Fall Into Reading 2010 Wrapup Post

December 20, 2010 · 4 comments

Fall Into Reading is an annual reading challenge led by Kristina at Callapidder Days. The main requirements to participate are to create a list of books you would like to read (or finish reading), post your list at the beginning of fall and post your results at the end of the season. This is my wrap-up post with my final results.

I have been keeping track of the books I read and plan to read over at Shelfari for a couple of years now, and when I started the challenge there were 125 books on my TBR list. My goal for the fall was to read 20 of them. Most of these were more recent additions to the list based on recommendations by other bloggers (although unfortunately, I didn’t keep track of which ones).

I did read some books that weren’t on the list, but surprisingly for me I didn’t get through a lot of the original 20. I have listed them again below with my comments about whether I liked the book or why I didn’t end up reading it.

My Fall Into Reading 2010 List

Read:
If You Lived Here, You’d Be Home Now by Claire LaZebnik – Read this one and enjoyed it a lot! I have actually read one of Ms. LaZebnik’s nonfiction books on autism and am interested to read more of her work, both fiction and non.
After You by Julie Buxbaum – Read this one and enjoyed it.
Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch – Read this one and liked it. This is a what if story about a woman who is a stay at home wife and mom and wonders if she made the right decisions. She ends up several years in the past and has the chance to make different choices and see if her life can be better.
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger – Read this one. Very intriguing with amazing prose, not totally thrilled with the ending but it fit the book.
Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury – One of my favorite authors, although not my favorite story of hers. The characters seem a bit too stereotypical, and the transformations are too sudden (not to say that God can’t work miracles, but it doesn’t seem as true to life as other books of hers that I have read).
Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado – I had started this one almost a year ago and finally picked it up again and read the rest of it. The only reason I finished it is because it was a review copy from Booksneeze. Here’s my review of it.
Autism’s Hidden Blessings: Discovering God’s Promises for Autistic Children & Their Families by Kelly Langston – I received this book as a gift at a faith-based luncheon for moms of children with autism. Kelly was the speaker, and I enjoyed meeting her and hearing her speak very much. I had read most of the book shortly thereafter but somehow just hadn’t finished it, so I picked it up again and finished the last few chapters. It is a very encouraging read about God’s promises for us in the midst of difficult situations.

DNF (Did Not Finish):
While I’m Falling by Laurie Moriarty – Checked out of library, but just couldn’t get into.
Nice to Come Home To by Rebecca Flowers – Another one that I checked out of the library but just couldn’t get into.
The Stuff That Never Happened by Maddie Dawson – I picked this up immediately following Time of My Life and it was the same type of story – a wife who was unhappy and wondered if the other guy would have been the better choice after all. I just couldn’t read another “what if” story so soon and ended up putting it down.
Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie – I should have liked this and might have if I wasn’t so distracted lately, but it just didn’t grab my attention. The premise appears to be a detective story that takes place during the Roman Empire with a doctor as the main character.
The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin – This got so many great reviews, and I probably would actually appreciate it. However, I renewed it twice and still didn’t get to it, so I don’t anticipate reading this one at the moment.
Fat,Forty,Fired: One Man’s Frank,Funny,and Inspiring Account of Losing His Job and Finding His Life by Nigel Marsh – I flipped through this one and even read a couple of pages but just wasn’t interested enough to dive in. This is really unusual for me to have so little interest in books.

Didn’t Find at Library and Wasn’t Willing to Purchase:
The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash
Terminal Care by Christopher Stookey
Good Enough to Eat by Stacy Ballis
Good Things by Mia King
Club Sandwich by Lisa Samson

Still Pending:
Her Daughter’s Dream (Marta’s Legacy) by Francine Rivers – Put on hold at library, waiting for it to be available.
The Thorn by Beverly Lewis – Put on hold at library, waiting for it to be available.

What I Have Learned About Myself In The Last Three Months

The quickest way to make me not want to do something is to make it a commitment (even a self-generated one)!
I use the word “just” a lot. Normally I would go back through and edit them out, but I guess I just don’t feel like it today.