2008: The Year in Books

One of the best things to happen to me in 2008 was the Hollywood Writers' Strike. It provided the motivation for me to finally break away from the T.V. and get back to reading for pleasure (something I love, but hadn't done in a good, long while). So, with the help of Paperback Swap (which, by the way, if you haven't looked into, you really should), I compiled a reading list for the year. Here's what I ended up reading:

The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir: Now, I realize British history isn't for everyone, but Weir writes non-fiction in such a way that you would swear you're reading a novel. I was also captivated by the life of Elizabeth I -- daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, she rises above incredible adversity (even imprisonment in the Tower of London) to become one of England's most-beloved queens -- all during a time when men dominated the political landscape. I found her life incredibly inspiring.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: After all of the English history I had been reading, the Kite Runner's stark language was a welcome reprieve. Touching, but painful in parts, this story of friendship is well worth the read.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger: While I found the story somewhat bizarre (I kept feeling like I was missing some big, profound symbolism), the writing is stunning. I'm a girl who loves language, and the way Enger strings words together left me awestruck.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: I loved this one. The writing is vivid. The story is engaging, full of action and sticks with you.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield: Gothic literature at its best. In much the same vein as Jane Eyre and Rebecca (two of my favorites), I was sad to see it end.

For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men by Shaunti Feldhahn: This book has the power to transform relationships. Honestly. I learned so much from this one, that I plan to re-read it at least once a year. The conversational style makes it a super-fast read.

The Shack by William P. Young: This is another one that goes in the "to be re-read" pile. There's so much to gain from this book, it's hard to get it all in one reading. It's not easy to read -- it forces you to re-live a parent's worst nightmare -- but if you've ever wondered why God lets bad things happen to good people, this is food for thought.

The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Dr. Robert Sears: It's hard to find unbiased information on vaccinations, namely because most of the literature out there is either written by vaccine advocates or detractors. This book is a refreshing change of pace. Dr. Sears does a great job of walking you through the various required childhood vaccinations and outlining the pros and cons of each. It's the closest to "unbiased" that I've found and gave me the information I needed to make informed choices.

The Twilight Saga (Books 1-4) by Stephenie Meyer: Yes, it's young adult fiction. Yes, I fell in love with a fictional vampire. Yes, it's borderline hokey. But I relished every page. It's a guilty pleasure to the "nth" degree. By far, my favorite read of the year. (And -- just for the record -- despite the fact that every 12-year-old girl in my niece's class has read the books, I would NOT suggest it for anyone under the age of 16. Just my two cents.)

Uncharted by Angela Elwell Hunt: This is Christian literature -- and super thought-provoking. I finished it about a month ago, and find myself still thinking about it. It's been described as "Lost meets St. Elmo's Fire." That's a pretty accurate depiction -- with a little bit of eternity thrown in to boot.

The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart: Brin recommended this one, which is set in northern England. It started out kind of slow, but the twists and turns the story takes makes it worth the effort in the end.

So, there you have it. My 2008 Reading List. Did you discover any great (or not-so-great) books last year? If so, let us know in the comments!

Finally back from the beach. I've returned as a swooning adolescent...

So, I'm finally getting a moment to sit down and update y'all on our beach vacation.

We traveled to Myrtle Beach with our family, my parents, and my sister and her family.

Really, there's not too much to recap for you. I could sum it up in one word: Challenging.

Lots of sick kids (colds, ear infections, roseola).

Which made for lots of crying and whining.

And, of course, there was the nor'easter that blew in with 40 mph winds for a few days.

But, we did try and make the best of it. We managed a trip to the aquarium and enjoyed a few sunny days -- even if it was a little breezy.

The weather also provided a perfect excuse for me to dive into some new books.

Have you read them!?!?

Y'all. Y'all.

I'm a little obsessed. These books may just have eclipsed Jane Eyre as my favorite read. (And you have no idea how that pains a literary snob like myself to say that.) I've read a lot of good books this year, mind you, but none that I haven't been able to put down so I could go wash clothes and make dinner for my family.

Until I started reading these.

Total guilty pleasure, these are.

Now, initially I was a little gun-shy to pick the books up because they're young adult fiction and one of the main characters is a vampire.

I'm not really into that genre.

But, Rachel assured me that it wouldn't be what I was expecting. And when Shannon began raving about it right before I left for vacation, I finally got myself to Walmart and picked up the first two books, telling myself that if I didn't like them, I would return them.

Less than a week later I was at the Walmart in Myrtle Beach buying books three and four.

I wasn't done with book four when we returned home, so the derth in my blogging (while I'd love to tell you it was due to catching up on laundry and unpacking) was really due to my insatiable desire to finish this book. When I finally did, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I could finally go back to being a wife and mother to my children.

But, then I heard there was an exerpt of a follow up book on the Stephenie Meyer website. I figured I'd pop over and check it out. What it could be, a chapter or two?

264 pages of a Word document.

So, that pretty much shot the next day, because I had to read that as well.

Now that I've read every possible thing to do with the Twilight Series available, I'm trying to get back to life as usual (while also waiting for the Twilight movie to come out November 21 -- see, I told you I sound like an obsessed 13-year-old).

All I have to say is go get the books. Go get them now. Read them.

Just make sure you're caught up on laundry and you've pre-made a few dinners.

For the Pint-Sized Superhero

My 3 1/2-year-old son is obsessed with superheroes. He proudly dons his cape and boots while I run errands. He runs around the playground hunting out "bad guys." He's constantly showing me how strong he is.

Here's the problem, though. It's hard to find superhero items -- books in particular -- that a) are not scary and b) have a shred of educational value. The superhero books that I have found usually involve a tad more violence than I'd like for a 3-year-old. So when it comes to superhero books, I usually skip them. Thus, my poor son is forced to stick with the likes of Dr. Seuss at bedtime.

But.

I recently found the best book for the pint-sized superhero lover. It's called SuperHero ABC.

Written by Bob McLeod, SuperHero ABC features one superhero for each letter of the alphabet. I love Goo Girl, who "shoots great gobs of goo at gangsters." My son loves "The Volcano" because he "vomits on villians."

The illustrations are colorful and engaging, while not being scary in the slightest. My son loves reading the book, and I like the fact that the book helps work on his letter recognition (without him even realizing it!). Amazon says the book is appropriate for Preschool age through Grade 2. I would have to agree. It's written in such a way as to be entertaining for a variety of age levels -- adults included.

So if you're looking for a great birthday or upcoming Christmas gift for the superhero at your house, definitely check this one out.

For more great children's book suggestions, head on over to 5 Minutes for Books and check out the monthly Kid's Picks Carnival.

What's on Your Nightstand?

I'm not much for the self-help genre. That's not to say that I haven't read more than my fair share of self-help books, but I always find the reading somewhat laborious and (truth be told) I never make changes in my life that last longer than two weeks.

I suppose that's more my problem than a problem with the self help books. But. Still.

Not too long ago, while reading Kristen's blog , I read about a book titled, For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men. Kristen credits this book with literally saving her marriage. I was intrigued. That's a pretty serious claim. And while I'm not experiencing much in way of marital difficulty (thankfully), every now and then communication will pass between my beloved and me, leaving me scratching my head and wondering if he experienced the conversation the same way I did. You know, the classic Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus Communication Gap.

So, I picked up a copy.

Shaunti Feldhahn, the author, wrote this book as a result of research she conducted for a novel she was working on. One of the main characters of her novel was a man and, in an effort to accurately portray the thought life of that man, she conducted hundreds of interviews, as well as a professional survey. The results are compiled in this book and are truly enlightening. To use Feldhahn's words, "We all know, for example, that 'men are visual,' but, well...what exactly does that mean?"

I'll tell you, it doesn't mean what I thought it did.

One of the best things about this book is that it is written in a very easy, conversational style. You can cruise through this book in a matter of days. I've read relationship books in the past that have taken me literally years to slog through.

And the best part, is not only did the book help me understand my husband better, it also helped me understand my son and the struggles he is likely to encounter. It's a fantastic book -- well worth a read for the tremendous insight you'll gain.

If you're looking for more great reading recommendations, head on over to 5 Minutes for Books and check out the What's on Your Nightstand carnival!

Books and Stuff

Whoo! It has been a week. We've had family in town and we've been running around doing every recreational activity under the sun -- tennis, golf, swimming, fishing. It's a tough life, I know. ;) And, in my down time, life could be summed up in a continual routine of feeding the masses and cleaning up after the masses. Six kids running around can really wreak havoc on a house. But, truth be told, all the work is more than made up for in the laughter, memories and time spent together.

I've also just finished reading The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I've got to tell y'all, I couldn't put it down. If you're at all into Gothic fiction (think Jane Eyre and Rebecca), this one really is a must read. It starts off a little slowly, but picks up quickly and holds you in its grip right to the end. The writing is beautiful and the plot is well thought out. I was so sad to see it end.

But, I needn't be sad for long because my reading pile continues to grow. This week I actually won TWO books! Can you believe it? I never win anything! First, I won a copy of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil from Domestic Spaz. The book and movie are legendary, and I've read/seen neither. It's been years since I've visited Savannah. This book might be just the inspiration I need.

Then, over at Jo-Lynne's review site, I won a copy of Practically Posh: The Smart Girls' Guide to a Glam Life. It's all about living the high life on a budget. I am going to be fancy, folks! Move over Posh Spice, there's a new sista in town.

That's right.

The name's "Practically Posh."

You can call me "P.P." for short.

Um, on second thought, maybe not.

Spring Reading

"Just the knowledge that a good book

is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier."

Kathleen Norris

One of the unexpected benefits of the recent writer's strike was that I turned off the TV. I think it was after I finished watching "Rock of Love" one evening (and trying to shake the disturbing feeling that I now needed a shower) that I finally came to the realization that perhaps my time could be better spent elsewhere.

I love to read. But for some reason, it was always hard to motivate myself to do it. It was just easier to collapse into the couch, pick up the remote and shut my brain off.

When I fell sick with the flu back in December, I caught a spot on the local news about a website called Paperback Swap -- where people were freely exchanging gently-used books. I'm all about free books -- so I logged on and signed up. I've received 10 books to date, mailed out about 10 of my own, and have several more books on my waiting list.

Books I've read recently include The Other Boleyn Girl (very good), some great non-fiction on Tudor England (not the lightest reading, but really interesting nonetheless), The Kite Runner (terrific), and Peace Like a River (some of the best writing I've read in a while). I attempted Atonement by Ian McEwan, but I couldn't get into it. Slogging through it felt like a chore and, at the end of the day, I didn't have the energy for it. I'll rent the movie.

As spring approaches, my bedside table is growing crowded with more books waiting to be read. I have a couple fiction works in the pile, including The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Supposedly, Setterfield wrote it with a nod to Bronte and du Maurier, two of my favorite authors. (If you've never read Rebecca, you need to.) I've started reading It's a Boy: Understanding Your Son's Development from Birth to Age 18, which is offering some great insight into what makes my son "tick" and how best to parent him. I've been wanting to read Kevin Leman's Birth Order Book for over a year now and if I can squeeze in Donna Otto's How to Get More Done in Less Time, I may be able to finish even more books before summer hits ;)

So, what's on your spring reading list? What books have you heard people raving about? What have you read lately that you've absolutely loved or hated?