Reading Log 2014

I was just looking over my list of books for this year and comparing it to the previous two years. I shouldn't be surprised that I have read more books this year, but I actually was and goodreads.com tells me that I'm an "overachiever," which kind of nice. This year, I had set a goal on there to read 60 books, and I completed 66! (I thought about just linking that list for a super-lazy blog post, but I'm currently thinking that I need to get back to writing more... so here goes.)

Here are some random facts that have to do with the books I read this year:

• My only actual resolution for this year was to read more classics. I intentionally phrased the goal that way so that I couldn't fail! I went from reading zero classic literature in recent years to 5 classics this year. Also, I learned an important lesson: There's a reason I wasn't previously reading this stuff. I sort of hate it! Hence, I went back to reading what I want, largely chick lit and murder mysteries, for which I will make no apologies. Read what you like!
• My new favorite author is Meg Cabot. I started reading Meg Cabot this year because goodreads suggested her, and it was so right on. I love her sense of humor and her voice.
• After having read most every adult novel by Meg Cabot that I could get my hands on, I moved on to her teen books. These are fun, too, and very satisfying if you want a quick read and something a bit lighter than those dreary classics that some people claim that you must read. (Again, I suggest that you read what you like!!)
• Fun fact: I just recently read The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (see above), and you might be interested to know that this is actually where my daughter's name came from. (Although, it was from the movie, since I hadn't read the book at the time. Also, the book is, of course, better.)
• Most of the other books I read were chosen because I liked the titles or the art on the spine (lots of cupcakes and that sort of thing drew my attention). 
• However, one recurring theme, which I don't know if I selected intentionally or not was relationships of women with other women, specifically sisters. While I do not have sisters, I do have sisters-in-law (one new just this year!). Anyway, the main thing that struck me is that I've been having conflicts with other women in recent months (not the sisters-in-law, thankfully!), so I can't help but wonder if my mind was trying to problem-solve for me.
• This year, I read my first e-book, Insatiable by Meg Cabot. It was the first of several e-books I have now read (most of which were also by Meg Cabot).
• I also listened to my first audiobook, The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand. I won this from the library, and I thought it would be cool to listen to a book while making a trip Up North with the kids, minus Brett. My thought was they were ready to listen to their DVDs with headphones, so I would be safe to listen to an adult book. And I was wrong. They weren't all that keen to keep headphones on for that long, and this was definitely not a good book for their little ears to hear snippets of. It took me at least another couple of weeks following that trip (possibly longer, I don't exactly remember the details, just that it was tedious for me) to finish listening to this book whenever they were not in the car with me (which I am sure you can guess, wasn't all that frequently). 
• Lastly, I've also read some really powerful non-fiction works this go-round, so let me know if you'd care to chat about any of those. 

On second thought, here's that link -- just in case I've already bored you and you don't want to read the following list of books -- or you just want to view all that cover art that seems to grab my attention when I'm browsing the bookshelves at our local library. https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/1346753)

1. The Green Hour: A Daily Dose Nature for Happier, Healthier, Smarter Kids by Todd Christopher
2. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson
3. Death of a Trophy Wife by Laura Levine
4. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
5. Valentine Murder by Leslie Meier
6. Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell
7. Killer Blonde by Laura Levine
8. Killing Bridezilla by Laura Levine
9. Killer Cruise by Laura Levine
10. The PMS Murder by Laura Levine
11. New Year's Eve Murder by Leslie Meier
12. The Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews
13. Death by Pantyhose by Laura Levine
14. The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
15. The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom
16. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
17. Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
18. In the Bag by Kate Klise
19. Death of a Neighborhood Witch by Laura Levine
20. Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier
21. Father's Day Murder by Leslie Meier
22. Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch
23. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
24. The Taste of Apple Seeds by Katharina Hagena
25. The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch
26. Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith
27. What Looks Like Crazy by Charlotte Hughes
28. Pie Town by Lynne Hinton
29. Nutcase by Charlotte Hughes
30. High Anxiety by Charlotte Hughes
31. Killing Cupid by Laura Levine
32. The Memory Garden by Laura Rickert
33. Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
34. Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot
35. Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot
36. The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee
37. Twisted Sisters by Jen Lancaster
38. Insatiable by Meg Cabot 
39. Overbite by Meg Cabot
40. Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
41. Size 14 is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot
42. Big Boned by Meg Cabot
43. Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself by Florence Littauer
44. Doing It at the Dixie Dew by Ruth Moose
45. The Right Thing by Amy Conner
46. Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster
47. Stay by Allie Larkin
48. The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand 
49. Thin, Rich, Pretty by Beth Harbison
50. When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison
51. Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
52. Every Boy's Got One by Meg Cabot
53. Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership by Nancy Ortberg
54. Known & Loved: 52 Devotions from the Psalms by Caryn Rivadeneira
55. The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa TerKeurst
56. Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life by Glennon Doyle Melton
57. Avalon High by Meg Cabot
58. Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot
59. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
60. All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
61. Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot
62. Secret Santa by Fern Michaels (and others)
63. The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot
64. Christmas Carol Murder by Leslie Meier
65. A Winter Wonderland by Fern Michaels (and others)
66. Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot

"There are two stories for every life; the one you live and the one others tell." ~ Mitch Albom, The First Phone Call from Heaven