Reading Journal - July & August

 

July:

• Checklist for Life for Leaders: Timeless Wisdom & Foolproof Strategies for Making the Most of Life's Challenges & Opportunities - Thomas Nelson Publishers - I have owned this book for years and finally picked it up to read. I was actually surprised on how much I really enjoyed this book. I wrote down quite a few quotes and found it to be just what I needed for the moment.
• Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf - I found this a fascinating read about the brain. She does share a 21-day detox plan (second half of the book) which I found a little confusing. Overall, I thought this was a very though provoking read.
• The Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan - I really enjoyed her new book, The Spies of Shilling Lane, so I decided to give this one a try. There were a lot of things I liked about this story, but the language and other topics were a turnoff. 
• Death Wears a Mask by Ashley Weaver - This book and the next book are part of the Amory Ames Series. They are pretty much cozy mysteries. 
• A Most Novel Revenge by Ashley Weaver
• A New Song by Jan Karon - I've been sloooooly reading my way through Mitford again. Father Tim never disappoints!

I listened to:

• 3 Seconds: The Power of Thinking Twice by Les Parrott - A good listen.
• Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live on Purpose. by Lara Casey - The best thing about this book is that Lara Casey is a great storyteller and wonderful narrator. 
• Miss Marple Mysteries by Agatha Christie - I worked my way though this whole series on audio. Miss Marple has been a pleasant surprise. Dare I say I think I may like her a tad more than Poirot? (I'll go hide now.)
• 4:50 from Paddington 
• The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side 
• A Caribbean Mystery 
• At Bertram's Hotel 
• Nemesis 
• Sleeping Murder 

August:

• Education: Does God Have an Opinion? by Israel Wayne - Israel Wayne was one of the speakers at our local homeschool convention. A good read.
• The Essence of Malice by Ashley Weaver - Two more books from the Amory Ames Series. I have caught up in the series. I think so far I have enjoyed the first two books in the series the best.
• An Act of Villiany by Ashley Weaver
• Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery - Another series I've been reading thorough slowly. I always get a kick out of Rainbow Valley. How after writing all her other books can she still come up with crazy things that happen to kids? It boggles my mind.

I listened to:

• An Enemy Called Average: The Keys for Unlocking Your Dreams by John Mason - This was a very short audio book and there were some good little tidbits in it. I plan on giving it another listen in a few months.
• The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett - I'm not sure what I can say about this book. It is Christian fiction and, oh my, it shows. I coudn't quit rolling my eyes it was that bad.  
• Brother Cadfael Mysteries by Ellis Peters - This is another series I started a while back and have been sidetracked. I found some of these to check out so I dove right in. I really like this series. Ellis Peters does such a good job of showing how people are human whether their are royalty, a servant, a priest, a monk, etc. Good stuff.
• An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters
• The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters
• The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters
• The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters