46 Books in 2008!

 This is a picture of a book Kevin’s mom got me. I’ve been writing down all the books I read. I think 2008 is the first year I’ve really kept track. But I do believe that 46 books is a new record for me!

Daughter of Fortune (Allende)—I do not recommend this book. It had some really racy stuff and I only finished reading it because I was leading a book club discussion.

Suite Francaise (Nemirovsky)—Interesting and swept me away into the story. I loved her descriptions and insight into human character.

Fire in the Blood (Nemirovsky)—Not as good as Suite Francaise.

Born Standing Up (Martin)—Steve Martin’s autobiography. I thought I would laugh more than I did.

Dwelling Places (Hampton Wright)—Just okay. Never got into the story.

French Women Don’t Get Fat (Guiliano)—Wow. So many good points!

God’s Harvard (Rosin)—Insightful and made me think.

The Nine (Toobin)—Interesting about the Supreme Court; has a liberal slant for sure.

Ordinary Heroes (Turow)—Kevin liked it more than me but it was a good action story.

Small Wonder (Kingsolver)—Made me mad! Love her style but disagree with her politics.

Parenting with Love and Logic (Cline)—Made me think. I’m really glad I read this and would definitely recommend it. A lot of it probably works better with slightly older children.

The Vaccine Book (Sears)—Highly recommend this. Why did I wait so long to be truly informed? This book was empowering.

Shepherding a Child’s Heart (Tripp)—I re-read this and do recommend it.

Acquired Tastes (Mayle)—Interesting and entertaining.

How to Cook Without a Book (Anderson)—I re-read this one too and highly recommend it.

Digging to America (Tyler)—This is the first Tyler book I’d read and wasn’t very impressed. I like a story with more plot to it.

A Girl Named Zippy (Kimmel)—A memoir about a girl growing up in a small town. I laughed and laughed. Very funny.

Top 100 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum (Duffy)—I read this to gain a better understanding on the various philosophies of education. I highly recommend this book for anyone considering taking their children’s education into their own hands!

84, Charing Cross Road (Hanff)—Fun and sweet.

Captivating (Eldredge)—I don’t understand the hype. I had a hard time relating to the author of this book. And I disagree with some of the theology.

Bel Canto (Patchett)—Beautiful and odd. I would recommend this book.

The Street Lawyer (Grisham)—Fun and made me think.

A Charlotte Mason Education (Levison)—The best book I’ve read on summarizing Charlotte Mason. I was glad I read it.

Tara Road (Binchy)—Kevin’s grandma introduced me to this author and I really like her writing style.

Innocent Traitor (Weir)—Historical novel about Lady Jane Grey. Good but since I knew the ending, and that it was tragic, I had a hard time really getting into it.

When Children Love to Learn (Cooper)—Another Charlotte Mason book.

Yiddish Policeman’s Union (Chabon)—Good but I think it would have been better if I had read it rather than trying to listen to it on CD while ironing. I got too distracted to tie all the loose ends of this detective story.

Grown-Up Girlfriends: Finding and Keeping Real Friends in the Real World (Smalley and Oliver)—Excellent book with good tips and reminders.

Circle of Friends (Binchy)—I watched the movie after reading the book. The book is way better but the movie had a nicer ending. Of course.

Everything I need to Know I Learned from Other Women (Gallagher)—A fun little advice book but also full of hogwash.

Mother-Daughter Book Club (Dodson)—I will probably re-read this when my girls get older. I love the idea of it!

Infidel (Hirsi Ali)—I finally joined the rest of the world and read this book. Excellent!!

Three Weeks with My Brother (Sparks)—Very moving and at times very sad. I actually cried when he talked about working with his special needs son and his love for his son.

Jane Eyre (Bronte)—A classic that I had unfortunately never read. I really enjoyed it.

My Antonia (Cather)—Interesting portrayal of childhood friendship held throughout the years.

So Far … (Grammer)—Wow, Kelsey Grammer has had an interesting life. I wonder how different this book would be if he re-wrote it now. I only read this book because I attended a movie premiere where I met him.

The Alchemist (Coehlo)—I believe as much as anyone that you should never give up on your dreams, but this book is full of scary theology.

The Excellent Wife (Peace)—I re-read this book and recommend it.

Basic Economics (Sowell)—This is currently Kevin’s most favorite book. Wow! Everyone should read this book. Especially elected officials. I read most of it in 2008 … does that count? It’s a big book.

The Preschooler’s Busy Book (Kuffner)—I actually bought this book because it was really good and has practical ideas.

Before Five in a Row (Lambert)—I bought this book too and will start using it will Meredith when the boxes get unpacked. Hopefully February?

A Life that Says Welcome (Ehman)—This was one of the best books I read this year. It encourages hospitality on so many practical levels.

Let’s Make a Memory (Dobson and Gaither)—Another fun book with ideas for kids.

Just Who Will You Be? (Shriver)—Interesting and a very easy read.