Wrap Up of Fall Reading

Well, it's time to wrap up Katrina's Fall Reading Challenge.  I find it ironic that my initial "planning post" started with the quote:

“You will be the same person each year

except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

With our recent move to a different state, all the new friends I've made, and the books I've read this year, I think it's safe to say I've changed (hopefully grown) in the past year.

Let's start with the books on my list that I did NOT get read:

• The Age of Revolution by Winston S. Churchill (I started it but then never picked it back up.  Eventually I will read it. . .)
• The Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp (My hubby and I decided to read it together so I stopped reading it.  As crazy as our lives have been lately, this is going to take a while, but the first third was excellent!)
• How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (I just never really felt like picking it up so I still haven't started it.)
• Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (My library doesn't have it and I didn't feel like buying it)

The books I read which were actually on my list (linked to the review if I wrote one):

• I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris--I read it with my teens and we thoroughly enjoyed it--great relationship building.
• Preparing to Be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl --I thought it had some good points although I would recommend it to only older teens/young adults with some reservations.
• The Kid Book by Vicki Barnes was an excellent book analyzing four primary personality types.  It confirmed for me that I am a confused mess (chuckle) because I am experienced at "putting on another personality type shirt over my core shirt so I can understand, relate, and speak the language of another personality type" (9).  If you read my previous post on personality types you will understand how much fun I had reading this book.  I didn't write a post reviewing it, but it was very helpful in understanding some of my children better.

• I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn in two days.  It was very well-written and sucked me right in to the storyline.  My final verdict is that the characters were completely psycho and the ending quite unsatisfying.  I can't whole-heartedly recommend it because the language is quite rich and there is simply too much information given, but I have to confess once I started it I didn't want to put it down as I wanted to see what happened.  Believe me, it was NOT what I expected!
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was much more enjoyable to me this time around than it was back in high school.  I read and discussed it with my teens and we had great fun.  I'm waiting to post my review because it's the book I'm choosing for February, my month in Carrie's 2013 Book Club.  Read along with us and come back for the discussion February 22.
• I completed the Faithful, Abundant, True Bible study guide by Kay Arthur, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer.  There were a couple of great weeks, but the others were just so-so for me.  There are many other Bible studies I've done that I would recommend before this one.
• The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde was a bust for me.  I read it on the recommendation of a friend, but it just wasn't my thing.  I was quite disappointed as I wanted a great fiction novel to "take me away".
• I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White.  I'm not usually a fan of novels based on biblical stories, but this one was mostly historical fiction with Esther playing only a minor role. 
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the December selection for Carrie's Book Club, was a delightful book which I thoroughly enjoyed.  People just don't write like this anymore.  I'm looking forward to writing my review of it for next week.

Now for the long list of books I read that were not on my original list.  
(I get easily distracted by books, what can I say?!)

• Treasure in a Cornfield by Greg Hawley was a delightful adventure tale which I read as a result of our field trip to the Steamboat Arabia in Kansas City.
• Illusion by Frank Peretti was a nice escape and thought-provoking at the same time. 
• The Absolutist by John Boyne was not at all what I expected and I don't recommend it.  I was both disappointed and frustrated.
• The Red Book by Deborah Copaken Kogan was well-written, but full of adult content.
• Peace Child by Don Richardson was very intriguing.  I recommend it. 
• Love in the House by Chris and Wendy Jeub was an easy and inspiring read about a family with 13 children.
• Sleep No More by Iris Johansen was my usual Johansen escape just for fun!
• 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by Crystal Paine was very educational for me even though I despair of ever actually being disciplined.
• Managers of Their Homes by Teri Maxwell was a re-read for me (third time through) but I got a great deal out of it yet again.  I needed a kick in the rear and Teri once again provided it.
• Scared:  A Novel on the Edge of the World by Tom Davis was eye-opening and convicting as I once again was forced out of my comfort zone to consider what life is like for those in war-torn, AIDS-ridden, third-world countries.
• The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom was. . .hmmmm. . .interesting.
• 7:  An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker is one of those life-changing books that need to be pondered and discussed with a good friend and then read again.  I'm still reflecting on it after writing two posts prompted by it.
• The Next Target by Nikki Arana--fiction with a message. 
• I'm Down:  A Memoir by Mishna Wolff  reminded me that I'm still not a fan of memoirs.
• The Law of Love:  Lessons from the Pages of Deuteronomy (Bible Study) by Beth Moore which I benefited from greatly.
• The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan was a fun "children's fiction" fantasy novel about a boy for whom Greek mythology comes to life that I preread for my son.

So, in summary, I had 13 books on my original plan.  I didn't read four of them, I did read nine of them (hey, the math works out--just checking!)  And I read 14 books in addition to my original plan.  I'm also still working on Raising Godly Tomatoes by Krueger and True Community.by Bridges.

No wonder I feel like I've read a lot of books this Fall!