I just did a bit of culling myself. I got about halfway through The Happiness Project, but although I thought she had some helpful insights, it was beginning to feel like a burden rather than something I looked forward to reading. Also, in looking ahead there seemed to be a lot in the second half that wasn't of interest to me. I think starting A Midsummer Night's Dream and another Heyer novel might bring me more happiness at this point. ;)

Trying to make a dent in my "currently reading" list, though I'll probably start another book or two this week. ;) #3 Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by the Countess of Carnarvon - I enjoyed learning about the energetic Lady Almina, her work with wounded soldiers during WWI and the archeological expeditions of her husband. #4 The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne (audiobook)- This was a Goodreads discovery, one of the books they recommended based on my previous reads. I had no idea the author of Winnie-the-Pooh had written a mystery! It was a fun listen, and the narrator, Bill Wallis did a great job. #5 Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick - Thought-provoking. DD is reading it, and I wanted to be able to discuss it together.

I've finished two books, but both were started last year. #1 The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis - every essay was excellent, even when I didn't fully agree with him. #2 Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer - the case studies were interesting, if sometimes disturbing. I have a real problem with some of the memorization techniques he used, and did not appreciate the party scenes.

I thought I'd join the 5/5/5 challenge and had fun deciding on my categories. I've included some of the titles I hope to read in each (subject to change, of course ;)). 5 books by Canadian authors -Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery -Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock -The Island of the World by Michael D. O'Brien -? -? 5 British mysteries -A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (probably more Sayers, Chesterton, Christie and/or Conan Doyle here) 5 biographies or autobiographies -Walking from East to West by Ravi Zacharias -Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand ? ? ? 5 dusty classics (from my bookshelf) -Les Miserables by Victor Hugo -Animal Farm by George Orwell -Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore -Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens -? 5 dusty theological/inspirational -Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer -Mind on Fire by Blaise Pascal -Loved by God by R. C. Sproul -A Woman's Wisdom by Lydia Brownback -Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis I started Anne of Green Gables as a read-aloud with dd today (inspired by someone else here :)). Also started The Great Tradition edited by Richard Gamble, which isn't in any of the above categories, but which has been on my shelf for a while and qualifies as a chunkster. I'll probably be starting a few more over the next several days. There's so many I want to read that I just can't stick to one at a time. :D

Two more to wrap up the year: #59 The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers - Not an easy read, as I knew nothing about bell-ringing or the geography of East Anglia, but it was quite a page-turner near the end. I went to bed the other night with 3 chapters left, and thinking I knew what happened, but I didn't sleep so well, wondering if I was right and how it would end. :) #60 Fit to Burst: Abundance,Mayhem, and the Joys of Motherhood by Rachel Jankovic - Along with her first book Loving the LIttle Years, this was one of the best mothering/parenting books I've read. She is hard-hitting, humerous and very practical. I think this could be added to my list as one of my favorite non-fiction reads this year.

Books Read in 2012: 1. Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery 2. Margin by Richard Swenson 3. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp 4. Keeping House by Margaret Kim Peterson 5. Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry 6. The Help by Kathryn Stockett 7. Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry 8. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs 9. My Antonia by Willa Cather 10. The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr 11. The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton 12. The Shallows by Nicholas Carr 13. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo 14. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan 15. Little Britches by Ralph Moody 16. A Night to Remember by Walter Lord 17. Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian 18. Bright Against the Storm by Ari Heinze 19. The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett 20. The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton 21. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett 22. The Roots of American Order by Russell Kirk 23. Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery 24. Greenmantle by John Buchan 25. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson 26. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain 27. Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson 28. Black Radishes by Susan Lynn Meyer 29. Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist by John B. Severance 30. Hitler by Albert Marrin 31. Overloard: The Story of the D-Day Invasion by Albert Marrin 32. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer 33. Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's Chocolate Pilot by Michael O. Tunnell 34. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick 35. Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber 36. The Winged Watchman by Hilda Van Stockum 37. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 38. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 39. Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell 40. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas 41. Paradise Lost by John Milton 42. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 43. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie 44. Managers of Their Homes by Steven and Teri Maxwell 45. Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey 46. From the Garden to the City by John Dyer 47. The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle 48. Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers 49. Bloodlines: Race, Cross and the Christian by John Piper 50. Beauty by Robin McKinley 51. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis 52. An Hour Before Daylight by Jimmy Carter 53. The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas by William J. Bennett 54. Persuasion by Jane Austen 55.The Chimes by Charles Dickens 56. Six Ways to Keep the Little in Your Girl by Dannah K. Gresh 57. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 58. Christmas in Plains by Jimmy Carter 1) How many books did you read this year? As of this posting: 58. I may finish one or two more by December 31st. 2) Did you meet or beat your own personal goal? I beat my goal of 52! 3) Favorite book of 2012? Yes, you can list more than one and even break it down by genre if you choose. Non-fiction: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy . Fiction: To Kill a Mockingbird (though I loved my Jane Austen picks, too: Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion). 4) Least favorite book of 2012 and why? I didn’t have any real duds, but The Great Turkey Walk was probably my least favorite. I thought it would be funnier that it was, and I didn’t really like the characters (it was a read-aloud to my kids). 5) One book you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it? I put off reading Managers of Their Homes for years, thinking it would be too restrictive for our family’s “personalityâ€. But even though I didn’t agree with everything they put forth, there were lots of good ideas to glean. 6) One book you thought you'd love but didn't? I thought I’d like The Invention of Hugo Cabret more than I did, but it ended up being one of those rare cases where I thought the movie was better than the book. 7) One book that touched you - made you laugh, cry, sing or dance. Made me laugh: Jane Austen’s wit. Made me cry: the Bonhoeffer bio, Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift’s Chocolate Pilot (I was blubbering while trying to read it to my kids), The Screwtape Letters. 8) Any new to you authors discovered and you can't wait to read more of their stories? Terry Pratchett, Dorothy Sayers, Wendell Berry 9) Name the longest book you read? Shortest? Little Women felt like the longest, but I think it was actually the Bonhoeffer bio. Not sure of the shortest… The True Saint Nicholas was a pretty small and short book. 10) Name the most unputdownable book you read? I stayed up way too late reading Persuasion because I just had to finish it, even though I knew what was going to happen. :) 11) Book that had the greatest impact on you this year? Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy 12) What book would you recommend everybody read? See my favorites. :) 13) Share your most favorite cover(s) I love the Penguin classics clothbound series – I have P&P and Persuasion, and want more. 14) Do you have a character you fell in love with? Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird 15) What was your most favorite part of the challenge? Did you do any of the mini challenges? I am so happy to have met and passed the goal of reading 52 books this year! I haven’t read so much in years! I completed two books for the Jane Austen challenge. I flopped on the Russian lit challenge – couldn’t get into Anna Karenina (but I still want to read it someday). 16) What are your goals for the new year? To read more non fiction? To dip your toes into a mystery or a urban fantasy or horror or romance? What book are you most looking forward to reading in 2013? I would like to read at 52 books next year, but I’m not sure how that’s going to pan out with a new baby due in June. But mostly I just want to keep reading and enjoying books – I feel like I’ve rediscovered that this year. I plan to do the Canadian lit challenge, the dusty book challenge, the C.S. Lewis challenge and maybe a chunkster or two.

Finished two Christmas stories today (or should I say yesterday - yikes!), both audiobooks: #57 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - love the story and Dickens marvelous descriptions of people and places. Loved Simon Vance's narration, too. :) #58 Christmas in Plains written and read by Jimmy Carter - enjoyable, sometimes humorous. Nice follow-up to An Hour Before Daylight.

I'm in again! This challenge has been great for my reading this year. I don't think I've read so many books in a year since - well probably since way back when I read picture books and Nancy Drew mysteries. :o I don't know if I'll be able to reach 52 next year. #5 is due in June and my older kids' school will be getting more demanding, but I know I need to keep reading. I came across an encouraging article on the Ambleside website yesterday, entitled "Mother Culture". It's a bit dated, with references to "domestic service" (I wish! :D) and such, but still very relevant, and it has inspired me to keep reading. :)

Yes, he is! I listened to Going Postal earlier this year, and he did a marvelous job with all the voices, especially Mr. Pump. I need to listen to Making Money soon... #56 was Six Ways to Keep the "Little" in Your Girl by Dannah Gresh - didn't necessarily agree with everything, and I'm not going to host sleepovers and put in a pool and huge tv to entertain my kids and their friends ;) , but she did make some important points and have some good suggestions on how to relate to and discuss important stuff (like s@x) with your preteen daughters. ETA: So glad your ds is back safe, Robin!

Thanks for the heads-up, Robin! I grabbed Jimmy Carter's Christmas in Plains, as I recently enjoyed his An Hour Before Daylight. :)

This is on my to-read list, but I haven't worked up the nerve to read it yet. Well, I did read the preface, and that was already pretty intense! My husband, dad, sister and even my mom loved it, though hubby did admit the torture part was hard to get through. I finished The Chimes by Charles Dickens last night. I know this is often lumped together with several of his other Christmas stories, so I'm not sure if I should count it as #55 or not. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dickens' great great grandson, Gerald Dickens, who was really quite good at doing the different voices for various characters and expressing the emotion of the story.

Sure! I bought it because of your recommendation, ostensibly for hubby for Father's Day, but neither of us has read it yet.

I was perusing my bookshelves today, and realized that Michael O'Brien is also a Canadian author. His The Island of the World (which comes highly recommended by ladydusk) also clocks in at 839 pages, so I could count it towards the Canadian author, chunkster and perhaps even the dusty book/TBR challenges - that is, if that isn't breaking any rules. :D L.M. Montgomery sounds good, too. I really should read/re-read the Anne of Green Gables series (I'm not sure that I've read all the books - some, like Windy Poplars, were just skimmed I think). Aggieamy, I was just thinking of starting The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth . :) I think I listened to a radio version of A Cricket on the Hearth once, but I don't really remember much. I also hope to read or listen to an audio version of A Christmas Carol with the kids next month. Funny tradition we have: we always watch Mickey's Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve, usually accompanied by hot apple cider. :)

#53 The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas by William J. Bennett - I learned a lot about Saint Nicholas and the way he morphed into Santa Claus, but it raised a lot of questions for me, too. But that's probably a good thing. :) #54 Persuasion by Jane Austen - Love. Here's some of my favorite lines: "Prettier musings of high-wrought love and eternal constancy, could never have passed along the streets of Bath, than Anne was sporting with from Camden-place to Westgate-buildings. It was almost enough to spread purification and perfume all the way." I think I feel a movie re-watch coming on...

I'm liking a lot of these suggestions! The Canadian novel sounds great (I'm Canadian-born :D), though I don't think I'd be up to Margaret Atwood, either. I'm also interested in the C.S. Lewis read-along. I love Lewis' writing. :)

Two more completed last week: #51 The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis - A re-read, listened to an audiobook version this time. #52 An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood by Jimmy Carter - After reading about President Carter with the kids, I thought I'd try one of his own books. It was interesting, although not exactly a page-turner (took me awhile to get through). It was quite amazing to read about all the work he had to do on the farm, and how, as a young boy, he would walk three miles to town to sell boiled peanuts.

I love A Child's Christmas in Wales read by Dylan Thomas himself in his deep, sonorous voice. It is wonderfully descriptive - definitely the work of a poet. It's available on CD or as an Audible audiobook. I am planning to listen to it with the kids this year and hoping to make it a Christmas tradition. :) We read and enjoyed Keeping Holiday by Starr Meade last year.

I finished up a couple more books: #49 Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian by John Piper - excellent, challenging book. #50 Beauty by Robin McKinley - quite a lovely retelling of Beauty and the Beast (thank you for recommending it, aggieamy). DD is reading it now. :)

I finished #48 last night: Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers. A morgue, a dissection room, a dead body in a bathtub - I think that qualifies as a scary October read (scary enough for me, anyway!). :tongue_smilie:

Whew, I'm feeling much better about not having started WWS yet with my 5th grader (plan to begin in the new year) and about taking our time to get through it. Thanks for posting the link to the SWB post - very encouraging. :)

This sounds intriguing - I'm putting it on my to-read list. Thanks for the review!:) I finished #47 last Saturday: The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (audiobook version).

:party: Congratulations! I am hoping that someday I will have the courage and brainpower to tackle it. It was referenced a couple of times in the book I just finished, From the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology by John Dyer. I found it to be both a convicting and encouraging (and balanced!) look at technology from a Christian viewpoint.

Done! :D Look forward to getting it. I finished #45 last week: Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The father was an interesting character, to say the least. :tongue_smilie:

#43 The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - listened to the audiobook read by David Suchet :) #44 Managers of Their Homes by Steven and Teri Maxwell - I think we need a bit more structure to our days, especially our mornings, and this book was very helpful - now to the hard part of working out the schedule! ;)

This is wonderful! Dickens narrated by Simon Vance, David Suchet reading an Agatha Christie mystery, Anne Hathaway narrating The Wonderful Wizard of Oz... Of course I'm kicking myself for buying Huckleberry Finn the other week, even if it was on sale.:tongue_smilie: