Last Book for 2008

I finished my last book for the year - Invasive Procedures by Orson Scott Card. This was my first read by this author and I enjoyed it. I would categorize it as a medical thriller, slightly sci-fi, but not really.

A virus has been developed that is specific for a particular person - it targets the bad genes in them that cause various genetic ailments such as sickle-cell anemia and converts them, healing the person. But if the wrong person comes in contact with that particular virus, it is extremely deadly and kills them in minutes. Those that developed the virus have an ulterior agenda and the bulk of the book is a race between the good guys and bad guys.
Page-turning suspense, a definite recommend for those who like suspense and thriller books.

2009 Goals

I'm not any good at keeping New Year's resolutions, so I don't like to make them. Even making goals, I don't have a great track record. Yet, every year as the year comes to a close and a new year begins, I like to re-assess where I'm at and make goals for the coming year. There's something about a new beginning that is energizing and exciting.

So despite the high likelihood of failure, I still want to make goals for things I'd like to accomplish in 2009. Regardless of the outcome, it's something to work towards and look forward to.

Movies I'd like to see:
Stealth
Cellular
The Weather Man - DNF
Firewall
Hancock
Voyage of the Dawn Treader - won't happen in 2009
Click
Catch and Release
27 Dresses
Made of Honor
Definitely, Maybe
What Happens in Vegas

Books I'd like to read:
Dreaming in Technicolor by Laura Jensen Walker
Secret Longings of the Heart by Carol Kent
Rematch by Erynn Mangum - DNF
For Better or For Worse by Diann Hunt - DNF
Enoch by Alton Ganksy
The Pawn by Steven James
Authentic Faith by Gary Thomas
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Claire Knows Best by Tracey Bateman
Cold Plague by Daniel Kalla - DNF
Daring Chloe by Laura Jensen Walker
The Trophy Wives Club by Kristin Billerbeck - DNF
The Restorer's Son by Sharon Hinck - DNF

Re-Reads for 2009:
How People Grow by Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Money, Possessions & Eternity by Randy Alcorn (already started)
Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (before seeing movie)
Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks (already started)
??Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
??Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke

Bible Studies:
Finish Ephesians NavPress study (part of group?)
Finish Becoming a Woman of Faith by Cynthia Heald study - Gave up on
Lord, Give Me a Heart for You by Kay Arthur (Corinthians study)
**REVISED: Deleted Knowing God study with Jono and finishing chronological Bible; will be attempting the Bible in a Year challenge with Jono instead - DNF

Other goals:
Memorize 2 Corinthians 4
Re-memorize Philippians 1
Do a 5k walk/run with Jono
Get one of the gigantic microbes
Play fantasy football again

My Potential Chick Lit List for 2009 Challenge

My list may end up changing as the year progresses, particularly if I end up giving up on books or not getting to certain books. But here is a tentative list for the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge of 10 books.
1. Dreaming in Technicolor by Laura Jensen Walker (overlaps w/ Christian Reader Challenge) - FINISHED 2/14/09
2. Rematch by Erynn Mangum (overlaps w/ Christian Reader Challenge) - Gave Up On/DNF *Changed to Perfecting Kate by Tamara Leigh - FINISHED May 2009
3. For Better or For Worse by Diann Hunt (overlaps w/ Christian Reader Challenge) - Gave Up On/DNF* Changed to Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh - FINISHED March 2009
4. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella - FINISHED 9/26/09
5. Claire Knows Best by Tracey Bateman *Changed to Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner - FINISHED 11/23/09
6. The Trophy Wives Club by Kristin Billerbeck - Gave Up On/DNF *Changed to Turning the Paige by Laura Jensen Walker - FINISHED 11/14/09
7. Daring Chloe by Laura Jensen Walker - FINISHED
8. Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh - FINISHED 12/10/09
9. Here Comes the Bride by Whitney Lyles **CHANGED**: Fifteen Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily *Changed to Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus - FINISHED 12/18/09
10. The Secret Life of Becky Miller by Sharon Hinck *Changed to Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane - FINISHED 12/2/09

2009 Themed Reading Challenge

**UPDATE as of 3/12/09** - No longer participating in this

Wendy is hosting the 2009 Themed Reading Challenge. What it is:

The Themed Reading Challenge is a six month challenge designed to help readers clear books from their to-be-read stacks which center around a common theme or themes. Here are the “rules”:
Books should be chosen from the reader’s TBR pile (this may be an actual physical pile or a virtual pile).
The goal is to read 4 to 6 books linked by theme.
Overlaps with other challenges are allowed.
Readers may change their list of books at any time.
Readers may choose three different levels of participation:
Read at least 4 books with the same theme.
Read at least 5 books that share at least TWO themes.
Read at least 6 books that share MORE than two themes.
Themes can be geographic, genre, author, subject matter, or anything in between!

My theme is books about biblical characters - fictional books about people in the Bible. I plan to read at least 4 books with this theme.
1. Sarah: Women of Genesis by Orson Scott Card
2. Women of the Bible: Rahab's Story by Ann Burton
3. Havah: The Story of Eve by Tosca Lee
4. Noah by Ellen Gunderson Traylor

Other possibilities from my TBR list:
Gods and Kings (Chronicles of the Kings) by Lynn Austin
Mary of Nazareth by Marek Halter
Sarah (Canaan Trilogy) by Marek Halter
The Garden of Ruth by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
Rebekah (Women of Genesis) by Orson Scott Card
Lilah by Marek Halter
Abigail's Story (Women of the Bible) by Ann Burton
Rachel and Leah: Women of Genesis by Orson Scott Card
To Follow Yahweh's Plan by Nancy Sanders
Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther by Ginger Garrett
Martha and Mary by Patty Froese Ntihemuka
The Woman at the Well by Patty Froese
A Woman at the Well by Kate Handevidt
The Gilded Chamber of Queen Esther by Rebecca Kohn
Queenmaker of King David's Queen by India Edghill
Zipporah, Wife of Moses by Marek Halter
The Beginning (Chronicles of Heaven) by Gene Edwards

Circle of Grace by Penelope Stokes

Circle of Grace: A Novel by Penelope J. Stokes

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars




This was such a well-written book! I was immediately sucked into the story of 4 college friends who had kept in touch through the years through a circle journal. The book goes back and forth between the time periods and has a section focused on each character. At the end they are reunited where it is discovered that not everything written in the journal was the truth. One character in particular has lied about much of her life and at the reunion, confesses the truth to her friends, hoping they will not condemn her and will accept her anyway.

I can't really do justice to the beauty of this story. Highly recommended for those who like women's fiction and stories of women's friendships.


This was book 84 for me for this year. I may get another book done before the end of the year but this is still a good total for me.

Before and After

Before:

After:

Approximately 14 inches :-)

Faith 'n Fiction Saturday (on Monday)

This was a great question for this week's Faith 'n Fiction Saturdays, hosted by Amy.

what are your favorite Christian fiction books that you read this year? You
can compile your list anyway you like, by genre, ranking, or a favorite book of
each month. Be as creative as you like the only requirements are that you read
the books this year and that they are Christian fiction.

My favorite Christian fiction from this year are:
Elementary, My Dear Watkins by Mindy Starns Clark
The Ultimate Reality Show by Clay Jacobsen
The Seat Beside Me by Nancy Moser
Last Light, Night Light, True Light, and Dawn's Light by Terri Blackstock (series - awesome!)
Sushi for One?, Only Uni, and Single Sashimi by Camy Tang
The Cubicle Next Door by Siri Mitchell
Informed Consent by Sandra Glahn
Uncharted by Angela Hunt
Reconstructing Natalie by Laura Jensen Walker
The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

My reviews of these books can be found on Goodreads.

Fall Into Reading Challenge Completed

Is it just me, or did this Fall fly by? It's already the end of Fall and time for winter. Living in Michigan, my winter starts much earlier than the calendar and we are currently buried in snow from a huge snowstorm that came through Friday.

It's the end of the Fall Into Reading 2008 Challenge. I was able to read 10 books off the list I created and my goal was to read 8. So I accomplished my goal - yay!

The books I read were:

Change Your Heart, Change Your Life by Gary Smalley, 4/5

Flawless by Joshua Spanogle, 4/5

The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter, 5/5
The Deadliest Strain by Jan Coffey, 4/5

The Song of Hannah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy, 3/5

Blood Lies by Daniel Kalla, 3/5

The Secret's in the Sauce by Linda Evans Shepherd & Eva Marie Everson, 4/5

Miss Match by Erynn Mangum, 4/5

Plague Year by Jeff Carlson, 4/5

Single Sashimi by Camy Tang, 4.5/5

Chick Lit Ideas

Here are some chick lit books that I've read and liked, for those looking for suggestions for next year's Chick Lit Challenge. Note: some of these are Christian, some are not.

In no particular order,
Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic & Sister, and Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella
What a Girl Wants, She's Out of Control, and With This Ring, I'm Confused by Kristin Billerbeck
The Trouble with Tulip, Blind Dates Can Be Murder, and Elementary, My Dear Watkins by Mindy Starns Clark
The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson
Sushi for One?, Only Uni, and Single Sashimi by Camy Tang
The Thin Pink Line and Crossing the Line by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
I Do (But I Don't) by Cara Lockwood
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
The Nine Month Plan by Wendy Markham
Pink Slip Party by Cara Lockwood
The Cubicle Next Door by Siri Mitchell
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
Dixieland Sushi by Cara Lockwood
Dreaming in Black and White by Laura Jensen Walker
Always the Bridesmaid by Whitney Lyles
Bundle of Joy? by Ariella Papa
Miss Match by Erynn Mangum
Jemima J by Jane Green
Miss Invisible by Laura Jensen Walker
Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh
To Have and To Hold by Jane Green
Life, Libby and the Pursuit of Happiness by Hope Lyda
Reconstructing Natalie by Laura Jensen Walker
Leave It to Claire by Tracey Bateman
Nearlyweds by Beth Kendricks
The Potluck Club, The Potluck Club Trouble's Brewing, The Potluck Club Takes the Cake, and The Secret's in the Sauce by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson
Bookends by Jane Green
Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner
The Other Woman by Jane Green

I may think of others later, but that's a start. :-)

Happy Birthday, Storm and Mocha!

Storm and Mocha
Originally uploaded by twiga92

Today is the day we celebrate our kitties' birthday. We don't know their actual birthday, but since we adopted them on June 19 and they were 6 months old, we chose December 19th as their birthday. They are now 5 years old.

Reading Slump

I may be coming out of my reading slump, but am afraid to get too optimistic yet. It seems like books have not been grabbing my attention lately. I was able to finish a book over the weekend - These Boots Weren't Made for Walking by Melody Carlson. It was a fun Christian chick lit of an almost-30 career girl whose life turns upside down. She then tries to determine who she is and what she really wants in life. It was pretty good.

I'm now reading Circle of Grace by Penelope Stokes and Invasive Procedures by Orson Scott Card and seem to be enjoying both of those. Hopefully my reading slump is at an end and I will have lots of reading fun over these next couple of weeks. I have a lot of time off work and am hoping to enjoy reading and relaxing during that time.

The Horrible Rotten Day

So today sucked. Various and asundry things at work that were frustrating. Then I'm on my way home and it starts snowing. The roads seem fine. But then I had a hard right turn on a ramp onto a street and my car didn't want to turn. The road was slicker than it appeared. And then I managed to crash into the guard rail.

It was quite the jolt but my airbag didn't go off, fortunately. Nobody rear-ended me either. After a moment, I was about to get out and survey the damage when I realized, hey, my car is still running, there's no weird lights on, let's see if it can still drive. Oh, and my cell phone had died a bit earlier in my drive so I had no way to call anyone. I was able to back up and get back onto the ramp. The car seemed to drive fine, so I decided to get home and see what the damage was. I was only about 4 miles from home at that point. No other cars were involved.

When I got home, I got out and looked at the front of my car. Except for a scratch in the middle of the bumper, my car looked normal. I looked and wondered if I was imagining things. Could I really not have mangled the front end of my car? But sure enough, there was just a scratch. The car runs like it did and except for a sore neck (probably got whiplash from the jolt), I managed to not have a serious accident.

Christian Readers Challenge 2009

MizB is hosting the Christian Readers Challenge for 2009.
-create a list of Christian books that you’d like to read…
-titles can be fiction, nonfiction, or a mixture of both
-read these between January 1st - April 30th, 2009
-overlaps with other challenges ARE allowed
-eBooks and Audiobooks ARE allowed

My list:
-Dreaming in Technicolor by Laura Jensen Walker - completed 2/14/09
-Secret Longings of the Heart by Carol Kent - completed 1/27/09
-Rematch by Erynn Mangum (if I get it from Booksfree) - Gave Up On/DNF
-For Better or For Worse by Diann Hunt (if I get it from Booksfree) - Gave Up On/DNF
-Enoch by Alton Gansky (if I get it from Booksfree)
-The Pawn by Steven James (if I get it from Booksfree) - completed 1/31/09

2009 Chick Lit Challenge

Back by popular demand, the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge has been expanded for the whole year! From January 1 through December 31, 2009, read at least 10 chick lit books. Books can overlap with other challenges and you can change your list at any time.

I don't use Mr. Linky, but feel free to leave a comment on this post if you would like to participate. You can join any time - this is a laid-back and fun challenge!

Single Sashimi by Camy Tang

And another one out of the park! This third installment in the Sushi series (book 1-Sushi for One? book 2-Only Uni) was another great read by Camy Tang. Focusing on another cousin in the Sakai family, Venus is a corporate executive in the video gaming industry. As a woman in a male-dominated world, she has to fight hard to gain the respect she deserves for her abilities and talent in gaming. Then someone from her past re-enters her life, offering her a job. Someone she vowed never to work for again. How will this fit in with her plans to start her own company?
Venus learns she can't control her life in this chick lit yet serious story.
I really enjoyed this book and I like Camy Tang's books. She's a new favorite author and I highly recommend the Sushi series for those who enjoy women's fiction.

Thanksgiving Get-Together

Well, my immediate family (parents and siblings) were able to all be together for Thanksgiving this year. This is a rare occurrence as my parents and brother are missionaries in Africa and are not in the States at the same time very often. My sister and her husband live in PA while Jono and I are in Michigan. When they're in the States, my brother and his wife and kids are usually in Florida or travelling. So a family get-together is a rare event.
It was fun to all be together and hang out. We had a nice dinner and relaxed watching football. My oldest niece is 6 now and was thrilled to play with her aunts and uncles, giving lots of hugs and dancing around. My nephew is 3 and talking where he can mostly be understood and was very happy to be with his Grandpa and uncles. He greeted us at the door with a big "Hi, Uncle Jono!" Very endearing! My youngest niece is 1 and is absolutely as cute as can be. She tried to join in with big sister and brother as best she could and wanted to be part of the action.
It was a great Thanksgiving!

Losing One of Our Own

The book blogging community is in shock and sorrow right now over the loss of one of our own - Dewey from The Hidden Side of a Leaf passed away last week. Though most of us never met her face-to-face, she was a part of our lives and will be greatly missed.

Recent Reads

If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy!: Making the Choice to Rejoice by Lindsey O'Connor

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Uplifting, encouraging book dealing with finding joy even in the dark times of life. It covers things that steal our joy and ways to find sparkles in the dailyness of life. This was a re-read for me.


Isolation Ward by Joshua Spanogle

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I made the mistake of reading Flawless before I read this book. Isolation Ward takes place BEFORE Flawless and has some of the same characters. There are references in Flawless that point to things that happened in Isolation Ward, so though I didn't know the story, some of the suspense was gone from having read Flawless already.

That said, I did enjoy Isolation Ward - a good suspense thriller. Told in the first person, Nathaniel McCormick, an epidemiologist from the CDC starts investigating an outbreak that occurs in some group homes in Baltimore. In his attempt to discover how the outbreak started, he runs into old acquaintances from his med school days. He also manages to alienate most everyone around him with his stubbornness in pursuing the investigation.

A good book, but definitely read it before reading Flawless.

Monster by Frank Peretti

Monster by Frank Peretti

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jono and I listened to this audio book on our trip to and from my sister's for Thanksgiving. An interesting suspense story - campers are strangely attacked one night. The husband watches a creature take his wife and as the sheriff's deputy, he rounds up search and rescue workers to help him find her. At first, they aren't sure whether to believe his tale and think they suffered from a bear attack. Others think he killed his wife and is trying to cover it up. Friends of his discover some strange things, other deaths, and soon a massive cover-up from science experiments gone terribly wrong comes to light.

A great story, suspenseful and interesting. I'm not sure if I would have read this book if we hadn't gotten it on audio cd. Recommended for those who like suspense thrillers.