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Showing posts with label wrap up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wrap up. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

August Wrap Up and more

I'm a little behind in my wrap ups... AppleBlossom was due on August 15th, but she decided to arrive early on July 31st. Spending time with her has most definitely affected my reviews and reading time, but that's ok. She is worth every book-free moment. *grin* In other exciting news, Creative Madness was nominated four times for a BBAW Award.

Cloth Diaper Education post
Guest Post - Author Lynnette Bonner
Guest Review - Sand Sharks by Margaret Maron

Old reviews posted:
5 stars
Rekindled
Revealed
Remembered, The Fountain Creek Chronicles by Tamera Alexander
4 stars
A Garden in Paris
A Hilltop in Tuscany by Stephanie Grace Whitson

New Reviews:
5 stars
A Dream to Call My Own, The Brides of Gallatin County #3 by Tracie Peterson
Honor in the Dust, Winslow Breed Series #1 by Gilbert Morris
Discover God Study Bible
TSI: The Gabon Virus by Paul McCusker and Walt Larrimore M.D.
Your Pregnancy Quick Guide: Labor and Delivery
Your Pregnancy Quick Guide: Postpartum Wellness
by Glade B. Curtis
4 stars
Surrender the Wind by Rita Gerlach
The Blue Enchantress, The Charles Towne Belles Series #2 by Marylu Tyndall


Wordless Wednesday
Baptism
Snuggles
Flutterbys


In July, I made some changes to the formatting of my blog and added some navigation tags. Some such as listing book reviews by genre. Hopefully this will make my blog more user friendly for finding interesting previous reviews.

Q&A with Author Mary Connealy

Guest Reviews:
Your Pregnancy for the Father to Be
Death's Half Acre by Margaret Maron

Old Reviews:
5 stars
Petticoat Ranch, Lassoed in Texas #1
Calico Canyon, Lassoed in Texas #2
Gingham Mountain, Lassoed in Texas #3 by Mary Connealy
4 stars
Silent in the Grave
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
Courting Trouble
A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist

New Reviews:
5 stars
Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion
Your Pregnancy Week by Week
Ransome's Honor, The Ransome Trilogy #1
Stand-In Groom, Brides of Bonnettere #1
Menu for Romance, Brides of Bonneterre #2 by Kaye Dacus
New Mom's Guide to Dealing with Dad
Expecting by Marla Taviano
Montana Rose, Montana Marriages #1 by Mary Connealy

4 stars
Deadly Intent by Camy Tang
Pirate Hunter by Tom Morrisey
My Everyday Promise Bible

2 stars
The Pregnancy Journal

1 star
What to Expect When You are Expecting

Wordless Wednesday
Last pictures of Mama before Birth
36 Wks preggo

Product Reviews
The Baby Lua

My June/ mid Annual 2009 Wrap Up

19,122 pages for 2009

64 books for 2009
August count 8

So far my best month was July at 14, with a second of January at 10. My worst month April with 3 books read. These numbers do not include long-term reading books, just completion.

Monday, July 13, 2009

June Wrap Up/Mid Annual 2009 Reading Wrap Up

In 2008, I read over 109 books.

I wanted to pass that in 2009, but being pregnant (it's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!) has really cut into my reading time. I'm terrified of what having an infant and later a toddler will do to it. Maybe she'll like to sit and listen to Mama read... I have reviewed practically every book that I have read this year. Most of the reviews are in the archives of my blog and all of my reviews are on goodreads. If there is a specific one you want to read and cannot find it just by searching (left column up high there is a search bar), then comment and I'll find it for you. Sorry it's just too much to imagine putting in all the links right now.

To try to help a little, I'm going italicize the Fiction and bolden the historical fiction ...


January:

Scrapping Plans (Sister's Ink, #3) by Rebeca Seitz 5/5
Missing Mary The Queen of Heaven and Her Re-Emergence in the Modern Church by Charlene Spretnak 5/5
Miss Potter The Novel by Richard Maltby Jr. 5/5
Deep in the Heart of Trouble (Sequel to Courting Trouble) by Deeanne Gist 5/5
Princess Ben Being a Wholly Truthful Account of Her Various Discoveries and Misadventures, Recounted to the Best of Her Recollection, in Four Parts by Catherine Gilbert Murdock 5/5
Peek-a-Boo, I Love You! by Sandra Magsamen 4/5
New Living Translation - 2.0 - Sanctuary Bible Leatherlike/Fabric - Blue Floral from Tyndale House 5/5
The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen 5/5
Dangerous Heart (Westward Hearts, #3) by Tracey Victoria Bateman 5/5
Goodnight Goon A Petrifying Parody by Michael Rex 3/5

February:
Silent On The Moor (Julia Grey, #3) by Deanna Raybourn 5/5
Tuck (King Raven, #3) by Stephen R. Lawhead 5/5
Grandmother, Have the Angels Come? by Denise Vega 4/5
The I LOVE YOU Book by Todd Parr 5/5
The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist 5/5
Wanted (Sisters of the Heart, #2) by Shelley Shepard Gray 3/5
The Rose Conspiracy by Craig Parshall 4/5
The Desires of Her Heart (Texas: Star of Destiny #1) by Lyn Cote 4/5

March:
Just Another Girl A Novel by Melody Carlson 5/5
A Lady of Hidden Intent 5/5 and
A Lady of Secret Devotion 4/5 both by Tracie Peterson
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer 5/5
A Love to Last Forever by Tracie Peterson 5/5
Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills 5/5
Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake 4/5
Holy Bible Word of Promise Next Generation - New Testament Dramatized Audio Bible 3/5
Bittersweet by Cathy Marie Hake 4/5

April:
From a Distance by Tamera Alexander 5/5
Beyond This Moment by Tamera Alexander 5/5
The Secret by Beverly Lewis 1/5

May:
Blaggard's Moon by George Bryan Polivka 5/5
Nightmare's Edge (Echoes from the Edge, #3) by Bryan Davis 3/5
A Passion Denied (Daughters of Boston, #3) by Julie Lessman 5/5
Beloved Counterfiet (Fairweather Key, #3) by Kathleen Y'Barbo 4/5
Gold of Kings by Davis Bunn 4/5
Julian Dare by Melanie Jeschke 4/5

June:
A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist 4/5
Deceptive Promises (Delaware Brides, #3) by Amber Miller 5/5
Love's Pursuit by Siri Mitchell 3/5
No Place for a Lady (Heart of the West, #1) by Maggie Brendan 4/5
Breathe (Homeward Trilogy, #1) by Lisa Tawn Bergren 4/5
I Don't Want a Posh Dog by Emma Dodd 3/5
The Postpartum Survival Guide by Paul Meier et al 5/5

July:
Montana Rose (Montana Marriages, #1) by Mary Connealy 5/5


13,131 pages for 2009
44 books for 2009
July count 1

My current read is Nosy in Nebraska (omnibus 3-in-1) by Mary Connealy.

Of course, like most my TBR list is unreal, but my closest pile and highest up on the list to read ASAP are the following:

Ransome's Honor (The Ransome Trilogy, #1) by Kaye Dacus
Things Left Unspoken by Eva Marie Everson
Enclave by Karen Hancock
Stand in Groom (Brides of Bonneterre, #1) and
Menu for Romance (Brides of Bonneterre, #2) by Kaye Dacus
Loves' Rescue (The Sierra Chronicles, #1) by Tammy Barley
Deadly Intent (LI) by Camy Tang
Hannah Grace (Daughters of Jacob Cane, #1) and
Maggie Rose (Daughters of Jacob Cane, #2) by Sharlene Mclaren
A Perfect Mess by Lisa Harper

The above I hope to be able to complete in July... then others that would just be nice to be able to read before AppleBlossom arrives are:

The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion by Robin Elise Weiss
Expecting by Marla Taviano
Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Glade B. Curtis
The Pregnancy Journal by A. Christine Harris
What to Expect When You are Expecting by Heidi Murkoff
New Mom's Guide to Dealing with Dad
New Mom's Guide to Finding Your Own Mothering Style
New Mom's Guide to Your Body After Baby
New Mom's Guide to Living on Baby Time, all by Monica Reed and Susan Besze Wallace
Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot
A Claim of Her Own by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Alaska Brides by Mary Connealy, Kathleen Y'Barbo, Cathy Marie Hake
Stealing Home by Alison Pittman
The Swan Maiden by Jules Watson
The Centurian's Wife by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn
A Dream to Call My Own (The Brides of Gallatin County, #3) by Tracie Peterson
How Do I Love Thee? (Ladies of History, #4) by Nancy Moser
The Edge of Light by Ann Shorey
The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander
City of the Dead (Wonders, #2) and
Guardian of the Flame (Wonders, #3)
by T.L. Higley
My Heart Remembers by Kim Vogel Sawyer
With Endless Sight (Crossroads of Grace, #3) by Alison Pittman
A Daughter's Inheritance (Broadmore Legacy, #1) by Tracie Peterson & Judith Miller
Unbridled Dreams by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Willow Springs (Troublesome Creek, #2)
Torrent Falls (Troublesome Creek, #3)
Sweetwater Run (Follow up to Troublesome Creek ??) by Jan Watson


Wish List (some are out, some not yet):
A Lady Like Sarah (Rocky Creek Romance, #1) by Margaret Brownley (December 2009)
The Blue Enchantress (Charles Towne Belles, #2) and (August 2009)
The Raven Saint (Charles Towne Belles, #3) by M.L. Tyndall (January 2010)
Cowboy Christmas by Mary Connealy (September 2009)
Her Inheritance Forever (Texas: Star of Destiny, #2) by Lyn Cote (September 2009)

The Jewel of His Heart (Heart of the West, #2) by Maggie Brendan (October 2009)
Alaskan Quest 3-in-1 by Tracie Peterson (September 2009)
Dawn's Prelude (Song of Alaska, #1) by Tracie Peterson (September 2009)
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran (September 2009)
Three Times Blessed (Belles of Timber Creek, #2) by Lori Copeland (May 1st 2009)
The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y'Barbo (June 2009)
In the Shadow of the Sun King (Darkness to Light, #1) by Golden Keyes Parson (October 2008)
The Betrayed (Gifted, #2) and
The Blessed (Gifted, #3) by Lisa Tawn Bergren

At my current rate, this is a joke... but what do you think? How much can I accomplish??


Friday, May 1, 2009

April 2009 Reading Wrap Up

This month has been quite eventful. Yet, not in the manner of reading. I have completed two quilt tops, that are only lacking their last border on each and will be fully finished. One is baby quilt. It is the first quilt that I ever started when I wanted to learn to quilt, so over the last three years it has been taken apart and redone several times, but is finally to a point where I am content with it. Hopefully I will be able to sandwich and quilt it, before this little girl arrives and she'll enjoy it. The second quilt is one that I ordered as a kit from a magazine, once the border is on, the top will be complete and I can then start to think about what to back it with. It is a Queen size and will be a quilt to use on our bed. It is so beautiful and I am extremely excited about. When I finish the borders, I will post pictures soon!

Next, I am working on a cross stitch for my Sister L's new baby girl. The cross stitch quilt is complete (pictures to come) and I am now trying to complete the birth sampler that matches. It has been taking up a good bit of my time, plus it is very enjoyable. It is just sad that I cannot read while quilting or cross stitching.

Lastly, during the month of April, we found out that my DH as well as over 98 other employees were suddenly and shockingly laid off due to the company merging two divisions. Ugh. I am five months pregnant, we are finally getting settled into this house that we bought last November. DH loves his job. This is so not cool! As well as being completely unexpected. So, needless to say, my reading has slacked. I have not had much a will to do anything, and reading was the least of my priorities. I feel completely behind and extremely overwhelmed and my hope is that readers of my blog and publicists will forgive some boring and post less times for a bit as I attempt to catch up as well as throw myself into the imaginary lives of novel characters.

With that said. It could be much worse, and God is definitely looking out for us and going to provide something bigger and better out of this whole scenario. At first we thought it was going to be a days notice or what not, and came to find that he has two months left with them, and then three months or so of severance. So we are taken care of through out the pregnancy, which is great! It is just after that fact that we are uncertain of. There are a million opportunities that he is looking into, and we are considering it a big adventure and that really helps. He has great skills, and so far it looks as though there are a good bit of recruiters that want him and his skills, so something will work out. It is just a matter of when and what and can I be that patient?

So, there is a chance we will stay in Georgia. There is chance we might move to Salt Lake City, Utah, and there is a chance that we will move to Colorado Springs, Colorado. So, if we move, I will need new local friends, so let me know if you are nearby, and then it will not be nearly as rough of a transition. There are also a million other chances. Right now it is a wait and see what the
Lord guides us to. Prayers are always a welcomed thought!


What I Read:

Fiction

The Secret by Beverly Lewis

Historical Fiction

Blaggard's Moon by George Bryan Polivka

Historical Romance

From A Distance (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book #1) by Tamera Alexander

Beyond This Moment (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book #2) by Tamera Alexander


Nonfiction

Expecting by Marla Taviano
Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Glade B. Curtis MD, MPH and Judith Schuler, MS

What I Reviewed:

Fiction:

The Secret by Beverly Lewis


Historical Romance:

From A Distance (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book #1) by Tamera Alexander

Beyond This Moment (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book #2) by Tamera Alexander



Wednesday, April 1, 2009

March 2009 (Jan & Feb) Reading Wrap Up

A good long while now, I have been meaning to do some sort of wrap up and now with inspiration from Devourer of Books, I am finally organizing myself enough to do so.

In November last year I know I said: Wow. Unless I missed something, I read 109 books in 2008 (so far!) I know I can fit some more in Nov and December as well. Neat! I've never kept count before, an I'm impressed!

For this one post, I'm just linking to my review in Goodreads and the author pages there. Later posts I will actually link back to my reviews on Creative Madness. (This time I'm saving effort and lots of time since it is three months of listings).




What I Read:

January:

Fiction
Contemporary
Scrapping Plans by Rebeca Seitz 5/5
Historical
Miss Potter The Novel by Richard Maltby Jr. 5/5
Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist 5/5
The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen 5/5
Dangerous Heart by Tracey Victoria Bateman 5/5

Non Fiction
Missing Mary The Queen of Heaven and Her Re-Emergence in the Modern Church by Charlene Spretnak 5/5

Children's/Young Adult Fiction
Princess Ben Being a Wholly Truthful Account of Her Various Discoveries and Misadventures, Recounted to the Best of Her Recollection, in Four Parts by Catherine Gilbert Murdock 5/5
Peek-a-Boo, I Love You! by Sandra Magsamen 4/5
Goodnight Goon A Petrifying Parody by Michael Rex 3/5

Bibles
New Living Translation - 2.0 - Sanctuary Bible Leatherlike/Fabric - Blue Floral from Tyndale House 5/5

February:

Fiction
Contemporary
The Rose Conspiracy by Craig Parshall 4/5
Wanted by Shelley Shepard Gray 3/5
Historical
Silent On The Moor by Deanna Raybourn 5/5
Tuck by Stephen R. Lawhead 5/5
The Measure of a Lady A Novel by Deeanne Gist 5/5
The Desires of Her Heart by Lyn Cote 4/5

Children's/Young Adult Fiction:
Grandmother, Have the Angels Come? by Denise Vega 4/5
The I LOVE YOU Book by Todd Parr 5/5

March:
Fiction
Contemporary
Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills 5/5
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer 5/5
Historical
A Lady of Hidden Intent 5/5 and
A Lady of Secret Devotion 4/5 both by Tracie Peterson
A Love to Last Forever by Tracie Peterson 5/5
Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake 4/5
Bittersweet by Cathy Marie Hake 4/5


Children's/Young Adult Fiction
Just Another Girl A Novel by Melody Carlson 5/5


Bibles
Holy Bible Word of Promise Next Generation - New Testament Dramatized Audio Bible 3/5

Feeling a lack of desire for reading has been a real issue the last four months really (been pregnant for four and half now...). It seems to come in waves. Then I spent the first half of March working on the quilt for Sister B. It is all ready to go once I get the applique completed. I have also spent a good amount of time this month on a cross stitch for Sister L's baby that might actually come tonight! Other bits of my time have been preoccupied with working on some genealogy transcriptions of original manuscripts, which boy that can be fun and fascinating and also a huge strain on the eyes!

Hopefully in April, I will get to read many more! I have a huge pile staring at me. Some in particular that I am looking forward to are:

The Swan Maiden by Jules Watson
Various titles from B&H Fiction (12+ titles)
A couple new ones sent via my new favorite Bethany House publicist (3+)
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev (ARC)

*sigh* At least I'm eager. Now as soon as I can finish this cross stitch quilt, I'll be ready to read more!