Christian Readers Challenge Wrap Up

Miz B hosted the Christian Readers Challenge.

This challenge asked you to:

* create a list of Christian books that you’d like to read
* titles can be fiction, nonfiction, or a mixture of both
* read these between January 1st - April 30th, 2009
* overlaps with other challenges ARE allowed
* eBooks and Audiobooks ARE allowed

Here's my list:

1. Red, White, and Blue by Laura Hayden
2. The Perfect Match by Susan May Warren
3. Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy
4. Sweetwater Gap by Denise Hunter
5. Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo
6. Scrapping Plans by Rebeca Seitz
7. She's in a Better Place by Angela Hunt
8. Age before Beauty by Virginia Smith
9. Against All Odds by Irene Hannon
10. A Cry in the Night by Coleen Coble
11. Tender Grace by Jackina Stark
12. Daniel's Den by Brandt Dodson
13. God Is My Coach by Larry Julian
14. For Couples Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn
15. This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury
16. Lost in Las Vegas by Melody Carlson
17. The Rose Conspiracy by Craig Parshall
18. Against All Odds by Irene Hannon
19. Inside Story by Susan Page Davis
20. Out of Time by Paul McCusker
21. Tender Grace by Jackina Stark
22. The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (Even When You Have Every Reason To Be Miserable) by Scott Hamilton
23. The Spring of Candy Apples by Debbie Viguie
24. This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury
25. Last Mango in Texas by Ray Blackston
26. Work in Progress by Kristin Armstrong
27. Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney
28. Just Another Girl by Melody Carlson
29. A Cousin's Promise by Wanda E. Brunstetter
30. Double Minds by Terri Blackstock
31. Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills
32. It's a Green Thing: Diary of a Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson
33. Brittan by Debra White Smith
34. Turning the Paige by Laura Jensen Walker
35. Illusions by Wanda B. Campbell
36. Journey by Angela Hunt
37. Yesterday's Embers by Deborah Raney
38. Salty Like Blood by Harry Kraus, M.D.
39. Angel of Wrath by Bill Myers
40. The Real Enemy by Kathy Herman
41. If Tomorrow Never Comes by Marlo Schalesky
42. How Can I Run A Tight Ship When I'm Surrounded by Loose Cannons? by Kathi Macias
43. My Son, John by Kathi Macias
44. The Marriage Turnaround by Mitch Temple
45. Deadlock by Robert Liparulo
46. A Vote of Confidence by Robin Lee Hatcher
47. A Sister's Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter
48. Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer
49. I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse by Michael Franzese
50. The Unquiet Bones by Melvin R. Starr
51. The Voice by Bill Myers
52. Enduring Justice by Amy Wallace
53. Gardenias for Breakfast by Robin Jones Gunn
54. The House at Grosvenor Square by Linore Rose Burkhard
55. Nothing But Trouble: A PJ Sugar Novel by Susan May Warren
56. New York Debut (Carter House Girls, Book 6) by Melody Carlson
FINISHED!

Whew! I have read a long list of books during this challenge, and enjoyed all but one of them. Because I choose the books that I want to review books, there are few surprises. My reviews can be found here. My children are grown, and I am retired. This is pure joy!

Winter Reading Wrap Up

My Two Blessings is hosting The Winter Reading Challenge which runs from December 21st, 2008 through March 20, 2009.


My goal for this challenge will be two books per week, which totals twenty-six.

1. Baker's Fatal Dozen by Lisa Harris
2. 108th Street by T. David Lee
3. Blood Lines by Mel Odom
4. Finding Marie by Susan Page Davis
5. God Is My Coach: A Business Leader's Guide to Finding Clarity in an Uncertain World by Larry Julian
6. Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy
7. Ralphina, the Roly-Poly by Claudia Chandler
8. The Perfect Match by Susan May Warren
9. God Is My Coach by Larry Julian
10. The Power of Who by Bob Beaudine
11. Love in Ninety Days by Diana Kirschner, PhD.
12. Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People by Rich DeVos
13. Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo
14. We're in This Boat Together by Camille Bishop, PhD.
15. Sweetwater Gap by Denise Hunter
16. Red, White, and Blue by Laura Hayden
17. She's in a Better Place by Angela Hunt
18. A Cry in the Night by Coleen Coble
19. Lost in Las Vegas by Melody Carlson
20. Scrapping Plans by Rebeca Seitz
21. The Rose Conspiracy by Craig Parshall
22. Against All Odds by Irene Hannon
23. This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury
24. Inside Story by Susan Page Davis
25. Out of Time by Paul McCusker
26. The Art of Compassion by Michael Smith
27. Tender Grace by Jackina Stark
28. The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (Even When You Have Every Reason To Be Miserable) by Scott Hamilton
29. The Spring of Candy Apples by Debbie Viguie
30. Too Tall Alice by Barbara Worton, Illus. by Dom Rodi
31. Zoe Lucky by M. Carol Coffey
32. Age before Beauty by Virginia Smith
33. This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury
34. Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
35. Daniel's Den by Brandt Dodson
36. Last Mango in Texas by Ray Blackston
37. Work in Progress by Kristin Armstrong
38. Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney
39. Just Another Girl by Melody Carlson
40. A Cousin's Promise by Wanda E. Brunstetter
41. Double Minds by Terri Blackstock
42. Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills
43. It's a Green Thing: Diary of a Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson
44. Brittan by Debra White Smith
45. Victoria's Rejects by Sydney Altman and Zoe Lazar
46. Mother Goose Tells the Truth About Middle Age by Sydney Altman
47. Turning the Paige by Laura Jensen Walker
48. Illusions by Wanda B. Campbell
49. Journey by Angela Hunt

With my goal of 26 books, I am amazed when I see that I've actually read and reviewed 49 books during this time. Perhaps that's why I screwed up by not linking in my reviews. I was way too busy reading! However, I did review each book. I have two listings located in my sidebar: one by title and the second by author.

I enjoyed participating and hope that next time I'll be able to follow all the rules.

2009 Christian Readers Challenge & Read and Review Challenge

In addition to participating in the reading challenge that Michelle at 1 More Chapter is hosting, which I posted about here, and the challenge Read Your Own Books, hosted by Miz B, which I posted about here, I've decided to participate in yet three more reading challenges. They seem to be doable for me as they all allow overlapping.

My Two Blessings is hosting The Winter Reading Challenge which runs from December 21st, 2008 through March 20, 2009.

The rules are very flexible:

1) Choose any number of books you would like to read and post them on your blog.
2) They can be fiction and/or nonfiction including e-books and audiobooks
3) They can overlap with other challenges.
4) Sign up on Mr. Linky.

My goal for this challenge will be two books per week, which totals twenty-six.

Miz B is hosting a Christian Readers Challenge.

This challenge asks you to:

* create a list of Christian books that you’d like to read
* titles can be fiction, nonfiction, or a mixture of both
* read these between January 1st - April 30th, 2009
* overlaps with other challenges ARE allowed
* eBooks and Audiobooks ARE allowed




Here's my list:

1. Red, White, and Blue by Laura Hayden
2. The Perfect Match by Susan May Warren
3. Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy
4. Sweetwater Gap by Denise Hunter
5. Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo
6. Scrapping Plans by Rebeca Seitz
7. She's in a Better Place by Angela Hunt
8. Age before Beauty by Virginia Smith
9. Against All Odds by Irene Hannon
10. A Cry in the Night by Coleen Coble
11. Tender Grace by Jackina Stark
12. Daniel's Den by Brandt Dodson
13. God Is My Coach by Larry Julian
14. For Couples Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn

Miz B is also hosting the 2009 Read & Review Challenge. The rules are similar to those above. You need to:

* review each book you read between January 1st and December 31st, 2009
* Keep your reviews clean and respectful
* reviews can be as short, or long, as you wish
* you MAY overlap with other challenges
* eBooks and Audiobooks ARE allowed

This should be a snap for me as I already review everything I read. I plan to keep my reading challenge updates on Sally's Reading Challenges and my reviews will be kept at this location in two sidebar listings: author and title.

For more details, click on any of the links above.

Fall Into Reading 2008 - Wrap Up

The Fall Into Reading Challenge hosted by Katrina at Callipider Days ended yesterday. There were 286 participants!

I'd decided to read 12 books for the challenge. I added additional titles as they came into my home. Here's my list. You can find my reviews by clicking on the title or the author's name, located in alphabetical order on my sidebar.

1. Altar Call by Hope Lyda (reading when the challenge began)
2. Rain Song by Alice Wisler
3. Out Of Her Hands by Megan DiMaria
4. Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin
5. One Holy Night by J. M. Hochstetler
6. White Christmas Pie by Wanda E. Brunstetter
7. The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips by Stephne Baldwin/Mark Tabb
8. Beloved Captive by Kathleen Y’Barbo
9. Rhapsody in Red by Donn Taylor
10. The Rook by Steven James
11. The Jewel of Gresham Green by Lawana Blackwell
12. The Outsider by Ann H. Gabhart
Added
13. A Firm Place to Stand by Marja Bergen
14. Pure by Rebecca St. James
15. The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez
16. by george by Wesley Stace
17. Never Surrender by LTG (Ret.) William G. Boykin
18. Move On, Move Up by Paula White
19. Arsenic Soup For Lovers: When Chicken Soup Doesn't Work by Georgia Post
20. The Good Person Guidebook by Richard Bayer, Ph.D
21. Key West: A Comprehensive Guide to Florida's Southernmost City by Sarah Goodwin-Nguyen
22. Life After Genius by M. Ann Jacoby
23. Alphine Americas Photography by Olaf Soot; Essays by Don Mellor
24. What You Should Know About Politics by Jessamyn Conrad
25. In the Beginning: Art of Genesis by Chuck Fischer
26. Queen Vernita's Visitors by Dawn Menge
27. Cole Family Christmas by Jennifer Liu Bryan
28. Crafting Jewish by Rivky Koenig
29. Thou Shalt Not Whine: What We Whine About. Why We Do It and How to Stop! by January Jones
30. Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God by Mark Batterson
31. Lady Flatterley by Linda Wagner
32. Sunset by Karen Kingsbury
33. Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter
34. For the Love of St. Nick by Garasamo Maccagnone
35. Christmas Around the World by Chuck Fischer
36. The Tutu Ballet by Sally O. Lee
37. One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling
38. Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins
39. Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter
40. Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn
41. Frasier Island by Susan Page Davis
42. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County bt Tiffany Baker
43. Where Do I Go? (The Yada Yada House of Hope) by Neta Jackson

This was my first reading challenge, and I enjoyed the experience. The only book not read is one that a publisher's assistant failed to send. (Boo. Hiss. Bad assistant!)

I am amazed at how long my list has grown! I was afraid that I'd bitten off too many titles, but this challenge helped me to chomp through a pile of books. The hardest part of the challenge was making a list three months in advance! Of all the books, my favorites are: Until We Reach Home, Rhapsody in Red, The Rook, Dark Pursuit, and One Perfect Day. The most disappointing read is For the Love of St. Nick by Garasamo Maccagnone. I'm already planning on challenges for my future reading, and I look forward to Katrina's Spring Challenge!

Read Your Own Books Challenge

I am adding another reading challenge to my 2009 year list.

MizB at Reading Wise is hosting a reading challenge called RYOB 2009 or Read Your Own Books in the coming year.

My goal will be to read six of my own books that are sitting neglected on my shelves. I made the number small because I am busy reading and reviewing so many other titles.

The rules for this challenge are very simple:

* set a goal for how many of your OWN books you’d like to read in 2009.

* read from your own collection between January 1st and December 31st, 2009.

You don’t have to create a list beforehand (’cause we all know that our reading preferences change as the year progresses), and you can even read books that come into your possession (that will be yours to keep) during the year!

Some other helpful hints:

- you CAN overlap with other challenges.

- eBooks and Audiobooks count AS LONG AS they are from your own collection.

If you're interested, please click on the link above.

The 2009 Pub Challenge

I’m signing up for the 2009 Pub Challenge hosted by 1morechapter.com. The rules are:

1. Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009.
2. No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the "pub."
3. At least 5 titles must be fiction.
4. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
5. You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.
6. Sign up HERE using Mr. Linky.
7. Have fun reading your 2009 books!

I've already got five books lined up for January, and I'll add more to the list as I decide on them. Here's what I have so far:



1. She's in a Better Place by Angela Hunt

2. The Perfect Matchby Susan May Warren

3. Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy

4. Sweetwater Gapby Denise Hunter

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.


Join in!

Fall Into Reading: 2008 - Time to Read!

This is my first time to participate in the Fall Into Reading challenge hosted by Katrina at Callipider Days. The plan is to make a list of books I plan to read this Fall and share my experience. Join along if you wish!

Here's my list. If you see a title that's been crossed off, it means that I have finished reading that title. Look for the review by clicking on the title or the author's name in my sidebar.

1. Altar Call by Hope Lyda (reading now)
2. Rain Song by Alice Wisler
3. Out Of Her Hands by Megan DiMaria
4. Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin
5. One Holy Night by J. M. Hochstetler
6. White Christmas Pie by Wanda E. Brunstetter
7. The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips by Stephne Baldwin/Mark Tabb
8. Beloved Captive by Kathleen Y’Barbo
9. Rhapsody in Red by Donn Taylor
10. The Rook by Steven James
11. The Jewel of Gresham Green by Lawana Blackwell
12. The Outsider by Ann H. Gabhart
Added
13. A Firm Place to Stand by Marja Bergen
14. Pure by Rebecca St. James
15. The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez
16. by george by Wesley Stace
17. Never Surrender by LTG (Ret.) William G. Boykin
18. Move On, Move Up by Paula White
19. Arsenic Soup For Lovers: When Chicken Soup Doesn't Work by Georgia Post
20. The Good Person Guidebook by Richard Bayer, Ph.D
21. Key West: A Comprehensive Guide to Florida's Southernmost City by Sarah Goodwin-Nguyen
22. Life After Genius by M. Ann Jacoby
23. Alphine Americas Photography by Olaf Soot; Essays by Don Mellor
24. What You Should Know About Politics by Jessamyn Conrad
25. In the Beginning: Art of Genesis by Chuck Fischer
26. Queen Vernita's Visitors by Dawn Menge
27. Cole Family Christmas by Jennifer Liu Bryan
28. Crafting Jewish by Rivky Koenig
29. Thou Shalt Not Whine: What We Whine About. Why We Do It and How to Stop! by January Jones
30. Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God by Mark Batterson
31. Lady Flatterley by Linda Wagner
32. Sunset by Karen Kingsbury
33. Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter
34. For the Love of St. Nick by Garasamo Maccagnone
35. Christmas Around the World by Chuck Fischer
36. The Tutu Ballet by Sally O. Lee
37. One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling
38. Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins
39. Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter
40. Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn
41. Frasier Island by Susan Page Davis
42. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County bt Tiffany Baker

I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew/digest/read!