Books of 2016

To have continuity of my reading lists - here is 2016.    I finally found time to read more again!   

JANUARY:
The Hiding Place (273)
Pretty Girls (421)
We Never Asked For Wings (310)
January Total: 1,004 
Book Count:  3

FEBRUARY:
Life As I Blow It (258)
The Young Elites (368)
Big Little Lies (512)
Has Anyone Seen My Pants? (289)
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend (402)
Lost in the Sun (304)
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (277)
Surprised by Joy (253)
Finding Audrey (306)
The Fault in Our Stars (332)
February Total: 3,301
Book Count: 10

MARCH:
American Housewife: Stories (210)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (352)
C. S. Lewis - A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet (449)
Food: A Love Story (354)
Legend (318)
Home Front (397)
The Interestings (482)
Where They Found Her (341)
Before I Go To Sleep (515)
A History of the World in 6 Glasses (311)
Recovering Redemption (211)
The Chamber (676)
Everything I Never Told You (298)
March Total: 4,914
Book Count: 13

APRIL:
Hollow City: The 2nd Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children (400)
Orange Is the New Black (322)
The Girl's Still Got It (240)
When Breath Becomes Air (258)
April Total: 1,220
Book Count: 4

MAY:
Future Crimes (610)
The Forgetting Time (368)
Find Her (414)
Prodigy (386)
May Total: 1,778
Book Count: 4

JUNE:
Euphoria (273)
Looking for Lovely (149)
Library of Souls: The 3rd Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children (465)
Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples (338)
Wedding Night (465)
I've Got Your Number (449)
June Total: 2,139
Book Count:6

JULY:
Counting by 7s (386)
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World (335)
Live Fast Die Hot (273)
The Devil Wears Prada (448)
A Million Little Ways (226)
July Total: 1,668
Book Count: 5

AUGUST: 
The Opposite of Everyone (310)
Somebody I Used to Know (434)
August Total:  744
Book Count: 2

SEPTEMBER:
Crazy Love (226)
The Life We Bury (306)
What She Left Behind (337)
Twenties Girl (514)
Tell Me Three Things (336)
September Total:  1,719
Book Count: 5

OCTOBER:
The 100 Year Miracle (320)
Grey's Anatomy TV Series (Season 1-12) 
October Total:  320
Book Count:  1 
Grey's Episodes:  265

NOVEMBER:
Wonder (322)

Page Total: 19,029
Book Total: 55

Books of 2014

Completed in 2014:
Clutterfree with Kids
Sycamore Row
The Reason I Jump
7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
How to Be Like Walt
North of Hope
Dad is Fat
Coming Back Stronger
Delancey
Monster
Best Christmas Pageant Ever

I should just realize that even with two book clubs and unending desire to read and soak up knowledge and stories of others - that my time as a wife, SAHM, part-time worker, business owner,  and friend ... and let's be honest excessive tv-watcher that I am just not going to get a lot read.  Oh well.    What I did get completed in 2014 - most of it was great!  

2014 was clearly the year of memoirs and biographies, which was interesting to take a look into people's journeys through life.   I really enjoyed North of Hope and one person's journey through grief.    My favorite book of 2014 (which I began 2013... 2012?) was How to Be Like Walt.   As a Disney fanatic, I loved the opportunity to get a fuller picture of Walt Disney's rise, creative process, and family life.    From the additional research that I read - this particular biography was amid the best.   I'd recommend it.     There were many other books in 2014 that were begun, some of which will be completed in 2015, others that will find their spot on the shelf or already have returned to the library.     

Here's to a new year of exploring literature!

Books of 2013

Again - two very busy kids - an affinity to watch a lot of tv - and a busy schedule means that reading is probably last on the list of entertainment these days.   Here's the 2013 breakdown of completed books.  That said my 2014 count will go up because I had at least 3 books that I was **nearly** done with in 2013.   Is that cheating? ;)

Completed in 2013:
Where'd You Go Bernadette?
How Could a Loving God...?
Five Love Languages for Kids
Loving The Little Years
For Women Only
100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
Peace Child
And God Came In
Divergent
Family Driven Faith

Books of 2012

I'm a mom of two kids ... reading just doesn't happen as readily as it did before kids.  I remember the years that I read 30,000 pages or the year I read 30 books!   It's crazy but it won't be happening in the near future anytime soon.   Books keep though so I'm not worried.  :)  Here's my meager list from 2012!

Mockingjay
You Have What it Takes: What Every Father Needs to Know
Room: A Novel
Sheparding a Child's Heart
Good Owners, Great Dogs
How to Raise the Perfect Dog
How to Train a Puppy
Gone Girl

Rules of Civility

Christmas Jars

Women's Friendship Devotional

Unique Reads

I have a deep seeded love for books.  All kinds of them.   I still have all my law books - they look pretty sexy after all - and after the half-inch compression to my spine from hauling them around for three years they are badges books of honor and simply can't be parted with.   I have books from when I taught Communication, some books remain from my college course work as well.   Never mind the shelves and shelves full of my favorite fiction.   However, my speed to read through more has now moved mostly to crawl and my attention has been directed other places and as the trend would continue it's toward my kids and children's literature.  

Thankfully, my children have a born desire to read - from the womb they've heard stories repeated over and over again.  Every night at bedtime there is at least one book read.  Throughout the day my children can be caught with a book.  My son has been able to memorize whole books just from the repetition.  My daughter who for the first year of life found books to be more of an appetizer than entertainment, has finally begun to enjoy the joy of reading (listening) to a story.   I love that they love to read and with that I am constantly on the hunt for new books, adventures through pages, and colorful imagery to share with them.   

With that I thought I'd start a series and share with you some of our favorites and what we as a household of ages 3 and 1 are reading these days.   I'll start with a medley of our past and current favorites.

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Cuddle by Beth Shoshan:  Cuddle is about a boy who stretches his imagination about cuddling various animals. "I'd cuddle a whale but I might be too small" The artwork is adorable with all the various imagery of the results of the boy cuddling a shark, skunk, and crocodiles! The words and plot are very simple, but always gives my son a chuckle.  Ace loved this book so much that  it was a staple every night for nearly a year during his second year of life.  It now has moved into the 'occasional' rotation.  Another bonus of  Cuddle from the mom perspective: it isn't so long that I cringe when asked to read it! Which is a huge plus for nightly-repeat books. 

I like fruit by Lorena Siminovich:  I bought this book for Mae's stocking and I couldn't be happier with the simple texture and color based book.   It has a unique collage style artwork that teaches not only colors, but also fruit and various fun textures.    It's a nice change from more traditional learning colors books.   Mae is a fan and so is her big brother even though he already knows his colors and fruit.

Romeo & Juliet by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver: This is a great little counting board book.  Don't expect this book to truly tell a story of Romeo and Juliet though.    It takes some of the staples from Romeo & Juliet and counts them: 1 balcony, 2 loves, 3 people meet, 4 roses, 5 friends, 6 musicians, 7 masks, 8 love letters, 9 streets and bridges, and 10 kisses. Toss in a few of the memorable quotes, character names, and darling artwork and you have a sweet little book.  Far from a retelling, but for true Shakespeare fans it creates an opportunity to introduce the story at your own pace to your kids. There are others as well in the BabyLit series, but at $10 a pop I think we'll be slow to add them to our collection.

In the Garden with Van Gogh by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober:  Far from your traditional board book - this book is a great introduction into some of Van Gogh's classic art pieces.   The pictures are large (for a board book) and the lyrical writing is thematic to the painting. My favorite of Van Gogh's paintings - Starry Night is in this book (a little cliche, I know, but I love the textures and the blues!)  In the back of the book there is a list of the paintings and the museums in which they appear, which is a nice reference for the parents. There are many different artists featured in these Mini Master classics, so your favorite is likely to be found!  Even better is there is a Mini Masters Box Set that contain even more great historical artists for a great price, which is what we own. 

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There you have it some great books, many of them board books for your tough on paper kiddos!   I love that my kids love to read, look at pictures, and explore books all on their own.   I am in the process now of creating a reading nook in my son's closet.  Still waffling on how elaborate and permanent I want to make the nook - but for now he's enjoying a pile of pillows/blankets in his closet with his bookshelf moved in there.  :) A post on that is surely on its way!    Happy reading and memory making with your kids! 

Books of 2011

This post is to document as I have for many years now what I read this past year.   There was a LOT that went on this past year and as a result of that - I really didn't read much AT ALL.  In fact the first book I read wasn't until July.   A new baby, illness, a move across the country all contributed.    I still love to read, but it doesn't always get to be a priority.    Here is my extremely meager 2011 list:

Silver Sparrow
The Hunger Games
Shepherding a Child's Heart
Catching Fire

Falling Together

Books of 2010

By far one of my lightest reading years since I started keeping track. Only 14 books in 2010. A few were sizeable, didn't keep track of pages though this go around.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
What Every Mom Needs
The Help
An Irish Country Doctor
Big Stone Gap
The Thing About Georgie
Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest
Cocktails for Three
Picture Perfect
Let the Great World Spin
The Appeal
Julie & Julia
HP7
Light on Snow

What Every Mom Needs

I am always up for a good read. I love finding a new book that is uplifting or a good story to get lost in. I was looking for some encouragement and some insight on how best to handle motherhood when you're wanting to scream at the top of your lungs and run to the next stage in toddlerhood and cling to it desperately all at the same time screaming 'don't grow up!' It can be a bit batty, maddening... down right exhausting. Ace clearly has been pushing his independence and in every way daily is transitioning from my cooing sleeping baby to my rambunctious limit-pushing toddler and I don't want to be pulling my hair out. I don't want to miss any of it and I really don't want to fast forward through it all either.

After reading this book What Every Mom Needs I realized I don't have to. I just need to keep things in perspective and know that I am not alone. God is always there as a source of hope and strength. The book points out other details that are beneficial to keep in mind: there are always other mothers out there going through the same thing, join groups for support, and also important is it is necessary to keep your own identity and not just be "mom". So if you are a mom that is struggling with your identity, perspective, feeling alone, lost, or frustrated - I recommend this book. It wasn't in your face 'fix-it'. It offered a lot of other resources and sources to go to beyond the book.

The book wasn't ground breaking, it wasn't a wake up call, it honestly was the chapter on perspective that spoke to me the most. The chapter that helped outline what it really is all about: the moment. The season. It's not just a catch phrase 'they're only this age once' that truly it is just that. He will only be my 17.5 month old boy once. He will only look up at me and grin and beam like I am his hero so long.... and eventually he will nap, he will sleep, and he will eat without effort. A new season will come when I can't keep the pantry stocked, I can't get him out of bed, and he will trade that hero look for a good ol' fashion eye roll. Another season yet to come.

However, it is this season that I am in that I need to cherish. Ace will grow up and I don't want to worry or stress that I just want to 'get through' this phase. I want to enjoy and cherish it. I don't want him to grow up into a surly teenager (and maybe he won't!) but even if he does I don't want to have rushed through his toddlerhood just so that I can get some sleep.

First I was dying to finish high school

and start college.

And then I was dying to finish

college and start working.

And then I was dying to marry

and have children.

And then I was dying for my children

to grow old enough for school

so I could return to work.

And then I was dying to retire.

And now, I am

dying...

And suddenly I realize I forgot to live.

- Anonymous

While I am far from running through life that quickly, this poem helped frame for me exactly what I don't want to do. I don't want to 'get past it' - I want to find the joy and reasons why this time is special. I want to live each day and love my family to the fullest even if I am exhausted. I will continue to keep track of my identity of who I am outside of being a mother, and know that it might not be who I was before I became a mother - and that's ok too.

Books of 2009

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
If You Could See Me Now
The Things That Heaven Bears
The Thirteenth Tale
Twilight
Armageddon
The Labrador Pact
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
A Homemade Life
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Middle Place
The Time Traveler's Wife
Remember Me?
The Lovely Bones

It was a light year for me with a total of 16 books read.
Considering in 2006 I read 24, 2007 I read 30, and 2008 I read 35.

Looking forward to a few books in 2010: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest being the number one book I'm most excited about!

I also plan to do a little completing series in 2010. I need to read the final book (of the original series) of Left Behind - I started those in 2008 and read all but 2, I only read one in 2009. Also I'd like to finish up the Series of Unfortunate Events - I read through book 11 of that series leaving me the final 2 back in 2005 and 2006 :) No I do not plan to reread the first 11 in order to catch up - I'm pretty sure my brain still has that information soaking uselessly in a pocket of my brain just waiting for me to get around to completing the series. Also there are 2 books that I only got half way through in 2009 so they'll be counted upon completion in my 2010 count.

Happy reading, everyone!

New Year Goal

Every year I set a new goal. 2007 - read 30 books. 2008 - read 10,000 pages. 2009 - Blog 2-3xs a week. So with 2010 around the corner I've been mulling over my options. I like to push myself. See what spawned the goal of '30 books' in 2007 was that I had read 24 in 2006. So I decided to up the ante so to speak. Then the following year, knowing I'd be pregnant and wanting to read a few thicker books that I had passed on in order to obtain the book count of 30 I went with pages. I blew that goal out of the water by finishing my goal of 10,000 pages before Ace was even born (in August) and managed to read over 13,000 pages in 2008. 2009 with a mobile toddler on my hands, I knew that reading that much just would not happen, plus I had stretched myself two years in a row in the literary world - so I wanted to try a new angle. So I decided to become a 'blogger' and with nearly 300 posts for 2009 I think I have successfully completed my goal of becoming a blogger. My son's life is well documented, I've made some blogging friends, and have found some wonderful reads along the way. I feel my life is much richer from accomplishing this goal this past year.

As I've said I've been mulling over my options. I've already become a blogger The A-Priori Mommy is well established. There isn't much more I can push and expand myself within this bubble - don't fret, I plan to remain a blogger for 2010 - it's become some common place and is a habit now so The A-Priori Mommy will live on strong in 2010 and you can all continue to watch Ace grow. Then I got to thinking - in July I started Amature Foodie. I thought by creating a blog I'd find that as my inspiratation to cook more at home. Hmm not so much. Also I've been acquiring some fun kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, cooking magazines; it just seemed that everything has been pointing to cooking. This past year I enjoyed Molly's book A Homemade Life and that sparked some inspiration into me and I won't lie Julie and Julia added a dash of inspiration as well - more Julia than Julie (I have no aspirations or desires to become famous and rich from cooking. I'm of course I won't lie I'd happily accept riches from doing my daily tasks...) I've been surrounded by many things kitchen and with all my new kitchen accessories for Christmas it was ultimately decided...

I have come to the conclusion that in 2010 I am going to cook 150 different recipes and blog about them on Amature Foodie. It combines both the cooking and blogging, with the added bonus of accountablity and well... a tracking system. I am entering this endeavour well armed. I have several magazines that will be entering my kitchen on a monthly basis: Everyday Food, Food & Wine, and Bon Appetit and I have many many cookbooks to choose from. Here's to cooking in 2010!

Our Book Club

I have hosted a book club at my house for almost two years, I named it after the Gilmore Girl's hometown: Stars Hallow. Rory loved to read, and it was the final season of the show, it seemed appropriate. September will mark two years officially, and last night was probably one of my favorite evenings. Sadly only about half of our group was able to join us due to some scheduling conflicts - summers are always hard - but it of such a fun evening because we read A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg the author the blog Orangette.

For a simple review of this book: I LOVED it. Molly tells her life story in such a great and charming way, and it was a delight to read and salivate over each and every recipes. I highly give this book 'two thumbs up' '5 stars' it was a great read, and it doubles as a cookbook!

I find it amusing that after my last post where I get on camera and tell you I rarely cook dinner, that I would follow it by THIS post in which I talk about cooking, and loving a book about cooking, but as you'll recall, I do love to cook when I have inspiration and Molly's book (and blog!) have in recent days provided a great deal of inspiration.

Our book club usually gathers once a month to discuss the book of choice which most often are fiction books, but we chose to make an exception for this book because it was just that good - and one of our book club members had the great idea of turning it into a potluck of recipes out of the book! Ingenious! And indeed that's what we did. Our menu included:

Doron’s Turkey Meatballs with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts
Bread Salad with Cherries, Arugula, and Goat cheese
Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger
Macaroons, coconut with Chocolate Ganache

B & D of the Ravenna Girls brought the salad and the bread, and oh my they were delicious, I was a little sad to see the bread go home with D. :( But I did enjoy some! I prepared the meatballs and macaroons - and there were no meatballs left (although I was nice and saved a few for the husband.) I MIGHT just make that dish again tomorrow. It was that good. Really every book club should be that good. Oh my it was delicious. And I have macaroons still in the fridge. YUM.

Books Books and More Books

I love to read. I think I've said it once or twice. ;-) I love to get lost in a good book. There are so many of them out there! I tend to be one that holds onto books. In our home we have 8 bookshelves of varying sizes throughout the house. Then of course the nightstands are full... I could go on, but suffice it to say there are books in every room of the house. Yep, even the bathrooms. They range from law books to children books, hardback to paperbacks, thriller to romance, fiction to nonfiction, chick lit to classics. There is no end to the myriad of book genres we have in this house. Barring new age, satanic, and westerns; we've pretty much got the genres covered. Don't believe me, try and stump me. If you do - you can challenge me to read a specific book that you've read (and liked) out of that genre.

I took a quiz regarding book... these were my results.

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Books of 2008

For the last few years I have set a reading goal for the new year. In 2006 I merely kept track of the books I read. In 2007 I set the goal of a number of books. In 2008 I set a page goal and exceeded it twice! For 2009 my goal is a little different. Happy New Year, everyone!

Original Goal 10,000 Pages, completed 8/1/08!
Phase Two of Goal 12,000, completed 10/25/08!
Total Pages Read in 2008: 13,001 . 35 books

Katherine

A Mango-Shaped Space

The Reading Group

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Love Walked In

The Keep

A Modern Girls Guide to Bible Study

A Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy

Eat Pray Love

Vanishing Acts

Left Behind

Tribulation Force

Nicolae

The Next Thing on My List

Soul Harvest

Apollyon

Fire Bell in the Night

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Assassins

A Wife After God's Own Heart

The Friday Night Knitting Club

Firefly Lane

The New Mom's Manual

The Prayer that Changes Everything

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

What to Expect When You're Expecting (430)

Belong to Me

The Power of a Praying Wife

Beginner's Greek

The Indwelling

The Mark

Desecration

The Remnant

A Christmas Carol

Books of 2007

Shelley and I had a goal of reading 30 books in 2007 and I completed all but 50 pages of the Last Battle, solely because I cannot find it!

Going Home
Little Lady, Big Apple
House of Sand and Fog
Shopaholic and Baby
Snow Falling on Cedars
Baby Proof
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
Harry Potter Series (Books 1-7)
A Grief Observed
The Gatecrasher
Bel Canto
The Nanny Diaries
Kissing in Manhattan
Sweet and Vicious
The Accidental Mother
The Last Town on Earth
The Christmas Train
The Mist
Mirror Mirror
The Carnivorous Carnival - Book 9
The Slippery Slope - Book 10
The Grim Grotto - Book 11
A Woman After God's Own Heart
The Last Battle (sorta)

TOTAL PAGES: 11,539... 2008's GOAL: 10,000 pages

Books read in 2006

kept track of the books that I read in 2006... and I ended up reading (for fun) 24 books in the year!

Everyone Worth Knowing . Long Road Turning .Thr3e .The Broker .The Ersatz Elevator-Book 6 .Motherless Brooklyn .Best Friends .The Circle Trilogy .The Little Lady Agency .The Da Vinci Code .PS, I Love You .Love, Rosie (aka Rosie Dunne) .HOUSE .The Geographer's Library .The Vile Village-Book 7 . The Hostile Hospital-Book 8 .Forbid Them Not .Something Borrowed .Something Blue .Perfect Match .The Book of Fate .For One More Day .The Memory Keepers Daughter