Books Read in 2015

Nonfiction
Love and Respect for a Lifetime by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs (Non-fiction 248.844) 4/1/15
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson (Non-fiction 917.404-via Overdrive/Kindle) 8/28/15
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis (Juvenile Biography) 12/22/15
Eve and the Choice Made in Eden by Beverly Campbell (Religious Nonfiction) 12/31/15

Fiction/Young Adult
Silver Dawn by G. J. Walker-Smith (Young Adult Fiction-via iBooks) 1/4/15
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskel (Fiction-via iBooks) 2/20/15
The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Cambden (Fiction-via Kindle) 2/27/15
The Selection by Kiera Cass (Young Adult Fiction-via iBooks) 3/2/15
The Elite by Kiera Cass (Young Adult Fiction-via iBooks) 3/3/15
The Prince by Kiera Cass (Young Adult Fiction-via iBooks) 3/3/15
The One by Kiera Cass (Young Adult Fiction-via iBooks) 3/4/15
The Guard by Kiera Cass (Young Adult Fiction-via iBooks) 3/4/15
The Queen by Kiera Cass (Young Adult Fiction-via iBooks) 3/5/15
Fairy Tale Christmas by Michael McLean and Scott McLean (Juvenile Fiction) 3/7/15
An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde (Fiction/Play-via iBooks) 3/13/15
The Chosen by Chaim Potok (Fiction) 4/11/15
Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (Fiction) 4/20/15
Unequal Affections: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling by Lara S. Ormiston (Fiction-via Kindle) 4/27/15
The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic by Hazel Gaynor (Fiction-via Kindle) 5/20/15
Hohenstein by Didi Lawson (Fiction-via Kindle) 6/17/15
The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer (Fiction-via Kindle) 6/15/15
The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer (Fiction-via Kindle) 7/4/15
The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen (Fiction-via Overdrive/Kindle) 7/11/15
Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson (Fiction-via iBooks) 7/30/15
The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley (Fiction-via Kindle) 8/15/15
Venetia by Georgette Heyer (Fiction-via Kindle) 8/29/15
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (Fiction-via Overdrive/Kindle) 9/2/15
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (Fiction-via Overdrive/Kindle) 10/ /15
A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley (Fiction-via Overdrive/Kindle) 10/7/15
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Fiction) 10/23/15
The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd (Fiction-via Kindle) 10/26/15
The Headmistress of Rosemere by Sarah E. Ladd (Fiction-via Kindle) 11/?/15
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (Fiction) 11/13/15
The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley (Fiction-via Overdrive/Kindle) 11/25/15
Mr. Darcy's Christmas Angel by Katy Green (Fiction-via Kindle) 12/15
A Lady at Willowgrove Hall by Sarah E. Ladd (Fiction-via Kindle) 12/15
Shiloh by G.J. Walker-Smith (Fiction-via iBooks) 12/15/15
Heir to Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson (Fiction-via Kindle) 12/18/15
The Return: A Pride and Prejudice Story by Timothy Underwood (Fiction-via Kindle) 12/23/15
The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson (Fiction-via Kindle) 12/26/15
The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson (Fiction-via Overdrive/Kindle) 12/31/15

Short Stories
"Christmas Offerings" by Jay A. Parry in Once Upon a Christmastime: Short Stories for the Season (Fiction/Short Story) 1/23/15
"Too Much Happiness" in Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro (Fiction/Short Story) 2/18/15
"The Eye" in Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro (Fiction/Short Story-via Kindle) 2/20/15
"In Sight of the Lake" in Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro (Fiction/Short Story-via Kindle) 2/21/15
"Haven" in Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro (Fiction/Short Story-via Kindle) 2/27/15
A Christmas Parable by Boyd K. Packer (Fiction/Short Story) 3/19/15

Juvenile Fiction
"Pudding" by Jarrett J. Krosockza in Guys Read: Thriller (Juvenile Fiction/Short Story) 2/13/15
"Boys Will Be Boys" by James Patterson in Guys Read: Thriller (Juvenile Fiction/Short Story) 2/13/15
Lost and Found [including "The Red Tree," "The Lost Thing," and "The Rabbits"] by Shaun Tan (Juvenile Fiction) 2/27/15
The Arrival by Shaun Tan ((wordless) Juvenile Graphic Novel) 2/27/15

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr (Juvenile Non-fiction 616.9) 3/17/15

Road Trip by Gary Paulsen and Jim Paulsen (Juvenile Fiction-via Overdrive Audiobook) 3/23/15 (started in Summer 2014)
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (Juvenile Fiction-via Overdrive Audiobook) 3/25/15 (started in Feb 2015)
Lara's Gift by Annemarie O'Brien (Juvenile Fiction) 3/26/15
Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Retold by Carl Bowen (Juvenile Graphic Novel 741.5) 3/29/15
Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth Retold by Davis Worth Miller and Katherine McLean Brevard (Juvenile Graphic Novel 741.5) 4/4/15
The Coast Mappers by Taylor Morrison (Juvenile Non-fiction 623.89) 4/4/15
Galileo's Leaning Tower Experiment by Wendy Macdonald (Juvenile Non-fiction 535?) 4/13/15
Bram Stoker's Dracula Retold by Michael Burgan (Juvenile Graphic Novel 741.5) 4/18/15
Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels Retold by Donald Lemke (Juvenile Graphic Novel 741.5) 4/21/15
The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park (Juvenile Fiction) 4/27/15
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (Juvenile Fiction/Graphic Novel 741.5) 4/29/15
Welcome to Molly's World, 1944: Growing Up in World War Two America (The American Girls Collection) by Catherine Gourley (Juvenile Non-Fiction 940.53) 4/30/15
Boxers by Gene Luen Yang (Teen Fiction/Graphic Novel) 6/4/15
Saints by Gene Luen Yank (Teen Fiction/Graphic Novel) 6/4/15
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Juvenile Fiction-via iBooks) 6/10/15
The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett (Juvenile Fiction-via audiobook/Overdrive) 7/13/15
The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein (Juvenile Fiction-via audiobook/Overdrive) 7/15/15
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein (Juvenile Fiction-via audiobook/Overdrive) 7/17/15
Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman (Juvenile Fiction-via audiobook/Overdrive) 7/30/15
How to Train Your Dragon by Crssida Cowell (Juvenile Fiction-via audiobook/Overdrive) 8/6/15
Public School Superhero by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts (Juvenile Fiction-via audiobook/Overdrive) 8/7/15
House of Robots by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein (Juvenile Fiction-via audiobook/Overdrive) 8/8/15
Minions: The Junior Novel by Sadie Chesterfield (Juvenile Fiction-via audiobook/Overdrive) 8/8/15
Postcards from Camp by Simms Taback (Juvenile Fiction) 9/1/15
Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale (Juvenile Fiction-via Overdrive/Kindle) 9/13/15
The Tale of the Firebird by Gennady Spirin (Juvenile Non-Fiction 398.3) 9/24/15
Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery (Juvenile Fiction-via iBooks) 9/28/15
East of the Sun & West of the Moon retold by Laszlo Gal (Juvenile Non-fiction 398.2) 10/13/15
Stay: The True Story of Ten Dogs by Michaela Munteen (Juvenile Non-fiction 636.7) 10/20/15
The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story retold by Penny Pollock (Juvenile Non-fiction 398.2) 10/21/15
Challenger: America's Favorite Eagle by Margot Theis Raven (Juvenile Non-fiction 598.9) 10/27/15
I Am the Dog by Daniel Pinkwater (Juvenile Fiction) 11/17/15
Lucky Boy by Susan Boase (Juvenile Fiction) 11/17/15
The Little Red Pen by Janet Stevens (Juvenile Fiction) 11/17/15
Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown (Juvenile Fiction) 11/17/15

Easy Fiction
The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 1/4/15
William and the Magic Ring: A Shadow Casting Bedtime Story by Laura Robinson (Easy Fiction) 1/4/15
Over the River and Through the Wood by L. Maria Child (Easy Poetry) 1/5/15
The Joy of Giving by Jan Berenstain and Mike Berenstain (Easy Fiction) 1/5/15
The Heroic Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza (Easy Fiction) 1/7/15
What Santa Can't Do by Douglas Wood (Easy Fiction) 1/8/15
None the Number: A Hueys Book by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 1/8/15
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado (Easy Fiction) 1/9/15
Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt (Easy Fiction) 1/10/15
The Boy and the Ocean by Max Lucado (Easy Fiction) 1/12/15
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas by Russell Hoban (Easy Fiction) 1/13/15
Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen (Easy Fiction) 1/19/15
The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen (Easy Fiction) 1/21/15
My Teacher Is a Monster by Peter Brown (Easy Fiction) 1/22/15
The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 1/22/15
Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin (Easy Fiction) 1/22/15

The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 1/23/15
The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau (Easy Fiction) 1/30/15
The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 2/1/15
The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 2/1/15
The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 2/1/15
How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 2/2/15
Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen (Easy Fiction) 2/2/15
Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin (Easy Fiction) 2/3/15
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 2/3/15
Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 2/3/15
Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 2/13/15
Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen (Easy Fiction) 2/13/15
Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 2/13/15
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 2/13/15
Lemonade in Winter by Emily Jenkins (Easy Fiction) 2/14/15
King Hugo's Huge Ego by Chris Van Duesen (Easy Fiction) 2/14/15
This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers (Easy Fiction) 2/15/15
The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose (Easy Fiction) 2/19/15
The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg (Easy Fiction) 2/25/15
The Wreck of the Zephyr by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 2/26/15
Carl's Birthday by Alexandra Day (Easy Fiction) 2/26/15
Here Come the Girl Scouts! by Shana Corey (Easy Non-fiction 369.46) 4/9/15
The Secret Seder by Doreen Rappaport (Easy Fiction) 4/10/15
One Candle by Eve Bunting (Easy Fiction) 4/14/15
The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco (Easy Fiction) 4/14/15
The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness by Colin Thompson (Easy Fiction) 5/3/15
Probuditi! by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 5/3/15
Magritte's Marvelous Hat by D. B. Johnson (Easy Fiction) 5/10/15
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 5/10/15
You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Titanic! by David Stewart (Easy Non-fiction 910) 5/14/15
The Wretched Stone by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 5/15/15
Maria's Comet by Deborah hopkinson (Easy Fiction) 5/16/15
Palazzo Inverso by D. B. Johnson (Easy Fiction) 5/16/15
Imagine a Place by Sarah L. Thomson and Rob Gonsalves (Easy Fiction) 5/16/15
Bad Day at Riverbend by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 6/13/15
The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 6/13/15
Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg (Easy Fiction) 6/23/15
Imagine a Day by Sarah L. Thomson and Rob Gonsalves (Easy Fiction) 6/23/15
The Napping House by Audrey Wood (Easy Fiction) 6/30/15
Flotsam by David Wiesner (Easy Fiction) 6/30/15

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak (Easy Fiction via audiobook/Overdrive) 7/18/15

Black Cat by Christopher Myers (Easy Fiction) 9/12/15
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale (Easy Fiction) 9/15/15
Wings by Christopher Myers (Easy Fiction) 9/22/15
New York's Bravest by Mary Pope Osborne (Easy Fiction) 9/23/15
50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch (Easy Fiction) 9/23/15
Mmm, Cookies! by Robert Munsch (Easy Fiction) 9/23/15
Another Day in the Milky Way by David Milgrim (Easy Fiction) 9/23/15
A Fine Dessert by Emily Jenkins & Sophie Blackall (Easy Fiction) 9/23/15
To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda (Easy Fiction) 9/24/15
11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offill (Easy Fiction) 9/24/15
My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa M. Mollel (Easy Fiction) 9/24/15
Across the Alley by Richard Michelson (Easy Fiction) 9/24/15
Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (Easy Fiction) 8/30/15
The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland (Easy Fiction) 10/13/15
The Wolf Who Loved Music by Christophe Gallaz (Easy Fiction) 10/13/15
One is a Feast For Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale by Judy Cox (Easy Fiction) 11/27/15
Good King Wenceslas retold by Jane Seymour (Easy Fiction-with DVD of Mormon Tabernacle Choir performance) 12/15
God Bless Us Everyone!: The Story Behind a Christmas Carol by John Rhys Davies (Easy Fiction-with DVD of Mormon Tabernacle Choir performance) 12/15
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (Easy Fiction) 12/8/15
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick (Easy Fiction) 12/8/15

Vacation Mornings

I slept in until 7:00am, uninterrupted by my boys. (I had given clear instructions the night before.) I finished some light reading, enjoyed sweet (though forced) snuggles with my boys, turned on some Christmas music (which was soon replaced by the Zac Brown Band), and made bacon, homemade waffles, and herbal tea.

I love these kind of mornings. I love sweet, slow mornings without the rush of school days. I love having my boys around (though I also love when they go outside for a bit and run off some of their energy). I have been looking forward to this first day of vacation since the beginning of December. The majority of my Christmas concerts and other obligations are almost over. By Monday I will be able to fully enjoy my favorite moments of Christmas--fun time with my boys looking at Christmas lights, playing games, baking, and squeezing in all the favorite traditions that we can.

Perfect Moments

Last night in a quiet moment before sleep, I lay snuggled against my husband--my leg over his, my hand on his chest, my head resting on his shoulder, his face touching mine. I felt his closeness and breathed him in. I find it strange how deeply his smell touches me. I can't relate it to anything recognizable. I just know that when my face is pressed against him I inhale safety, warmth, comfort, and love.

And then the strangest thing happened. In that moment of perfect contentment, I realized how much I would miss him, his smell, his comfort when he is gone. I have no reason to think that I will lose my husband any time soon. But I have often felt that I will live longer than he will. And last night I recognized how much I would miss him. It struck me so hard that it brought tears to my eyes.

(And now I pray that this was not a premonition. I hope that it was not preparing me for any near tragedy, but merely an opportunity for me to cherish these moments and not take him for granted.)

Happy Birthday to Me

When you become an adult, birthdays all run together. This year my birthday was an especially good one, and I want to remember it. Despite the fact that the majority of my family did not acknowledge my birthday on the actual day (my mom called me a day later, one brother emailed me a day later, and one sister called two days later), or the fact that my best friend completely forgot (it wasn't until she happened to come over the next day and saw birthday cards on my counter that she figured it out), or the fact that my husband didn't give me anything (card or gift)--these things did not affect the positive feeling I had all day long.

The day got started right. When Brett heard me stirring in the morning, he sweetly wished me a happy birthday. To which I replied, "Rabbit rabbit." (When I was in second grade my teacher told us that if we remembered to say "Rabbit rabbit" before saying anything else on the first day of the month we would have good luck for the rest of the month. She always made a big deal of it and it stuck.) Yeah for good luck! 

I got up and noticed more doors closed than usual. When I started down the hall, the boys heard me and started yelling, "Mom! Don't come in!" They emerged a short time later with homemade cards and thoughtful comments. Everyone was cheerful as we got ready for school, and Ryan even made me Morning Orange Drink.

I took Copper for a nice walk and got ready for the day. I had made arrangements to have lunch with two friends from church (before they knew it was my birthday). 

After a very nice lunch I went to Walmart. I ran into an old friend and talked with him for almost an hour. I also saw three friends from church, including one who immediately came up to me and wished me a happy birthday.

I cam home and found a card and rose from my mother-in-law. I went to my own small garden and picked my first cherry tomato of the year as well as a beautiful stalk of pink gladiolas to put in my kitchen window. Then I made myself a Coca-Cola cake from a recipe that I found on Pinterest. It looked so good I couldn't wait to try it out.

Brett and I had made plans to have an early dinner. He made me fresh (caught the day before) blackened amberjack. I made two easy sides. Dinner was done and cleaned up quickly. We were on the boat by 5:30pm, just as the rain stopped, and spent the rest of the evening water skiing. We came home, cleaned up, and ate cake (delicious!).

The boys were in bed fairly early. A friend stopped by with a small gift. And Brett and I were able to sit down and watch two episodes of Castle together.

That was it. Nothing very exciting. But my family was cheerful, kind, and loving all day; and I was happy all day long, from start to finish. In the end, that is what set this birthday apart as one of the best.

Superpowers

I have been enjoying listening to podcasts lately, including "This American Life," an hour-long podcast which is broken up into "acts". Each act is focused on a common theme, but tells a different story or perspective.

Yesterday, I listened to an episode in which each act focused on superheroes or superpowers. Here is the description of Act 1 "Invisible Man vs. Hawkman: "John Hodgman conducts an informal survey in which he asks the age-old question: Which is better: The power of flight or the power of invisibility? He finds that how you answer tells a lot about what kind of person you are. And also, no matter which power people choose, they never use it to fight crime. (14 minutes)"

As I listened to the survey and the responses, I found myself asking the same question. Which superpower would I choose?

I've never had a desire to have a superpower. Though, when I was younger, I used to wrinkle up my nose and wish that I could make my bedroom magically clean itself--the way Samantha could on the television series "Bewitched"--never actually believing that it would work.

However, I have had many dreams over the years when I "fly". I never fly in the way that Superman does. The best way to describe it is like swimming in the air. I jump up, and instead of falling down I keep gliding for a while, using my arms to propel me forward. After about the time that I would have run out of air if I had been swimming, I gentle glide back to the ground. Then I can jump back up and start gliding, swim-flying through the air again. These dreams are never very exciting, but the movement always feels peaceful and natural.

So, which superpower would I choose? Flying. It would be exciting to have a birds-eye view whenever I wished. And think of all the traveling I could do!

Then the interviewer started asking whether we would use our superpower for good. After all, that is what superheroes do--use their powers to fight crime. I felt selfish then, never thinking of helping others. Could I do amazing things with the power of flight even if I didn't have extra strength? I decided that I would use my ability to fly to rescue children in abusive situations. Perhaps I would get involved in an organization like Operation Underground Railroad. I liked the idea of flying scared and hurting children out of the bad and offering them some kind of comfort.

I found this survey so interesting I brought it up with Ryan this morning before school. Which superpower would he choose? "Easy. Invisibility." Why? "Because then I could hide from people." He could also sneak snacks while I taught piano lessons and stay home from school. I look forward to asking Todd about his superpower preference.

I recognize that this survey was done for entertainment and without any official research to back it up. However, the discussion made me think (and that's always a good thing). The host concluded that people who chose flight were more confident. Often those who chose invisibility felt they had something to hide and were more likely to use their superpower for questionable activities (Sorry, Ryan!). I appreciated the comments of one man who, as he talked out his answer, recognized that for him invisibility would "lead him down a dark path." And for that reason, he changed his answer to flight.

I often wish, after listening to a podcast that I find interesting, that I could find someone else who enjoyed listening to and talking about the same things. I like having the back-and-forth dialogue. You never know where the conversation is going to go, and when done with the right person, the exchange can be uplifting and encouraging. On that note, I welcome your thoughts. What superpower would you choose?


P.S. Todd's great response: "I Flight, I guess. I don't know. Neither. I'm fine the way I am." Love this!

Anne's inspiring response (keep in mind that I only gave her the question, not the discussion that came after): Right away, Anne chose invisibility. She went on to describe how she would use this power for good. She explained that she wouldn't choose flight, because without extra strength she didn't feel she would be able to accomplish very much good. With invisibility she could act as a spy and expose corruption. I'm proud to say that my best friend has the heart of a superhero!