01 January 2013

52 Books in 52 Weeks ~ Books Read In 2012

I wanted to see if I could quietly reach the goal others on TWTM forum had set for themselves of reading (or listening via audio) the goal of 52 books in 2012.
I am amazed at what I did cover in 2012, since it felt like I was not getting the opportunity to get through many books at all, besides those on our home educating schedule.

I’ve counted in some of the children’s books I was pre-reading for their 2013 book baskets, and since the children were studying Modern Times I tried to keep any opportunity to read lighter/fiction reads within that time frame - late 1880’s onwards.

I haven’t included any books that we'd scheduled in as family read alouds for the 2012 year.

The number beside each book is my personal rating for the book at the time of reading with the range being:
(1) = would not recommend
(2) = some interesting aspects but not one of my recommended reads.
(3) = would recommend
(4) = Really good (or worthy) read, would definitely recommend
(5) = Excellent book, highly recommend
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52 in 52
1. Have a Little Faith ~ Mitch Albom (5)       A new favourite book!
2. Stepping Heavenward ~ Elizabeth Prentiss (4)
3. Competent to Counsel ~ Jay Adams (4)
4. Torches of Joy ~  ?? (2)
5. Leaders who Last ~ Dave Kraft (5)
6. The Christian Counselor’s Manual ~ Jay Adams (5)
7. In Search of the Source ~ Neil Anderson (4)
8. Heavenly Man ~ Brother Yun (4++)
9. Jo Seagar Cooks ~ Jo Seagar (5)
I need to add: that with the cookbooks mentioned here …… I read the whole book, not just various recipes – nerdy I know, but then I also read the dictionary for *fun* too.

10. Jo Seagar: The Cook School Recipes ~ J Seagar (4)
11. Kitchen ~ Nigella Lawson (4+)
12. Start Here ~ Alex & Brett Harris (4++)
13. The KJV New Testament : Matthew to John III (5+)
14. I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade ~ Diane Lee Wilson (3)
This would need to be a read aloud to the younger in our home - where we live a good percentage of the local people hold to cultural animistic beliefs, and this book is chock-a-block full of animistic out workingsUpdate: Neither child wanted it read aloud.
15. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon ~ Grace Lin (folktale) (4)
16. Breaking Stalin’s Nose (2-)
17. SeeSaw Girl ~ Linda Sue Park (4+)
18. The Kite Fliers ~ Linda Sue Park (5)
19. A Proud Taste for Scarlet & Miniver (3++)
20. Nothing Else Matters ~ Patricia St. John (4-)
21. After the Dancing Days ~ Margaret I. Rostkowski (3+)
22. The Hidden Treasure of Glaston ~ Eleanor M. Jewett (3+)
23. The Ides of April ~ Mary Ray (2)
I just could not get into this book - it was a drag through read.
24. Otto of the Silver Hand ~ Howard Pyle (4++)
25. The Endless Steppe ~ Esther Hautzig (4+)
26. Twice Freed ~ Patricia St. John (4+)
27. Mere Christianity ~ C.S. Lewis (4+)
28. The Pale Horse ~ Agatha Christie (4)
(Abridged dramatise audio. Cuts out much of the mature/adult toned content. the book does contain swearing and I wanted to side step that.  My reading basket - my call)
29. The Man in the Brown Suit ~ Agatha Christie (5) (audio)
30. They Came to Baghdad ~ Agatha Christie (5)
(Abridged dramatise audio. Cuts out much of the mature/adult toned content.) 
31. The Darcy Connection ~ Elizabeth Aston (2-)    Stick with Jane Austin.
32. The Enchanted Castle ~ E. Nesbit (3)  Not as good as some of her other books.
33. The Thirty-nine Steps ~ John Buchan (4-)
34. The Golden Goblet ~ Elosie Jarvis McGraw (3)
35. Royal Escape ~ Georgette Heyer (4+)
36. Shadow Spinner ~ Susan Fletcher (5)
37. Tom Sawyer Abroad ~ Mark Twain (3++)
38. The Reluctant Widow ~ Georgette Heyer (5)
39. Pictures Telling Stories: The Art of Robert Ingpen ~ Sarah Mayor Cox (5)
40. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry ~ Mildred D. Taylor (4+)
41. The Perilous Road ~ William O. Steele (4+)
42. The Secret of Chimney’s ~ Agatha Christie (4)
(Abridged dramatise audio. Cuts out much of the mature/adult toned content. the book does contain swearing and I wanted to side step that.
43. William’s Happy Days ~ Richmal Crompton (4+)
44. The Scarlet Pimpernell ~ Baroness Orczy (4++)
45. The Story of Mankind ~ H.W. Van Loon (3)
This is a read and discuss reader for our home – the writing style is engaging yet the world view presented by Van Loon is different to ours.
46. The Book of the Ancient World ~ Dorothy Mills (5)
47. The Bronze Bow ~ Elizabeth George Speare (5)
48. Hittite Warrior ~ Joanne Williamson (5)
49. God King ~ Joanne Williamson (5)
50. The Midwife’s Apprentice ~ Karen Cushman (5-)
Content in this would need discussing and editing if I was going to use it as a reader.
51. The Chestry Oak ~ Kate Seredy (5)
52. The Good Master ~ Kate Seredy (4-)
53. The Singing Tree ~ Kate Seredy (4++)
54. God’s Smuggler ~ Brother Andrew (5-)
55. C.S Lewis ~ Janet & Geoff Benge (4)
56. I Dared to Call Him Father ~ Bilquis Sheikh (4-)
57. Thunder Dog ~ Michael Hingson (3-)
I was expecting a book that had more about Roselle & 9/11, than about blindness.
58. The Elusive Pimpernell ~ Baroness Orczy (4++)
59. Eldorado ~ Baroness Orczy (4++)
60. Boundaries With Kids ~ Henry Cloud (4)
61. Murder on the Orient Express ~ Agatha Christie (3-)
62. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ~ Mark Twain (5)
63. Great Expectations ~ Charles Dickens (4)
64. Years of Dust ~ Albert Marrin (5)
This book surprised me as I don’t usually like books set in the depression era … they’re so, well, depressing.

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The next few I’m still reading but will add them here:

1: How to Feed a Teenage Boy ~ Georgia Orcutt (this one is currently a 4)
2: Elizabeth Prentiss ~ Sharon James (could end up being a 5)
3: Letters of Robert Browning & Elizabeth Barrett Vol’s 1 & 2 (pub Harper & brothers)
Sip reading these over a few years.

4: Charlotte Mason Study Guide (& Corresponding Vols) ~ Penny Gardner
Going through this in a pause & ponder style reading – I’ve already been a few years at it.

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Here are the books we started and dropped, or paused:

1: The Big WHAT NOW Book of Learning Styles ~ Carol Barnier
This would be an excellent book for someone who is new/er to home educating , or is looking for ways to teach using the child’s learning strength.

2: How Should We Then Live ~ Frank Schaeffer
 ½ way through, will pick up again at a later date

3: The Jewish Wars ~ Joesphus 
Part way through, may pick it up again at a later date.

4: The Read-Aloud Handbook ~ Jim Trelease
Just read the portions that interested me right then.

2 comments:

reader19 said...

Fantastic! The scoring is a wonderful help as well! Way to go!
This makes me want to do a better job of getting more books read. I've slacked the past few months and need to get going! Thanks for inspiring me!

Chelle said...

You'll be amazed at how much you do actually cover in a year .... I'm quietly keeping another tally in the background for this year.
I do fudge the lines a little by including audio books, but I'm allowing those to count for me.

Are you thinking of starting a list too?