Contentment Reading Challenge 2013 - Final Update

It is now time for the final post of this challenge!
The total number you've all been waiting for!

But first, these are the books I read in December.

• Christmas in the Country by Christine Lynxwiler and Jeanie Smith Cash
• On the Anvil by Max Lucado
• Marcia Schuyler by Grace Livingston Hill
• Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson
• The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson
• The Christmas Pony by Melody Carlson
• Patchwork Holiday by Wanda E Brunstetter, DiAnn Mills, Renee De Marco and Colleen L Reece
• A Victorian Christmas Quilt by Catherine Palmer, Peggy Stoks, Debra White Smith and Ginny Aiken
• Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul
• Moments of Peace for the Evening (Anonymous)
• Listen by Rene Gutteridge
• A Gown of Spanish Lace by Janette Oke

So that was 12 for the month!!

Which takes me to ... drum roll please ...

84 for the year!!!

Now for one last thing ...

I also did this challenge in 2011 (only 48 books that time), and I was curious to know if there were any books that I read for both challenges. In fact, there were 10!

• Marcia Schuyler by Grace Livingston Hill
• A Gown of Spanish Lace by Janette Oke
• Every Storm by Lori Wick
• Sophie's Heart by Lori Wick
• Never the Bride by Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge
• Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul
• Yuletide in Ireland and Wales by Ginny Aiken and Tamela Hancock Murray
• English Carols and Scottish Bagpipes by Pamela Griffin and Jill Stengl
• True Devotion by Dee Henderson
• True Valor by Dee Henderson

While I won't be doing a challenge in 2014, there are sure to be some books that I read again - probably even from the books I've read during these challenges!

Happy reading and have a safe and Happy New Year!

Contentment Reading Challenge 2013 - November update

November has just flown by, and yes, I do have a bunch more books to add to my list!

• Australian Outback by Mary Hawkins
• Aloha by Colleen Coble, Carol Cox, Denise Hunter and Gail Sattler
• On Assignment by Marilyn Kok
• Embrace Grace by Liz Curtis Higgs
• My Life as a Doormat by Rene Gutteridge
• The Substitute Guest by Grace Livingston Hill
• The Christmas Bride by Grace Livingston Hill
• Yuletide in Ireland and Wales by Ginny Aiken and Tamela Hancock Murray
• English Carols and Scottish Bagpipes by Pamela Griffin and Jill Stengl
• That Christmas Feeling by Catherine Palmer and Gail Gaymer Martin
• Mountains, Memories and Mistletoe by Janet Lee Barton and Kathleen Y'Barbo

Well, it really is a bunch!! I hadn't actually counted them until I made this list. And most of them actually have more than one novella in them, so if you added them all up ...

Anyway, the official count for the month is 11!!

And for the year, that makes 72!!

One more post and this challenge will be over!

Contentment Reading Challenge 2011 - The Final Count

Hi Everyone!
Happy New Year!!

So, as promised I am giving the final count for the Contentment Reading Challenge 2011.
I signed up to Dive and and read at least 20 books. I have gone well beyond that, but I'll leave you in suspense for just a little longer.

During December I read 10 books. They were:

1. Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul
2. Texas Christmas Brides by Cathy Marie Hake and Kathleen Y'Barbo
3. Yuletide in Ireland and Wales by Ginny Aiken and Tamela Hancock Murray
4. English Carols and Scottish Bagpipes by Pamela Griffin and Jill  Stengl
5. Silent Star by Tracie Peterson
6. The Red Gloves Collection by Karen Kingsbury
7. An Angel's Story by Max Lucado
8. The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado
9. True Devotion by Dee Henderson
10. True Valor by Dee Henderson

So ... drum roll please ...

The grand total for the Contentment Reading Challenge 2011 is:

48 books!!! 

2010 Reading Challenge - week 44

I completed 4 books this week.

I now only have 6 books to read to reach my target!

Those 4 were:

• Decorating Schemes by Ginny Aiken (Deadly Decor Mystery #2)
• Interior Motives by Ginny Aiken (Deadly Decor Mystery #3)
• Everything Christmas by David Borden and Thomas J Winters (see my review in an earlier post)
• The Malacca Conspiracy by Don Brown

I'm currently reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada (year-long devotional)
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cythia Heald
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Clueless Cowboy by Mary Connealy

2010 Reading Challenge - week 43

Wow! I can't believe there are less than 10 weeks left in this year. I have had a crazy week, and didn't get much reading done. However, I have added a lot of books to my TBR pile, thanks to a trip to Word and Koorong.

2 books for me again this week (almost 3).

I now just have 10 books to complete to reach my target. So even if I only read 1 book per week I'd make it, but that's not likely, I generally read more than that, so don't be surprised if I post about reaching my target before the end of the year.

I guess you're wondering which books they were. Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. They were:

• Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul
• Design on a Crime by Ginny Aiken (Deadly Decor Mystery #1)

I'm still reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Everything Christmas by David Borden and Thomas J Winters
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• Decorating Schemes by Ginny Aiken (Deadly Decor Mystery #2)

Teaser Tuesdays - October 26

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes from a book that I decided to read again when I finished my last new book. It's book 2 in the 'Deadly Decor Mystery' series. I love this series because it combines a couple of my favourite things - interior design and a mystery!

Decorating Schemes by Ginny Aiken

'Then, with a twist of her delicate, acrylic-nailed, pink-manicured hand, Deedee turned the doorknob. "Let's go outside so you can see our killer view -"

Her blood-curdling shriek put an end to her words.

The Marshalls have a killer view, all right. But the killer view had nothing to do with the girl who lay sprawled in the middle of said patio's concrete floor, her body's lower half drenched in bright red blood.

I screamed too.'

A little bit gory, I know, but now you're intrigued, aren't you?

2010 Reading Challenge - week 36

I finished 3 books for this challenge this week. (I also read a few non-challenge books.) They were:

• A Cut Above by Ginny Aiken (The Shop-Til-U-Drop Collection #3)
• The UnGuide to Dating by Camerin Courtney and Todd Hertz
• Genoa Bay by Bette Nordberg

That takes me to 131 out of 160 and almost 82% complete.

I'm currently reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher Crow (look for a review in a few weeks)

2010 Reading Challenge - week 35

3 books for me this week.

I have to say that you really should be careful what you read and watch together. Not that you actually do both activities at once (well, maybe some people do), but within a particular time-frame.

So, now you're either curious or just think I'm crazy (or both). But I'm going to keep you in suspense just a little longer.

The 3 books were:

• Coming Attractions by Robin Jones Gunn (Katie Weldon #3)
• Priced to Move by Ginny Aiken (Shop-Til-U-Drop Collection #1)
• A Steal of a Deal by Ginny Aiken (Shop-Til-U-Drop Collection #2)

What I think you shouldn't read and watch together are the Shop-Til-U-Drop Collection and Gilmore Girls. I've been watching season 4, and I have to say that although they aren't really similar, they are both crazy! I end up with crazy dreams after watching Gilmore Girls, but they have gotten even crazier after the combination of both.

Yes, I'm guessing that you think I'm completely crazy.

And now for the books I'm currently reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• The UnGuide to Dating by Camerin Courtney and Todd Hertz
• A Cut Above by Ginny Aiken (Shop-Til-U-Drop Collection #3)