Fall Into Reading Challenge Wrap-Up!

Well, we are supposed to wrap up our Fall Into Reading Challenge today, as hosted by Katrina from Callapiddar Days blog.  I LOVE to read as most of you know, and I always have a novel going or some kind of hiking book, or non fiction book......I am most successful with mysteries or historical fiction.  Here is my original list.......how did I do??  Well, considering that I started the school year with teaching part time and then took a full time position half way through October, I guess I did fairly well since I lost my afternoons to read!

  First I will answer some questions that Katarina left on her site for us to answer:

Did I finish all the books on my reading list??  NO! But...that was partly because our towne library didn't have them in stock and I am on a waiting list for another one. 

Did I stick with my original goals or did I change my list as I went along?  I didn't change my list but I did add to it when I discovered a couple of books in the library and learned they didn't have the ones I originally wanted.

What was my favorite book that I read this fall and why? My fave from this challenge was The 6th Man by David Baldachhi because it was fast-paced, gripping, and the 2 main characters are 2 of my very faves from this particular series. You can read about it here.

What was my least favorite book I read this fall and why? My least fave was the non-fiction Christian book titled  Faith in the Halls of Power by Dr. Michael Lyndsay, current president of Gordon College (Boston) where my oldest daughter is a freshman.  It's a tough read.....lots of theology with politics and current culture.  The best chapter for me was the one that talked about Evangelical Christians in Hollywood and the arts/entertainment industry.  The rest of it was ok, but just too "dry" for my preferences.  He IS a good speaker though and very personable around campus! :)

Did I learn anything new from one of the books on my list?  YES...I learned alot of Adirondack history and mysterious disappearances from the non-fiction book I really enjoyed titled At the Mercy of the Mountains

Here's my original list and my results:

1. finish Burnt Mountain (fiction) by Anne Rivers Siddon(completed on 9/25)
2. finish At the Mercy of the Mountains (true stories of survival and tragedy in the Adirondacks!)(non-fiction) (completed on 10/4) 
3. The Sixth Man by David Baldacchi (fiction/mystery)  completed on 10/2
4. These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf (fiction/suspense). I LOVED her novel The Weight of Silence..it was so well written and left an impact...I am really looking forward to reading this)(completed on 10/9/11)
5. Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo (fiction/mystery). I read her book Sworn to Silence and really enjoyed it. It is about a detective who grew up Amish and her books seem to be set around the Amish population. completed but not a fave of mine although I enjoyed the first 2 books in the series.
6. Parenting with Purpose and Grace by Alice Fryling (non-fiction).  This won't be done by December but it is the book we are studying for the small group I lead.  It is an excellent Christian resource for parents, totally based on Scripture.  still working through as it's our small group study. We'll be done with it in early March.
7. finish The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (the 3rd book in the Millennium series).  I started this series last spring and loved the first 2 books, although they both were tough to get into at first.  This third book is also tough to begin...I'm not sure why but it feels bogged down, if that makes sense.  BUT....so many people, my husband and oldest daughter included, said I HAVE to read it and finish it....they say it is amazing......so...I do plan on finishing it. We own the series so that one is on hold because these other fiction books are from the library and I can only renew them twice.  I am a little more than half way through this one and expect to finish it sometime before New Year's Eve!!
8. finish the non-fiction book Faith in the Hands of Power by Dr Michael Lyndsay.  He is the new president of Gordon College and he used to be a professor at Rice University. Gordon is where our oldest daughter goes for Graphic Design and Math.  It is a tough read....lots of politics...but from an evangelical perspective, it is a good read and an important one.  It might take awhile for this one...it's slow  going and my husband is also reading it. We splurged and bought it at the college bookstore. I finished this but it was TOUGH...I didn't really enjoy it all that much!

BOOKS I ADDED AFTER WRITING THE ORIGINAL POST:

• The Piano Teacher by Janice Y K Lee (fiction)  library didn't have!

• Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller (non fiction about Christian Spirituality)I am on the waiting list at the library!

• Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt (realistic fiction) library didn't have this one!
• 10th Anniversary by James Patterson (fiction/mystery from The Women's Murder Club series) completed and loved it!! one of his best!

• Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo (biography) completed and loved this one!
• The Paris Wife by Paula McLain completed and it was wonderful!!

• The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards Completed and enjoyed but I liked her other novel better.

SUMMARY:  

 I completed 10 books out of 15.  I am finishing up 2 books (the parenting study book and the Millennium book) and I am hoping to get the other 3  books read sometime before spring begins!

Did you read this past autumn??  Winter has officially begun.........spend some time reading some great books, find your favorite genre and perhaps scope out a new genre you've never tried!

HAPPY READING!!

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