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 2013 - August Update

Oops! I almost forgot to do this post! I have been so busy with all that this new month has brought that I almost forgot to update you on what I read for this challenge in August.

So I ended July with a total of 39 books.
August was a good month for re-reads. I was in the mood for old favourites.

• God's Gift by Dee Henderson
• The Witness by Dee Henderson
• Love Awakens the Heart by Lori Wick (books 1 and 2 of the Californians series)
• The One Forever Promise by Lori Wick (books 3 and 4 of the Californians series)
• Every Storm by Lori Wick
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs (a devotional, not a novel)
• The Marriage Wish by Dee Henderson

So, these 7 books take me to a total of 46 for the year!

2010 Reading Challenge - the final count!

So, 2010 is almost over and it's time for the final book count for the 2010 Reading Challenge!

First things first.

This week I read 10 books!!

They were:

• A Victorian Christmas Tea by Catherine Palmer, Dianna Crawford, Peggy Stocks, and Katherine Chute
• Virtually Eliminated by Jefferson Scott
• Forever Christmas by Christine Lynxwiler
• Wrangler in Petticoats by Mary Connealy (Sophie's Daughters #2)
• For Better or Worse by Jennifer Johnson
• A Treasure Reborn by Pamela Griffin
• Aunt Crete's Emancipation by Grace Livingston Hill
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Love from Ashes by Yvonne Lehman

I didn't get Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald finished.

Now, for the grand total. For the 2010 Reading Challenge I read

182 books!

That was 22 books more than my target.

I really enjoyed this challenge and most of the books I read were really good.

2010 Reading Challenge - week 51

I read 2 books for the challenge this week. There was another book, but I'm not including is in the challenge because it's not specifically a Christian book.

They were:

• Patterns and Progress by Amber Miller Stockton
• An Old Fashioned Christmas by Sally Laity, Loree Lough, Colleen L Reece, and Tracie Peterson

I'm still reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada (this will be finished on Dec 31)
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs (just a few more days and I'll be finished)
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald (I'm not sure I'll get this finished)
• A Victorian Christmas Tea by Catherine Palmer, Dianna Crawford, Peggy Stocks, and Katherine Chute (just the last of the 4 to go)

Next week I'll post my final total!

Teaser Tuesdays - December 21

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!

I thought about putting up a Christmas teaser, but then I thought this might be more fun.

Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs

'Wrinkles not only come from time and the sun but also from laughing at the absurdities of life, which increase exponentially as we mature. They come from looking surprised when your child hands you a woolly worm she found on the porch. They come from smiling when you see an old friend who is as wrinkled as you are. They are the road map of experiences that you alone have enjoyed.'

2010 Reading Challenge - week 50

I finished 4 books this week. One of which was a single volume containing 7 books.

They were:

• The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis (7 books in 1)
• Sweet Harmony by Janice Hanna
• Everybody Wanted Room 623 by Cecil Murphey
• Everybody Called Her a Saint by Cecil Murphey

I am still reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• Patterns and Progress by Amber Stockton

2010 Reading Challenge - week 49

Ok, so I got my weeks mixed up and I've had to go all the way back to week 15 and change the titles of my posts to the correct week. What a frustrating thing, because you have to go and edit each post one at a time and re-publish it. Why did I do it, well I was thinking about how long we actually have left in this year and it didn't match up to the week number, so I went back to all my posts for this and realised that I had said week 15 twice!

Now, to get back on track!

This week I officially finished reading just 1 book:

• Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang (The Great War #2)

However, one of the books I'm currently reading is The Chronicles of Narnia which although has been put in a single volume, it actually contains 7 books, of which I have finished 3.

So I'm reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis

2010 Reading Challenge - week 48

I finished 3 books this week.

I have now read 165 for the year (5 above my target).

They were:

• Dominion by Randy Alcorn
• Deception by Randy Alcorn
• The Substitute Guest by Grace Livingston Hill

I'm still reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada (year-long devotional)
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang (The Great War #2)

And don't forget my giveaway! You only have a couple more days to comment on the post to be in the draw.

Teaser Tuesdays - November 30

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!

Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs

'Don't feel like exercising today?
I have the perfect alternative for you: laughter.
Fifteen faciaal muscles get involved when we laugh, which is why after a good bout of laughter your cheeks hurt. That's your face's way of telling you, "Please do this more often!" You know the dangers of being a weekend jogger. The same thing happens when we don't exercise those facial muscles often enough.
Laughter makes us feel wonderful all over.'

2010 Reading Challenge - week 47

This week I finished reading just 1 book. It was a long one, and I didn't have as much reading time because I had a ridiculously busy week.

Not that I'm worried, since I have already passed me target. I decided that I won't set a new goal, just keep reading and recording what I read.

So the book I finished was:

• Deadline by Randy Alcorn

I'm still reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• Dominion by Randy Alcorn

2010 Reading Challenge - week 46

4 books for me this week!

I have now reached and gone beyond my target!!

So I now have a choice - do I set another target or just keep reading and recording what I've read?

Hmmm ...

Anyway, the 4 I read this week were:

• Another Stab at Life by Anita Highman
• The Convenient Wige by Anna Schmidt
• Jenna by Jo-Anne Berthelsen
• Where the Truth Lies by Janelle Mowery and Elizabeth Ludwig

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
• Deadline by Randy Alcorn

2010 Reading Challenge - week 45

I read some great books this week. New ones that I've been hanging out for.

There were 3:

• Clueless Cowboy by Mary Connealy
• Ransome's Crossing by Kaye Dacus (Ransome Trilogy #2)
• Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy (Sophie's Daughters #1)

So I now have just 3 books to read to reach my target in this challenge.

At least one of the books I'm currently reading will be included in that number.

They are:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• Another Stab at Life by Anita Highman

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)

2010 Reading Challenge - week 42

It's been a crazy week for me, and I haven't been chauffering as much, so I only finished 2 books this week. I am in the middle of 5 books though. I never usually have that many on the go at once. 4 are non-fiction though.

Ok, so the 2 I read are:

• To Catch a Thief by DiAnn Mills, Kathleen Y'Barbo, Lisa Harris and Carol Cox
• The Omega Deception by John F Bayer

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
• Everything Christmas by David Bordon and Thomas J Winters
• Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul

2010 Reading Challenge - Week 41

Now, let's see. This week I finished reading a total of 3 books.

I've been a little busy this week with other things to read more than that.

They were:

• Alaskan Summer by Marilu H Flinkman
• Sworn to Protect by DiAnn Mills
• Kiss The Cook by Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Vickie McDonough and Carrie Turansky

That means I have now read 146 out of 160 books.

I'm currently reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada (year-long devotional)
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• Everything Christmas by David Bordon and Thomas J Winters (review coming next month)
• To Catch a Thief by DiAnn Mills, Kathleen Y'Barbo, Lisa Harris and Carol Cox

2010 Reading Challenge - week 40

I had a much better week as far as finishing books goes. But then I was reading a series that I just couldn't put down.

6 books this week!

They were:

• Who Do I Lean On? by Neta Jackson (Yada Yada House of Hope #3)
• Deadlock by Al and Joanna Lacy (Return of the Stranger #2)
• Ekatrina by Susan K Downs and Susan May Warren (Heirs of Anton #1)
• Nadia by Susan K Downs and Susan May Warren (Heirs of Anton #2)
• Marina by Susan K Downs and Susan May Warren (Heirs of Anton #3)
• Oksana by Susan K Downs and Susan May Warren (Heirs of Anton #4)

This takes me to 143 out of 160 and 89%! Just 17 books until I reach my target.

I'm currently reading (or about to start):

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• Alaskan Summer by Marilou H Flinkman

2010 Reading Challenge - week 39

A slow reading week for me, but then I haven't really been on chauffer duty.

They were:

• Who Do I Talk To by Neta Jackson (Yada Yada House of Hope #2)
• Sisterchicks in Gondolas! by Robin Jones Gunn

I'm reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada (year-long devotional)
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• Who Do I Lean On by Neta Jackson (Yada Yada House of Hope #3)

2010 Reading Challenge - week 38

My, how this year has flown. I thought the year would drag, since I have been out of work, but no, it has flown at break-neck speed and we are now into the closing stages of September. I'm already seeing Christmas things in shops, and we aren't even into October yet!

Hmm ... I think I went off on a tangent there. I'm supposed to be telling you how many books I read this week.

There were 2:

• Sweet Delights by Terri Blackstock, Elizabeth White and Ranee McCollum
• Where Do I Go? by Neta Jackson (Yada Yada House of Hope #1)

This takes me to 135 out of 160 and 84%!

I'm reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Healed
• Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson (Yada Yada House of Hope #2)

2010 Reading Challenge - week 37

2 books completed this week.

They were:

• A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher Crow
• Bamboo and Lace by Lori Wick

Next week I will be posting a review of A Very Private Grave, so stay tuned for that.

I'm reading:

• More Precious Than Silver by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Rise and Shine by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald
• Sweet Delights by Terri Blackstock, Elizabeth White and Ranee McCollum