Books read in 2013

Following prompting, I recorded the books I read in 2013. I believe the total number is 31, but I would like to increase that to 36 for the new year. I do tend to read a magazine in between each book and the next. I hope you can gleen a title or two from my list. 1/1/13 Thursday’s Child by Sonya Hartnett is a coming of age story that is dark and has a cast of complex characters. It was the winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. I appreciated the fascinating storyline, but I much prefer a happy ending. I had trouble empathizing with any of the characters, and had to keep reminding myself that the main character was a young girl, not a boy. 1/29/13 A Prairie Christmas Collection is a collection of 9 short stories by various authors. Each one takes place during the Midwest expansion of our country and mostly involved a young woman and man. In nearly all of the stories, the man is much more interested in “courting” than the woman, who needs to overcome resistance before acquiescing to the relationship. Despite the stories being predictable, I enjoyed the traditional approach to romance and marriage that the stories represent. 2/11/13 The Girl’s Still Got It: The Story of Ruth and the God who Rocked her World by Liz Curtis Higgs. I have long heard of this author, but this is the first book of hers that I have read. She unpacked the four chapters of the book of Ruth , examining each and every word, without being in the least tedious. The author steps away from the text often and compares the events in this book to the Bible, as a whole. I anticipate reading more of Higgs’ books in the future. 3/10/13 Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma. This book came highly recommended by friends, booksellers, and a Focus on the Family podcast. The author began an experiment to rid her home of entitlement in 12 months (actually the subtitle). What begins as a means to get more help around the house evolves into a new normal way of life. Her conclusion is that most of what we need to teach our children boils down to thinking less of self and more of others. This applies to all of the household chores that she tackles and the later chapters /months in which she addresses service projects, hospitality and manners. I have to say that her methodology was rather simple, but her consistency and perseverance in seeing the Experiment through to the end is what made it book material. I would agree with a blogger who said that is was uncomfortable to me the way in which she spoke degradingly about her husband. 3/17/13 The Good Life for Less: Giving your family great meals, good times, and a happy home on a budget by Amy Allen Clark (MomAdvice.com). This book is similar to many other that I’ve read before. Nonetheless, I always manage to glean a few good tips from each new author. Amy devotes a hefty chapter to gift giving and holidays, which is where I found the most helpful information. Some ideas I want to remember: Thoughtful stockings-write compliments on slips of paper and slip them inside family members’ stockings to be read when opening the gifts Signature dish-select a dish or two (an appetizer and a dessert) that you do well and always have the ingredients on hand. This simplifies life when potluck occasions arise. Go thru the drive thru in your pj’s and go on a Christmas light tour while eating dinner. Observe Earth hour during the last Sat in March ( or on Earth day). Refrain from using electricity, and offer glow sticks for bath time. Write our summer plans on a large posterboard (possibly cut into the shape of a sand bucket!). Mark them off as we do them. Gift idea for graduates: coupon to redeem for care package. Make it a menu from which they can order the contents of their care package and mail it to me when they wish to redeem. Gift idea for Weddings: board games Amy also listed her homemade cleaner recipes, and I liked having them all in one place. My drawback to this book is that she obviously doesn’t attend church or observe the Sabbath as she slated Sunday as her cleaning day. 3/24/13 The Little Prince It really is surprising that I am just now reading this book for the first time. I bought it from the Scholastic book club flier, although I really don’t think that it would be meaningful for children. There is so much depth and symbolism within its scant 111 pages. I found myself lost a couple of times, needing to refer to an earlier portion of the book to remember how we got to that point. I did not enjoy this book, per say; however, I think I would like to read it with a group and discussion. 4/12/13 Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley This is a re-read for me, which I rarely do. But it did not disappoint; I was only reminded how skilled the author is at crafting believable characters. Harmony is a place I could imagine living in, maybe because of my small town upbringing. Don’t tempt me to continue re-reading the series, because I just might. 5/20/13 One Good Deed by Erin McHugh Erin begins this one-a-day book on her birthday, determined to execute one good deed each day for a year. Nothing earth-shattering, just her consistent efforts to make the world a better place. Her world, specifically, is New York City. It was fun to read of her successes, busts, and days of drought. The author is a gay woman, but it is mainly downplayed in the book. 5/29/13 Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman I appreciated this mom’s honest portrayal of the pain that she wrestles with on a in doesn’t sugar-coat the struggles she faces on this side of heaven. There are many poignant statements in the book; I will always remember her pointing out that Mary was chosen by God, yet she endured such pain. 6/8/13 The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom Still trying to figure out how I missed reading this book after intensely studying Holocaust literature! Corrie and her family are humble in their service, but bold in their faith. I am in awe of their loyal dedication to the rescue of Jews and others being persecuted. Her father is given the opportunity to avoid being arrested by promising to stop resistance activities. His response: “If I go home today, tomorrow I will open my door again to any man in need who knocks.” This will be a gem that I re-read, for certain. In the meantime, these words will ring in my head— Perhaps only when human effort has done its best and failed, would God’s power alone be free to work. As Corrie’s sister Betsie is dying, she rasps out her last vision: “…must tell people what we have learned here. We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still. They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here.” 6/12/13 A Step of Faith by Richard Paul Evans This is the fourth in the series about Alan Christofferson’s walk across America. They are somewhat predictable and a very easy read. But, now that I’ve come with Alan from Seattle to Florida, I can’t quit until I’ve read him through to Key West. My favorite parts of these books are the excerpt quotes from his diary that begin each chapter. The fifth-and probably the last- in the series is due to come out in May 2014. 6/19/13 Keep Smiling Through by Ann Rinaldi You know that a book is lacking when you can’t remember if you read it before or not. This young adult selection has been on my shelf to read for a long time. But all throughout reading it, I questioned whether or not I had ever read—or finished—it . About a 10 yo girl living in America during WWII, the storyline seemed all too familiar. I finished it, but would not recommend it. 6/29/13 The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver I have read other titles by this author, and they were much better. Bean is about a young woman who sets out on her own, but is quickly burdened with a Native American child who is left in her care. Through a series of misfortune, she finds herself living with another woman and child and working at a tire repair center. The characters are all quirky, but surprisingly believable. I wish the ending had been more conclusive. 7/16/13 Lessons in Buoyancy: Letting Go of the Perfect Proverbs 31 Woman by Kathy Vick I started to read this book once before; I guess I was not ready to hear the message. It was a good one—“This, I realized, is the perspective of buoyancy—and its benefit is not letting go to aimlessly float but letting go and learning to let God navigate our lives.” Kathy Vick is a first time author who used her own life trials to illustrate the perspective we should have when reading Proverbs 31. P31, as she calls her, does not have it all together. Rather, she has given over the direction of her sails to the One who created the winds. Each chapter title is a word play with water (Float, Deep Waters, Storms, etc.) and many of her analogies are stories relating to water sports. And each chapter deals with an attribute of P31 , such as Chapter 7: Islands: Lessons in Sanctuary --She extends her hands…and opens her arms. 7/24/13 Left Neglected by Lisa Genova I was really touched by this story of a successful Harvard grad who sustained a brain injury while trying to maintain her frenetic pace of life. She was not paralyzed, but her brain did not recognize her left side of her body. Not only was she physically changed, but emotionally altered. A well written story, and I will seek out the author’s other book. She reminded me, in a way, of Jodi Picoult. 8/6/13 Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach There are very few cookbooks that also make good reading. This is one exception. Jenny’s story was born out of a dinner diary she began fourteen years ago, nightly recording how she has answered the perpetual question, “What’s for dinner?” When she became a mother, she found this quandary to be even more complex. Her story centers around her desire to nightly gather her family around the table for a nutritious meal minus the stress and drama. I garnished many recipes that I want to try from her repertoire. A pasta dish has already won the favor of my family. 8/18/13 Knit Lit by Linda Roghaar and Molly Wolf I have to admit to skimming some of this book, as it was a compilation of short essays about knitting. These ranged from how the author learned to knit to where the author secured their fibers and yarns. All had the common thread of knitting playing a vital role in their lives. For some, it helped to conquer addiction, for others, it was a bridge to past generations. Many of the knitting terms were not familiar to me, since I have not been able to learn to knit. Overall, it was a mediocre read. 8/24/13 A Friend Like Henry by Nuala Gardner The subtitle is “The remarkable true story of an autistic boy and the dog that unlocked his world.” I appreciated that the author, Dale’s mother, wrote this book on her own. She was in the trenches, at times, with two children diagnosed with autism. But, she and her husband employ their kids’ respective obsessions to overcome hurdles and achieve developmental milestones. The true hero of the story, however, is Henry, their golden retriever. As I’ve heard so many times before, this breed of dog has a way with autistic children. They are so non-judgmental and show very little expression, thereby posing no threat to the child’s social challenges. A heart warming story of victory in a family where the odds appeared to be stacked against them. The Chance by Karen Kingsbury A fairly predictable story about family, loss, and love found again. Nonetheless, it is refreshing to read of characters who put their faith in the Lord, and do not sway no matter the circumstance. A boy loses his father and his best girl friend, she loses contact with her parents and has a child to raise alone. A date to meet promised eleven years ago brings them back together. Running for My Life by Lopez Lamong Let me just start out by saying how happy I am that Curry’s high school chose this book as the “One Book” for the summer. Lopez’s story is one of victory over poverty, war, imprisonment, and starvation, all through the power of God. And he is not shy about giving all honor to Him. Lopez’s life has given him a platform for advancing God’s kingdom and improving conditions in his homeland, Sudan. I high recommend this book! Be Different by John Elder Robison It only makes sense that a book written about what it feels like to be an Asperger be written by an Aspy. The author is a renowned speaker on the subject and has written several books on his experience. Having lived for forty years without a diagnosis, John developed coping strategies and “cheat sheets” for navigating the social world. So much of what he said rang true for my son. Amos Fortune Free Man by Elizabeth Yates Hanna was assigned to read this Newberry award winner over the summer. She didn’t think she would enjoy it, but really did so after all. Amos was an African captured in his home tribe, brought to America, and sold into slavery. He was lovingly kept by two different Christian families, who granted him his freedom and gave him the tools and skills to be a tanner. Amos paid the kindness forward by purchasing the freedom for three women and one child. A true story of the far-reaching effects of goodness. Time Keeper by Mitch Albom I’ve read—and enjoyed—all of Albom’s books thus far. So while I appreciated the complex storyline of this novel, it was not my type of fiction. It tells the story of Father Time as a personified character and his significant involvement in two very different people’s lives. With lots of flashbacks, it required the reader to suspend disbelief in order to follow the story. Dinner with the Smileys by Sarah Smiley While their husband/father is deployed, this mother and three sons invite special guests to fill the empty chair at the dinner table. The idea takes on a life of its own and their guest list grows over 52 weeks. I loved this story about community, fellowship, and supporting one another. Riding the Bus with My Sister by Rachel Simon Rachel is forced to come to terms with her own race away from loneliness when she (reluctantly) agrees to ride the bus with her special needs sister. What begins as a one-day experience grows into a year-long experiment and character study of the world in which her sister daily inhabits. Filled with bus drivers, fellow passengers, mesmerizing routes, and dashes to public restrooms. This is not a sentimental, patronizing story about an unfortunate, challenged sibling. It is, rather, a story about the author’s personal realizations as she opens herself up to a whole new world. The Four Doors: A guide to Joy, Freedom and a Meaningful Life by Richard Paul Evans This was a small but meaty book. (Why does every non-fiction author feel the need to subtitle their work?) I remember nodding my head and reading snippets to my husband as I read this book. But now, a month later, I don’t remember anything specific about the book. I don’t know if that means that it wasn’t memorable or that I have a poor memory. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks Who says that men can’t write tantalizing stories? Sparks always comes through, and this is no exception. For most of the book, there are two parallel storylines taking place. It is only at the very end of the story that the lives of the three main characters intersect. An elderly man who has driven off of the road and is stranded in a snowstorm, an art history major at Wake Forest University whose life revolved around her boyfriend and sorority sisters for the first three years of college, and a bull-riding cowboy who helps to run his mother’s ranch seem to be an unlikely trio. I don’t want to give away too much, as the storyline can be figured out before the end of the story. Cole Family Christmas This extended picture book tells of the author’s great-grandmother and family during some very lean times. It is full of the warmth of a family who loves the giver, not the gift. Happy reading, my bibliophile friends! Angie