I'M DONE!!!

It took me longer then I thought but I'm done!! I'm glad I did this, but I'm looking forward to reading whatever I what. :) I read so many things I would not have picked out myself.  This is something I think everyone should try, just maybe not so many books. :)
I'M DONE!!

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The Witness

Dee Henderson

Recommended by: Elizabeth (a great babysitter)

Dec 8-14

Police Chief Luke Granger's witness to a murder, Amy Griffin, has been on the run for years. Her family thinks she was murdered eight years ago, but Amy chose to accept a life in the shadows in order to protect her sisters' lives. Now unveiled secrets about their father have thrust the sisters into the public spotlight. The man who wants Amy dead now sees her sisters as the way to locate her. Luke and two of his homicide detectives are determined to stand in the way. They are each falling in love with a different sister, and it's become a personal mission to keep them safe. But chances are that at least one of them will fail, and facing the future will take a faith deeper than any of them currently knows.(copy from goodreads)

What I thought: I really liked it. Good story. It had a good pace in the beginning then got a little fast, but not too bad.

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The Me I Want To Be
John Ortberg
Recommended by Nate (a pastor at my church)


Reading The Me I Want to Be is your first step to becoming God’s best version of you. Join bestselling author and pastor John Ortberg as he guides you through the sometimes difficult but ultimately fulfilling journey towards a uniquely created spirituality. One designed just for you … one that will enable you to experience God more fully each day. Available in four unique colors, customers purchasing at retail will select the cover they prefer.(from goodreads)

What I thought: It was for a bible study. It was a great book. Lots of humor, which I really enjoyed. I still may not know you I am But I know God has a plan for me.

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DUNE

Frank Herbert
Recommended by: Ben (again from the library)
Took me forever and a day.

This Hugo & Nebula Award winner tells a sweeping tale of the desert planet Arrakis, the focus of an intricate power struggle in a byzantine interstellar empire. Arrakis is the sole source of Melange, "spice of spices". Melange is necessary for interstellar travel & grants psi powers & longevity. Whoever controls it wields great influence. Troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don't want to give up their privilege. Thru sabotage & treachery they cast young Duke Paul Atreides out into the planet's harsh environment to die. There he joins the Fremen, a desert dwelling tribe, the basis of the army with which he reclaims what's rightfully his. Paul is more than just a usurped duke. He might be the end product of a long-term genetic experiment to breed a superhuman. He might be a messiah. His struggle is at the center of a nexus of powerful people & events. Repercussions will be felt throughout the Imperium.
(from Goodreads)

What I thought:  I liked it, but my goodness it is long. I will not be reading any of the others anytime soon.

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Roald Dahl

Recommended by: Summer (my beautiful daughter)

Introducing the amazing Willy Wonka, chocolate-maker extraordinary! Now in one volume are the complete works of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, two Willy Wonka classics from beloved author Roald Dahl.

In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka's famous, mysterious chocolate factory is opening its doors at last. But only five lucky children will be allowed inside: Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, Mike Teavee—and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life. But even Charlie never expects to fly through the chocolate factory in a giant glass elevator! In the uproarious sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Willy Wonka whisks Charlie and the entire Bucket family right into space on an intergalactic elevator joyride—and another wild fantasy adventure.
(copy from goodreads)

What I thought: I like Carlie and the Chocolate Factory very much. It's alot like the movies. Which we enjoy all the time as a family. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator I didn't like very much at all. It was strange.

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Day of the Dead

J. A. Jance
Recommended by: Daree (one of the sweetest people I know)


"For more than thirty years, the case has remained stone cold - the brutal murder of a local Papago girl, her butchered body found stuffed into a large cooler that was left on the side of Highway 86. No one ever paid for the horrific crime ... except, that is, the victim's loved ones, who suffer to this day." "Brandon Walker, once the sheriff of Pima County, Arizona, no longer feels he has purpose. A reluctant retiree living in the long shadow of his wife, Diana Ladd, a successful author of true-crime books, he is bored with golf, and more so with life. Salvation, though, comes with an invitation to join the ranks of The Last Chance, an exclusive nationwide fraternity of former cops and forensic experts who look into unsolved murders that have baffled local law enforcement agencies. And one such case is staring Brandon in the face with cold, dead, entreating eyes - a murder investigation that may have been mishandled by his department when he was a young lawman." The trail of a sadistic, calculating, and blood-chillingly efficient killer soon leads Brandon into a strange world at the unlikely border between forensic science and tribal mysticism: a place where evil hides behind a perfect facade. Now the seeds of terror sown three decades earlier have bloomed and are bearing awful fruit. A forgotten homicide in the Arizona desert is only the beginning of the nightmare that is about to ensnare a diligent ex-cop and his family, for Brandon Walker is the only one still alive who can unravel a blood knot of terror and obsession that will free a dark truth more frightening than he ever imagined. (Copied from Goodreads)

What I thought: Daree really likes this author, but a different series. She hadn't read this one. I didn't really like it. The ended got better and they caught they bad guy, but the beginning made me feel dirty and yucky. Not the best book ever.

Need More Time

My birthday has past and I'm not done reading all the 30 books yet. I feel like I've done good, I just need more time. I have 5 to go. So I will keep going. This project was a little harder than I thought it would be. But I'm very glad I took it on.

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A Time to Dance

Karen Kingsbury
Recommended by: Stephanie (lady who handles the money for MOPS)
August 19-24

John and Abby Reynolds were the perfect couple, sharing a love born of childhood friendship and deep family ties. They are envied by their friends, cherished by their children, admired by their peers. But after surviving twenty-one years of love, loss, and laughter, of raising a family in their lakeside home, John and Abby are about to lose it all.

On the verge of having an affair, John is no more the man Abby married than she is the long ago girl of his dreams. They are strangers whose days of dancing seem gone forever, and finally they make the saddest decision of all. They gather their three children to tell them the news, but before they can speak, their daughter makes an announcement of her own--a joyous one: She is getting married that summer.

Determined not to ruin their daughter's season of happiness, Abby and John secretly agree to put their divorce plans on hold. But as the wedding nears, they are haunted by questions. Is the decision they've made irreversible? Are there times when marriage--even the marriage between two people of faith--is truly beyond repair? And is it possible, alone in the moonlight on an old wooden pier, to once more find....a time to dance?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this book. I did like the cheesy. happy ending. Stephanie just said any book by this author so I picked this one because it isn't part of a series. I will be reading more of her.

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Choosing To See

Mary Beth Chapman with Ellen Vaughn

Recommended by: Kamin (mops mentor)

?

Mary Beth Chapman is the wife of Grammy and Dove Award winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. Together they began Show Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for the world's most vulnerable children by providing financial assistance to families wishing to adopt, as well as increasing awareness of the orphan crisis and funneling resources to orphans domestically and internationally. Mary Beth serves as president of Show Hope and is a speaker for Women of Faith 2010 with her husband. She is also coauthor with Steven of the Shaoey and Dot series of children's picture books. Mary Beth and Steven have six children: Emily, Caleb, Will Franklin, and adopted daughters Shaohannah Hope, Stevey Joy, and Maria Sue, who is now with Jesus. The Chapmans live in Tennessee.
(copy from goodreads I don't have the cover to the book)

What I thought: Kamin wanted Erica and I to read this before the MOPS convention but we didn't. Both Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman were at convention. So hearing them talk about the death of their little girl made it easier to read. I did tear up here and there but not too bad. Most of it is funny and written with fun in mind. Good read.

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Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

Recommended by: Karen (a friend of Julie's)

I don't remember I was in Nashville

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

(copy from goodreads I let someone borrow it and then it went back to the owner)

What I thought: I LOVED IT!!!! I have a fondness for the circus in the 1920's so this book was amazing to me. A girls night to see the movie is in the plans. I loved everything about it. :)

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The Help

Kathryn Stockett

Recommended by: Janis (another great neighbor)

July 16-24

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
(Copy from Goodreads, I had to trturn the book before I could blog it)

What I thought: My neighbor hadn't read it yet when she said I should read it but she had heard so many goods thingabout it she couldn't wait to read it. The moive is now out and it suppode to be very good. I liked that it had history and made mefeel sad at times. But the book is great!!

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Odd Thomas

Dean Koontz

Recommended by: Brandon (my brother)
July 9-15 

"The dead don't talk. I don't know why."
But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn.

Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different.

A Mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calender for August 15.

Today is August 14.

In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of out worst nightmares--and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.

What I thought: I really liked it. I guess there are more Odd books but I don't think I'll be reading them. I've read Dean Koontz before and like some of his stuff. I found the ending to be sad and really did not know it was going to to turn out that way. Which is always nice in books.

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Sweet and Deadly

Charlaine Harris

Recommended by: Jen (a neighbor's daughter,

her kids play with my kids)

She really recommended the Sookie Stackhouse series

but I didn't want to start a series so I read this one instead
Dates: 7/5-9


Six months after the death of her parents in a car crash, Catherine Linton returns to her hometown of Lowfield, Mississippi, unconvinced that it was an accident and looking for answers. Her suspicions seem to be confirmed when she stumbles upon the dead and beaten body of her doctor father's long-time nurse.
Catherine is right: there are secrets being kept in Lowfield. But if she continues to investigate, the town where she grew up may be the same place where she is sent to her grave...

What I Thought: I liked it. It was a quick read. That's all I have to say. :)

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The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

Recommended by: Amy (I know alot of librarians,

 this one also a doll)

6/18-30


      It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding it's breath.    Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.

What do I think: I loved it! I thought it would be a light read, but I was wrong. It has so much going on it in. I love Liesel and feel like I got to know her reading the book. What a sad time. I love that it's Death telling the story. Great book!

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Pushing Up Daisies

Rosemary Harris

Recommended by: Rhonda (yet another great librarian)

6/8-15

Meet Paula Holliday, a transplanted media exec who trades her stilettos for garden clogs when she makes the move from the big city to the suburbs to start a gardening business. Paula can handle deer, slugs, and the occasional human pest--but she's not prepared for the mummified body she finds while restoring the gardens at Halcyon, a local landmark.
   Casual snooping turns serious when a body is impaled on a garden tool and one of Paula's friends is arrested for the crime.
   Aided by the still-hot aging rocker who owns the neighborhood greasy spoon, a wise-cracking former colleague, and a sexy Mexican laborer with a few secrets of his own, Paula digs for the truth and unearths more dirty business the town has kept buried for years.

What I thought: It wasn't bad. Just not that good. I always felt like I was missing something. I would read back over something and it just seemed off. But it was a good story line.

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My Daniel

Pan Conrad
Recommended by: Melissa (FEET!)
S: 6/3 F: 6/7

   "All I want to find is one dinosaur," Daniel was saying. "And I'll find it right here. Like I do all my fossils."

Wandering through the Natural History Museum with her grandchildren, Julia Creath feels the presence of her dead brother, Daniel. She remembers a time when fossil fever hit everyone, old and young--a time when people would even kill for those old bones under the ground.

Julia becomes the Nebraska farm girl she once was, as she weaves together the story of the great dinosaur rush--and adventurous tale of love and treachery, but most of all the story of her own childhood, and of the older brother she loved more than anything. Daniel had a dream: to save their family's farm by finding a dinosaur. It was a dream that Julia shared--and that she alone would see come true.

My Thoughts: I loved it! Even if it is a young adult book I still really liked it. I love books based the the late 1800's. I love old people telling stories of that time. I was sad when I finished, because it was over and I had no more to read.

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The Sugar Queen

Sarah Addison Allen

Recommended by: Georgette (another great librarian from LLML, she is great with my boys)
Dates: 5/20 - 23 (fastest yet)

Twenty-seven-year-old Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, she's a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother's house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night....Until she finds her closet harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tenderhearted women who is one part nemesis--and two parts fairy godmother...

Fleeing a life of bad luck and big mistakes, Della Lee has decided Josey's clandestine closet is the safest place to crash. In return she's going to change Josey's life--because, clearly, it is not the closet of a happy women. With Della Lee's tough love, Josey is soon forgoing pecan rolls and caramels, tapping into her startlingly keen feminine instincts, and finding her narrow existence quickly expanding.

Before long, Josey bonds with Chloe Finley, a young women who makes the best sandwiches in town, is hounded by books that inexplicably appear whenever she needs then, and--most amazing of all--has a close connection to Josey's longtime crush.

As little by little Josey dares to step outside herself, she discovers a world where the color red has astonishing power, passion can make eggs fry in their cartons, and romance can blossom at any time--even for her. It seems that Della Lee's work is done, and it's time for her to move on. But the truth about where she's going, why she showed up in the first place--and what Chloe has to do with it all--is about to add one more unexpected chapter to Josey's fast-changing life.

Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love--and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.


What I think:  I think it's an amazing, great, wonderful book!! I read it so fast and nothing got done around my house. But really I didn't care. I wish all books were is good. And I wish I could read them all so fast.

15 Down 15 To Go Half Way There

Praying in Color

Sybil MacBeth

Recommended by: (I'm cheating a little on this one) MomSense magazine May/June 2011
It took me 2 days to read it May 3 and 19 

Praying with the right side of your brain...
   Maybe you love color. Maybe you hunger to know God better. Maybe you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, a distractible or impatient soul, or a word-weary pray-er. Perhaps you struggle with a short attention span, a restless body, or a tendency to live in your head. (It's like they are writing about me!)
   This new prayer form can take as little or as much time as you have or want to commit. A minimum amount might be fifteen minutes. A half-hour works well. Any time of the day. Drawing is half the prayer, the other half is transporting the visual memories or actual images with you to pray throughout the day.
   "A new prayer form gives God an invitation and a new door to penetrate the locked cells of our hearts and minds," explains Sybil MacBeth. For many of us, using only words to pray reduces God by the limits of our finite words.

What I think: I almost didn't count this book because a person didn't recommend it. But a magazine is close enough because I really wanted to read it. :) Nice easy read. Took 2 days and now I love to pray  in color. I bought "good" pens and color away. I'm big on journals and this kind of feels like a visual art journal only about this and people I'm praying for.

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Captivating

Unveiling the Mystery of a Women's Soul
John & Stasi Eldredge

Recommended by: Kelli (the amazing lady who brought the

world pampering night)

Dates: 3/31-5/18 (sad I know)

Every women was once a little girl. And every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dreams. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the Beauty of the story. Those desires are far more than child's play. They are the secret to the feminine heart.
    And yet--how many women do you know who ever find that life? As the years pass by, the heart of a woman gets pushed aside, wounded, buried. She finds no romance expect in novels, no adventure expect on television, and she doubts very much that she will ever be the Beauty in any tale.
    Most women think they have to settle for a life of efficiency and duty, chores and errands, striving to be the women they "ought" to be but often feeling they have failed. Sadly, too many messages for Christian women add to the pressure. "Do these ten things, and you will be a godly women." The effect has nit been good on the feminine soul.
    But her heart is still there. Sometimes when she watches a movie, sometimes in the wee hours of the night, her heart begins to speak again. A thirst rises within her to find the life she was meant to live--the life she dreamed of as a little girl.
    The message of Captivating is this: Your heart matters more than anything else in all creation. The desires you had as a little girl and the longing you still feel as a women--they are telling you of the life God created you to live. He offers to come now as the Hero of your story, to rescue your heart and release you to live as a fully alive and feminine women. A women who is truly captivating.

My thoughts: I don't have much to say really. It wasn't a bad book. I just could not get in to it. It took me almost 2 months to read it. I guess I'm not really soul searching. I do think it's a great book to read if any one is feeling blah and what should they be doing with their lives moods.I needed this book 2-3 years ago.

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THE BIRTH ORDER BOOK
By: Dr. Kevin Leman

Recommended by: Shaunna ( a great lady form church and bible study)

Took me forever and a day to read: 4/3-5/10

ARE YOU BORN TO WIN? TO AVOID CONFLICT? TO CHARM THE BIRDS OUT OF THE TREES?

Your birth order - whether you were born first (or are an only child), second, or later in you family--powerfully influences what kind of person you are, who you marry, the job you choose, and the kind of parent you'll be.

Now you can discover:

• How to pick out the first born in any group
• Why the baby in the family gets away with everything
• How to help middle children feel less squeezed and more loved
• Ways to overcome your worst inborn tendencies
• Which career suits you best
• How to make the perfect marriage match

                                                 and much, much more...

You've seen him on television and heard him on the radio. Now internationally known psychologist Kevin Leman reveals an exciting new way to better understand yourself and those you love.

My thoughts: Good book! It's a little dated being written in the 80's. But very right on. At least I thought so. I like how he says not everyone fits the mold and if your not in the right "birth order match" for marriage, it doesn't mean it won't work. But the book is very interesting. A great read. Took me so long because I'm not good at reading more then one book at a time. This was my evening read and by then I'm falling asleep. But great book!

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A Women After God's Own Heart

Elizabeth George

Recommended by: Laura (my Life Group leader)

Dates: 2/2-4/27

Make His desire your own...
Become the woman of excellence God designed you to be
Genuine peace and joy come when women follow God in every area of their lives-and become women after His heart. With warmth and grace, Elizabeth George shares practical, scriptural insights on how you can pursue God's priorities concerning:
   > your husband-foster a deep commitment to serve and honor him
   > your children-pray faithfully for them and teach them God's Word
   > your home-create a nurturing atmosphere and a tapestry of beauty
   > your walk with the Lord-grow through love of Scripture and in discipleship
   > your ministry-learn to reach out and become an encourager
Let God fulfill His greatest desire for you. Allow Him to transform you by preparing you hear and mind to embrace His incredible work. You'll find lasting joy and peace in a life of prayer, a life of priorities, a life as
 A Woman After God's Own Heart

My Thoughts: I enjoined this book very much. It was the study for my life group at church. We read 2 chapters a week then got together and talked about it. It got a little overwhelming at the end, I'm still trying to "work" on my husband and then clean my house. This book would be good to pick up every now and then to review. To work on it always. God has a great plan for everyone. This book really tells you that. God says "Well done" at the end of each day. I love that.

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Weddings Can Be Murder

Christie Craig

Recommended by: thegoaliegirl (from http://www.bookcrossing.com/)

Dates: 3/17-3/27

Till Deaths Do You Part...
Katie Ray was about to marry a man she didn't love-- and who didn't love her. Even losing her $8,000 engagement ring wasn't enough of a sign to call things off. What did it take? Being locked in the closet with a sexy PI, and being witness to murder.
... Or They Bring You Together
Carl Hades hardly wanted to be shackled with another man's soon-to-be wife, especially when the gorgeous redhead stirred emotions he'd avoided for years. He'd been hired by an elite Houston wedding planner to investigate some missing brides. When those brides turned up dead, Carl saw where the whole situation was headed: just like Katie's wedding ring and her ceremony, right down the toilet. Because, while Katie was suddenly and delightfully available, he had a feeling she was next in line to die. And before he could ask her to say "I do," he had to know who would say "I did it."

My thoughts: Loved it! After some serious read this so mindlessly good. More on the mystery side then romance side, which was nice.Not much else to say. Good book. :)

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Jesus Why the World is Still Fascinated by Him

Tim LaHaye coauthor David Minasian
Recommended By: Staci (One of the clever craft ladies at MOPS)
Time it took to read: 2/9- 3/17

Jesus. Love Him of hate Him, He's everywhere. On our T-shirts, bumper stickers, and even the covers of leading news magazines, year after year. We see Him on the silver screen, in the headlines crawl on the TV news, and on the homemade signs held up at ball games. Hotly debated, He remains the most conspicuous figure of all time, even twenty centuries after His inglorious death.
Best-selling author Tim LaHaye and coauthor David Minasian look back through history and peer into the prophetic future to show us why the world's "Jesus fascination" should come as no surprise; every generation since Christ has grappled with the question, Who was He? What does He mean to us  here, today?
After reading about Jesus' life, legacy, and pervasive influence, you may find yourself connecting the dots of your own spiritual journey and answering the timeless question that came from the lips of Jesus Himself: Who do you say that I am?

My thoughts: I found this book to be very interesting, but a very long read for me. Could be timing. I think I was wanting mindless read and this is NOT mindless. Written very well and makes you think. The history is good. I've heard LaHaye's other books are very good.

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The Well-Versed Family

Caroline Boykin

Recommended by: The author herself.

Met her at a workshop last year in Florida
during a MOPS convention. Nice lady.
Took me this long to read it: 2/18-3/16

Finally! A fresh approach to Scripture memory that really works! The Well-Versed Family is a powerful, one-of-a-kind resource designed to inspire and equip your family to know and love God's Word. Filled with original insights and clever ideas, this book is sure to bring the Word to the heart of your home with joy and ease. The Well-Versed Family makes Scripture memory do-able for your family-- with practical memory tips and tools, fun and easy memory games, quick family devotions, and 80 preprinted Scripture verse cards. You CAN raise strong kids of faith through the power of Scripture memory! Let The Well-Versed Family show you how!

What I thought: I think this is a great book. It was simple to read, even though it took me awhile. The ideas are easy. She held a great workshop that was way better then the book. We as a family have been working on it. My daughter's memory is better then mine by far.

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The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

By: Dorothy Gilman

Recommended by: Rella (the sweetest MOPS mentor ever)

Also recommends: Star Dust on my Pillow by Patsy Clairmont
Dates: 1/25 (i think) - 2/8

     Although the young C.I.A. man who interviewed her seemed rather startled, Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, saw nothing extraordinary about her desire to become a secret agent. She was a widow with grown, married children; she was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings; and she did want to do something for her country.

  Thus begins an utterly charming tale of suspense, as Mrs. Pollifax finds herself being briefed on her next "job". Her assignment in Mexico City didn't sound dangerous-but that was before something "went wrong," and Mrs. Pollifax became embroiled in a quite hot Cold War. Of course, that was also before her country's enemies became entangled with Mrs. Pollifax...

My thoughts: I thought is book was cute. I didn't know till I was done that there are others. I'll have to read them later. I wish I knew someone like Mrs. Pollifax. I love older people who kick butt. Especially when you think they can't. A charming book I would recommended to people.

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Under the Tuscan Sun

By: Frances Mayes

Recommended by: Tracy (the coolest librarian I know)
Also recommends:
Trail of The Lonesome Pine by John Fox
Agony and The Ecstasy by Irving Stone
The count of Monte Cristo by Dumes
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
A Walk in the Wood by Bill Bryson
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Took me this long to read it: 1/1/11 - 1/24/11

Frances Mayes--widely published poet, gourmet cook, and travel writer--opens the door to a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. In sensuous and evocative language, she brings the reader along as she discovers the beauty and simplicity of life in Italy. An accomplished cook and food writer, Mayes also creates dozens of delicious seasonal recipes from her traditional kitchen and simple garden, all of which she includes in the book. Doing for Tuscany what M. F. K. Fisher and Peter Mayle did for Provence, Mayes writes about the tastes and pleasures of a foreign country with gusto and passion. A celebration of the extraordinary quality of life in Tuscany, Under the Tuscan Sun is a feast for all the sense.

I thought: I thought it was long. Some of the description was long. A whole chapter on a town, or a plant didn't seem necessary. But I think the problem is I saw the movie first. Now normally I think the books are better. And I'm sure a writers point of view the book is better, but I felt like the movie was better. And I think maybe I've seen the movie one to many times, so when the book was nothing really like it I didn't know what to think. I would love to visit her in her house and she can cook for me. That would be very cool. :)

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The Last Sin Eater

Francine Rivers

Recommended by: Jill (the greatest workout

instructor ever)

12/20/10 - 1/1/11

"The first time I saw the sin eater was the night Granny Forbes was carried to her grave."

Cadi Fobes knows it's forbidden, that it will bring curses down on her. But something deep and instinctive moves her to look upon the sin eater anyway. And now the thought of finding him again consumes her.

According to custom, only the sin eater can set her free from the sin that plagues her days and nights, the sin that has stolen her mother's love from her....Must she carry her guilt forever? Or is there Another who will atone for her?

A skillful blend of realistic characters, historical accuracy, and compelling mystery, The Last Sin Eater is a story that will capture the heart and spirit.

My Thoughts:

The above about the skillful blend is so true. This book really showed me that some people live the way they live because they might not know any different. This small village was so far form the rest of the world that the children didn't know any better. Until the Man of God shows up and Cadi believes what the man says. She's scared but with the help of a friend and God she changes the town. It's a great story.