September 2021

 Playing a little catch up and uploading really old pictures finally!

April 2022

 Just playing some catch up on life!

100 Books of 2021

In 2009, I pledged to read 100 books over the course of 2010. Here's my list of 107 books in case you're interested.

I did it again in 2011 (why not?). Here's my list of 109 books.

The tradition continued in 2012 where I read a whopping 144 books! Here is my list from that year.

In 2013 I kept on chugging along, reading 104 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2014 I hit my best record yet, reading 152 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2015 I beat my record, reading 187 books. Here is my list from that year. 

In 2016, I read 166 books, focusing on books I owned but had never read. Here is my list from that year.

In 2017, I read 123 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2018, I read only 54 books. I spent most of my year driving the kids around, haha! Here is my list from that year.

In 2019, I read 150 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2020, I read 152 books. Here is my list from last year.

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In 2021, I joined a Facebook community called "Read What You Own Challenge". I challenged myself to read more books I owned and get rid of as many as possible! I also started counting audiobooks and juvenile fiction, which I had not counted in previous years, until last year. Having that group really added accountability. I am so happy to say I read 203 books in 2021 and bought only FIVE for the entire year! I also donated way more than I kept. I made pie charts because I'm just a huge dork like that and they make me happy.

Here's my 2021 list:

• "Stealth" by Stuart Woods (1)
• "Anne of Windy Poplars" by L.M. Montgomery (2) (K)
• "1 Corinthians" by John MacArthur (3) (K)
• "Acts 1-12: God Moves in the Early Church" by Chuck Christensen (18)
• "All Creatures Great and Small" by James Herriot (28) (K)
• "Anne's House of Dreams" by L.M. Montgomery (31) (K)
• "Anton Chekov: Greatest Plays" by Anton Chekov (39)
• "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt (42)
• "Booker T. Washington" by Lillie Patterson (11) (K)
• "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl (22) (K)
• "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator" by Roald Dahl (30) (K)
• "Dogsong" by Gary Paulsen (41)
• "Don't You Know There's a War On?" by Avi (38)
• "Dr. Carbles is Losing His Marbles!" by Dan Gutman (23)
• "Eight Cousins" by Louisa May Alcott (37)
• "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell (33)
• "Fantastic Mr. Fox" by Roald Dahl (35) (K)
• "Flora & Ulysses" by Kate DiCamillo (34)
• "George's Marvelous Medicine" by Roald Dahl (17) (K)
• "Grace: An Invitation to a Way of Life" by Various Authors (55)
• "Grendel" by John Gardner (57)
• "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen (14) (K)
• "Hello, Nebulon!" by Ray O'Ryan (36)
• "Help! I'm Trapped in My Lunch Lady's Body" by Todd Strasser (43)
• "Heroes of the Cross: George Muller" by Roger Steer (25) (K)
• "Hook" by Geary Gravel (40)
• "I Am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai (44) (K)
• "I Heard the Owl Call My Name" by Margaret Craven (29) (K)
• "Interrupted" by Jen Hatmaker (7)
• "Ivy + Bean Take Care of the Babysitter" by Annie Barrows (13)
• "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville (52) (K)
• "Joan of Arc" retold by Patrice Selene (53)
• "Let's Get Invisible!" by R.L. Stine (63)
• "Mrs. Cooney is Loony" by Dan Gutman (21)
• "Mrs. Patty is Batty!" by Dan Gutman (24)
• "Ms. Coco is Loco!" by Dan Gutman (27) (K)
• "Ms. Hannah is Bananas" by Dan Gutman (20)
• "Mystery of the Lost Pearl" by Olive Blake (48)
• "Nine Perfect Strangers" by Liane Moriarty (26)
• "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry (19) (K)
• "Ol' Paul the Mighty Logger" by Glen Rounds (65)
• "On My Honor" by Marion Dane Bauer (62)
• "Pick of the Litter" by Mary Jane Auch (8) (K)
• "Private L.A." by James Patterson (16)
• "Sarah, Plain and Tall" by Patricia MacLachlan (46) (K)
• "Treason" by Stuart Woods (4)
• "The Confession" by John Grisham (5)
• "Turbulence" by Stuart Woods (6)
• "Standup Guy" by Stuart Woods (49)
• "The Chocolate Sundae Mystery" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (9)
• "The Cuckoo Clock" by Mary Stolz (10)
• "The Enormous Egg" by Oliver Butterworth (12) (K)
• "The Ghost of Windy Hill" by Clyde Robert Bulla (15)
• "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling; Edited by Barbara Solot (51)
• "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling; retold by Jane Mason and Sarah Stephens (32)
• "The Light at Tern Rock" by Julia L. Sauer (61)
• "The Littles and the Great Halloween Scare" by John Peterson (59)
• "The Littles and the Surprise Thanksgiving Guests" by Joel Peterson (58)
• "The Littles Take a Trip" by John Peterson (60)
• "The Pawloined Paper" by Olga Litowinsky (50)
• "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren (45) (K)
• "The Tree House Mystery" by Carol Beach York (47)
• "The Twits" by Roald Dahl (54) (K)
• "The Ugly Princess and the Wise Fool" by Margaret Gray (56)
• "The Werefox" by Elizabeth Coatsworth (64)
• "The Thief" by Nancy Rue (66)
• "Skeleton Tree" by Kim Ventrella (67) (K)
• "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller (68)
• "The Wish Giver" by Bill Brittain (69) (K)
• "The Best Yes" by Lysa Terkeurst (70) (K)
• "The Teacher's Funeral" by Richard Peck (71)
• "Mystery of the Plumed Serpent" by Barbara Brenner (72)
• "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett (73) (K)
• "The Sign of the Beaver" by Elizabeth George Speare (74) (K)
• "Henry and the Paper Route" by Beverly Cleary (75) (K)
• "The House at Pooh Corner" by A.A. Milne (76) (K)
• "Holes" by Louis Sachar (77) (K)
• "Monkey Business" by Virginia Vail (78)
• "Becoming" by Michelle Obama (79)
• "Harriet the Spy" by Louise Fitzhugh (80)
• "The Ghost Next Door" by R.L. Stine (81)
• "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (82) (K)
• "Rascal" by Sterling North (83)
• "A Long Way From Chicago" by Richard Peck (84) (K)
• "The Happiness Advantage" by Shawn Achor (85) (K)
• "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" by Mildred Taylor (86) (K)
• "Paddington Marches On" by Michael Bond (87) (K)
• "Misty's Twilight" by Marguerite Henry (88)
• "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo (89)
• "Anne of Ingleside" by L.M. Montgomery (90) (K)
• "Skinnybones" by Barbara Park (91)
• "Rainbow Valley" by L.M. Montgomery (92) (K)
• "Go Eat Worms!" by R.L. Stine (93)
• "Higglety Pigglety Pop!" by Maurice Sendak (94)
• "Rabbit Hill" by Robert Lawson (95) (K)
• "Matilda" by Roald Dahl (96) (K)
• "The Girl Who Cried Monster" by R.L. Stine (97)
• "M.C. Higgins the Great" by Virginia Hamilton (98)
• "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs (99)
• "The Waterless Sea" by Kate Constable (100)
• "The Great Science Fair Disaster" by Martyn Godfrey (101)
• "The Case of the Cackling Ghost" by Sid Fleischman (102)
• "John Dies at the End" by David Wong (103)
• "The Armor of God" by Priscilla Shirer (104)
• "The Matchlock Gun" by Walter D. Edmonds (105)
• "Night of the Living Dummy" by R.L. Stine (106)
• "One Day at Horrorland" by R.L. Stine (107)
• "Monster Blood II" by R.L. Stine (108)
• "Atomic Habits" by James Clear (109) (K)
• "The Loser List" by H.N. Kowitt (110)
• "Wishbone Classics: Romeo & Juliet" by Billy Aronson (111)
• "Say Cheese and Die!" by R.L. Stine (112)
• "Baby Island" by Carol Ryrie Brink (113) (K)
• "Stay Out of the Basement" by R.L. Stine (114)
• "Welcome to Dead House" by R.L. Stine (115)
• "Lila's Little Sister" by Francine Pascal (116)
• "Crazy Busy" by Kevin DeYoung (117) (K)
• "Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin" by Marguerite Henry (118)
• "The Beatrice Letters" by Lemony Snicket (119) (K)
• "A Shocker on Shock Street" by R.L. Stine (120)
• "Betsy Tacy and Tib" by Maud Hart Lovelace (121) (K)
• "B is for Betsy" by Carolyn Haywood" (122) (K)
• "Brothers, We are Not Professionals" by John Piper (123) (K)
• "The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall" by Mary Downing Hahn (124)
• "Betsy and Billy" by Carolyn Haywood (125) (K)
• "Circle of Magic: The Prisoners of Bell Castle" by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald (126)
• "Winnie-the-Pooh" by A.A. Milne (127) (K)
• "The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity" by Mac Barnett (128) (K)
• "Betsy-Tacy" by Maud Hart Lovelace (129) (K)
• "Monster Blood" by R.L. Stine (130)
• "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie (131)
• "Phantom of the Auditorium" by R.L. Stine (132)
• "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher (133)
• "The Railway Children" by Edith Nesbit (134)
• "Return of the Mummy" by R.L. Stine (135)
• "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord (136)
• "Piano Lessons can be Murder" by R.L. Stine (137)
• "The Werewolf of Fever Swamp" by R.L. Stine (138)
• "Strider" by Beverly Clearly (139)
• "Call it Courage" by Armstrong Sperry (140)
• "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown (141) (K)
• "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli (142)
• "Ginnie's Baby-sitting Business" by Catherine Woolley (143)
• "Eddie and Louella" by Carolyn Haywood (144) (K)
• "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury (145) (K)
• "The Summer Camp Mystery" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (146)
• "The Mystery in Washington, DC" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (147)
• "Good to Great" by Jim Collins (148) (K)
• "The Firehouse Mystery" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (149)
• "The Drinking Gourd" by F.N. Monjo (150)
• "Muggie Maggie" by Beverly Cleary (151)
• "Our Teacher is Missing" by Mary Francis Shura (152)
• "Auggie & Me" by R.J. Palacio (153)
• "Red Sails to Capri" by Ann Weil (154)
• "Christians With Courage" by Ruth Johnson Jay (155)
• "Schoolhouse Mystery" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (156)
• "Pedro's Journal" by Pam Conrad (157)
• "Welcome to Camp Nightmare" by R.L. Stine (158)
• "The Te of Piglet" by Benjamin Hoff (159) (K)
• "Tom Sawyer Abroad" by Mark Twain (160) (K)
• "The Mystery of the Headless Horse" by William Arden (161)
• "The Story of Thomas Alva Edison, Inventor" by Mickie Compere (162)
• "Eddie's Pay Dirt" by Carolyn Haywood (163) (K)
• "George Washington: The Man Who Would Not be King" by Stephen Krensky (164) (K)
• "The Mystery Bookstore" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (165)
• "You Can't Scare Me!" by R.L. Stine (166)
• "Mystery Behind the Wall" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (167)
• "The Niagara Falls Mystery" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (168)
• "Taking God at His Word" by Kevin DeYoung (169) (K)
• "Mike's Mystery" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (170)
• "Mystery Ranch" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (171)
• "The Woodshed Mystery" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (172)
• "The Yellow House Mystery" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (173)
• "Surprise Island" by Gertrude Chandler Warner (174)
• "The Adventures of Lewis and Clark" by Ormonde de Kay, Jr. (175)
• "The Story of Holly and Ivy" by Rumer Godden (176) (K)
• "The Little Lame Prince" by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (177)
• "Choke" by Stuart Woods (178)
• "The Mansion in the Mist" by John Bellairs (179)
• "Amy Carmichael" by Janet & Geoff Benge (180) (K)
• "Mountain Born" by Elizabeth Yates (181) (K)
• "The Wizard in the Tree" by Lloyd Alexander (182)
• "The Apple and the Arrow" by Mary and Conrad Buff (183)
• "Annie Oakley" by Ellen Wilson (COFA) (184) (K)
• "Average Sucks" by Michael Bernoff (185)
• "George Washington's Mother" by Jean Fritz (186)
• "George Washington's Breakfast" by Jean Fritz (187)
• "Shh! We're Writing the Constitution" by Jean Fritz (188)
• "Where do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus?" by Jean Fritz (189)
• "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (and Six More) by Roald Dahl (190) (K)
• "The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald" by Clifford B. Hicks (191) (K)
• "The Haunted Mask" by R.L. Stine (192)
• "How to Kill a Monster" by R.L. Stine (193)
• "The Hangman's Ghost Trick" by Scott Corbett (194)
• "Sam the Minuteman" by Nathaniel Benchley (195)
• "What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?" by Jean Fritz (196)
• "Dangerous Adventure!" by Ruth Belov Gross (197)
• "Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?" by Jean Fritz (198)
• "Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?" by Jean Fritz (199)
• "Wild Things" by Betsy Duffey (200)
• "The Stories Julian Tells" by Ann Cameron (201)
• "Phoebe and the General" by Judith Berry Griffin (202)
• "Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?" by Jean Fritz (203)

Books I read with the kids:

• "Ms. Todd is Odd!" by Dan Gutman (1)
• "The Magic Spectacles" by Lilian Moore (2)
• "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden (3)
• "The Book of Giant Stories" by David L. Harrison (4)
• "Mr. Hynde is Out of His Mind!" by Dan Gutman (5)
• "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson (6) (K)
• "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson (7) (K)
• "The Indian in the Cupboard" by Lynne Reid Banks (8)
• "Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle" by Betty MacDonald (9) (K)
• "Dolphin Adventure" by Wayne Grover (10) (K)
• "More Than a Carpenter" by Josh McDowell (11) (K)

Most eye-opening book: I Am Malala

Favorite JF books: Number the Stars, A Little Princess, anything by Richard Peck, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, any Paddington books, Rabbit Hill

Favorite adult authors: Stuart Woods, L.M. Montgomery, James Herriot, Liane Moriarty

Best autobiography: Becoming by Michelle Obama

Favorite self-growth books: The Happiness Advantage, Atomic Habits, Essentialism

Favorite theology books: Brothers, We Are Not Professionals by John Piper and More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

How did you do this year? What were some of your favorite books and authors??