Books read in 2012

January:

1. The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie (fiction)- January 2

2. Ariel Custer by Grace Livingston Hill (fiction)- January 2

Keeping track of reading

Like many other nerdy people, I keep track of what I read. Without boring people with details, let's just say it involves tracking on a couple of different websites and a special Google calendar. Nerdy to the extreme. One of the sites I use is Livejournal, but I realized recently that this is a much better place to do it because I can remember the password ha ha. So I will begin my 2012 list here and link to past lists. Enjoy!

Books read in 2008!
Books read in 2009!
Books read in 2010!
Books read in 2011! (work in progress...got behind on updating)

Also, I've started a new blogging project for this year called Thankful 366. Check it out!

A review of Kaleidoscope by Patsy Clairmont

I received this book from BookSneeze several months ago and had the intent to read it and post a review by the following weekend.

The best laid plans and such...

In Kaleidoscope (a word that becomes increasingly more difficult to spell each time I write it), With chapter headings such as "Dem Bones" (related to Proverbs 15:30) and "Heavy Lifting" (related to Proverbs 10:29), Clairmont takes readers through a journey of the book of Proverbs using humor while still sticking to truth. At the end of each short chapter, she gives readers a few questions to consider (called "Bits and Pieces") and related verses from other parts of the Bible.

I loved the fact that she laid it out from the beginning that she isn't a Bible scholar, doesn't know Greek or Hebrew, and sometimes makes up words that don't exist! That sounded like something I would say, and it let me know from the beginning of the book that this wasn't going to be some dry study of Proverbs that left me more confused than when I started. She was funny yet thought provoking, and her ideas seemed to be Biblically sound. I haven't read anything else she has written, but after reading Kaleidoscope, I will check out more of her titles!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

So much for that...

Well, I didn't quite make the 30 day challenge. Nor did I finish out blogging in the month of March. Oops. Let's try this again from day 18...starting tomorrow! ;)

Day 17

Day 17: Something you're looking forward to

I'm so stinking behind on this, but this topic is related to the reason that I'm behind.

I'm looking forward to FINISHING GRAD SCHOOL (that's right...it needs to be in all caps!). For some reason, I had the brilliant idea to work on not one but two Masters degrees while working full-time. And, let's add the fact that I'm a HUGE (again with the big letters) procrastinator, and it just makes my life extremely difficult. I'm *supposed* to finish one degree in May (if I can get my act together) and the other in August 2012, so for now, that's what I'm looking forward to. On a smaller scale, I'm looking forward to summertime and maybe getting caught up on this in my lifetime. Ha.

Day 16

Day 16: Dream house

Ah, yet another thing that has been on my mind lately! Since I still live with my parents, I don't have the experience of renting or owning my own place, so I've been giving this topic a whole lot of thought. Right now my dream house is a townhouse or a condo. I don't want anything fancy, just basically a couple of bedrooms, a bathroom or two, kitchen, living room, etc. I would love to have an extra room to use as a workout room too. I'm pretty simple! :)

Day 15

Day 15: Bible verse

I really should've done this one yesterday because I was in such a grumpy pants mood that it would've been nice to have a little mental reset!

So I'm definitely no Biblical scholar. I have friends who can just pop off verses like they're quoting pop song lyrics (hmmm...what a weird comparison), but I'm not that good yet. With that in mind, there is a Bible verse that has been sticking with me because it relates to something I need to work on in my life. I'm not sure what translation this is from, but the words are powerful and relevant despite the translation. Maybe I need to post this on my computer monitor!

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

—James 1:19-20