Last year almost all of the books on the ‘to read’ pile were read – and then some. While I stretched myself to get all but one of the books finished, this year the goal was to leave a little more breathing room. That way if books show up on my radar throughout the year I have room to add them in. (I know, I always do, but bear with me, eh?)

The physical pile of books continues to grow though, so mentally I’ve made two piles: the “2016 pile” and the “If There is Time, But No Stress pile.” Although I’m not sure if it will help me slow down and enjoy what is in front of me, the piles have helped somewhat, especially as I’ve tried to compartmentalize the reasons why I want to read them (for personal growth, parenting, marriage, or just for fun).

The Main Pile to Enjoy

These are the ones that are on the “I definitely want to get these read” pile. A few were recently released (or coming out soon).

• The Well-Versed Family by Caroline Boykin √
• Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie √
• The Life-Giving Home by Sally Clarkson √
• Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch √
• Counter Culture by David Platt √
• Fervent by Priscilla Shirer
• The End of Me by Kyle Idleman √
• Hoodwinked by Karen Ehman √
• Audacious by Beth Moore √
• Hands-Free Life by Rachel Stafford √
• Simply Tuesday by Emily Freeman √
• Giddy-up, Eunice! by Sophie Hudson √

“If Time” Pile

While these all look great, these are the extras that I will fit in if I have time to sit down.

• The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo √
• For the Love by Jen Hatmaker √
• Money Making Mom by Crystal Paine
• Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning
• Mama Needs a Do-Over by Lisa Pennington √
• The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
• Making it Home by Emily Wierenga √

With My Hubby or as a Family (to re-read)

Two of these I read last year, but getting my husband to read a book along with me – well, it can be a bit difficult (grins). There are a few books though

• Beyond Ordinary – reading this together with my hubby. Really enjoyed it!
• Motivate Your Child and Motivate Your Child Action Plan – I’ve read this, but my hubby is also reading it with me so I don’t have to explain and re-explain and it makes more sense.
• Big Truths for Young Hearts – realized this is a ‘work through it over the year’ book, so we’ll be reading it bit by bit as a family.

What I Read Last Month

Something took over last month and I managed to knock out several books from the list. A few of them I absolutely loved (and recommend) and one literally had me laughing out loud in parts – which sadly is not what was intended with the book (I’m rather certain of that).

A reader recommended that I join Good Reads (you can follow me there if you’d like). As I’m finishing books, it’s been great to make quick notes on them and add them to my completed pile. Here are my thoughts on a few of them:

• The Well-Versed Family – full of practical and hands-on ideas for incorporating Scripture in your daily life. Easy read and a book to keep on hand.
• Teaching from Rest – if you homeschool, just put this book in your Amazon cart right now. Trust me.
• For the Love – quite honestly, not my favorite book by Hatmaker. I loved 7, and this just felt like a thrown-together conglomeration of blog posts and randomness. Yes, she’s funny and herself, but not truly deep or thought provoking (which made me sad).
• The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up – I’m really not sure what to say about this other than the fact it is on the New York Times bestseller list has me highly concerned. And I can guarantee the woman doesn’t have multiple children who bring loads of their own stuff and personality into the house. While I had one or two things to take away from the book, I refuse to thank my shoes and other inanimate objects for their daily service to me. Or worry that my socks are being rolled incorrectly and not getting their proper rest. (Apparently I had more to say about it than I thought…)
• I also read a variety of other books as well, mostly for fun or reading and a few to see if Laurianna could read them: The Testing and The Maze Runner (I enjoyed, but not yet for Laurianna), Lady Maybe, The First Hostage (loved!!), and Prelude for a Lord. See my full list here.

This coming month, I already have two books in my stack that I cannot wait to dig into: The Life-Giving Home and Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World. What books are you excited to read this month?

2016 Reading Challenge

Jolanthe has read 10 books toward her goal of 70 books.

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10 of 70 (14%)

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With the start of the new year, my book list of things I’d love to read is growing. As I sort and choose the different books to see what will make the list, there are two that I’m reading at the moment and really enjoying.

The Well-Versed Family

Scripture memory is something that I believe is not just important for me personally, but I especially desire to instill a love for God’s word in our children. Confession – this is an area that I’ve let slide a bit as the boys learn verses at church and the girls work on their own devotion time. From my own experience and life though, I understand how pivotal different passages have been to me and have created many Bible verse printables for our children in the past.

This year the boys and I have been reviewing many of the verses we’ve learned and together the kids and I are working on new passages together. The Well-Versed Family (aff link) has been a gentle and wonderful reminder of WHY we are doing it and is also full of resources, tips, ideas, and key verses to learn together as a family.

A funny sidenote: there was one section of the book where the author recommended Seeds Family Worship (aff link) and while reading an excerpt of a mom who adores Seeds, I was nodding my head along and thinking “This is EXACTLY how I would say it too!” – turned the page…and realized it was a quote from one of my blog posts! HA!

Teaching From Rest

I started reading Teaching from Rest the end of last week and immediately ended up purchasing the companion journal and audio downloads to use as well. So far I am really enjoying Sarah’s writing and the book overall. We all have in our heads what the ‘ideal’ homeschool day looks like, and trust me when I say – mine often is FAR, far, far from that ideal. This has been a gentle reminder of the surrender that is needed from me – and the rest and peace that are available.

These are the first two books on my list for the 2016 year (I’ll share my full list soon), but I am so glad that I started the year off with these two and my focus is moving in a better direction overall. Both were exactly what I needed at this point in our school year as well. (I love it when that happens.)

What are you reading and enjoying right now!

This year it has been fun sharing the books that I’ve been reading each month – and checking them off my list. There were 20 books in the original pile, but as the year progressed a few others managed to sneak their way into the pile as well. Somehow I always forget that authors release books throughout the year, not at the end of the year. My list of 20 books managed to creep up to 26 books.

With just a few days till the end of the year, only one book remains to be read, and that one will be moved to the pile for next year instead. While part of me is irritated with myself for not getting every single one finished, I keep reminding myself that there were a few books added over the course of the year and in the process there were several books that I absolutely loved!

The last few days I’ve been creating a new stack of books to read in the upcoming year, which had me looking back at the past year. Of the 80+ books that I read, there were ten that truly stood out to me, either as a mom, wife, or just for myself:

1. Own Your Life by Sally Clarkson – This was one of the first books I read this year and such a great start to the year! I truly cannot recommend it highly enough. Sally’s writing is so personable and is full of truth that speaks right to your heart. If you are looking for a book to kick start your year and help you understand what it means to live life meaningful – grab it now!

2. Cleaning House: A Mom’s Twelve Month Experiment by Kay Wyma – As moms we understand how difficult it can be to find the balance between helping our kids and doing too much for them and lead our kids down the path of entitlement. From cleaning toilets to cooking meals, there is a lot of humor tied in with practical suggestions on how one mom made sure her kids understand the basics of what responsibility looked like in various forms. Definitely some food for thought and ideas to try with our kids!

3. Beyond Ordinary by Justin Davis – While our marriage is truly ok, I absolutely loved this book and may have asked my hubby to read it as well with me in the upcoming year. I love the focus of not settling for average, but instead pushing to extraordinary in all areas. The book also flips back and forth between he said/she said, which gives a great perspective from both sides.

4. Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman – This may have been one of my most dog-eared books other than Own Your Life this year. Truly loved this book and the gentle and practical reminders on how we can see grace in all areas of our life.

5. Caught Up in a Story by Sarah Clarkson – Sarah touched the English geek in me and tied in a child’s imagination with the rising/falling action in a story, gave some great book recommendations, and gave my hubby and I some fodder for talking about a book series that we’d been holding off letting the kids read (but decided to read a few out loud to them now). Love her insight and her heart in this book!

6. Flash the Donkey by Rachel Anne Ridge – In June I had the chance  to meet Rachel Anne and the ‘hero’ of the book, Flash, in person. Such an amazing time, even though it was a fast trip! And the book – chocked full of practical life lessons that will speak to your heart and leave an impression in the weeks and months to come. I promise, it’s good! Rachel has a writing style that I absolutely adore and after reading it, I was looking for the deeper meaning in so many of the seemingly ordinary things that happen each day.

7. Motivate Your Child by Scott Turnasky – This is another book that wasn’t on my original list to read, but was added after a friend recommended it to me. It is packed full of practical and hands-on helps – and focusing on internal motivation with kids. Again another book that my hubby has on his nightstand to read again with me so we can learn together and apply to our family.

8. The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst – If you are one that struggles with boundaries and being a ‘yes girl,’ this is definitely a great book to read. Lysa writes with

9. Writing in the Margins by Lisa Nichols Hickman – While I’ve taken notes in my Bible over the years, I’ve switched between many different versions and lost quite a few of the notes. This is another book that I’ll be referring to often in the upcoming months and it inspired me to purchase a journaling Bible to use in the months and years to come. There are also some wonderful questions for deeper study at the end of each chapter, making it almost more of a Bible study guide as well.

10. The Giver series by Lois Lowry – Yes, I know that I’m years behind in reading every single one of the books in this series, but I finally got around to reading them this year since our oldest was reading them. While ‘teen lit’ isn’t typically something I read, it has been more and more as I try to keep up with what the current (or in this case past) books are and the content in them.

What were your top reads from this past year? Any books you would recommend for others to read in the upcoming year?

In my head I didn’t accomplish as much reading during August as I wanted to, but that may have been because I was sidetracked with The Giver series and managed to squeeze in all four of those books. Of all the teen fiction that I’ve read over the last few years, this was one of my favorite series. Needless to say, the other books in my pile were (ahem) pushed to the side and didn’t get the attention they deserved.

So, a few of the books in this month’s pile may look a bit familiar. I do have another book by Jen Hatmaker sitting next to my bed as a ‘treat’ should I actually manage to finish the books I have in my stack. Of course, with my knack for getting distracted, it is highly likely that it may get shoved into the pile and I’ll start reading it anyway.

September Reading Goals

Here’s a peek at my stash for the upcoming month – a few from my post 20 Books to Read in 2015, some fiction fun, and a non-fiction educational-based book too.

• The Third Target by Joel Rosenberg (about 1/5 of the way though)
• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
• The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White
• The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family by Kara Powell
• The Cure for The Perfect Life by Lipp and Gregory
• The Family of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury (trying again)
• The Homegrown Preschooler by Kathy H. Lee (1/4 way through)
• Chasing God by Angie Smith

Books Finished in August

• The Bible – somehow I got stuck in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, but managed to get through those two and finish up! This took up a LOT of my reading time this past month too. Now I’m looking for a Bible study to work on in the upcoming months since our ladies group will be meeting again soon. 
• The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son by Lois Lowry – really loved this series. Not something that I would have normally picked up, but Laurianna wanted to read the series so we read them together.
• From Clutter to Clarity by Nancy Twigg – a look at how clutter isn’t just physical and surrounding us, but internally as well.
• The Headmistress of Rosemere by Sarah Ladd – another great book by Ladd. Love her writing style.
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – read aloud with the kids

SO – what are YOU reading for you this month? And what books do you have to recommend and totally distract me from my pile?

See my list of 20 Books to Read in 2015 in this post. I am making progress on these non-fiction books, but the fiction is so much fun too! You can see all the books that I’ve read so far this year via my 2015 Reading Pinterest board.

My reading pile for July was conquered. There’s something rather enjoyable about that, especially since I knocked three books off my non-fiction list. The biggest help for me has been reading them to actually read, underlining what resonates with me, and not pausing to contemplate or feel that I need to fully grasp every morsel of goodness in the book.

While we did have some vacation/travel time, I honestly didn’t get to read more than a few paragraphs while we were gone since we were surrounded by good friends, lots of cornhole playing, and just enjoying the time we had together with them. Reading can wait in that case!

My Reading Goals for August

One of these books I started before, but am determined to finish it this time around. Here’s a peek at my stash for the upcoming month – a few from my post 20 Books to Read in 2015, some fiction fun, and a new non-fiction educational-based book too.

• The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family by Kara Powell
• From Clutter to Clarity by Nancy Twigg
• The Cure for The Perfect Life by Lipp and Gregory
• The Third Target by Joel Rosenberg
• The Giver by Lois Lawry (reading this because Laurianna is reading it too)
• The Headmistress of Rosemere by Sarah Ladd
• The Homegrown Preschooler by Kathy H. Lee – really looking forward to this

What I Read (and Finished) in July

• Make it Happen by Lara Casey – really loved this book and the practical tips it offers on getting things done. There are a few sections that I’ve dog-eared to refer back to.
• Enough: 10 Things We Should Tell Teenage Girls by Kate Conner – another great book that immediately made me purchase the companion book, 10 Things for Teen Girls, for both of my girls to read. It covers the main issues that girls today face, especially in a technology-driven world.
• Aha: The God Moment That Changes Everything by Kyle Idleman – based on the story of the prodigal son, this talks about the AHA moments that we have in life that redirect our focus back to God. I’ve always enjoyed Idleman’s books.
• Taken by Dee Henderson – Henderson is a ‘meatier’ writer when it comes to fiction and her more recent books have been even more so. A great read, but not if you are looking for a light read.
• Circle of Spies by Roseanna White – loved this conclusion to a family spy ring that takes place over several centuries.
• In Good Company by Jen Turano – these books always make me laugh out loud every single time. Love her books and they have a spot on my shelf for years to come.
• Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay – after seeing this one at Costco, I downloaded the Kindle version (using all those extra digital credits I’ve been earning!). LOVED it although the topic of breast cancer hit super close to heart. I’m glad I didn’t read this a few months ago, because I’m not sure I could have handled it then! Reay also wrote another book, Dear Mr. Knightley, that is a good read as well.
• Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn – I picked this up at the library because it was similar to another series by Tasha Alexander that I enjoyed. This one has a bit more content than the other series (not graphic, but not sure how to describe it). The second book is in my pile for August.
• Travelers Rest by Ann Tatlock – bedtime Kindle read.
• A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter – bedtime Kindle read.
• finished the last book in the Lemony Snicket series (with the kids)
• up to 80% of the Bible completed now – almost there!

SO – what are YOU reading for you this month? And what books do you have to recommend and totally distract me from my pile?

See my list of 20 Books to Read in 2015 in this post. I am making progress on these non-fiction books, but the fiction is so much fun too! You can see all the books that I’ve read so far this year via my 2015 Reading Pinterest board.