Archive for the ‘What's on Your Nightstand?’ Category

It’s time again for 5 Minutes 4 Books’ monthly meme.

Last month’s nightstand:

I’ve done quite a bit less reading than usual this month, partly because the time between meme posts is shorter, but mostly because I’ve been so busy with Love Month (and keeping up with school).

What I actually read this month was:
(Links lead to my reviews of the book, never to a site selling you something.)

Fiction

• Beyond the Gathering Storm by Janette Oke
• How Do I Love Thee? by Nancy Moser

Nonfiction

• The Best Case Scenario Handbook by John Tierney
• The Bombshell Manual of Style by Laren Stover
• Cassell Dictionary of Cynical Quotations by Jonathon Green
• Christmas Letters from Hell by Michael Lent
• Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway by Dave Barry
• The Two-Headed Boy and other medical marvels< by Jan Bondeson
  Interesting information, reads like a academic journal–not EXACTLY my favorite kind of reading (although I do quite a bit of it, I prefer it to be in my field!) I stopped this title after 80 pages. But with this one officially done, I’ve finished the Dewey Decimal category 610 at my library.

Juvenile

• 7 titles by Allan Ahlberg
• The Anne of Green Gables Storybook
  Why does anyone write adaptations? And why does anyone read them? This is basically all the worst attributes of the Anne movies without any of the redeeming attributes of the Anne books. Ugh!
• Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
• Lucy Maud Montgomery by Alexandra Wallner
  Meh. This children’s biography of LMM wasn’t anything spectacular, IMHO.
• The Mystery of the Broken Blade by Franklin Dixon
• Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

On my nightstand for next month:

Fiction

• John 3:16 by Nancy Moser
• When Tomorrow Comes by Janette Oke

Nonfiction

• Don’t Waste Your Life* by John Piper
• Dug Down Deep* by Joshua Harris
• Forgotten God by Francis Chan
• When God Writes Your Love Story* by Eric and Leslie Ludy
• The World’s Last Night and other essays by C.S. Lewis

Juvenile

• Bus Station Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• Celtic Fairy Tales by Philip and Brent
• The Complete Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault by Perrault and Holmes
• Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
• The Flickering Torch Mystery by Franklin Dixon
• The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales* by Philip and Mistry
• Children’s picture books AJ-AL

*The asterisk marks books I’m currently in the middle of.

Drop by 5 Minutes 4 Books to see what others are reading.

It’s time again for 5 Minutes 4 Books’ monthly meme. Here’s what I had on my nightstand last month.

What I actually read was:
(Links lead to my reviews of the book, never to a site selling you something.)

Fiction

• Fancy Pants by Cathy Marie Hake
• The Good Nearby by Nancy Moser
  This one didn’t grab me as much as I had hoped–but I think it might have had more to do with my (rather odd) moods of late than with the book itself.
• Little Lady, Big Apple by Hester Browne
  Entertaining, not quite as enjoyable as the first book, but better than most chick-lit sequels–main character Melissa doesn’t really PROgress as a character, but at least she doesn’t REgress like many chick lit sequel characters do.
• Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy
• When Breaks the Dawn by Janette Oke
• When Hope Springs New by Janette Oke

Nonfiction

• Boy Meets Girl by Josh Harris
  I’m holding off on reviewing this one until “Love Month” in February.
• Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium by Dave Barry
  Amusing, a little too political to be completely enjoyable (by which I mean he makes fun of MY pet topics a bit too much!)
• Don’t You Dare Get Married Until You Read This by Corey Donaldson
  A collection of thought-provoking questions to get couple to think about the serious issues in their relationship. Some questions are absolute duds, but most of them aren’t bad at all.
• Finding Answers in U.S. Census Records by Loretto Dennis Szucs & Matthew Wright
  I just noticed the author’s unfortunate last name. Suppose it’s pronounced “sucks”?
• Healthcare Online for Dummies
  Not in print any longer. I wonder why?
• How to Find Mr. of Ms. Right by Beverly and Tom Rodgers
• An Idiot Girl’s Christmas by Laurie Notaro
  Funny, interesting, a quick read. Low levels of “naughty” humour.
• I Married Adventure by Luci Swindoll
• I’m More than the Pastor’s Wife by Lorna Dobson
• The Lord’s Supper: Five Views edited by Gordon T. Smith
• Rocking the Roles by Lewis and Hendricks
• What I with I’d Known Before I Got Married by Kay Coles James

Juvenile

• Four picture books by Jon Agee
• Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
• Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine
  Bleh. Levine should stick to fairy tale adaptations. This Peter Pan spin off was boring, IMHO.
• Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan
  I put this on my TBR list after reading a review by Amy @ Hope is the Word. I wasn’t disappointed. This really is a book worth reading!
• Mystery behind the Wall by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
• The Stunning Science of Everything

On my nightstand for next month:

Fiction

• Beyond the Gathering Storm by Janette Oke
• How Do I Love Thee? by Nancy Moser
• When Tomorrow Comes by Janette Oke

Nonfiction

• The Best Case Scenario Handbook* by John Tierney
• The Bombshell Manual of Style* by Laren Stover
• Cassell Dictionary of Cynical Quotations* by Jonathon Green
• Dave Barry Hits Below the Belt by Dave Barry
• The Two-Headed Boy and other medical marvels* by Jan Bondeson
• When God Writes Your Love Story* by Eric and Leslie Ludy
• Half a dozen Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Crafts books to do projects out of

Juvenile

• Bus Station Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• Celtic Fairy Tales by Philip and Brent
• The Complete Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault by Perrault and Holmes
• Good Enough by Paula Yoo
• The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales by Philip and Mistry
• Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
• The Mystery of the Broken Blade* by Franklin Dixon
• Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
• Children’s picture books AH-?

*The asterisk marks books I’m currently in the middle of.

Drop by 5 Minutes 4 Books to see what others are reading.

It’s time again for 5 Minutes 4 Books’ monthly meme. Here’s what I had on my nightstand last month.

What I actually read was:

Fiction

• Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes
  Bleh. I wasn’t impressed.
• The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham
• When Comes the Spring by Janette Oke

Nonfiction

Juvenile

• Cinderellis and the Glass Hill by Gail Carson Levine
  Gail Carson Levine’s Princess Tales are quick, whimsical variations on old-fashioned fairy tales. They’re a fun read for pre-teen-ish girls for whom “classic” fairy tales are just a little too “childish”.
• Keeping a Journal by Trudi Strain Trueit
• Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep by Gail Carson Levine

Picture Books

• 25 books by authors AD-AG
• Africa Calling, Nighttime Falling by Dan and Kim Adlerman

For next month, I’ve got way too much on my nightstand–and way too much weighty stuff. I feel certain I won’t be able to finish it all in time. But I’ll try anyway.

Fiction

• The Good Nearby by Nancy Moser*
• Little Lady, Big Apple by Hester Browne
• Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy
• When Breaks the Dawn by Janette Oke
• When Hope Springs New by Janette Oke

Nonfiction

• Better Homes and Gardens Making a Home
• Confessions of an Organized Homemaker by Deniece Schofield
• Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium by Dave Barry
• Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams by Lynne Withey*
• Genealogy Online by Elizabeth Powell Crowe
• Genealogy Online for Dummies
• An Idiot Girl’s Christmas by Laurie Notaro
• I Married Adventure by Luci Swindoll*
• I’m More than the Pastor’s Wife by Lorna Dobson*
• Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook
• Rocking the Roles by Lewis and Hendricks*
• The Lord’s Suupper: Five Views edited by Gordon T. Smith*
• What I with I’d Known Before I Got Married by Kay Coles James*
• And a dozen more that I hope I can get to (but kind of doubt that I will)

Juvenile

• Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine
• Mystery behind the Wall by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• Picture books from AG to ?
• The Stunning Science of Everything

*The asterisk marks books I’m currently in the middle of.

Drop by 5 Minutes 4 Books to see what others are reading.

It’s time for 5 Minutes 4 Books’ monthly meme. Check out what I had on my nightstand last month.

What I actually read was:

Fiction

• The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini
  I do not recommend this title. It had a neat concept to start, but quickly degraded into a s.ex novel.
• When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke
  It’s been a while since I read the Canadian West series–I don’t remember being too impressed with them when I read them as a pre-teen. I’m inclined to think now that these might be among Oke’s best works.
• The Carousel Painter by Judith Miller
  This is the first work I’ve read by Judith Miller and I’ll definitely be going back for more. The “historical” part was detailed enough to be informative, but understated enough to not bog down the reader.
• The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist
  I loved this title! Gist honestly portrays desire and denial, respectfully lays out a “moral”, AND simultaneously tells a good story. Not many can do all three. Brava!
• Barren Corn by Georgette Heyer

Nonfiction

• Catastrophe by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
• Guinness World Records 2010
• Somebody’s Gotta Say It by Neal Boortz
• Beyond the Wardrobe: The Official Guide to Narnia
• A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
• The Most Brilliant Thoughts of all Time
• Dave Barry Slept Here

Juvenile

• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
• The Dashwood Sisters’ Secrets of Love by Rosie Rushton
• Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
• The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine
• The Fairy’s Return by Gail Carson Levine
• Mystery in the Sand by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• Mystery of the Flying Express by Franklin W. Dixon
• 7 picture books by Verna Aardema
• 17 picture books (Ab-Ad)

On my nightstand for next month, I’ve got:

Fiction

• Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes
• The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham
• The Good Nearby by Nancy Moser
• When Comes the Spring by Janette Oke

Nonfiction

• Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Healthiness by Dean Edell
• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
• Cultural and Historical Allusions by Sylvia Cole
• Books: a memoir by Larry McMurtry
• The Art of Conversation by Catherine Blyth
• Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets Christmas Poems
• Michael Hague’s Family Christmas Treasury
• PC Magazine Digital SLR Photography Solutions

Juvenile

• Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep by Gail Carson Levine
• Cinderellis and the Glass Hill by Gail Carson Levine
• Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine
• Mystery Behind the Wall by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Don’t forget to stop by 5 Minutes 4 Books for more.

My “nightstand” is a desk next to my bed–I keep most of my current library books there (if they fit).

Feel free to take a peek:

I know, it’s a lot to take in. So I’ll break it down for you:

To Be Read:

Reading Every Book

I’ve written before about my quest to read every book in Eiseley Library–so I won’t go into too much detail here. Suffice to say that once I have read every book by a certain author or in a certain Dewey decimal category, I can “close out” that category and won’t be required to read anything more in that category even if the library acquires more books. If I were smart (hah!) I would work feverishly to close out authors that are still writing prolificly. But alas, I am not smart–and instead work on closing out all sorts of dead authors.

In the children’s section, I’m working on two picture book authors (Dr. Seuss and Ludwig Bemelmans) and two juvenile fiction series (The Boxcar Children and The Hardy Boys). These are my current selections from each.

• Hop on Pop
• Green Eggs and Ham
• Great Day for UP
• Madeline’s Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans
• The Woodshed Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
• The Shore Road Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon

In adult non-fiction, I’m hard at work on 640.43 (Time Management) and 649.122 (Infant and Toddler Care). I’m two books away from completing 640.43 (and those two books are on my nightstand now). 649.122 reproduces too rapidly for me to make any real progress.

• Managing Workplace Chaos
• Mom, Inc. by Neale S. Godfrey
• Growing up Green by Dierdre Imus

Compliments of other Bloggers

My blog reader is always suggesting new books or authors for me to read–so much so that I can’t keep up on reading both at the same time (blogs and books, that is). Several books that are on my nightstand now were recommended to me by other bloggers (or I got interested in the topic because of a blogger.)

The 5 Minutes for Books review of Mistaken Identity convinced me that I had to read it.

• Mistaken Identity by Van Ryn and Cerak

When Jolanthe was studying Antarctica with her kids, they studied Shackleton’s adventure on the Endurance. The reminder was enough to re-spark my interest. I’ve been reading up on Shackleton since December.

• The Endurance by Caroline Alexander
• Sea of Ice: The Wreck of the Endurance

Anna is a big fan of Grace Livingston Hill–and quotes from her on a semi-regular basis. I haven’t read much Hill since I was a preteen, but I nabbed one of her books from the library a while back. It has, unfortunately, been sitting on my desk for WAY TOO LONG!

• The Street of the City by Grace Livingston Hill

I had no clue what to expect when I borrowed The Mysterious Benedict Society from the library–only that I’d heard it’s name favorably on a dozen occasions from my most respected bookie bloggers. It was AMAZING! I was telling my little sister about it and trying to see if the library had another copy she could borrow when the librarian informed me there was a sequel. So–I have book 2.

• The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

We weren’t able to find a second copy of The Mysterious Benedict Society for Grace, so she didn’t get it. But I checked out a few of her recommendations:

• Daughter of Silk by Linda Chaikin
• Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner

Just Because/That Looks Interesting

I’m a big fan of randomly browsing the library, picking up whatever looks interesting. These fit the bill.

• Dorling Kindersley’s Inventions & Discoveries
• Reader’s Digest’s Vegetable Gardening
• The Bread Machine Magic Book of Helpful Hints
• Men without Women by Ernest Hemingway
• Woodwind by Wendy Lynch
• The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
• Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah
• Forever, Erma by Erma Bombeck
• Milestones of Medicine
• A Collection of Beauties at the Height of their Popularity by Whitney Otto
• Fleeced by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
• The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer

To Be Reviewed

I’m trying to review the books I read more often on my Book Review page, but I’m always hopelessly behind. Recently read books are piled on my desk/nightstand awaiting review.

• Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
• Filthy Rich by Dorothy Samuels
• Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
• The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Hidden Elsewhere

My bag (and bed itself) acts as a cache for a few more books:

• The Book of General Ignorance
• The Prince by Francine Rivers
• A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick

Check out some other nightstands at
5 Minutes for Books.