Because I Said So (and Other Mommyisms): Reading Log 2012

So, after reading this list that Button Bird Designs kept last year, and after seeing my friend Kim's Facebook update telling how many books she had read for 2011 (and apparently none were picture books; I checked), I was inspired to keep my own reading log for this year. I don't think I actually wrote any New Year's Resolutions for 2012 since they never seem to be kept and that just makes me feel like a failure, but I did make it a goal to read more often and to keep a log of all the books I finished. I don't think I came close to Kim in terms of how many volumes I made it through, but it's not too shabby.

Re-reading these titles suddenly helps me realize why "murder" has become a recent addition to Mia's vocabulary. Incidentally, if you like light-hearted murder mysteries, I love the "Meg Langslow" series by Donna Andrews, which all have punny bird-themed titles. I also have enjoyed many, many in the "Hannah Swenson" series by Joanne Fluke. As a bonus, all of these dessert-themed books include tons of recipes. I don't think I have actually tried any of them yet, but someday... These books fill a void since I used to love crime-solving shows but I can't watch them any longer. Being a mom makes that stuff hit a little too close to home for some reason -- with the exception for Castle, which is irreverent enough to suit my sense of humor.

Confession time: some books I am listing individually were actually two different sets of three bound together. So, if you are keeping track and don't want to count them as separate novels, that means I am down 4 on my list. Personally, I thought they should all count as individual books since they all have separate authors and are really just compiled together because of similar subject matter, but Amazon listings seem to suggest otherwise...

And yes, I read the Fifty Shades books, which surprised both my sister-in-law and my mom, although I am not sure why. I couldn't put them down and finished the series in about 10 days, mostly while sitting next to the sandbox. Thankfully, it was during those glorious end of summer days that kept the kids engrossed in outdoor play, needing very little from me. Don't get all judgmental. I balanced that out nicely with a few choice parenting tomes. Here's the list: