2017 Reading List

Books I've Read in 2017

I include audio books I listen to on my daily commute. (A) indicates it was an audio book, (K) indicates it was read on the Kindle app, and no designation means it was a traditional paper book.

I am no longer taking the time to link each book to Amazon.  If you want more information on a book, there is a link to my Goodreads in the sidebar.

January (10)
Steal Me, Cowboy - Kim Boykin (K)
Oklahoma Christmas Blues - Maggie Shayne (K)
Fiona's Flame - Rachael Herron (K)
The Christmas Secret - Jannie Watt (K)
Don't Break My Heart - Laurie Kellogg (K)
The Velvet Hours - Alyson Richman
Winter Street - Elin Hilderbrand

A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman

The Concrete Blond - Michael Connelly (A)

The Last Coyote - Michael Connelly (A)

February (6)
Trunk Music - Michael Connelly (A)
The German Girl - Armando Lucas Correa
Rather Be the Devil - Ian Rankin (A)
The Paris Wife - Paula McLain
A Darkness More Than Night - Michael Connelly (A)
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry - Fredrik Backman

March (10)
Winter Stroll - Elin Hilderbrand
City of Bones - Michael Connelly (A)
Winter Storms - Elin Hilderbrand
Britt-Marie Was Here - Fredrik Backman
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer - Fredrik Backman
Lost Light - Michael Connelly (A)
The Substitute - Denise Grover Swank (K)
The Narrows - Michael Connelly (A)
The Closers - Michael Connelly (A)
Echo Park - Michael Connelly (A)

April (3)
The Brass Verdict - Michael Connelly (A)
Nine Dragons - Michael Connelly (A)
The Reversal - Michael Connelly (A)

May
The Drop - Michael Connelly (A)
Garden of Lamentations - Deborah Crombie
Loving Lauren - Jill Sanders (K)
The Black Box - Michael Connelly (A)

2016 Reading List

Books I've Read in 2016 (117)

I include audio books I listen to on my daily commute. (A) indicates it was an audio book, (K) indicates it was read on the Kindle app, and no designation means it was a traditional paper book.

January (9)

A New Hope - Robyn Carr

The Naming of the Dead - Ian Rankin (A)

Last One Home - Debbie Macomber
Whose Body? - Dorothy L. Sayers
Exit Music - Ian Rankin (A)
Louise's Chance - Sarah R. Shaber
Three Truths and A Lie - Lisa Gardner (A)
Wound up in Murder - Betty Hechtman
Standing in Another Man's Grave - Ian Rankin (A)

February (7)
Saints of the Shadow Bible - Ian Rankin (A)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon (A)
Even Dogs in the Wild - Ian Rankin (A)
Anything for You - Kristan Higgins
Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
Knitlandia - Clara Parkes
Birds of a Feather - Jacqueline Winspear (A)

March (10)
Pardonable Lies - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
Starlight on Willow Lake - Susan Wiggs
Evening Stars - Susan Mallery
Messenger of Truth - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
An Incomplete Revenge - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
The Summer Wind - Mary Alice Monroe
The Ladies Man/Some Kind of Wonderful - Susan Mallery/Sarah Morgan
The Summer's End - Mary Alice Monroe
Among the Mad - Jacqueline Winspear (A)

April (11)
The Mapping of Love and Death - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in its Darkest, Finest Hour - Lynne Olson
A Lesson in Secrets - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
Isn't it Rich? - Sherryl Woods
Priceless - Sherryl Woods
The War that Saved My Life - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Elegy for Eddie - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
The Lions of Little Rock - Krisin Levine
Leaving Everything Most Loved - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
I Still Dream About You - Fannie Flagg
Treasured - Sherryl Woods

*I haven't had time to add links for the rest of these, but you can follow the link to my Goodreads in the sidebar and see them all.

May (7)
A Dangerous Place - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
Journey to Munich - Jacqueline Winspear (A)
Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Book Store - Robin Sloan (A)
The Murder of Mary Russell - Laurie R. King
Clawback - J.A. Jance
The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street - Susan Jane Gilman
The Lake House - Kate Morton (A)

June (8)
Destiny Unleashed - Sherryl Woods
Extreme Prey - John Sandford (A)
The Guest Room - Chris Bohjalian
Edwin of the Iron Shoes - Marcia Muller (A)
Prayers the Devil Answers - Sharyn McCrumb
Fool Me Once - Harlan Coben
Winter at the Door - Sarah Graves (A)
The Girls She Left Behind - Sarah Graves (A)

July (12)
War Brides - Helen Bryan (A)
Redemption Road - John Hart
Wilde Lake - Laura Lippman
Hearts on a String - Kris Radish (K)
Split Second - David Baldacci (A)
Open and Shut - David Rosenfelt (A)
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier (K)
If You Only Knew - Kristan Higgins
Finding Pride - Jill Sanders (K)
Discovering Pride - Jill Sanders (K)
Hour Game - David Baldacci (A)
Returning Pride - Jill Sanders (K)

August (11)
Lasting Pride - Jill Sanders (K)
Simple Genius - David Baldacci (A)
The Things We Wish Were True - Marybeth Mayhew Whalen (K)
Everything We Keep - Kerry Lonsdale (K)
First Family - David Baldacci (A)
Pierced by the Sun - Laura Esquivel (A)
All the Single Ladies - Dorothea Benton Frank
Unnatural Death - Dorothy L Sayers
Knit Your Own Murder - Monica Ferris
The Sixth Man - David Baldacci (A)
In the Teeth of the Evidence - Dorothy L Sayers

September (15)
King and Maxwell - David Baldacci (A)
Flashback - Nevada Barr
Where They Found Her - Kimberly McCreight (A)
I Let You Go - Clare Mackintosh (K)
Silver Linings - Debbie Macomber
A Christmas Homecoming - Melissa McClone (K)
A Bramble House Christmas - CJ Carmichael (K)
Memory Man - David Baldacci (A)
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls - Anton Disclafani (K)
Maid for Love - Marie Force (K)
Fool for Love - Marie Force (K)
Ready for Love - Marie Force (K)
Falling for Love - Marie Force (K)
The Last Mile - David Baldacci (A)
Hoping for Love - Marie Force (K)

October (10)
Season for Love - Marie Force (K)
An Obvious Fact - Craig Johnson (A)
Prelude to a Wedding - Patricia McLinn (K)
Wedding Party - Patricia McLinn (K)
Grady's Wedding - Patricia McLinn (K)
A Family for Christmas - Noelle Adams (K)
Small Wars - Lee Child (K)
The Innocent - David Baldacci (A)
A Great Reckoning - Louise Penny (A)
The Life We Bury - Allen Eskens (K)

November (12)
The Hit - David Baldacci (A)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
Lilac Girls - Martha Hall Kelly
Downfall - J.A. Jance
The Target - David Baldacci (A)
The Guilty - David Baldacci (A)
The Black Echo - Michael Connelly (A)
Blind Sight - Carol O'Connell
The Old Blue Line - J.A. Jance
Ring in the Dead - J.A. Jance
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend - Katarina Bivald
Night School - Lee Child (A)

December (5)
Escape Clause - John Sandford (A)
Black Ice - Michael Connelly (A)
Gift Wrapped for Christmas - Mona Ingram (K)
No One Knows - J.T. Ellison (A)
Just in Time for Christmas - Kim Boykin (K)

Cotton Candy

This is what I made today.  I actually had most of the singles spun before today, so I just had to finish the last bit of the singles and then ply it.  That's not always a quick process for me, so this is my major accomplishment for the day and I'm fine with that.

Other than spinning I goofed around on the computer for a while and then spent the late afternoon sitting on the couch in the silence, reading a cheesy romance novel, wrapped in a blanket (because it's f**ing cold) with feline leg warmers.  It looked something like this....

Tomorrow will be less lazy and more productive, but I thoroughly enjoyed my day, including the take out sushi we had for dinner.

Calm Before the Storm

I got my 2014 Reading List up to date on here today and started my list for 2015. I can tell from the last few books I've read that I'm entering my mindless reading phase.  When my life gets busy and stressful my reading tends to be mostly Harlequin type romance.  They're escapism at its finest, coupled with guaranteed happy endings, and they give my brain a rest for a while from all the other stuff going on. 

Work is going to start getting busy again next week, so I'm taking the next two days off to have a 4 day weekend and try to combine a last couple of days of relaxation with getting a couple of things done.

Tomorrow is "relax day".  I'm going to spin, knit, read, weave, sleep, whatever I feel like doing at any given moment and not feel guilty about it or think about anything I "should" be doing.  At some point I will figure out what we're having for dinner, but it will most likely involve take out.

Friday is the day to get a few things done.  The pile of donations that have been sitting in first the floor of the guest room and then my craft room for over 3 months need to be listed, bagged, and dropped off at the Salvation Army.  If the weather report remains accurate and we don't get any rain, I will finally get the outside Christmas lights and wreath down and put away.  And finally, the largest project, I will get my craft room cleaned up and organized because right now it looks like everything exploded in there.

Saturday morning early Rob & I are heading to buy some wood so he can start the master bedroom closet built-ins.  When we get back from doing that I'm going to drive down to Stedman and check out the Spin Stitch Knit Festival.  It's new this year and probably small, but I figure I'll give it a chance.  I know that one of my favorite vendors Unplanned Peacock will be there, so that alone will make it worth the drive.

Sunday will be my normal routine, which mainly involves doing laundry and a trip to the grocery store, and gearing myself up to go back to work on Monday.  Hopefully by then I will feel ready for the months to come.

2015 Reading List

Books I've Read in 2015 (93)

I include audio books I listen to on my daily commute. (A) indicates it was an audio book, (K) indicates it was read on the Kindle app, and no designation means it was a traditional paper book.

January (10)
Long Tall Texans Vol. II: Tyler & Sutton by Diana Palmer
Long Tall Texans Vol. III: Ethan & Connal by Diana Palmer
Long Tall Texans Vol. I: Calhoun & Justin by Diana Palmer
The Devaney Brothers: Michael & Patrick by Sherryl Woods
Murder in Thrall by Anne Cleeland (A)
Hidden Moon Bay by Vickie McKeehan (K)
The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
Murder in Retribution by Anne Cleeland (A)
The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen (A)
Worth the Weight by Mara Jacobs (K)

February (5)
The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen (A)
Body Double by Tess Gerritsen (A)
Darned If You Do by Monica Ferris
The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs
Vanish by Tess Gerritsen (A)

March (8)
The Beekeeper's Ball by Susan Wiggs
The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen (A)
Dogwood Hill by Sherryl Woods
Three Sisters by Susan Mallery
The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen (A)
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen (A)
The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen (A)

April (11)
Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King
Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen (A)
Death al Dente by Leslie Budewitz
All Roads Lead Home by Diane Greenwood Muir (K)
Polly's First Christmas at Sycamore House by Diane Greenwood Muir (K)
A Big Life in a Small Town by Diane Greenwood Muir (K)
Die Again by Tess Gerritsen (A)
Treasure Uncovered by Diane Greenwood Muir (K)
Murder in Hindsight by Anne Cleeland (A)
Raven Black by Anne Cleeves (A)
Hush Hush by Laura Lippman

May (12)
Cold Betrayal by J.A. Jance
Hold Me by Susan Mallery
Gathering Prey by John Sandford (A)
This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Stranger by Harlan Coben
White Nights by Anne Cleeves (A)
Losing Faith by Jeremy Asher (K)
The Greatest Gift by Jeremy Asher (K)
Dry Bones by Craig Johnson (A)
A Finely Knit Murder by Sally Goldenbaum
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

June (5)
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (A)
Blue Lightening by Ann Cleeves (A)
Dead Water by Ann Cleeves (A)
Purl Up and Die by Maggie Sefton
Thin Air by Ann Cleeves (A)

July (9)
The Final Encore by Jeremy Asher (K)
The Breaking Point by Jefferson Bass
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
Fire and Ice by Dana Stabenow (A)
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute (A)
Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin (A)
All for You by Susan Mallery, Lori Foster, Gena Showalter, & Bella Andre
Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin (A)
Love Letters by Debbie Macomber

August (6)
Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin (A)
Strip Jack by Ian Rankin (A)
Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy (A)
Long Upon the Land by Margaret Maron
The Black Book by Ian Rankin (A)
Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin (A)

September (4)
Let it Bleed by Ian Rankin (A)
Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs
The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny (A)
Black and Blue by Ian Rankin (A)

October (3)
The Hanging Garden by Ian Rankin (A)
Dead Souls by Ian Rankin (A)
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

November (9)
Set in Darkness by Ian Rankin (A)
The Yarn Whisperer by Clara Parkes
Heartsong Cottage by Emily March
The Falls by Ian Rankin (A)
The Christmas Bouquet/Bayside Retreat by Sherryl Woods
What You See by Hank Phillipi Ryan
Resurrection Men by Ian Rankin (A)
Trimmed with Murder by Sally Goldenbaum

December (11)
Make Me by Lee Child
A Question of Blood by Ian Rankin (A)
Dance of the Bones by J.A. Jance
Willowbrook Road by Sherryl Woods
One Step Away by Sherryl Woods
Once Upon a Proposal by Allison Leigh
The Great Christmas Knit-Off by Alexandra Brown
Fleshmarket Close by Ian Rankin (A)
Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz
Trading Christmas by Debbie Macomber
The Forgetful Bride by Debbie Macomber

2014 Reading List

Books I've read in 2014 - Total 132

 

New for this year, I'm including audio books I listen to on my daily commute. I've also started reading some books on the Kindle app on my phone and/or iPad, so I'm indicating that by Paper (P), Electronic (E), or Audio (A).

January (13)
Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting edited by Ann Hood (P)
Across the Creek by Jeremy Asher (E)
The Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson (A)
Beneath the Willow by Jeremy Asher (E)
Close to Home by Jeremy Asher (E)
Still Life by Louise Penny (A)
Free-range Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (P)
Louise's Dilemma by Sarah R. Shaber (P)
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (A)
Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (P)
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (A)
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (P)
A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny (A)

February (14)
Copperhead Road by Roger Canaff (E)
The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (A)
Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson (P)
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain (P)
Beneath a Buried House by Bob Avey (E)
The Last Daughter by Jessica Ferguson (E)
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny (A)
A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch (P)
Buttons and Bones by Monica Ferris (P)
Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken (E)
Threadbare by Monica Ferris (P)
Gone But Not Missed by A.R. Kennedy (P)
A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (A)
The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison (P)

March (8)
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny (A)
Angels Flight by Michael Connelly (P)
Louise's Gamble by Sarah R. Shaber (P)
The Guestbook by Andrea Hurst (E)
How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny (A)
Sandman by Morgan Hannah MacDonald (E)
The Amazing Thing About the Way it Goes by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (P)
Shadow Prey by John Sandford (A)

April (8)
Spinning Forward by Terri Dulong (P)
Eyes of Prey by John Sandford (A)
The Drowning Spool by Monica Ferris (P)
Fit to be Dead by Nancy G. West (E)
Saltwater Kisses by Krista Lakes (E)
Silent Prey by John Sandford (A)
The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell (P)
Winter Prey by John Sandford (A)

May (11)
Night Prey by John Sandford (A)
Moving Target by J.A. Jance (P)
Missing You by Harlan Coben (P)
Ruin Falls by Jenny Milchman (P)
After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman (P)
Mind Prey by John Sandford (A)
My Sweet Valentine by Jill Sanders (E)
Angora Alibi by Sally Goldenbaum (P)
The Heartbreak Cafe by Melissa Hill (E)
Sudden Prey by John Sandford (A)
The Chance by Robyn Carr (P)

June (11)
The Next Always by Nora Roberts (P)
Any Other Name by Craig Johnson (P)
Secret Prey by John Sandford (A)
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (P)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (P)
A Very Good Life by Lynn Steward (E)
Certain Prey by John Sandford (A)
Easy Prey by John Sandford (A)
Close Knit Killer by Maggie Sefton (P)
Murder in Merino by Sally Goldenbaum (P)
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (P)

July (9)
Chosen Prey by John Sandford (A)
Sweet Water by Christina Baker Kline (E)
Don't Murder Your Mystery by Chris Roerden (P)
Mortal Prey by John Sandford (A)
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach (P)
Naked Prey by John Sandford (A)
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (P)
Yarn Over Murder by Maggie Sefton (P)
Hidden Prey by John Sandford (A)

August (13)
The Competition by Marcia Clark (P)
Starting Now by Debbie Macomber (P)
There's Only Been You by Donna Marie Rogers (E)
Broken Prey by John Sanford (A)
Blossom Street Brides by Debbie Macomber (P)
Carolina Crimes (P)
The Stories We Tell by Patti Callahan Henry (P)
Invisible Prey by John Sandford (A)
Designated Daughters by Margaret Maron (P)
Summer People by Aaron Stander (E)
Phantom Prey by John Sandford (A)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (P)
Cora's Heart by Rachael Herron (E)

September (10)
Wicked Prey by John Sandford (A)
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger (P)
The Long Way Home by Louise Penny (A)
The Ranger by Ace Atkins (P)
Arnco by Ben Muse (E)
The Ways of the Dead by Neely Tucker (P)
Storm Prey by John Sandford (A)
Remains of Innocence by J.A. Jance (P)
Buried Prey by John Sandford (A)
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (P)

October (9)
Louise's War by Sarah R. Shaber (P)
Stolen Prey by John Sandford (A)
Louise's Blunder by Sarah R. Shaber (P)
Silken Prey by John Sandford (A)
The Secret Place by Tana French (P)
Eliza's Home: A Cypress Hollow Novella by Rachael Herron (E)
Field of Prey by John Sandford (A)
Dark of the Moon by John Sandford (A)
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (P)

November (14)
Heat Lightning by John Sandford (A)
Truth Be Told by Hank Phillippi Ryan (P)
Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs (P)
Personal by Lee Child (P)
Rough Country by John Sandford (A)
To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie (P)
Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson (P)
Revival by Stephen King (P)
Bad Blood by John Sandford (A)
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (P)
Guests on Earth by Lee Smith (P)
Shock Wave by John Sandford (A)
The Resurrectionist by Matthew Guinn (P)
Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb (P)

December (12)
Byrd by Kim Church (P)
Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick (P)
Mad River by John Sandford (A)
Greenglass House by Kate Milford (P)
The Brands Who Came for Christmas by Maggie Shayne (E)
Storm Front by John Sandford (A)
The Collection of Heng Souk by S.R. Wilsher (E)
Deadline by John Sandford (A)
Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-eyed Stranger by Lee Smith (P)
Safe Harbor by Sherryl Woods (P)
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (A)
A Cold Creek Homecoming by Raeanne Thayne (P)

See the Turtle of Enormous Girth

It took several trips, but all of the Christmas decorations are now in the guest room.  Well, everything except the tree stand and the 5 foot wreath that goes on the front of the deck, I'll get those when it's time to use them.

While hauling all the boxes and containers out of the shed, I found this little guy. 

Given his state, I'm guessing he's been in there a while.  I imagine he snuck in there one of the times we left the shed open for a couple of days, and then got locked in.  We had some mouse poison in there too, so I'm not sure if he got into that or just died from lack of food and water.  I almost hope he got into the poison.

I've been listening to The Dark Tower series by Stephen King the last couple of weeks on my daily commute, so in a perfect example of the way my mind works....the first thing that popped into my head was that I'd killed the beam!

See the TURTLE of enormous girth!
On his shell he holds the earth.
His thought is slow but always kind;
He holds us all within his mind.
On his back all vows are made;
He sees the truth but mayn't aid.
He loves the land and loves the sea,
And even loves a child like me.

My Reading Life

I just finished updating my 2013 Reading List to reflect the books I've read in the past month or so, and I've noticed a trend.  I've been reading a lot less this year and even more so in the past couple of months.

I've been pondering why that is, because I certainly haven't lost interest in reading and my "to be read' pile is taller than ever, and I'm o.k. with the answer.  It's because I've been spending more time with other interests as well, and that's a good thing.

I've mentioned before that I can become a bit obsessive about reading.  If you look back at my reading lists over the past couple of years (links in the sidebar) you'll see that most months I read a book every 2-3 days, and there were even some months that I read an entire book every single day.  While most of my reading is mystery/thriller, with some women's fiction thrown in, rather than meaty literary tomes that's still a lot of time spent reading. But there's only so much time in a day, and even though I only sleep 5-6 hours a night, I can only do so much in that time.

Of the free time I have, I've been knitting and I've now added spinning to my fiber arts.  I'm not very good at spinning yet, so I try to spend at least a little time on it most days. And I have so many knitting projects going at one time I often do a little on 2 or 3 different projects each day.  I'm also attending more fiber events with friends instead of sitting around reading every weekend.

I've also been writing more, and that's the best thing really.  I've been working on the first draft of the same novel for over 2 years now I think.  It's taking me so long because I haven't been writing consistently over those 2 years, but I finally seem to be making some regular progress, and I have high hopes that the first draft at least will be finished sometime in 2014.  I'm not even thinking beyond that point yet.

I have noticed that I tend to read more books in the months when my professional life is the busiest.  I think that's because reading is an escape of sorts, and a brain cleanse when I need to change tracks in my thinking.  It's also very portable, so I always have a book in my purse, and I can access more through the Kindle app on my phone.  So when work is crazy I will often read while I eat lunch at my desk, or even take 20 minutes after a day of non-stop meetings to read a bit of my book before tackling all the preparations for the next day's round of meetings.

So reading and books will always be a big part of my life.  I don't even count on my reading list the Audible.com books  I listen to daily on my hour long commute each morning and evening, so I will always have the stories.  But maybe my life is becoming a little more balanced, even as my TBR pile totters a little more from its growing height, and maybe one day someone will read one of my books.

Book Memories

This is the first "real" book I remember owning.  It was given to me by my first grade teacher, Miss Hooper, a rather corpulent lady who I loved dearly.  I don't remember much about first grade, but I remember that I thought Miss Hooper was the greatest person in the world, in part because she would let me read during nap time instead of actually trying to sleep, but mainly because she did her best to keep me entertained while the rest of the class learned to read.

I have no memory of learning to read.  Not of learning the alphabet or sounding out words like "dog" and "cat". I'm told that I was reading on my own by age three or so.  And reading has been a huge part of my life since that time.

My parents have been working on cleaning out years of saved items from mine and my siblings' childhood and my niece found this in a box of old books.  I'm sure that I owned other books before this, and I know I've owned thousands since, but this is the first one I remember loving.  I was so proud that Miss Hooper had given me such a wonderful gift, and I read it over and over again.

Periodically I try to go through my books and make some hard decisions about what to keep and what to pass on.  It's gut wrenching every time, because I would keep them all if space allowed.  But this is one that has earned a permanent place on my shelves.

2013 Reading List

Books I've Read in 2013 - Total 69

I also have a Goodreads page where I sometimes provide more

 commentary on what I thought of the book.

January (8)

Big Sky River by Linda Lael Miller
In for a Penny by Maggie Toussaint
On the Nickel by Maggie Toussaint
A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
The Abduction of Mary Rose by Joan Hall Hovey
Dare Me by Megan Abbott
Home Front by Kristin Hannah
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

February (9)
Careless in Red by Elizabeth George
Defending Jacob by William Landay
And Then You Dye by Monica Ferris
Cover of  Snow by Jenny Milchman
The Long Way Home by Mariah Stewart
The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
Sonoma Rose by Jennifer Chiaverini
Until Proven: A Mystery in 2 Parts by Nora Gaskin
Return to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

March (5)
A Demon in My View by Ruth Rendell
Cold Feet by Karen Pullen
Regulated for Murder by Suzanne Adair
A Place in Life by Robert Hartstein
Two Graves by Preston & Child

April (5)
Reflection Point by Emily March
The Wanderer by Robyn Carr
The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Sand Castle Bay by Sherryl Woods

May (9)
Rage Against the Dying by Becky Masterman
Wind Chime Point by Sherryl Woods
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
No Bells by F.M. Meredith
Huntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff
Death Will Get You Sober by Elizabeth Zelvin
Snipe Hunt by Sarah R. Shaber
Big Sky Summer by Linda Lael Miller
Soft Target by Rachel A. Brune

June (7)
A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read
This Body of Death by Elizabeth George
Deadly Stakes by J.A. Jance
Six Years by Harlan Coben
The Time Between by Karen White
Sea Glass Island by Sherryl Woods
The Newcomer by Robyn Carr

July (6)
The Mystery Box
Joyland by Stephen King
Simon Said by Sarah R. Shaber
The Grave Gourmet by Alexander Campion
A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller
Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman

August (6)
The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz
Death Will Help You Leave Him by Elizabeth Zelvin
Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews
And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

September (4)
Time of Death by Nora Gaskin
Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner
Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs
The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillipi Ryan

October (3)
The Prophet by Michael Koryta
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
It Happens in the Dark by Carol O'Connell

November (4)
A Hostage to Heritage by Suzanne Adair
The Bones of Paris by Laurie R. King
Cut to the Bone by Jefferson Bass
King's Mountain by Sharyn McCrumb

December (3)
Death Will Extend Your Vacation by Elizabeth Zelvin
Second Watch by J.A. Jance
The All-girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg