Just Read: 2021 Reading Challenge

After looking at over a dozen reading challenges posted online and feeling entirely uninspired, in 2019, I decided I would create my own with categories that don't feel impossible and that could easily be recycled from one year to the next, tweaking occasionally for variety, if I so choose. More importantly, the category prompts won't pigeonhole you into reading the one book that fits but is a book in which you have zero interest, but instead are broad or vague enough to apply to books across a wide spectrum of reading interests. And so was born my (newly renamed for 2021!) reading challenge.

It has far more categories than I will likely ever get to in a single year--there are 100 now and that is officially where I am capping it--but my goal is to check off as many as I can while letting the category prompts inspire the books I choose. I thought I'd share my list with any of my other reader friends who might be interested but haven't found a reading challenge that spoke to them yet--and 2020 was the first year that several people decided to join me! I dare say we had a blast with it, comparing book selections to fill a category and cheering each other on.

I'm not big on rules when it comes to reading, so we'll keep it simple:

**While a single book will certainly apply to more than one category prompt, each book can only be used to fill one category.
**Choose carefully, because once you've placed a book, there's no changing your selection! (I wait to make my final decision until after I have finished reading the book in most cases, to make sure that I know exactly which remaining category prompts will apply. Pro tip: Use the applicable category prompt you believe will prove to be the most difficult to fill, saving the easier ones until the end, as prompts fill up.)

**Category prompt interpretation is up to the person doing the reading. If the fit makes sense to you, you don't need my permission. No one is keeping score. Just let yourself be inspired!

**100 category prompts is a lot, right? The goal isn't to get to all of them--but yay for you, if you do! Rather, it's to get inspired to read with a little bonus challenge of trying to fill as many category prompts as you can. Read as many or as few books as your personal reading style allows. There is no minimum requirement for you to participate and share what you read! The goal is to read as many books as you can and to be inspired by the prompts to choose books that appeal to your reading taste. No one is keeping score of how many you read or judging the books you enjoy. The point is...get this...JUST READ. (Novel idea, yes? And no, I am not sorry about the pun.) And by sharing and following the hashtag, maybe you'll find new books you'll want to read, meet a new book-loving friend, or get into a good discussion about books.

**There is no minimum page requirement for a book to qualify. If it's a book and you finished it in 2021, it counts.

**There is also no deadline to start! Jump in whenever, look over the books you've finished already for 2021, apply them to the categories that fit, share them with us on social media if you like, and join in the fun!

 

Share what you read and which prompt you applied on Instagram and/or Facebook using #JustRead2021Challenge. 

Happy reading!

1. A book with several short stories or novellas
2. The first book in a new-to-you series
3. A book from a series you've already started
4. The newest book from a series
5. A book that's part of a trilogy
6. A book that is at least 10th in its series
7. A book with 500 or more pages
8. A book with 150 pages or less
9. A book published before 1990
10. A book you've been meaning to read for at least ten years
11. A book published in 2020 or 2021
12. A book someone else raved about or recommended
13. A book you've been really anticipating
14. A book you're not sure you'll like but want to try anyway
15. A book you picked up on a whim
16. A book you wanted to read last year but didn't get to
17. A library book
18. A book you already own
19. A physical book
20. An e-book
21. A book geared toward children, teens or young adults
22. A mystery or thriller
23. A memoir or autobiography
24. A book that is historical fiction
25. A book that takes place during contemporary times
26. A non-fiction book
27. A book set between 1900 and 1940
28. A book set in your time zone
29. A new-to-you author
30. An author you've been meaning to read more by
31. A longtime favorite author
32. Written by a woman
33. Written by a man
34. Written by an author who is not white
35. Written by two or more authors
36. A book with a title or author that is alliterative
37. A book you hope helps you to learn or grow
38. A book that teaches you a lesson
39. A book that is pure brain candy
40. A book with a one-word title
41. A book with a two-word title
42. A book with a four-word title
43. A book with red on the cover or in the title
44. A book with orange on the cover or in the title
45. A book with yellow on the cover or in the title
46. A book with green on the cover or in the title
47. A book with blue on the cover or in the title
48. A book with white on the cover or in the title
49. A book with black on the cover or in the title
50. A book with a TITLE containing a color not listed above
51. A book with clothing on the cover or in the title
52. A book with food on the cover or in the title
53. A book with a beverage on the cover or in the title
54. A book with a utensil, weapon, or tool on the cover or in the title
55. A book with a season in the title
56. A book with a holiday as a theme or in the title
57. A book with a place in the title
58. A title that mentions something found in nature
59. A book with some form of water on the cover or in the title
60. A title that mentions some form of weather
61. A book where the title or the cover includes something you find in the sky
62. A book that has a day of the week in the title
63. A title with a number in it
64. A book with a question mark in the title
65. A title that includes an animal
66. A book with a dog or cat on the cover
67. A book with any animal that is NOT a dog or cat on the cover
68. A title that includes a person's name
69. A book with a person on the cover
70. A book with a body part on the cover or in the title
71. A book with ONLY words on the cover
72. A book with a cover that makes you want to read it
73. A book that takes place in a different country
74. A title that starts with the word 'a' or 'an'
75. A title that starts with the word 'the'
76. A title with the word 'and' or 'or' 
77. A book with a type of building on the cover or in the title
78. A book with a window or a door on the cover
79. A book with a piece of furniture on the cover
80. A book with a type of transportation on the cover
81. A title with a directional reference (north, down, left, under, etc)
82. A title that mentions sound in some way
83. A title that mentions time in some way
84. A title that includes an action or activity
85. A title that mentions an emotion or feeling
86. A book with something related to reading on the cover or in the title
87. A book that references music on the cover or in the title
88. A female leading character
89. A male leading character
90. A title that references a profession
91. A book with a title or author that includes the name of a month
92. A book with a title that made you want to read it
93. A title that references royalty/nobility
94. A title with a familial connection in it
95. A book you expect to make you think
96. A book you expect will make you laugh
97. A book of your choice
98. Author whose first or last name contains exactly four letters
99. A book with flowers on the cover or in the title
100. A book with more than one storyline from different time periods

Read more...

2020 Personal Reading Challenge

After looking at over a dozen reading challenges posted online and feeling entirely uninspired, in 2019, I decided I would create my own with categories that don't feel impossible and that could easily be recycled from one year to the next with very little tweaking, if I so choose. It has far more categories than I will likely ever get to in a single year but my goal is to check off as many as I can. While a single book will certainly apply to more than one line, I intend to limit myself to choosing just one per book. I thought I'd share my list with any of my other reader friends who might be interested but hasn't found a reading challenge that spoke to them yet. Feel free to play along, and if you wish, share what you read and which prompt you applied on Instagram using #TBR2020ReadingChallenge. Happy reading!

A book with several short stories or novellas
The first book in a new-to-you series
A book from a series you've already started
The newest book from a series
A book that's part of a trilogy
A book with 500 or more pages
A book with 100 pages or less
A book published in the 90s
A book you've been meaning to read for at least ten years
A book published in 2019 or 2020
A book someone else raved about
A book you've been really anticipating
A book you're not sure you'll like but want to try anyway
A book you picked up on a whim
A book you wanted to read last year but didn't get to
A library book
A book you already own
A physical book
An e-book
A book geared toward children or teens
A cozy mystery
A memoir
A book that is historical fiction
A book that takes place during contemporary times
A non-fiction book

A genre or a book set in a time period you don't typically read

A new-to-you author
An author you've been meaning to read more by
A longtime favorite author
A book written by a woman
A book written by a man
A book written by two or more authors
A book with a title or author that is alliterative
A book you hope helps you to learn or grow
A book that teaches you a lesson
A book that is pure brain candy
A book with a one-word title
A book with a two-word title
A book with at least six words in the title
A book with red on the cover or in the title
A book with orange on the cover or in the title
A book with yellow on the cover or in the title
A book with green on the cover or in the title
A book with blue on the cover or in the title
A book with white on the cover or in the title
A book with black on the cover or in the title
A book with a title containing a color not listed above
A book with clothing on the cover or in the title
A book with food on the cover or in the title
A book with a season in the title
A book with a holiday as a theme or in the title
A book with a place in the title
A book with a title that mentions something found in nature
A book that has a day of the week in the title
A book with a number in the title
A book with an apostrophe in the title
A book with an animal on the cover or in the title
A book with a person's name in the title
A book with a person on the cover
A book with only words on the cover
A book with a cover that makes you want to read the book
A book that takes place in a different country
A book with a title that starts with the word 'a' or 'an'
A book with a title that starts with the word 'the'
A book with a type of building on the cover or in the title
A book with a window or a door on the cover

A book with a title that mentions time in some way

A book with a female leading character
A book with a male leading character

A book with a title that includes the name of a month

A book with a title that made you want to read it

A book that references royalty in the title

A book you expect to make you think

A book you expect will make you laugh

A book of your choice

Read more...

2019 Personal Reading Challenge

After looking at over a dozen reading challenges posted online and feeling entirely uninspired, I decided I would create my own with categories that don't feel impossible and that could easily be recycled from one year to the next with very little tweaking, if I so choose. It has far more categories than I will likely ever get to in a single year but my goal is to check off as many as I can. While a single book will certainly apply to more than one line, I intend to limit myself to choosing just one per book. I thought I'd share my list with any of my other reader friends who might be interested but hasn't found a reading challenge that spoke to them yet. Feel free to play along. Happy reading!

A book with several short stories or novellas
The first book in a new-to-you series
A book from a series you've already started
The newest book from a series
A book that's part of a trilogy
A book with 500 or more pages
A book with 100 pages or less
A book published in the 90s
A book you've been meaning to read for at least ten years
A book published in 2018 or 2019
A book someone else raved about
A book you've been really anticipating
A book you're not sure you'll like but want to try anyway
A book you picked up on a whim
A book you wanted to read last year but didn't get to
A library book
A book you already own
A physical book
An e-book
A book geared toward children or teens
A cozy mystery
A memoir
A book that is historical fiction
A book that takes place during contemporary times
A non-fiction book
A genre you don't typically read
A new-to-you author
An author you've been meaning to read more by
A longtime favorite author
A book written by a woman
A book written by a man
A book written by two or more authors
A book with a title or author that is alliterative
A book you hope helps you to learn or grow
A book that teaches you a lesson
A book that is pure brain candy
A book with a one-word title
A book with a two-word title
A book with at least six words in the title
A book with red on the cover or in the title
A book with orange on the cover or in the title
A book with yellow on the cover or in the title
A book with green on the cover or in the title
A book with blue on the cover or in the title
A book with white on the cover or in the title
A book with black on the cover or in the title
A book with a title containing a color not listed above
A book with clothing on the cover or in the title
A book with food on the cover or in the title
A book with a season in the title
A book with a holiday as a theme or in the title
A book with a place in the title
A book with a title that mentions something found in nature
A book that has a day of the week in the title
A book with a number in the title
A book with an apostrophe in the title
A book with an animal on the cover or in the title
A book with a person's name in the title
A book with a person on the cover
A book with only words on the cover
A book with a cover that makes you want to read the book
A book that takes place in a different country
A book with a title that starts with the word 'a' or 'an'
A book with a title that starts with the word 'the'
A book with a type of building on the cover or in the title
A book with a window or a door on the cover
A book with a title that references a time of day
A book with a female leading character
A book with a male leading character
A book of your choice

Read more...

2015: I Read Books

A little more 2015 wrap-up. I challenged myself to read 40 books in 2015. I managed to finish all 40 -- just barely.

1. Best Book(s) You Read In 2015? 
When Crickets Cry. The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

2. Most Disappointing Book?
Firefly Summer.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book?
Promises to Keep.

4. Book(s) you recommended to people most in 2015?
The Cousins' War series.

5. Best series you discovered in 2015?
I didn't "discover" any, because all my series books are ongoing. I decided not to begin any new ones until I got caught up on some I was already enjoying.

6. Favorite new author(s) you discovered in 2015?
Charles Martin.

7. Most thrilling, un-put-down-able book in 2015?
These Things Hidden. Song of Susannah.

8. Book you most anticipated in 2015?
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes.

9. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

10. Most memorable character(s) in 2015?
Jonny "Reese" Mitchell (When Crickets Cry). Annie Stephens (When Crickets Cry). CeeCee Wilkes (The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes). Elizabeth of York (The White Princess).

11. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?
When Crickets Cry.

12. The longest book you read in 2015?
Ahab's Wife: or, The Star-Gazer - 688 pages.

13. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read?
The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Hollywood Studios. I mean, seriously, I've owned the book since it was released. In 2010.

14. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2015?
“It seemed childish to me that adults who knew each other well and who had been devoted friends could allow a breach in their friendship.” (from Ahab’s Wife: or, The Star-Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund)

15. Authors you'd like to read more of in 2016? 
Charles Martin. Philippa Gregory.

Read more...

2014: I Read Books

A little more 2014 wrap-up. I challenged myself to read 40 books in 2014. I managed to finish 34.

1. Best Book(s) You Read In 2014? 
The Kommandant's Girl.

2. Most Disappointing Book?
Toxic Bachelors.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book?
My Husband's Sweethearts.

4. Book(s) you recommended to people most in 2014?
I don't think I actually recommended any books to anyone. It would be tough for me to pick one, in general, from what I read in 2014. It would vary depending on the person.

5. Best series you discovered in 2014?
The Kommandant's Girl. Timber Ridge Reflections.

6. Favorite new author(s) you discovered in 2014?
Pam Jenoff.

7. Most thrilling, un-put-down-able book in 2014?
The Other Life.

8. Book you most anticipated in 2014?
The Diplomat's Wife.

9. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?


10. Most memorable character in 2014?
John Bessom (My Husband's Sweethearts). Paul (The Diplomat's Wife). James McPherson (Beyond This Moment).

11. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?
Dreams of Joy.

12. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2014?
The Lady of the Rivers.

13. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?
Eat, Pray, Love.

14. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2014?
“Your peers when you’re a teenager will always be the keepers of your embarrassment and regret. It was one of life’s great injustices, that you can move on and be accomplished and happy, but the moment you see someone from high school you immediately become the person you were then, not the person you are now.” (from "The Girl Who Chased the Moon" by Sarah Addison Allen)

"Willpower and dedication are good words," Roland remarked. "There's a bad one, though, that means the same thing. That one is 'obsession'." (from "Wizard and Glass," by Stephen King)

15. Authors you'd like to read more of in 2015? 
Philippa Gregory. Pam Jenoff. Both made history come alive for me.

Read more...

I Read Books: September 5, 2014

1. Favorite children's book:
Laura Ingalls Wilder's "The Little House" series. These were the books that made me love reading. I wanted that boxed set so badly that, when I finally received it as a gift (I think I was seven or eight years old), I think I read every single book in order starting almost immediately. I've read it through probably close to a dozen times, even more than once as an adult (it's like comfort food, only in book form). I still have that boxed set.

2. The last book you read: 
I just finished "The Lady of the Rivers" by Philippa Gregory. As the third book in a series I've liked, I expected to enjoy it. I was caught by surprise just how much I loved this one.

3. Books on your "to read" list: 
You're kidding, right? I will need several additional lifetimes to actually read all the books on my list, because it stands today at 1,466, and it's not like they've stopped writing books. How about the next three on my "on deck" shelf: Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier, No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark, and Beyond this Moment by Tamera Alexander.

4. Top 5 authors:  
In no particular order and subject to change...Laura Ingalls Wilder, Ayn Rand, M.L. Stedman, Philippa Gregory, and Lisa See.

5. Favorite genres:
Mysteries and historical fiction.

6. A book that has made you extremely mad: 
Extremely mad? I'm not sure there are any books that have made me mad, either in general or in their entirety, but there have been portions of books where the events have made me feel, among other emotions, somewhere on the spectrum of mad. The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, Dreams of Joy by Lisa See, and The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff, to name a few. I'm far more likely to have gotten annoyed by a book, either a character or the author, than to get angry.

7. A book that you've cried over: 
The two that spring to mind most quickly are Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly and The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.

8. A book that made you laugh out loud: 
Couplehood by Paul Reiser. I have read this one multiple times and I still laugh til I weep. Don't even ask me to read portions of it out loud, because I can't.

9. Fiction or nonfiction?
Yes. I really try to mix up my reading. I do enjoy fiction in many genres, but I also like to learn, so a well-written piece of non-fiction also suits me just fine.

10. First book you read by your favorite author: 
I had a hard time figuring out my "top five," and now I need to narrow down to my single favorite author?? As if. How about my first favorite author: Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

11. Best book-to-movie adaptation: 
I had to really give it some thought, but I almost never see book-to-movie adaptations! Here's the catch for me: I can see a movie before I read the book (or I may opt to never read it), but I cannot ever do it the other way around, because if I loved the book, I'm afraid the movie will ruin it for me, and if I hated the book, why spend the money to see the movie? So, I've read a fair number of books that have been made into movies, but never saw the movie. The three exceptions I can think of (and in each case, I saw the movie before reading the book) are Far and Away by Sonja Massie, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. I enjoyed all the movies, but in each case, I am glad I saw them before reading the books. (With the exception of A Christmas Carol, which I have seen both before and after reading it.)

12. Do you read comics?
Comic strips, yes. I've never read a comic book or a graphic novel, though.

13. Hardcovers or paperbacks?
No preference. As long as it's a book made of paper, and not some kind of e-reader, I'm in.

14. Do you buy books as soon as they come out or wait a while? 
I almost never buy books anymore. I borrow from the library, or on rare occasion, from a friend. The only books I buy now are ones I read on loan and love so much, I know I will want to read them again.

15. Do you buy books spontaneously without any prior knowledge of what happens in it? 
Definitely not (based on my last answer).

16. Have you ever bought a book based on the cover alone? 
No. I need a synopsis. Haven't you heard? You never judge a book by its cover! Now, I've picked up a book, based on cover alone, but it's to read the synopsis and see if I'm interested.

17. Where do you usually buy your books? 
On the rare occasion that I do, either from Amazon or my local branch of Books-a-Million.

18. Book that had a strong impact on you:
Many books have impacted me--my view on a particular event, the way I think about life, my perspective. But the "Little House" books are what first inspired my love for reading, so that's a pretty strong impact to have, I'd say. Without that, would there be any others?

19. Historical or science fiction?
Historical, all the way. Science fiction is one the few genres that doesn't reel me in, as a rule.

20. Dystopian or Utopian?
Neither, really, I guess. I find the first troubling and depressing, and the second, unidentifiable.

21. Worst book-to-move adaptation?
I'm sure there are many. Hence, my rule about never seeing a movie for which I've already read the book. My expectations are way too high, and likely, unreachable.

22. Book that should have a movie adaptation?
For the most part, I think books and movies, both wonderful sources of entertainment, should exist in mutual exclusivity. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule. I'd guess that a mystery or an action thriller most easily cross planes.

23. The first book you've fallen in love with: 
How many times can I be asked a question for which the "Little House" series is the answer?

24. Humor or angst?
Humor. Definitely humor. Most novels have some angst, I'd say, and it plays an important role, but on a whole, I'm drawn more to soul-cleansing laughter.

25. How many books do you own?
After unloading a whole bunch when we moved (and I subsequently implemented my personal book rule), I would say no more than a hundred, including a fair number of reference type books.

26. Do you go the library?
At least twice a month, most months. I love my library! It's part of a county-wide co-operative, where, if a book I want isn't available at my local branch or if my branch doesn't shelve a particular book, but it is available from another library in the co-op, I put in my request online and the book is sent to my local branch for me to check out.

27. How many books do you read a year? 
I'll bet it was over a hundred when I was younger. And for a long time, I read very little. I realized how much I'd missed it a couple of years ago, though, and vowed to myself that I'd find the time again. In 2013, I read 38 books, after setting a goal of 25. This year, I set a goal for 40, and so far, I'm up to 27. That's up from 6 in 2011, and 16 in 2012.

28. Favorite "required reading" book? 
I struggle with required reading. I never had much of a rebellious side, but something about being forced to read something immediately turns me off. I've actually set a goal for myself to re-read some of those books from high school, to see if maybe they were better than I made them out to be, simply because I didn't choose to read them of my own accord. The only two I ever remember reading and loving (and I may have possibly read them on my own *before* they were assigned) were The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.

29. Favorite quote? 
Oh, man. So many. *So* many! Here are two favorites:

“That smile was dangerous, she thought — a quicksand smile if there ever was one. Easy to wander in; perhaps more difficult to wander back out.”
Wizard and Glass by Stephen King

“'But how? How can you just get over these things, darling?…You've had so much strife but you're always happy. How do you do it?'
‘I choose to…I can leave myself to rot in the past, spend my time hating people for what happened…or I can forgive and forget.’
‘But it’s not that easy.’
He smiled that Frank smile. ‘Oh, but my treasure, it is so much less exhausting. You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all day, every day. You have to keep remembering all the bad things…No’ - his voice became sober- ‘we always have a choice. All of us.’”
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

30. A book you absolutely hate: 
There are two books I had to abandon without finishing: Wicked by Gregory Maguire, and Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella. And there were three from school that I hated so much, I couldn't even compel myself to attempt reading them as an adult, with an open mind, and of my own free will: The Grapes of Wrath, and Of Mice and Men by George Steinbeck, and Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. I'd rather stick a rusty needle in my eye than to ever open up any of those books again. And to assist you with some persective, let me just tell you how much I like *anything* in, near, or around my eye.

Read more...

Human beings are complicated.

Earlier this month, I read the book My Husband's Sweethearts by Bridget Asher. As with any book, I imagine it could go without saying (yet here I am, saying it) that when I picked it up, I hoped I would enjoy it. I ended up being surprised just how much it has lingered with me, though. There were quotes and chapter titles that have really resonated with me.
******************************
He stops, puts his elbows on the table, and leans forward, closer to me than I expect. "Human beings are complicated," he says softly, as if he's confessing to his own faults.

I read that sentence and then I just stopped. I mean, it isn't like it takes a dictionary and some heavy duty thinking to understand that group of words, but...it just felt like this profound revelation. Even more than that, though, it's a really good reminder -- especially for me, lately.  Human beings *are* complicated. There is so much more going on than most people will tell us, even those we know (or think we know) best. The surface is merely that and often the complex emotions and circumstances are hidden beneath the surface, which so often is more reflective than open to the depths hidden beneath. It's not just others, either. *I* am complicated as well. Complicated doesn't have to mean "drama," but there are complex layers to everyone, myself included.
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At Some Point Each of Us Is Someone Else's Bad Guy

This one was a hard one for me to look at. I don't like to think I've been a "bad guy" for anyone, but if I'm honest with myself, there are times I know exactly for whom and how I was a bad guy. It doesn't have to be intentional or even known by me for it to be true. And maybe I've been a bad guy even more than I am aware. I am certain there are people who've been bad guys to me and never had the first clue. It's a humbling thought. Just another way that human beings are complicated, I guess...
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We Are the Stories We Tell and the Stories We Don't Tell

I've been thinking about this one a lot, as it is particularly relevant to what's been going on in my world over the last year. I've thought about the stories I've told and those I haven't, and *why*. Why do I choose to tuck some stories out of view, rather than share them? Am I hiding it? Treasuring it? Afraid to be vulnerable? Worried I'll be judged? Waiting for a better time? And why do I choose to share some more readily? These are not new thoughts for me. I know I tend to hold my cards close to my vest on many occasions. But I've recently become painfully aware of the stories of others -- those that they choose not to tell, those they choose not to tell *me*, and the effect this bears on the relationship. That's a lot of heavy thought to contemplate.
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We need to love each other again, with all that love entails -- even the hard things, like forgiveness and acceptance.

Sometimes loving people is easy. We have good times, make good memories, there's laughter and happiness. But, here it is again: human beings are complicated. Sometimes the "biggest" loving comes in the form of forgiveness, of accepting a decision we don't understand or like, of putting aside our feelings temporarily to listen with an open heart. Love isn't just good days, it's hard times too...or it isn't love.
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We each say what we have to say, and we will spend this long afternoon crying and laughing at the same time, so much so that I can no longer tell which one is the truest form of grief.

This is so beautifully composed. I've attended enough funerals and the associated events to know that there are equal parts healing to be found in both laughter and shedding tears. They relieve different types of emotional pressure. They are opposite ends of a spectrum and yet, at the best of times and at the most difficult, they can become entwined. But it isn't true just of funerals. I've found that most difficult situations can be tackled with a combination of laughter and tears, feeling the hurt, while remembering the good.
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There were some unexpected life lessons, things to chew on, hidden in the pages of that novel. Some things I'll turn over in my brain for a good long time, I suspect.

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2013: I Read Books

1. Best Book(s) You Read In 2013? 
Killing Lincoln. The Light Between Oceans.

2. Most Disappointing Book?
Shopoholic Takes Manhattan. K is for Killer.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book?
Killing Lincoln.

4. Book(s) you recommended to people most in 2013?
Killing Lincoln.

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?
Flavia de Luce. Pillars of the Earth.

6. Favorite new author(s) you discovered in 2013?
M.L. Stedman

7. Most thrilling, un-put-down-able book in 2013?
Killing Lincoln.

8. Book you most anticipated in 2013?
Gentlemen and Players.

9. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?



10. Most memorable character in 2013?
Oy (The Wastelands)

11. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?
The Light Between Oceans.

12. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?
Killing Lincoln.

13. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

14. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2013?
"You see, Flavia, silence is sometimes the most costly of commodities." (Colonel de Luce in "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley)

“Each individual had a different life, every one of them rich and complex, with dramas in the past and challenges in the future, happy memories and secret sorrows, and a crowd of friends, enemies and loved ones.” (from "World Without End" by Ken Follett)

"You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all day, every day. You have to keep remembering all the bad things." (from "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman)

"Maybe it's just that I believe things you cant see." (from "Plain Truth" by Jodi Picoult)

15. Authors you'd like to read more of in 2014? 
Jodi Picoult

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I Read Books: The Next 8 I Really Want to Get My Hands On

Last week, Krystyn did a blog post about the eight books she wants to read right now. I thought to myself, "Self? That sounds like a good idea!" So I am borrowing her idea and sharing the next eight books I really want to read.

(I'm not going to count the one I am reading currently -- Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever -- or the one I have ready to go on my nightstand -- Fruit of All Evil. I'm going to list the next eight I am really hoping to pick up next time I go to the library.)


1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Joanne Fluke)
2. Mistletoe Murder (Leslie Meier)
I *really* don't need to start yet another series, since I have several in progress and was trying to get caught up on those before adding in a new one, but I've been on the waiting list for both of these for ages now. It appears that I am next in the queue for both of them now and they are in transit to my local branch (from elsewhere in the county -- yay, library co-ops)! I am a sucker for a cozy mystery! And these series both seem to get consistently high ratings.


3. Murder Under Cover (Kate Carlisle)
This one is next in one of my current favorite cozy mystery series. The characters are amusing, and I am (ahem) dying to see what happens next with Brooklyn and her dashing English heartthrob.


4. Shadow Waltz (Amy Patricia Meade)
Another "next in series" (see what I mean about not "needing" anymore?) that I am really looking forward to. Another cozy mystery, but this one is set during the Great Depression era, which gives it a little extra special charm all its own.


5. Formula for Murder (Diana Orgain)
I just finished the second one from this series, and while my local branch doesn't have this one, it was available at another branch in the co-op, so my request was placed and it is in transit. The first two were both been light, fun, quick reads. I expect the same from this next book. Plus, this is the most recent one released from this series, so at least one will be done. For now.


6. Murder on Capitol Hill (Margaret Truman)
I read the first one in this series back in October and enjoyed it, but then kind of forgot about the series until recently. These are a little more thriller-mystery (like a Mary Higgins Clark) than cozy, but I really liked the writing style of the daughter of the former President. The Washington DC setting and all the various possibilities opened up by governmental details to twist into the cases made the first book a real page-turner.


7. The Waste Lands (Stephen King)
The next in a series (go ahead, laugh) but at least it isn't another mystery series! I don't even know how to classify this one. I'm not into horror, so King isn't generally my genre of reading, but this series is more...sci-fi/suspense, I guess. I liked the first two and I think, after all those mysteries, it will be time for a change of pace.


8. The White Queen (Philippa Gregory)
I just realized this one is the first in a series as well. Made me laugh! But it's a completely different direction. I love some good historical fiction and as I was restocking "on deck" shelf on Goodreads, this one caught my eye.

You can check out my Goodreads "on deck" shelf, where I always keep the next 25 books I want to read. I stock it from my very extensive "to read" shelf, because when I am at the library and accessing Goodreads on my iPod Touch via the library's wifi, it's a lot quicker to only load a 25-book shelf than one with over a thousand titles. Also, it makes the decision process a lot more efficient for this Libra.

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2012: I Read Books

1. Best Book(s) You Read In 2012? 
The Help (Kathryn Stockett)

The Drawing of the Three (Stephen King)

2. Most Disappointing Book?
The Murderer's Daughters (Randy Susan Meyers)

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book?
Million Dollar Baby (Amy Patricia Meade) - I wasn't expecting much but a light, fluffy read, and the book actually ended up  being rather entertaining and fun!

4. Book(s) you recommended to people most in 2012?
I honestly don't do much recommending!

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?
I discovered probably five different series this year, but the two best were the Marjorie McLelland mysteries and The Dark Tower series.

6. Favorite new author(s) you discovered in 2012?
Amy Patricia Meade

7. Most thrilling, un-put-down-able book in 2012?
Murder in the White House (Margaret Truman)

8. Book you most anticipated in 2012?
The Drawing of the Three (Stephen King)

9. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?


10. Most memorable character in 2012?
Florentino Ariza from Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

11. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?
The Help (Kathryn Stockett)

12. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?
I don't know that any book I read this year truly impacted me.

13. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?
Definitely The Help (Kathryn Stockett).

14. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2012?
“He was still too young to know that the heart's memory eliminates the bad and magnifies the good, and that thanks to this artifice we manage to endure the burden of the past.” from Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

15. Book you read in 2012 that you would be most likely to reread in 2013? 
I can definitely see myself reading The Help again at some point, though probably not this year. Not when I have so many books I've never read before, waiting on my to-read list!

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Grace in Small Things 15:365

1. singing in the car to music you love. whenever i am driving, you can bet the odds are that i'm singing. (and it's good thing no one can hear.)

2. truck day!!

3. the March issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray in my mailbox.

4. friends who are willing to share books. in this case, Confessions of a Shopaholic--thank you, Stacy!

5. a new Yankee Candle car gel. in this case, the scent is Mistletoe. have to get in those Winter scents while the season lasts!


Visit Grace in Small Things

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here we are again.

Tek, our Cap'n, filed for free angency today, the first day players eligible for free agency were allowed to do so. for the next fifteen days, the Sox have exclusive rights to talk to Tek before the other 29 teams can begin making bids if they have an interest. it wasn't a noteworthy season for Tek, offensively, but i keep coming back to this selection from "Dynasty" and recalling all that the Captain brings to the plate with him, regardless of his batting average. i know that baseball is a business, but in a day where loyalty is rare, i think there are some players that deserve the respect of retiring with the team of which they are the very soul... especially when players like Tek are as rare as that loyalty. this isn't just about a favorite player, nor is it just about the lack of available catchers, whether by free agency or trade. sometimes in a loved one's waning days, you make a place for them to go out surrounded by those who love them best, in the place where they are happiest... be that literally or figuratively... not because it's easy for anyone but because it is as much about respect and compassion as anything else. bring him back, Theo. find a way...
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Indeed, Jason Varitek was that rare player whom everyone respected, from reporters to teammates to team executives to fans. He was a professional in every sense of the word....By the time the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, Varitek's importance was indisputable. Managers and coaches raved about his work ethic, commitment to detail, thorough preparation. In 2001, when the Red Sox ultimately unraveled in a season that led to the firing of manager Jimy Williams, a season-ending injury to Varitek was seen by many as more damning than injuries to either Nomar Garciaparra or Pedro Martinez. Without the latter two, the Red Sox continued to have some success. But once Varitek was lost to a broken elbow--an injury he suffered while diving into the on-deck circle to catch a foul pop-up in a game the Red Sox were winning by a landslide--it was as if the team's spinal cord had been ripped out. (Any suggestion that the events were unrelated was destroyed in 2006, when Varitek was lost to a knee injury and the team similarly came unglued.)

Varitek's injury was symbolic, a fact that was duly noted. Though he could just as easily have let the ball drop at no cost to the Red Sox, he made the play. Jason Varitek had one speed.

After protracted negotiations with agent Scott Boras, the Red Sox and the player came to terms, just before Christmas, on a four-year, $40 million contract. Though the Red Sox privately had been feeding the media information about how the productivity of catchers plummeted after their 35th birthday--Varitek would turn 33 in early April 2005--the club uncharacteristically caved in and gave Varitek four years. Boras, who had been seeking a five-year contract and was known to shoot for the moon, showed similar deference to his client and budged some, making it seem as if everyone knew that Jason Varitek wanted to remain in Boston, and that both sides would make some sacrifices as a result.

While many media members questioned whether the Red Sox bid against themselves in the negotiations, they badly missed the point. Jason Varitek was vital to the on-field and off-field succes of the Red Sox. The Red Sox had to keep him.

"We could not be happier. It's not every day that you're lucky enough to find a player who embodies everything you want your franchise to be," Epstein said at the Varitek signing. "When you're lucky enough to have that player, you don't let him get away. You lock him away for as long as you can and you make him the rock of your franchise."
(Tony Massorotti, "Dynasty")

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hot & cold running chills

"Tell me how good your bullpen is, and I'll tell you how good you are."
(Tony Massorotti, "Dynasty")

somehow, i believe this will be the key to the Red Sox post season fate...

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a few final thoughts on Christmas Eve before i slip into bed in search of sugar plums to dance in my dream

in one of my posts back toward the beginning of the month, Heather wanted to know how Santa delivers presents to houses in FL since the vast majority do not have working chimneys.

i didn't want to leave this unanswered & so i quote from one of my favorite Christmas story books that answers this very question:

This is the story of how once a year
I fly round the world with eight trusty reindeer.
And bring to each child in each house in each land
A wrapped Christmas present, delivered by hand.

Of course there are secrets that I cannot tell--
Like the specially marvelous magical spell
That I cast when I order my reindeer to fly
Several hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye...
Or the trick that I use to make myself thin
If a chimney's so small, it's too tight to get in,
And another if there is no chimney at all,
When I squeeze through a keyhole and into a hall.
(excerpt from "Santa's Christmas Journey" by Roger Brooke)

hopefully that answers that question for anyone who wondered...and now i am off to sleep.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

I’ll be home for Christmas,
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love-light gleams
I’ll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams...

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exactly how i feel about my birthday

i never felt the need to make a particularly big deal over my birthday. it comes predictably every year. i never obsess over gifts or the steadily climbing number that i acquire to reflect the number of years i have been aimlessly wandering around this planet Earth. i joke about my "birthday month" but the day itself is virtually inconsequential to me. i read this once & felt it captured exactly the essence of how i see my birthday:

I am very glad I was born and definitely appreciate the ongoing alive status that each birthday brings, but I do not typically get into the animated birthday hoopla spirit. I do recognize, however, that for me it is a fine line between not wanting to make a big deal about my birthday but also wanting family and certain friends to dote enough to satisfy some nebulous quality/quantity acknowledged-my-birthday barometer.

(excerpt from "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, entry titled "Birthday" pg.40-41)

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lightening the mood...

....as things have been so tense & serious. also lazy though so instead of my own thoughts, i am sharing an excerpt from one of my all-time favorite books: Couplehood by Paul Reiser.

...even if you woke up every morning & heard nothing but the birds and the love in your heart, there's still one moment every morning that's unavoidable and invariably gets your day going wrong.

You know how you get out of bed, drag your feet into the bathroom, flip on the light and stand in front of the mirror? You know how you squint your eyes and look? That. That's the big mistake. Looking in a mirror that early in the day.

It's always a disappointment, no matter who you are. You just see your reflection and think, "That's not what I was hoping for. I could have sworn I was better looking than that. I must be thinking of someone else."

Nobody looks in the mirror and goes, "That's about right." They always start fixing, moving their hair, tucking their cheeks..."No, that's not working either." So you go into the shower, you soap up, clean up, fluff up, dress up, take another look: "Nope, still not working."

It's the face. Something scientific happens to your face when you sleep. You go to bed normal, you wake up--you have no face. The features have gone away while you slept. I think it has to do with the earth's rotation. As the earth revolves, facial features move with it, so that while you sleep, your face is in Europe. Because there are only a finite number of faces, and if the Europeans go to work with no face, it looks bad for them. So this way everybody gets a shot.

I think it's all nature's way of keeping us humble. At night, you're thinking of your problems, you're thinking of yourself. "How come this didn't work out? How come I live the life I do?"

You wake up, you look in the mirror, and you go, "That's why! I have no facial features and a T-shirt with orange juice stains from 1983." It gives you perspective.

and with that, i bid you a good night. here's to having facial features when we look in the mirror tomorrow morning. or at the very least, a renewed perspective.

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sneezing

just a random little something to start your day off

SNEEZING

"Jason sneezes. God bless you, I say. He sneezes again. God bless you. He sneezes a third time. Bless you, I say kinda angrily. He sneezes for a fourth time. Stop it already, I say. It's annoying now. As if he can help it."
(excerpt from "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Mind" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, pg. 182)

at the time i read this, it made me chuckle. made me do it again just now as i extracted this from my list of potential blog entries. (yes i have a compiled list saved of things to ramble about. if i ever made all these things entires as i thought of them, you'd all end up drowning in everything i have to say lol...so i save them as drafts & come back to them at times like this when i want to say something but still haven't cleared the sleep-induced cobwebs from my brain.)

all that aside, that little blurb from the book elicited a giggle because after someone gets to 3 sneezes with me, i warn them: "that's it. 3 is the limit." i don't know why i say that & i would surely offer a 4th if the opportunity presented itself in the form of another sneeze, but i wonder if as i progress toward my "limit", do i too sound more & more annoyed? lol oh & in case you're wondering, i am not hypocritical on this. if i sneeze 3 times myself i start to get kinda ticked off. like i have a choice or something.

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ta-da!

TA-DA!

"Children get to say ta-da!, and I guess magicians, but other than that, it's an underutilized expression. I'm trying to think--and adult might say it as she waltzes in with the turkey, or a homemade cake. But a self-congratulatory ta-da! would certainly be warranted for any number of daily accomplishments. I cleaned out the trunk of my car. Ta-da! I finished filling out the insurance application. Ta-da! I made the bed. Ta-da!"

(excerpt from "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Mind" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, pg. 188)

how bout today we go with:
ta-da! it's friday & we made it to the weekend!

btw...anyone with big travel plans this weekend: have a safe trip & a wonderful time! =)

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on my "to read" list

just some light fun reads i think i could use...



just because i *heart* the show & i want to read this



recommended in Glamour magazine: "a gossipy Saturday afternoon treat set among New York socialites", they claim it's entertaining, like a bubble bath for the brain. sounds great to me!



also recommended in Glamour: "a winning blend of Steel Magnolias and Sweet Home Alabama with a whodunit twist", sounds right up my alley

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