What's On Your Nightstand - July & August

Last month I was up in the air on a plane when I realized that I didn't write my What's On Your Nightstand post for July. Since I was heading on a short visit with my parents and then taking my kids to a big Youth Convention I decided to just wait until August and post it all at once. So here is my big reading list for July and August and my goals for the upcoming month.

In September I want to read:

July's Reading

From June's Nightstand I read:

• Fauna and Family by Gerald Durrell - The third book in the Corfu trilogy by Gerald Durrell. My Family and Other Animals is probably my favorite of the series, but this is still a good read.
• The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders - This is new crime fiction series and a very delightful read at that! I look forward to more books in this series.
• Home Run: Learn God's Game for Life and Leadership by Kevin Myers - An inspiring book. I loved his use a baseball diamond to illustrated how we should work on attaining success in life.

I also read:

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - I finally got around to reading this book (A big thank-you to my book club.) I have read a lot of rave reviews, but I have to admit that I didn't love this book. I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe I read too many rave reviews? Who knows!
• The Butler Did It by P.G. Wodehouse - A fun read. I was getting close to the end of the book when I had this strong feeling that I "knew" one of the characters of the book. I googled it and found that this story is slightly tied to Money in the Bank--a personal favorite of mine.
• Fire and Ice by Mary Connealy - I stop every now and then and catch up on one of Mary Connealy's books. Pure fluff.
• To Have and to Hold by Mary Johnston - This was a read-aloud book for my older kids, but with baseball and grandparents visiting it was pushed aside. We finally picked it up in July and finished it up. I really, really liked this story since it was very suspenseful and plus I learned a lot about the Jamestown settlement. Highly recommended!
• Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin - Habits! I found this an intriguing read and it gave me a lot to ponder on. 

I listened to:

• Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - I read this along with the Close Reads podcast. I would have never made it through this book without the podcast. I can't say I liked this book, but overall I'm glad I read it. (A funny note: Jeremy Irons is the narrator and it took me it bit before I could get the image of Scar [The Lion King] reading aloud this story.)
• All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot - I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoy James Herriot's books. He is such a delightful storyteller. The audio's are fabulous.

August's Reading

I read:

• The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - Another book club book, though we never discussed it which was really too bad since I love this story. I think this is my third time through it and it is still as good as the first read.
• The Lady of the Lakes: The True Love Story of Sir Walter Scott by Josi S. Kilpack - I'll have to admit I wasn't very excited by my reading so I just went in and browsed the new books at the library and came across this book. I enjoyed this story a lot more than I thought I would. Plus the author does a great job at the end of telling the real story and what was truth and what she added.
• The Prince and Betty by P.G. Wodehouse - I read this on my trip. I don't think I got too much read since I was tired every night. Not the best Wodehouse, but Wodehouse makes me laugh no matter what.
• Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke - Here is another story that pleasantly surprised me. The story goes back and forth between the daughter's life in present day and the mother's life from the past. If you like World War II fiction this may interest you. (This is Christian fiction, but I still found it a good read.)
• A Viscount's Proposal by Melanie Dickerson - Another book I picked off of the library shelf. An okay read.
• Different by Sally & Nathan Clarkson - Sally & Nathan Clarkson tell Nathan's story of his struggle with OCD and a few other diagnosis. They share the struggles and pain that they dealt through the years.  This is an uplifting read for mom's who are dealing with children who just don't fit in a normal box.
• Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman - A book about books. There are some great essays in here. 

I listened to:

• The Lord God Made Them All by James Herriot - The last of the James Herriot series. He even makes his trip to Russia during the 60's interesting. I was quite sad when the book ended.