What I'm Reading in February

I set a goal of reading 125 books this year.  That's just over 10 books a month.  Last year, I read well over this number, ranging from 5-17 books per month, so this goal is definitely achievable!  In January, I read 10 books, but February is a short month, so I'm thinking I'll be lucky to get that many in.  Reading isn't a chore to me, though, so I can escape in a good book and not realize how much time has passed, which is both a good and a bad thing.

And let me just say that this month Harper Lee announced she'd be publishing a new book.  To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books of all times, so I'm anxiously looking forward to her new book coming out!!!

Here's what I'm reading right now...

I'm still reading Rhett Butler's People... This is an authorized book by the Margaret Mitchell Foundation.  I've had it for awhile, but when Kami got me the authorized book about Mammy by the same author for Christmas, I knew I had to read this one first... and it's good.  It's all about Rhett before he was kicked out of West Point and before he met Scarlett.  What is so neat about it is that it brings in scenes from Gone With the Wind.  For example, the scene where Frank Kennedy is murdered and Ashley Wilkes is injured trying to defend Scarlett's honor as members of the Ku Klux Klan.  In Gone with the Wind, the scene is told  from the quilting circle's point of view.  This book actually takes you into Belle Watling's where they cover up the crime.  I've been reading pretty steadily on this one, and to be honest, I'll miss it when I'm finished.  Thank goodness for Mammy's story sitting on my nightstand! *Not Christian fiction

A Casual Vacancy- This book focuses on small town politics in England and it is really good.  When one of the council men die suddenly, the community scrambles and reacts. There's rival with a nearby community, teenage angst, and just enough love thrown in.  There's a little bit of language in this one, too... but so far it is a good read. There's lots of scandal, and backbiting, and it really reminds me of what I know of small town politics.  It's a reminder about dysfunctional families for sure. *Not Christian fiction

My "drive-thru" ride is Elin Hilderbrand's Beautiful Day. Set in Nantucket, it is REALLY making me want a beach right now, as all of her novels do. This one is about a girl who is getting married, and trying to follow suggestions left in a notebook by her mother before her death.  It's an easy read, and she is one of my favorite authors. And, as I said, it makes me want to be sitting at the edge of the ocean with my toes in the sand, sun beating down, and the smell of salt and sunscreen strong... but about anything makes me want that any time of the year, especially in the winter!

I'm reading In the Nick, a follow up book to Out of Time.  I get a free book from the lending library every month, and this is the one I borrowed last month, but have just now started.  In the first book in this series,  the main character is a Revolutionary War Soldier who fell through a time portal into present day... and fell in love and got married.  This book finds the happy couple falling back through the time portal and ending up in revolutionary times.  The characters are likeable, and while I generally don't enjoy things that involve time travel, this one is ok. I'm just a little ways into it so I haven't actually formed a strong opinion one way or the other.

To play into my Dance Moms obsession, I'm reading Abby Lee Miller's Everything I Learned about Life, I Learned in Dance Class. It's geared toward moms of girls and dance moms (of course) but Abby also discusses studio life and it's fun to get her perspective on her teaching style and the moms she loves to hate. She also discusses some about her childhood and has interviews with former dancers. (I have to say, though, I'm not sure why they pay money to have their kids yelled at. She can be pretty rough. But the show is my guilty obsession and will hopefully get me through the mile I'm about to run on the treadmill.)

No One You Know is a poignant book about a young lady left behind after her sister was murdered. She has just met the man suspected of killing her sister, and she's trying to figure out who he is and who she is and who her sister was in the process.  Only a couple of chapters in, but it's good.

Southbound is a book about two sisters who hike the Appalachian Trail- barefoot. I've heard about the Appalachian Trail but never realized how immense a feat it was to hike the whole trail. This book is about the people they meet and the things they learn along the way, and even though I'm not a hiker, I'm enjoying reading about their adventure.

I've just started Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I've read this one before, but it's been a while.  It is neat to be reading a couple of books set in the same time frame, and think of the different perspectives that individuals had, basically just because of where they live.

For one book club online, I'm reading Maggie's Miracle by Karen Kingsbury. It's part of the Red Glove series and I read the first book in this series last month.  I love Karen Kingsbury, and if you're a bargain shopper, you can find this whole series in one Kindle book cheaper than buying them all individually! I really enjoyed the first book in the series... haven't really read enough in this one to even know what it is about (trying to finish those books I carried over from last month first!)

I'm behind on my Kelly Minter What Love Is study.  I love Kelly Minter.  I love her writing style, and the way she brings scripture to life.  This is a study of the 1,2, 3 books of John, and there are some heavy concepts in there. Plan to spend a lot of time tomorrow after church diving in!

I'm also reading Karen Ehman's Keep it Shut: What to Say, How to Say it, and When to Say Nothing at All for Proverbs 31 OBS.  I love this book.  I need this book.  I'll probably need to re-read this book... because I struggle so much with this.  Karen is funny and real and I feel like she is in my head sometimes!



Still reading Heart of the Story: The Family of Jesus- I've been taking a break on this one, as I'm completing it with a Bible study group at church, but it is really good and I'm looking forward to digging back in. We took a break for Christmas and illness, but good Lord's Willing we'll meet Monday night and get back to reading.  We still have two characters left.  I love Kingsbury's simple writing.

The Circle Maker- I've heard so much about this book.  Good stuff about big dreams and seeking God.  Batterson's style is engaging and even though I've been reading on this one for over a month, it's not because the message isn't good.  It's just one of those books that I really want to be able to think about as I read, so I'm reading small chunks here and there.

I'm reading The Chronological Bible.  There's a reading plan where I will read around 3-4 chapters a day and get through the entire Bible in a year.  It always amazes me how I can read a passage over and over again, but if I'm open, God can show me something new!!! Of course, I'm about two weeks behind the plan, but will devote some additional time tomorrow and read a couple of days at once.

Other books? There's too many to name, and I have so many good ones waiting on my Kindle... but for now, here's a glance at the line-up on my nightstand.

And I may finally read Love Does.