable books. My final tally was 60 books, 9, 647 pages and 199.09 hours of listening to audio books. This year I challenged myself to read outside my normal reading circles. As a result I read more for professional development and more poetry. Looking forward to new challenges in 2015.
Mod
*throws confetti*
Happy reading everyone :)
Juli