I looked at my Goodreads list and thought there must be a mistake. How did I go from being the girl who had to finish the book in my hand to someone reading 20 books?!?!? I think I have a serious addiction. I can't keep from starting books.
My goal of 125 books a year means that I need to read roughly 10-11 books a month. At the end of February, I had read a total of 18 books this year, and I'm currently sitting at 23 completed books, so I'm still a little behind where I need to be to reach my goal. (The 5 books I finished in March: 5 Habits of a Woman who Doesn't Quit, The Missing Class, Even Now, A Monster Calls, and Fervent).
From last month, I'm still reading:
Dark Chaos, the 4th book in the Bregdan Chronicles, a series set during the Civil War. The first three books were great. I love the characters, and want to know what ends up happening to Carrie and her romance and her possible career. The plot is easy to follow as well, and it is always interesting to read about events that I've heard about in history class. There are eight books in the series, I believe, and they are all fairly long, so this series will probably be in my reading list all year.
183 Times a Year is a book I got free from NetGalley, so look for a review later. I'm about halfway through this one. It's an interesting look at how a Mom and teenage daughter fail to relate. There's lots of teen angst, too, with just enough of an unsure Mom thrown in to make it seem real-life. And the Mom is a librarian... anybody who loves books has a fan in me!
The Leadership Challenge was recommended by several of the speakers at the two day leadership academy meeting I attended. It uses real-life scenarios to discuss leadership traits and offers suggestions for developing these traits in the reader. Very beneficial regardless of what type of leadership role one is in. (I started a draft blog with some ideas from this book, and I'll share it when I'm finished with the book. Very practical tips that are easy to implement regardless of one's position).
This one will come as a shock to many, because I'm not sure how I could go this long without reading it... but since JK Rowling is coming out with a new Harry Potter book this summer, I decided to jump on board and started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. And y'all... I don't know how I missed out on this. Delightful reading!!! Easy to follow writing. So... I guess here's another series I"ll be reading all year.
Every month I get a free book from Kindle's Loaning Library by being a Prime member, so this month I'm reading Catherine Ryan Hyde's Ask Him Why, about a family influenced by the actions of their son/brother fighting in Afghanistan. I've read several of Hyde's books, and have enjoyed each of them. This book is great! It's narrated by two of the major characters, the brother and sister of an American soldier who has gotten in trouble for not following orders in Afghanistan. It follows them from the time that the conflict began to ten years down the road, and highlights the changes that we all face in light of those who we love.
Still rotating between two devotions on my Kindle- One Year Alone with God and Love is A Verb.
Jeremiah by Melissa Spoestra- I'm only on week 3 of this Bible study, even though I started it last month, because I've been doing a couple of other studies. Also, one of the suggestions on the reading challenge was to read a commentary, so I'm reading Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah as I read each chapter, so it's been slow going. I do like Spoestra's writing style.
Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorite authors, and I'm in a facebook group that selects books she writes. I just finished Even Now, and am now reading the follow-up, Ever After. I literally just started this book, so I have no clue what it is even about, but I know it's by Kingsbury so it'll be good.
I've loved every book I've read by Lisa Genova, and Love Anthony is no exception. Centered around the Mom of an autistic boy, the book also tells the story of a married woman who finds her world turned upside down when her husband cheated on her. I'm not sure exactly how the two are related, but somehow they are connected, and this is a good read so far.
The Color of Destiny is a free book I got on Kindle. I read the first book in the series, The Color of Heaven, about a year ago. This one is about an EMT and seems like it is a good read. I don't really remember a lot about the initial book, except it's about a woman who is submerged in a car accident, but I do remember that I liked it.
The Wedding Gift is about a young plantation owner and the young slave she was given as a wedding gift. It was another free read from Kindle. I love anything having to do with the Civil War.
I started two books to read with book studies. Unqualified by Steven Furtick, who I love for his humor, and Wendy Blight's I Know His Name, which is about the names of God. Blight is an amazing author who is good at pointing you to God's Word.
Five Minutes on Monday is a short book full of anecdotes centered on making your day better. The author is Jewish, but the stories told include Buddhist and Christian philosophies. Obviously there are some aspects that I'm not sure I agree with (from the Buddhist standpoint), but the stories thus far provide applicable lessons regardless of a person's belief.
Holly Gerth is one of my favorite authors and I'm reading a short book by her called The Do What You Can Plan. It's about taking small steps to work toward your big-time goals.
I've literally just started: The Last Great Game: Duke vs. Kentucky (because, hello, it's March Madness... and that shot!), Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke (read the first book in this series last month), and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy.
Books I've Read this Year for my reading challenge:
A Book about Christian living: Fervent by Priscilla Shirer... a book on prayer. I haven't always had the best prayer life, and this book gives Scripture suggestions to help guide prayers. It goes along well with Armor of God, which I just finished.
A biography: Off Balance by Olympic Gold medalist Dominique Moceanu.
And books I plan to read for the reading challenge suggestions, which are currently on my Kindle or my bedside table:
A classic novel: My Antonia
A book someone tells you changed their life: Sun Stand Still
A book about theology: Probably Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
A book with "gospel" in the title
A book your pastor recommends: The Balanced Church
A book 100 years old: Uncle Tom's Cabin
A children's book: The Secret Garden
A mystery or detective novel: Sherlock Holmes
A book published in 2016: not sure yet
A book about a current issue- not sure yet
And I have three books on my nightstand that are movies (y'all know I have to read the book before the movie) : Concussion, Room, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
A lot of reading. If only I had more time. I'd love to hear your suggestions!
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