Update to the 2014 Reading Challenge.

Here's the update to the 2014 reading challenge that was issued to me by a friend.
 
As you will see towards the end of this I do tend to read a lot. Those who know me well often remark that they don’t see me without my nose stuck in a book or worse now a Kindle. They think that I am severely addicted to reading books and they’re not wrong. No, I don't need an intervention either.

 I try to read a wide variety of genres, topics, authors, and to give each book a  chance at least once. Sometimes it's all I can do to finish a book. Other times it's something that I pencil into my planner so that I get through the book at least once during a year. Those are usually my can't live without favorites.

So to those who know me well it was quite laughable when a new friend of mine challenged me to read a minimum of 100 books for the year 2014. They felt I was taking unfair advantage of my new friend. I did warn her. I simply told her that it would be an unfair challenge to make because 100 books would be fairly easy for me to work through between my classes, my homeschooling two children, beloved books that I reread annually, and various books that I am tipped off to through various groups (home school, educational, social, scouting, caregiving, etc.) that I participate in. My new friend  laughed and said just do it. 

So I asked her for some specific guidelines. She said each of the books I read over the course of the year would count no matter the reason as to why I read it. OK that makes it fairly simple then. I just have to keep track of what I read write? She said I could easily count the books I read when I am entertaining little ones or schooling my children or pleasure reading or taking my own classes and anything as long as it was more than 5 pages of print with the exception of the little, little kid books. 

She also said that I would need to read a few books that she would point me to throughout the year because I would get more spice and variety in my life. I told her that I’d be fine with that as long as I could point her in the direction of some books so she too could benefit from spice and variety. I wonder if she's made it to or very far in The Silmarillion???? Come to think of it I've not heard from her in awhile not since I suggested it. hmmm.....

I’m here to update the challenge and share some of the books I’ve had the pleasure and torture to get through so far in 2014. There are several books that have stuck with me and given me much food for thought and there are a few books that have made me go huh???…. I can’t believe it got published. 

My list is the no specific order for having been read except that I tried to put them into a categories of school/educational, annual reread favorites, crafts, cooking, book club and other.

School/educational

Ø  Spanish words for kids cartoon fun

Ø  800+ measurable IEP goals and objectives for use in K-12 classrooms

Ø  Bats

Ø  A Lion to Guard Us

Ø  And Then What Happened Paul Revere

Ø  Calico Bush

Ø  Can’t You Make Them Behave King George

Ø  Carry on Mr. Bowditch

Ø  Incas Aztecs Mayans

Ø  Johnny Tremain

Ø  Justin Morgan Had a Horse

Ø  Meet George Washington

Ø  Meet Thomas Jefferson

Ø  Om-kas-toe

Ø  Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims

Ø  The Story of the Orchestra

Ø  The Story of the USA Book 1

Ø  Swift Rivers

Ø  The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

Ø  The Cabin Faced West

Ø  The Matchlock Gun

Ø  The Candymakers

Ø  The Side of the Beaver

Ø  The Winter at Valley Forge

Ø  The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Ø  Toliver Secret

Ø  Usborne The Children’s Book of Art

Ø  Walk the Worlds Rim

Ø  What’s the Big Idea Been Franklin

Ø  If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution

Ø  Little Music Lessons from Little Kids Lesson 1

Ø  Alphabets of the World: Letters from 78 Languages

Ø  50 State Quiz Book

Ø  Inner Reiki: A Practical Guide for Healing and Meditation

Ø  Reiki Healing Touch and the Way of Jesus

Ø  Drawing Textbook

Ø  Medical Terminology with Human Anatomy

Ø  Bats: a Kids Book about These Cool Creatures of the Night

Ø  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Ø  Wuthering Heights

Ø  Some Owls Don’t Give a Hoot an early learning book about owls

Ø  Horses Pictures and Fun Facts about Horse Colors

Craft

Ø  Stitch Collection Filet Crochet

Ø  Filet Crochet Projects and Charted Designs

Ø  Eight Different Crochet Stitches: Learn to Crochet Something New with Free Crochet Pattern

        Ø  Bead One Pray Too

        Ø  Paint Shop Pro 8

Book Club

Ø  Almost Perfect

Ø  Letters to My Wife

Ø  Embracing Quincy

Ø  A Untamed Land

Ø  The Good Sr.

Ø  Spurs and Lace

Ø  The Young Country Doctor Book 1: Bilberry Chronicles

Ø  Secret Sister

Ø  Chasing Hope

Ø  Dakota December/Dakota Destined (Dakota Plains, #4-5)

Ø  Deep-Fried and Pickled

Ø  When I Married My Mother: a Daughter Search for What Really Matters – and How She Found a Caring for Mama Jo

Ø  Good Tidings

Ø  Apron Strings

Ø  Mama B. – A time to speak

Ø  Chasing China a Daughter’s Quest for Truth

Ø  Where Home Is

Ø  The B-Side Diaries

Ø  The Edge of Light (Home and Building Growth #1)

Ø  One Last Great Wickedness

Ø  The Mad Scientist Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius

Ø  Make Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day

Ø  Tips on Prayer: a Quick Start Guide to Improving Your Personal Life

Ø  Being There: Daughter’s Voice for Her Father Silence

Ø  The Bridge

Ø  Cowboy Managed

Ø  Alex

Ø  Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse Volume 2

Ø  Short Straw Bride

Ø  Lord of glory: a Daily Lenten Devotional on the Names of Christ 2014

Ø  Across the Creek

Ø  Mouton Angel

Ø  LARP The Battle for Verona

Ø  The SEKHMET Bed

Ø  Ones Upon A Summer

Ø  The Mystery of Smugglers Cove

Ø  Notes to Self

Ø  Dark Bayou

Ø  Park Carnival

Ø  The Joy luck club

Ø  The seven chakra sisters

Ø  The desire map

Ø  Reclaiming Lily

Ø  The Everything Reiki Book

Ø  You Can Heal Your Life

Ø  Witch Song

Ø  Reiki and The Seven Chakras

Ø  The Positive Thinking Secret

Ø  Stealing the Preacher

Ø  Gold Wagon

Ø  The Law of Attraction Made Simple

Ø  Love Finds You Victory Heights, Washington

Ø  The Lady and the Locksmith

Ø  The Oak Leaves

Ø  Dangerous Women

Ø  Written in My Own Heart’s Blood

Ø  The Secret Holocaust Diaries The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister

Ø  A Christmas Carol

Ø  Little Women

Ø  The Soulkeepers

Ø  Dark Horse

Cooking

Ø  Quick and Easy Family Camping Recipes: Delicious Foil Packet Meals (Camping Guides)

Ø  Chicken Slow Cooker Recipes Five Volume Collection 200 to Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes (Easy Dinner Recipes – Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe Collection)

Ø  20 Super Easy Smoothie Recipes for Kids

Ø  Make Ahead Paleo: a Cook Ahead Paleo Cookbook with Easy Dairy Free and Great Free Recipes (Paleo Recipes: Paleo Recipes for Busy People, Quick and Easy Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Desserts Recipe Book)

Ø  20 Football Appetizers

Ø  50+ Quick and Easy Meals Everyone Can Make

Ø  Delicious Apple Time: 15 Quick and Easy Apple Recipes

Ø  31 Deliciously Easy School Breakfasts Recipes and Ideas

Ø  Kid Paleo Recipes

Ø  Pumpkin Desserts

Ø  100 Favorite Kid Meals Kid Friendly Dinner Recipes

Ø  Pumpkin Recipes the Ultimate Guide

Ø  Labor Day Recipes

Ø  50 Delicious Pumpkin Pie Recipes

Ø  Light It up: the Grilling and Campfire Cooking Cookbook

Ø  Easy Kefir Recipes Kefir for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Ø  Soup Recipes under 30 Minutes: Top 30 Quick and Easy Soup Recipes Everyone Will Love

Other

Ø  How Do Save Big Money on Groceries – the Essential Coupon Guide for Beginners and Tricks to Get Cheap or Free Groceries Using

Ø  Natural Cleaning Recipes: Master the Art of Natural and Organic Cleaning (Green Housekeeping – Organic Cleaning Recipes from National Products)

Ø  Coconut Oil Quick and Easy Guide

Ø  the Honey Solution

Ø  Amazing Birthday Parties for Kids

Ø  Reading by the Colors

Ø  Candle Making the Simplified Guide to Making Candles

Ø  Homemade Held – Home Remedies Your Grandmother Knew – Simple and Effective Treatment from the Pantry (Herbology at Home)

Ø  Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time

Ø  Pokémon Diamond and Pearl

Ø  Practical Bookbinding

Ø  Herbal Remedies

Ø  Wilderness Medicine beyond First Aid

Ø  Reiki Meditations for Beginners

Ø  The Silmarillion

 

Annual Reread

Ø  The Space between

Ø  Lord John and the Succubus

Ø  A Plague of Zombies

Ø  The Custom of the Army

Ø  Lord John and the Hellfire Club

Ø  A Leaf on the Wind of All Hollows

Ø  The Exile

Ø  The Outlandish Companion

Ø  The Scottish Prisoner

Ø  An Echo in the Bone

Ø  A Breath of Snow and Ashes

Ø  The Fiery Cross

Ø  Drums of Autumn

Ø  Voyager

Ø  Dragonfly and Amber

Ø  Outlander

Ø  My Friend Flicka

Ø  Thunderhead

Ø  Green Grass of Wyoming

Ø  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Ø  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Ø  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Ø  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Ø  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Ø  Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Ø  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

Ø  The Hobbit

Ø  Lord of the Ring

Ø  Lord John and the Private Matter

Ø  Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

Ø  Lord John and the Hand of Devils

 

 There's still 3 months and 6 days left in the year. I'm sure I will being adding to this list before it's time to ring in 2015 as I'm currently halfway through at least 2 more books and 1 novella. I have yet to add the next level of curriculum for my children either and there are a few books there I need to add to this list. Maybe next year I will have to shoot for 200 to 300.... Now that would be a challenge...