Books

I once read a good idea to make a list of all the books you read in a year and then critique them at the end of the year. I am a huge reader, so I thought I would do it now since I have read 26 books completely and have three more that I am working on now. All but two of these books are fiction - I love different stories. I mostly read Christian fiction, which works for me because I can read them in 15 or 20 minute intervals and don't have to completely concentrate. Complete concentration is next to impossible in a house with four children. This list is mostly for me and I will condense the list into series where appropriate: I will also not do a review of each and every book...

Redemption Series - Redemption, Remember, Return, Rejoice and Reunion-I can't say enough about these books by Karen Kingsbury. I love all the Baxter family as if I really know them -I laughed with them, cried with them, got angry with them and rejoiced with them!

Family Series - Forgiven, Found, Family, Forever-these are a continuation of the Redemption series, again by Karen Kingsbury. Fabulous!

Sunrise Series - Sunrise, Someday, Sunset-the last of the Baxter family series, again so very good.

Waiting for Morning-this was an amazing story about a woman who loses her husband and one of her daughters in a car accident where they were hit by a drunk driver. It's the story of how she and her other daughter who survived the accident try to cope with the new normal. It was a very moving story. Also by Karen Kingsbury

When Joy Came to Stay-Another by Karen Kingsbury. Sweet story of a woman who, as a teenager, gave her baby up for adoption. The adoptive parents are killed in a car wreck when the little girl is five years old and she enters the foster system. Through a really neat set of events, the little girl is reunited with her birth mother when the little girl is about 10 years old.

Newpointe 911 Series - Shadow of Doubt, Word of Honor, Private Justice, Trial By Fire, Line of Duty- this is a mystery series written by Terri Blackstock. I really like mysteries, so these were good. They are written by a Christian author and really fun to read. They are set in a small southern town, so they talk about going to Jackson, MS and Baton Rouge, LA, which made them fun for me to read.

The Yellow Rose Chronicles - Every Little Thing About You, A Texas Sky, City Girl- These books were by Lori Wick and set in Texas during the 1800's. The series is about three brothers (each book is about one of the brothers) and their journeys to find Christ and eventually true love. They are very easy reads, but still very enjoyable.

Twilight Series - Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse-I have finished the first two and I am working on the third one and will read the fourth one. These books are so good. I've really enjoyed them. Very good character development and vivid word imagery. There is something very almost intoxicating about the balance Edward and Bella are always trying to find between loving each other and him killing her. Very long books, but the way the chapters are divided makes them easy to read in quick chunks of time.

My two lone non-fiction books:

Home Sweet Homeschool
Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling
I also have more books in this same genre but I haven't read them all yet.

I would recommend any of these books to anyone! Also, I would recommend all of Francine Rivers books. The Mark of the Lion books are still some of the best books I have ever read. Redeeming Love and The Atonement Child are also two very compelling stories. And, no matter what any one else says, The Shack was a really good book for me. I thought it was so moving and while I know that there are some things that aren't completely Biblical in there, it still enriched my relationship with God. It wasn't written to be theology, but an allegory.

So there are my book reviews. I absolutely love to read and just hope my kids will love to read as much as I do!