It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Well, another week is beginning and I am here to report the reading I have accomplished this week.  I could have done a lot more, but I left my book behind when we went on a day at the lake; it would have been perfect for reading had I remembered to pack my book.  I can’t believe I forgot!

Here’s the progress from the week:

• Managers of Their Homes, by Steven and Teri Maxwell – I’m still on page 80.  I really want to keep on with this book.  It’s not that it’s hard, it’s just that I’ve already completed our schedule and this schedule is working for our family for the most part.  I have a little tweaking to do this week and I need to reprint a copy for the wall.
• Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder (our current read-aloud) – We are on page 144.  This book has been a hit.  The boy doesn’t care for the content so much, but mostly that’s because of his age.  The book is great for boys and girls alike.  The oldest three (all girls) are loving it and beg me to read to them through out the day, not just at night.  I try to save reading this book for our bedtime read-aloud.  I think doing so builds the excitement and keeps them moving through their evening routine to get to the book!  (I am reading this for the Read Your Own Book Challenge.)
• One Year to an Organized Financial Life by Regina Leeds – I am on page 116.  The topic this month is investing.  b- o- r-i-n-g!  I love almost everything else about dealing with our finances, but I can not grasp this stuff and don’t care to do so either.  I think this will just be one area that DH says, this is what we are doing and I just go with it.  (I am reading this book to review for the author and for the RYOB Challenge.)
• Fascinating Womanhood, by Helen Andelin – I am on page 64.  I only read two pages since I reported last week.  (RYOB Challenge)
• The Magician’s Book, by Laura Miller – I’ve gotten as far as page 58; I haven’t read any further for a couple weeks now.   (For review and RYOB Challenge.)
• Bringing Up Boys, by Dr. James Dobson – I just started this book; I have thoroughly enjoyed the first 4 pages!  I have already laughed and sighed a number of times thinking of my son as I read the words printed on the page.  A friend and I have 3 year old boys and many times are at our wits end as to what to do with them.  I’ve got three girls older than my boy; her boy is her eldest child.  We are reading this book together; we will try to do a chapter a week.  We’ll see how it goes.  (Initially, I was reading this for the Support Your Local Library Challenge, but since I now own a copy I have moved this title to the RYOB Challenge.)
• The Birth Book, by William Sears and Martha Sears.  I am on page 3, just starting chapter one.  I love this quote at the beginning of Chapter 1:  “Besides being a time for growing a baby, pregnancy is a time when you grow as a person, healing memories or fears about birth, working out a birthing philosophy, assembling the right team and selecting the right birth place for you.  In no time in history have women enjoyed more birthing options.  . . . (W)e will help you sift through available resources and work out your own approach to birth.  While few women get all their birth wishes, in general, the better you prepare, the more satisfying your birth.”  I have read this book a couple of times already.  After losing Harvey in 2004, I needed something to get me through M’s pregnancy, labour and delivery.  I was in a new province, with new midwives and scared.  I picked up this book and read it through and was comforted, empowered and relaxed.  I took control of what I could take control of and left the rest to those who knew better than I did what to do.  I have returned to this book with each subsequent pregnancy, but never owned a copy until just recently.  I am happy to have a copy to call my own, to mark up as I wish and to read during those late at night worry sessions. (RYOB Challenge)

Just an update on my Spring Reading Thing Challenge as well today.  This challenge ends on Monday the 21st of June.  The last three months have gone by so fast.  I haven’t read many of the books on my SRT Challenge list, but I have certainly read more this spring than I have in a long time.  One of my other goals was to read more to my children and I have accomplished that as well!  I am very pleased with my progress, even if it differs from my original plan.

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

Our local library is just across the street and down the block a little.  We are there at least once a week.  Well, not all of us, but at least one of us is there.  We get farm fresh eggs from a lady that is largely involved there and that's where she delivers our eggs.  So often I will send one or two of the girls to grab eggs and books.  I give them permission to choose a few books at that time, but mostly I use our library's webpage and search site to order our books from our library system (many libraries in the area will send you books from their library), and they pick up those books as well, while they are there.

When I ran across this reading challenge, I decided that instead of ordering MOSTLY children's books (easy level) I would start ordering books for me too, and that I would actually read them.  Not just order, skim and return.  So, I am joining the challenge in addition to the SRT and RYOB Challenges.  I am joining the Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge at The Mini Level - 25 books.  With the other reading challenges I have I don't want to add too many more books this year.  If I complete all the challenges, that will be 50 books this year!  That's ALMOST a book a week, not including the books I already read this year.

Check out this link to sign up and choose your level.  You don't have to list your books first, but I have a start on what I would like to get from my library.  (Bold titles have been read, and completed for this challenge.)

Here's the start of my list:

1. Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow
2. The Captain's Wife by Douglas Kelley
3. Sand Sharks by Margaret Maron
4. How to Really Love Your Child by Ross Campbell
5. The Blessing by John T. Trent
6. Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage by Mark Gungor
7. Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of  a Woman's Soul by John Eldridge
8. Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul by John Eldridge
9. Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson
10. Bringing Up Girls by James Dobson
11. The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldridge (not sure if this is the same book as the Wild at Heart one or not)
12. The Journey of Desire by John Eldridge
13. Waking the Dead by John Eldridge
14. A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers 
15. The Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen Taylor 
16. The Knight at Dawn, Magic Tree House Series #2 by Mary Pope Osbourne
17. The Big Breakfast Diet by Daniela Jakubowicz, M.D.
18. Sugar Blues by William Dufty
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Striving to learn and live God's purposes,