2008 September

Sep 25, 2008

Book Giveaway: Where the Heart Leads

Today’s book giveaway is the first of thirteen giveaways to be held during Fall Into Reading 2008. These giveaways are provided by Bethany House publishers, and I greatly appreciate their generosity. I have a stack of giveaways sitting in my dining room at this very moment, and they look great. Are you ready to hear about the first one?

Here’s how the giveaways will work:

Every Thursday, I’ll post about a new book that’s up for grabs. If it sounds like a book you’d like and you want to be eligible to win it, just leave a comment on the post and I’ll put your name in the virtual hat. I’ll leave the post open for comments until the following Wednesday at noon. I’ll then randomly pick a commenter and announce that person as the winner when I put up the next giveaway.

Please make sure that when you leave a comment, you include an email address so I can contact you easily. Also, I apologize to any international readers, but these giveaways are limited to readers in the U.S. or Canada.

So, without further ado, the first book is:

Where the Heart Leads
by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Bestselling author Kim Vogel Sawyer’s newest release follows up her award-winning Waiting for Summer’s Return. Using her Mennonite heritage for inspiration, Sawyer pens a story of a young man learning that he must step into his own future—and his own faith.

With a style comparable to Janette Oke’s, Where the Heart Leads is historically rich, immersing readers in the life and times of days gone by, and yet so relevant today.

After his graduation from college, Thomas Ollenburger is filled with big dreams and even bigger questions. What will he do for a job? Should he marry? Where will he call home?

Torn between his Mennonite roots on the Kansas prairie and his love for the big city of Boston, as well as his affection for a girl from each location, Thomas doesn’t know which path he is meant to take. He has always sought God’s help with his decision-making, but now it seems Heaven is staying stubbornly silent.

What will Thomas choose? Will the desires of his heart lead him away from his Mennonite upbringing?

You can read an excerpt from Where the Heart Leads Here.
And check out reviews of Where the Heart Leads at Amazon.com.

Filed Under: Book giveaways 49 Comments

Sep 24, 2008

Fall Into Reading 2008: Book Reviews

written by katrina · 35 Comments

This post is where you can submit links to any book reviews you do for the books you’re reading as part of Fall Into Reading 2008. A few guidelines:

1. This is only for Fall Into Reading 2008 participants. If you haven’t signed up yet, please go HERE to find out what it’s all about, create your own Fall Into Reading blog post, and then go HERE to sign up for the fun.

2. Please link to the specific post that contains your review — not your general blog web address. Links to a general blog address / blog front page will be deleted.

3. Please limit your entries to books you’ve read this fall and have included on your Fall Into Reading post.

4. Please keep your reviews family-friendly. I realize some books may have some touchy or difficult subjects, but please keep your reviews “clean.”

5. This is completely voluntary! You are in no way required to do reviews of your books or to link them up here. (I, for one, am absolutely horrible about writing reviews!) This is just a convenient place to gather reviews, so that all those interested can check them out.

6. I think the best way to do this is to put the book name and your name in the “name” section of the Mr. Linky: something like “Pride & Prejudice (Katrina)”. Of course, you can do it however you want, but that will make it easy for people to decide which reviews they want to read.

While I’m sure it won’t be necessary, I reserve the right to delete links that don’t adhere to these little “rules.”

Thanks, everyone! I look forward to seeing the reviews!

1. Three Men in a Boat (BethF)
2. The Wrath of the Empress (Maria)
3. 7th Heaven (Carrie F.)
4. Dealing with Dragons and A Mother and Two Daughters (Bobbi)
5. Have a New Kid By Friday and Making Your Child Mind Without Losing Yours (Bobbi)
6. Veronica (Little Women)
7. Washington\’s Lady (Carrie, RtK)
8. When the Soul Mends (Creative Madness)
9. Jessie by Lori Wick (Creative Madness)
10. The Heretic Queen (Creative Madness)
11. Glorious Appearing by LaHaye & Jenkins (Berry Patch)
12. Kristen-For Better or For Worse
13. Sweet Caroline (Sunny)
14. SOS for PMS (Sunny)
15. Becky (Secret Garden)
16. Seal Island (Meghan)
17. Simply Divine (Meghan)
18. The City Of Ember-Teen Lit Review
19. Book-Therapy (Encyclopedia of an Ordinary LIfe)
20. The Eye of the Jade (Beth F)
21. Faking Grace (Pattie FBW)
22. Sunset – Karen Kingsbury (Pattie FBW)
23. Murder on the Orient Express (Meghan)
24. The Shape of Mercy (Angie)
25. How to Clean Your Home Fast (Eden)
26. Kinsman Redeemer (Eden)
27. My Sister\’s Keeper (Lauren)
28. Nurture (Under Grace & Over Coffee)
29. Kristen-Embrace Me Review
30. Becky (Jane Eyre)
31. Robin of My Two Blessings
32. White Lies by Jayne Krentz (Mytwoblessings)
33. Becky (The Penderwicks)
34. Dar (Lady Chatterley\’s Lover)
35. Kathy
36. Sally/Altar Call
37. Sally/A Firm Place to Stand
38. The Spellcoats (Maria)
39. Girl, Interrupted (Reese)
40. Bridge to Terebithia & Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant (Bobbi)
41. Matrimony (Jaime)
42. Fisher\’s of Men (Katie)
43. Carrie K. (Fieldwork)
44. Baghdad at Sunrise (At Home With Books)
45. Leya (The Tale of Hawthorn House)
46. A Constant Heart (Creative Madness)
47. Dream in Color (Ronnica)
48. The Grand Weaver (Laura)
49. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader (Corinne)
50. Lady of Milkweed Manor (Creative Madness)
51. Wives & Daughters (Carrie, RtK)
52. The Magicians\’ Guild (Maria)
53. Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Meghan)
54. Ghosts of Old Louisville (Kari)
55. The Lady Elizabeth (Beth F)
56. The Abstinence Teacher (Dar)
57. The Tenth Case (Holly)
58. All Soul\’s Night (Cheryl\’s Book Nook)
59. Family(eva)
60. Found (eva)
61. Bachelor\’s Puzzle (eva)
62. Becky (Pippi Longstocking)
63. Becky (Diamond of Darkhold)
64. The Tale of Hawthorn House (Angie)
65. Violet Dawn (Robin of Mytwoblessings
66. baileysgranny
67. The Translator (heather/book addiction)
68. The Secret Life of Bees (Lora)
69. Beverly Hills Dead (Robin of Mytwoblessings
70. The Quickie (Lauren)
71. Amydeanne (The S.O.S. for PMS)
72. Sally/The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters
73. The Longest Trip Home
74. When We Were Romans
75. Home Another Way (Sunny)
76. It\’s Not About Me by Michelle Sutton (Melissa/ForstRose at Bibliophile\’s Retreat
77. Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh (Melissa/ForstRose at Bibliophile\’s Retreat)
78. The Secret Life of Bees (michellekae)
79. Her Good Name (Karlene)
80. Murder on the Leviathan (storyengineer)
81. The Birth of Venus (alisonwonderland)
82. Stealing Heaven (Alessandra)
83. The Turn of the Screw (Alessandra)
84. Persepolis (Alessandra)
85. Chamber of Secrets (Karen @ Wishful Thinking)
86. The Secret Shopper\’s Revenge (Karen @ Wishful Thinking)
87. The Longing by Beverly Lewis (Barbara H.)
88. Twiga (Change Your Heart, Change Your Life)
89. Flawless (Twiga)
90. The Convenient Groom (Twiga)
91. Becky (Impossible)
92. (In Hovering Flight) Sandra
93. (At a Loss for Words: A Post-Romantic Novel) Sandra
94. Sandra (Twice Born)
95. Sandra (Mister Sandman)
96. The Far Pavilions (The Kahumoku Ohana)
97. Tears of the Giraffe (The Kahumoku Ohana)
98. The Lucky One (The Kahumoku Ohana)
99. Kristina (Criss Cross)
100. Feast of Saint Bertie (Rebecca LuElla Miller)
101. tammy
102. Alessandra (Wake)
103. Sally/Never Surrender
104. The Letters (Dar)
105. The Triumph of Deborah (Dar)
106. Leya @ Wandeca Reads (God\’s Gold)
107. Randall\’s Wall (eva)
108. All The Queen\’s Men (Robin of Mytwoblessings
109. Danger in the Shadows (Robin of Mytwoblessings
110. Shadow and Silk (Robin of mytwoblessings)
111. See You in a Hundred Years
112. A Corner of the Universe (Alessandra)
113. BecauseImTheMommy (Twilight Saga)
114. Sally/by George
115. The History of Love (Corinne)
116. Sisterchicks Go Brit (Kim)
117. When Did I Stop Being Barbie. . . (Bitsy)
118. Sally/Arsenic Soup for Lovers
119. Jane Eyre (Carrie, RtK)
120. Teen Lit Review (The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn)
121. Nicol (Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict)
122. Becky (Penderwicks on Gardam Street)
123. Leya @ Wandeca Reads (Jane Eyre)
124. Veronica (the Pilgrim of Hate)
125. Ruth(Love Starts with Elle)
126. Fair Weather (Bobbi)
127. The Cove & The Maze (Kayren)
128. Dawn on a Distant Shore (Beth F)
129. Sally/Pure
130. Veronica (the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)
131. My Sister\’s Keeper
132. Jules – Suite Francaise
133. Jane Eyre (At Home With Books)
134. Mr Palomar (cat)
135. Leya @ Wandeca Reads (Sweetheart)
136. Book Therapy (Just Who Will You Be?)
137. GARDEN OF LAST DAYS (life by candlelight)
138. Jules – Frankenstein
139. Love Starts With Elle (Sunny)
140. Book Therapy (One Fifth Avenue)
141. The Count of Monte Cristo (Becky)
142. Stamped Out (Mark)
143. Kushiel\’s Avatar (Memory)
144. Talk of the Town (Holly)
145. Nice to Come Home to (Holly)
146. Matrimony (Holly)
147. Eyes of Elisha (Angie)
148. The Mysterious Benedict Society (Kayren)
149. Becky (An Abundance of Katherines)
150. The Deadliest Strain (Twiga)
151. The Song of Hannah (Twiga)
152. Moon Over Tokyo (Pattie/FreshBrewed Writer)
153. A Constant Heart (Pattie FBW)
154. Carrie K. (The Beekeeper\’s Apprentice)
155. For the Family\’s Sake (Carrie, RtK)
156. The Pact (Alessandra)
157. Prisoner of Azkaban (Karen @ Wishful Thinking)
158. Over You (Karen @ Wishful Thinking)
159. High Fidelity (cat)
160. The Mermaid Chair (cat)
161. Sally/Key West
162. Sally/Rhapsody in Red
163. The Ransom of Mercy Carter (eva)
164. Midwife of the Blue Ridge (Holly)
165. Off Season (Bitsy)
166. Founding Mothers (Corinne)
167. Booth\’s Sister (Ronnica)
168. Running Scared (Ronnica)
169. Beginnings and The Tender Years (tammy)
170. The Night Watch (Memory)
171. Mr. Darcy\’s Diary (Tonia)
172. Sisters, Ink (Holly)
173. The Secret Journal of Brett Colton (Holly)
174. Shoot the Moon (Kari @ Just Another Day in Paradise)
175. Sunset by Karen Kingsbury (Kari @ Just Another Day in Paradise)
176. Wicked (Lauren)
177. Wildwood Dancing (Chan)
178. Relentless (Mark)
179. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
180. Becky (Anne of Avonlea)
181. Chasing Diana (Holly)
182. Finding Father Christmas (Holly)
183. Engaging Father Christmas (Holly)
184. The Maker\’s Diet (e-Mom)
185. GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (life by candlelight)
186. Murder, She Wrote (Kayren)
187. The Cat Who Played Post Office (Kayren)
188. Peaches (Alessandra)
189. Love Starts with Elle (Kara S)
190. Lynne Spear\’s Through the Storm (Kara S)

Sep 23, 2008

Product Giveaway: Dial Complete

written by katrina · 48 Comments

“Did you wash your hands?”

I usually ask C. (9) that question about 15 minutes after he gets home from school. And by now — a few weeks into the school year — he knows to expect it, and often beats me to it by informing me that yes, he washed his hands already.

I’m all for letting kids build up a healthy immune system by catching the occasional cold or other bug, but when there are constant rumors of strep throat, stomach bugs, and other yucky germs taking over the school, I’d just as soon keep the germs that make it home to a minimum.

And don’t even get me started on all the reasons for having antibacterial soap in your house when there’s a 2-year-old around. Let’s just say that I often find myself ~~yelling~~ saying, “No! Keep your hands out of there!” I’ll leave it up to your imagination as to where “there” is. (Hint: “there” includes multiple locations…including a certain box used by a cat, a certain “throne” found only in a few rooms in the house, etc.)

So when Dial offered to send me a sample of their Dial Complete (the “Soothing White Tea” version), I certainly didn’t turn it down. I’m taking their word for it that Dial is a superior germ-killer (C. hasn’t caught any of the rumored diseases yet this year, so that’s definitely a good sign), and I really like that Dial Complete has lotion in it. The worst thing about instant antibacterial gels is that they completely dry out my skin; Dial Complete doesn’t.

Dead germs, healthy kids, and smooth hands? Sounds good to me.

Dial recently launched their “Campaign for Clean Hands” program and I encourage you to check it out. In addition to a fact sheet and printables for kids, they’re offering kids a chance to win a trip to Washington D.C., plus $1000! All kids have to do is make a creative, short (15-30 second) video presentation on “why clean hands are important” and submit it on the program’s website. Full instructions can be found at the Campaign for Clean Hands site, so click on over.

While you’re at the site, check out the upper-left corner. Yes, there’s a germ-fighting game (DC Germ Blaster). It’s vaguely reminiscent of the old Asteroids arcade game and I’m not going to tell you how long C. I spent blasting germs the other day.

BUT WAIT. Before you leave to ~~play the game~~ check out the contest, I have a giveaway. Dial has offered to send one of my readers 1 full case of Dial Complete. That’s 8 standard pump bottles! Surely enough to stock your house and kill many, many germs.

To enter the drawing, just leave a comment on this post between now and noon (EST) on Sunday. I’ll announce the winner Monday morning. (U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only.)

Filed Under: Product Reviews 48 Comments

Sep 22, 2008

Fall Into Reading 2008: Time to Read!

written by katrina · 158 Comments

Happy first day of fall, everyone! Is it feeling fall-like in your area? It was 80 degrees here yesterday, but I have a waffle-weave pullover or two just waiting for crisp-air delightfulness to show up. I’m sure it won’t be long.

In the meantime, we can start to celebrate fall by diving into the reading lists we’ve made for ourselves! If you need a quick refresher course on what Fall Into Reading 2008 is all about, here you go:

Set some reading goals for fall, make a list of the books you’d like to read this season, and post it on your blog. [Note: If you don't have a blog, but would still like to participate, feel free to leave your list in a comment on this post.]

You can choose any books you’d like, and as many (or as few) as you’d like. The point is simply to make some goals and enjoy the process of reading toward them. Read for pleasure, for inspiration, for education — whatever appeals to you this fall. The “rules” are flexible; do what works for you!

Leave a link on the Mr. Linky below to your personal Fall Into Reading 2008 post. (Please do not put your name on the Mr. Linky before you have your post done, and please link directly to your Fall Into Reading post. If you don’t, your entry will be deleted. Read this post for more information.)

Check out the lists of other participants. That can be almost as fun as the reading itself!

If you like to write book reviews, go for it. I’ll put up a post later this week where you can link to your Fall Into Reading 2008 reviews, so we can keep them all in one place.

Write a wrap-up post in December, letting us all know how you did, whether or not your reached your goals, which books you loved (or hated), etc.

Don’t forget – there’s also a prize available. One participant, chosen at random, will receive a $10 gift certificate from Amazon.com — to support your love of reading, of course! To be eligible for this prize, you’ll have to post a list on your blog of the books you’d like to read this fall (the cut-off for posting your list and adding your link here is this Wednesday, September 24th, at midnight) and then post your results at the end of the challenge (the challenge ends December 20th). That’s it!

[Note: Although there are cut-offs in order to be in the drawing for the prize, there is no cutoff for joining in the challenge. So spread the word, and sign up whenever you're ready!]

Don’t forget: I’ll also be holding weekly book giveaways here on Thursdays. You don’t even have to be participating in Fall Into Reading 2008 to sign up for those giveaways.

I’ve put a Mr. Linky below. Please enter your name and the link to your specific reading challenge post. People will want to stop by to see what you’re reading, and posting a link directly to your list will make it much easier for them to do so. (If you’re not sure how to do this, just email me; I’d be glad to help!)

Also, in your reading challenge post, please include a link back to this post so that others can check out all the participants.

Are you ready to read? I sure am. Happy fall reading, everybody!

1. Katrina
2. Jennifer, Snapshot
3. Thea @ I\’m a Drama Mama
4. Mark
5. Tiany
6. Kayren @ Everything\’s Coming Up Daisies
7. Alessandra @ Out of the Blue
8. Joyful Days
9. Tami @ Desires of Thine Heart
10. Beth/Mom2TwoVikings
11. Beth Fish
12. Ronnica
13. Jolanthe@No Ordinary Moments
14. Twiga
15. Paula
16. Tara@MurphreesLaw
17. Brittanie
18. Pattie~Fresh-Brewed Writer
19. Laura
20. Saille @ Survive the Experience
21. J. Kaye\’s Book Blog
22. Erin @ Finding the Funny
23. Viv
24. Jen@nyisutter\’s Scribbles
25. Lana G!
26. Mrs. C
27. Kari @ Alas3Lads
28. Nise\’
29. Angela
30. Lindsay (The Whitcomb Family)
31. Bobbi
32. Eden
33. MizB
34. Tami
35. Jane – Much Ado
36. Heidi
37. Julie
38. Barbara H.
39. Jaime | Confessions of a Bibliophile
40. Susanne-LivingToTell
41. Gail
42. amanda o
43. baileysgranny
44. Kelly B.
45. Lisa
46. Reese
47. Heidi @ GGIP
48. ellen b
49. Deborah (Books, Movies, and Chinese Food)
50. Meghan @ Meg\’s Little Corner of the Universe
51. Veronika (God-Writing)
52. Carrie
53. Carrie\’s Crafty Cottage
54. Jen – Pink About It
55. mamatigerj
56. Corinne (in the mirror)
57. Shalee
58. Kristen-Christianity & Caffeine
59. Sarah@Growing For Christ
60. TinyHead
61. Alyce (At Home With Books)
62. Juliann @ unwrittenreads
63. JM
64. katney
65. Becky (Becky\’s Book Reviews)
66. Shauna (Shaunarumbling)
67. Carrie (Reading to Know)
68. Lora @ my blessed life
69. tammy
70. Carrie K.
71. Kim@page after page
72. MJ
73. Dar
74. Kara S
75. Andrea@Under Grace & Over Coffee
76. e-Mom @ Chrysalis
77. CeeCee@Book Splurge
78. sharonluvscats
79. Leann – Good Neighbors
80. Tonia
81. BecauseImTheMommy
82. Holly
83. Jenni
84. the lazy reader
85. Angie @ Never A Dull Moment
86. Robin of My Two Blessings
87. Jen @ mommablogsalot
88. Blessed Assurances
89. Mrs. Cuddles
90. Book Therapy
91. Amy N.-Brain Halitosis Therapy
92. Leya (Wandeca Reads)
93. Melissa (Forst Rose) – Bibliophile\’s Retreat
94. BN (Book Notes)
95. Venessa
96. Mad

97. Veronica (The First Draft…)
98. Mrs. Bubba @ Living La Vida Normal
99. Lisa in ME
100. Trina @ Daddy\’s Chick\’s
101. Nancy
102. Michelle
103. karen @ a time for everything
104. Sunny (That Book Addiction)
105. My Friend Amy
106. Christin
107. Christa (Fairfield Corner)
108. Katrina (katrina\’sreads)
109. Michele – one L
110. Amy (Life by Candlelight)
111. Elizabeth (Finding Him Bigger)
112. Sherida @ My Life
113. Rebecca@BeautifulFeet
114. Bobbi @ mylittlesoapbox
115. krin (Enough to Read)
116. Classics, the commonwealth & CSS
117. Jen @ So Many Books
118. Nancy@Chocolate Ink
119. Rachel @ Future Pastor\’s Wife
120. storyengineer
121. Critty Joy
122. Sara @ Advice from a Ladybug
123. Heather @ Mrs. Momma
124. Angie @ BordomCentral
125. Michelle in GA
126. AugustinaPeach
127. Andi
128. Diane
129. BeckyB@InThePages
130. Melissa
131. Emily@Ramblings of a Farm GIrl
132. Lisa
133. Kristina
134. Michelle
135. Whitney
136. Aerin
137. Nikki @ Simplicity
138. Bitsy
139. Crystal Arcand (3Stairs)
140. Memory
141. Lundie
142. Jenny
143. Heather (Book Addiction)
144. My Round File
145. Gamila
146. Emily
147. alisonwonderland
148. Jenny at My Buckling Bookshelf
149. Francesca (Scribacchina)
150. Ruth Stiles
151. carrie (starting small)
152. Wendy Keel
153. Jana (sidetrack\’d)
154. Kara
155. Nicol @ Classy & Sophisticated
156. Jeanette (Comfy Chair Good Book)
157. Deb @ Postcards from the Edge
158. Emily in Central ME
159. Michelle\’s Reading Room
160. Ruth
161. Kuutar
162. Mama\’s Boys
163. Jean@workingmomma247
164. Helga Marie Breyfogle
165. Chelsea
166. Maria (A Book Geek)
167. Sally/Book Critiques
168. Tendrils
169. the bookworm
170. Colleen
171. Cheryl\’s Book Nook
172. Kim (Books Do a Brain Good)
173. Marineko (Dreaming Out Loud)
174. Kari @ Just Another Day in Paradise
175. Kristi (Passion for the Page)
176. Kathy
177. Karla @ Ramblin\’ Roads
178. Randi
179. Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)
180. Katie
181. Bella (Lil Daisies)
182. Jenn (Quite the Human)
183. Sal
184. Jessie
185. Beth (Super hero name Carpoolqueen! )
186. gail (first time participant–i\’m so excited!)
187. A @ Pensieve
188. Miss Chris@LifeIsAPolka
189. Cindy (cindysloveofbooks)
190. Amy @ MomsToolbox (Eating Clean for Families)
191. S. Krishna
192. Lauren (Reading Come From Writing)

193. Lindsay @ The Ink Spot
194. Bride of the Book God
195. Beth at Endless Books
196. Mimi B (Woven By Words)
197. Rebecca
198. Stephanie
199. Melody
200. Molly (Restless Reader)
201. Alea (Pop Culture Junkie)
202. Shaina @ Biblical Homekeeping
203. Todd
204. Lynn P
205. Busy Mom
206. Samantha
207. Deanna
208. Kathy (BermudaOnion\’s Weblog)
209. Eileen
210. eva
211. cat
212. TEEN LIT REVIEW
213. Sandy
214. Not-so Domestic Goddess
215. Treasure Seekers
216. Dynamic Uno
217. Amanda W
218. Shanda @ Embracing and Being Embraced
219. Corinne (Book Nest)
220. Rebecca (Westerlywhimsies)
221. Nikki
222. Serena (Savvy Verse & Wit)
223. Anna (Diary of an Eccentric)
224. The Kahumoku Ohana
225. Karen (Wishful Thinking)
226. Janna – Cornhusker Academy
227. Rebecca LuElla Miller
228. Jenny @ With Eyes Lifted Up
229. Heather @ Joyful Wandering
230. Brenda
231. Melissa
232. rosemary
233. Melissa
234. Connie Jean
235. Trish/MamaBugs
236. Laurie @ LakeLady\’s Retreat
237. Joy @ Pressing On
238. Maria in NC
239. Prairie Girl
240. Julie
241. thinkright
242. Chelle\’s Books
243. Penny
244. Jennifer
245. Karlene @ Inksplasher
246. Sandra
247. Just Someone
248. Marcia Mickelson
249. Kim Schaefer
250. Shannon@JustAnotherMusing
251. Monica a.k.a. krazzymommy
252. Em
253. Sheri
254. Cynthia
255. Kell-Ann
256. Amy (Living a Blessed Life)
257. Kellie
258. Annell
259. Sher @ A Novel Menagerie
260. Becky @ Kindred Spirits
261. Charlene
262. Melissa (Bigsky Girls)
263. Chan
264. Becky (Fond of books)
265. Ro @ sparkleandscribble
266. Nely
267. Susan
268. Laura of Harvest Lane
269. Michelle in Japan
270. kLorene
271. Shana (Literarily)
272. Mocha with Linda
273. Titus.Two.Five
274. Sherrie
275. Advice from a Ladybug – New Address
276. Ti (Book Chatter)
277. pussreboots (Mark of Zorro)
278. pussreboots (Copenhagen Connection)
279. pussreboots (For the Love of Books)
280. The Great Bridge (eva)
281. Trinity Mommy
282. Jennifer
283. Laura (Everlost)
284. Linda
285. Dottie
286. Nick G
287. Sandra (Fresh Ink Books)

Filed Under: Fall Into Reading 2008, Reading Challenges 158 Comments

Sep 22, 2008

My Fall Into Reading 2008 List

written by katrina · 54 Comments

I’m going with twelve books this time around, 5 non-fiction and 7 fiction. I figure that at a little less than 1 book per week, I should be able to pull it off. I’ve also agreed to a few blog tours, so a couple more books might end up getting thrown into the mix.

As usual, I predict the fiction will be a breeze, while the non-fiction will involve some self-discipline. However, I do think I’ve picked some very interesting and inviting non-fiction books this time around, so maybe it’ll be a little easier.

Non-fiction

~~The Hiding Place~~ by Corrie Ten Boom — I’ve read parts of this book, and I know the story in general, but I’ve never taken the time to read it in its entirety. My 9-year-old, C., and I were just talking the other day about World War II, concentration camps, and the plight of the Jewish people, so I have a feeling he’ll be interested in hearing me share this amazing account with him as I go along.

~~The Organic God~~ by Margaret Feinberg — This book was recommended by a good friend of mine, who had it recommended to her by her pastor. The essence of the book? “Imagine what it would look like to have an organic relationship with God — one that is stripped of all pollutants and additives of this world.” I look forward to diving in.

~~Stone Crossings~~ by L.L. Barkat — I am a regular reader (and big fan) of L.L. Barkat’s blog, Seedlings in Stone, and I know her book will be fantastic. In fact, I’ve already read the first two chapters, but then life got crazy and I put it aside until I could devote some more focused time to it. Well, I’m going to make that time this fall, because I really want to immerse myself in L.L.’s story and thoughts. She has a way of really making me think and reminding me of God’s abundant grace.

Write Away by Elizabeth George — I’ve had this writing book on my shelf for years, and have dipped into it, dabbling here and there in chapters that caught my eye. But this fall, I want to read it straight through. Ironically, I haven’t read any of the author’s novels, but perhaps I will after reading this book, “One Novelist’s Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life.”

How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman, M.D. — This book caught my eye from the Borders sale table one week and intrigued me enough to cause me to take it home. Essentially, it’s an exploration of how physicians make their decisions, why they succeed…and why they don’t. I’m slightly concerned that when I finish it, I’ll decide that doctors don’t really know what they’re doing and I might as well just keep making my own diagnoses via Dr. Google. But I’m sure my husband will help talk me down off that ledge.

Fiction

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen — I’ll just admit it: I’ve never, ever read this book. I’m probably the last person in the blogosphere who hasn’t. So this fall, I’m going to do it. Knowing that it’s the favorite book of my friend, Lisa, helps. I’m also using Bethany House‘s “Insight Edition” that has little notes on background, Austen’s life, etc. scattered throughout, and I think that’ll be interesting as well.

~~My Soul to Keep~~ by Melanie Wells – Multnomah sent me this book a while ago and asked me to read it for possible review on my blog. It’s not a book I might have picked up on my own, but it does look interesting and suspenseful, so I’ll be curious to see what it’s like.

Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins — I’ve put off starting Brandilyn Collins’ Kanner Lake series until now, knowing that once I started, I’d want to read all four of them straight through, one after the other. I might save this one until the end of the challenge, so I can just keep going in the Kanner Lake books without abandoning the rest of my challenge books.

~~Not Safe, but Good~~ – A collection of short stories, put together by Brett Lott. I’m not a big short story reader, but this book caught my eye. The literary allusion to Aslan of Narnia helped to pique my interest, I’m sure.

Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke — Fluffy, light, guilty-pleasure culinary mystery, complete with recipes.

~~Three Bags Full~~ by Leonie Swann — Another book I saw featured at Borders, but would never have stumbled across in my normal reading. The story: a murder mystery. The setting: Glennkill, Ireland. The detectives: sheep? Hmm…

The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer — I’ve read a few Brad Meltzer books, and they usually are packed with enough action and suspense to keep me reading late into the night. The last one I read, however, was abandoned by my husband and labeled “strange” by my mom. I still liked it, but their reaction has made me a little wary. The Book of Lies has an intriguing premise, though (somehow incorporating Cain, Abel, and…Superman?), so I’ll definitely give it a try.

My list this fall has plenty of variety, some familiar authors and some new-to-me authors. I can’t wait to curl up with my coffee and a book and get started on my list.

But first, I want to visit the lists of other partcipants. Check out the main Fall Into Reading post if you’d like to do the same.

Filed Under: Books/Reading, Fall Into Reading 2008, Reading Challenges 54 Comments