100 Books of 2019

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 last year.

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

This year I read 150 books. My goal, about halfway through the year, was to read through some of the chapter books we own that are either young adult or geared towards children. I decided to start reading these and weed out some of the books that I really didn't think were necessary to our household. I'm way pickier about books now than I was a few years ago. I was pretty successful at finding some amazing books, new authors that I'm obsessed with, and definitely weeding out some books that were just taking up shelf space. So if you like juvenile fiction, you may find some great reads from this year's list!

• "Otis Dooda: Strange but True" by Ellen Potter (150)
• "Blitz" by Hetty Burlingame Beatty (149)
• "No Beasts! No Children!" by Beverly Keller (148)
• "Magic Elizabeth" by Norma Kassirer (147)
• "Beetles, Lightly Toasted" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (146)
• "Sink or Swim" by Betty Miles (145)
• "Bluegrass" by William Van Meter (144)
• "Riding Camp" by Bonnie Bryant (143)
• "Stacy says Good-bye" by Patricia Reilly Giff (142)
• "The Noonday Friends" by Mary Stolz (141)
• "The Mingling of Souls" by Matt Chandler (140)
• "Dude Ranch" by Bonnie Bryant (139)
• "Hey Kid, Want to Buy a Bridge?" by Jon Scieszka (138)
• "Below the Belt" by Stuart Woods (137)
• "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" by John Bellairs (136)
• "Boys Against Girls" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (135)
• "The Terrible Churnadryne" by Eleanor Cameron (134)
• "The Secret of the Golden Cowrie" by Gloria Repp (133)
• "Rite of Passage Parenting" by Walker Moore (132)
• "Jenny Lind and her Listening Cat" by Frances Cavanah (131)
• "Paddington Helps Out" by Michael Bond (130)
• "Horse Power" by Bonnie Bryant (129)
• "The Thomas Berryman Number" by James Patterson (128)
• Poverty, Riches & Wealth" by Kris Vallotton (127)
• "Tucker's Countryside" by George Selden (126)
• "Caleb's Story" by Patricia MacLachlan (125)
• "Cross My Heart" by James Patterson (124)
• "NYPD Red" by James Patterson (123)
• "Second Honeymoon" by James Patterson (122)
• "Young, Restless, Reformed" by Collin Hansen (121)
• "The Boyfriend List" by E. Lockhart (120)
• "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis (119)
• "Target Alex Cross" by James Patterson (118)
• "Bunnicula" by James Howe (117)
• "Super-Secret Valentine" by Abby Klein (116)
• "The Tough Winter" by Robert Lawson (115)
• "The Mysterious Bender Bones" by Susan Meyers (114)
• "The Adventure of the Backyard Sleep-out" by Nancy McArthur (113)
• "Saddle Club: Beach Ride" by Bonnie Bryant (112)
• "The Pink Lemonade Charade" by Cynthia Blair (111)
• "Colder Than Ice" by David Patneaude (110)
• "The Case of the Missing Mummy" Mary-Kate and Ashley (109)
• "Sweet Valley Twins: The New Girl" by Francine Pascal (108)
• "Battle Bugs: The Spider Siege" by Jack Patton (107)
• "The Notebook of Doom: Attack of the Shadow Smashers" by Troy Cummings (106)
• "The Secret at the Polk Street School" by Patricia Reilly Giff (105)
• "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen (104)
• "The Mysterious Cases of Mr. Pin" by Mary Elise Monsell (103)
• "The Dog's Secret" by Ellen Miles (102)
• "The Carnivorous Carnival" by Lemony Snicket (101)
• "The Attic Mice" by Ethel Pochocki (101)
• "Hero Over Here" by Kathleen V. Kudlinsky (100)
• "Grumpy Pumpkins" by Judy Delton (99)
• "The Pooped Troop" by Judy Delton (98)
• "The Girl with the Silver Eyes" by Willo Davis Roberts (97)
• "Song Lee and the Leech Man" by Suzy Kline (96)
• "Ben Franklin's Glass Armonica" by Bryna Stevens (95)
• "In the Dinosaur's Paw" by Patricia Reilly Giff (94)
• "Clues in the Woods" by Peggy Parish (93)
• "Second Glance" by Jodi Picoult (92)
• "Lone Wolf" by Jodi Picoult (91)
• "The Lottery Winner" by Mary Higgins Clark (90)
• "Journey Home" by Yoshiko Uchida (89)
• "The 52-Story Treehouse" by Andy Griffiths (88)
• "So Not Happening" by Jenny Jones (87)
• "Now You See Her" by James Patterson (86)
• "Cousins" by Virginia Hamilton (85)
• "The Great Mom Swap" by Betsy Haynes (84)
• "Shore Thing" Mary-Kate & Ashley (83)
• "Closer Than Ever" Mary Kate & Ashley (82)
• "April Fool!" by Francine Pascal (81)
• "The Sleepover Secret" Mary-Kate & Ashley (80)
• "Surprise! Surprise!" by Francine Pascal (79)
• "Pets Are for Keeps" by Virginia Vail (78)
• "The Case of the Creepy Castle" Mary-Kate & Ashley (77)
• "Two's a Crowd" Mary-Kate & Ashley (76)
• "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult (76)
• "The Case of Clue's Circus Caper" Mary-Kate & Ashley (75)
• "The Case of the Mall Mystery" Mary-Kate & Ashley (74)
• "One Twin Too Many" Mary-Kate & Ashley (73)
• "The Case of the Thorn Mansion" Mary-Kate & Ashley (72)
• "The Case of the Golden Slipper" Mary-Kate & Ashley (71)
• "The Case of the Rock & Roll Mystery" Mary-Kate and Ashley (70)
• "The Case of the Flapper 'Napper" Mary-Kate and Ashley (69)
• "Patti Gets Even" by Susan Saunders (68)
• "The Case of the Surfing Secret" Mary-Kate & Ashley (67)
• "Maybe I'll Move to the Lost and Found" by Susan Haven (66)
• "The War with Grandpa" by Robert Kimmel Smith (65)
• "Wellspring of Magic" by Jan Fields (64)
• "The Case of the Wild Wolf River" Mary-Kate & Ashley (63)
• "The Celery Stalks at Midnight" by James Howe (64)
• "Dead Letter" by Betsy Byars (63)
• "The Case of the U.S. Navy Adventure" Mary-Kate & Ashley (62)
• "The House in the Snow" by M.J. Engh (61)
• "The Friendship Pact" by Susan Beth Pfeffer (60)
• "Oliver's High-Flying Adventure" by Michael McBrier (59)
• "The Rocking Horse Secret" by Rumer Godden (58)
• "The Golden Glove" by Fred Bowen (57)
• "Day of the Blizzard" by Marietta Moskin (56)
• "The Computer Caper" by Milton and Gloria Dank (55)
• "A Year Down Yonder" by Richard Peck (54)
• "Twenty Ways to Lose Your Best Friend" by Marilyn Singer (53)
• "Cave of the Inca Re" by Jeanette Windle (52)
• "Never Hit a Ghost with a Baseball Bat" by Eth Clifford (51)
• "Nighty-Nightmare" by James Howe (50)
• "Patti's New Look" by Susan Saunders (49)
• "Zack Attack" (48)
• "Kate's Crush" by Susan Saunders (47)
• "The Trouble with Valentines" by Elaine Moore (46)
• "Ginnie and the New Girl" by Catherine Woolley (45)
• "Kid Power" by Susan Beth Pfeffer (44)
• "My Life as a Screaming Skydiver" by Bill Myers (43)
• "The Rise and Fall of the Kate Empire" Lizzie McGuire (42)
• "Lauren's Sleepover Exchange" by Susan Saunders (41)
• "The Disappearing Bike Shop" by Elvira Woodruff (40)
• "Whisper: Journey to Julie's Heart" by Christopher Brown (39)
• "No Fair!" by Donna Jo Napoli (38)
• "The Mystery of the Spy's Diary" by Charles and Regina Higgins (37)
• "Amanda Joins the Circus" by Avi (36)
• "The Case of the Cool-Itch Kid" by Patricia Reilly Giff (35)
• "Fish Face" by Patricia Reilly Giff (34)
• "The Girl With 500 Middle Names" by Margaret Peterson Haddix (33)
• "Kate's Surprise" by Susan Saunders (32)
• "The Good Day Mice" by Carol Beach York (31)
• "The Glass Mermaid" by Susan Clymer (30)
• "The Strong-Willed Child" by James Dobson (29)
• "My Brother the Creep" by Janet Adele Bloss (28)
• "Gus and Buster Work Things Out" by Andrew Bronin (27)
• "Make a Wish, Molly" by Barbara Cohen (26)
• "The Beast in Ms. Rooney's Room" by Patricia Reilly Giff (25)
• "The Codebreaker Kids" by George Edward Stanley (24)
• "Space Brat" by Bruce Coville (23)
• "Maggie in the Middle" by Mary Francis Shura (22)
• "Third Grade Pet" by Judy Cox (21)
• "The Lucky Stone" by Lucille Clifton (20)
• "The World's Worst Fairy Godmother" by Bruce Coville (19)
• "Devil's Bridge" by Cynthia DeFelice (18)
• "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg (17)
• "More than Meets the Eye" by Karen Witemeyer (16)
• "The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff (15)
• "Hidden Bodies" by Caroline Kepnes (14)
• "You" by Caroline Kepnes (13)
• "You Will Know Me" by Megan Abbott (12)
• "Blood Memory" by Greg Iles (11)
• "Really Bad Girls of the Bible" by Liz Curtis Higgs (10)
• "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty (9)
• "The Chalk Man" by C.J. Tudor (8)
• "Final Epidemic" by Earl Merkel (7)
• "Heart-Shaped Box" by Joe Hill (6)
• "What She Knew" by Gilly MacMillan (5)
• "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant (4)
• "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning (3)
• "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell (2)
• "In Places Hidden" by Tracie Peterson (1)

Adult books that made me gush: "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell, "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty, "You" and "Hidden Bodies" by Caroline Kepnes, "Young, Restless, Reformed" by Collin Hansen, "Rite of Passage Parenting" by Walker Moore

Children's fiction that made me gush: "A Year Down Yonder" by Richard Peck, "Day of the Blizzard" by Marietta Moskin, "Hero Over Here" by Kathleen V. Kudlinsky, "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen, "The Tough Winter" by Robert Lawson, "The Terrible Churnadryne" by Eleanor Cameron, "Sink or Swim" by Betty Miles, "Beetles, Lightly Toasted" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, "Blitz" by Hetty Burlingame Beatty

Chapter books I read with the kids:

• "Miss Brown is Upside Down!" by Dan Gutman (9)
• "Miss Mary is Scary" by Dan Gutman (8)
• "Mr. Klutz is Nuts!" by Dan Gutman (7)
• "The Carnivorous Carnival" by Lemony Snicket (6)
• "The Hostile Hospital" by Lemony Snicket (5)
• "The Vile Village" by Lemony Snicket (4)
• "The Ersatz Elevator" by Lemony Snicket (3)
• "The Austere Academy" (2)
• "The Miserable Mill" by Lemony Snicket (1)

Any good reads of YOURS this year? I'd love to look them up and add them to my library wishlist!

Firework Salt Painting

I saved this craft on Pinterest YEARS ago. I finally set aside some time to do it with the kiddos. It shouldn't have taken us that long to do it - it's such an easy craft!

I got the idea from here.

All you'll need is:

• Table salt
• Paper (Construction paper or thicker)
• Watercolors
• Brushes
• White glue

Draw out your design with the glue. Do it thick! You can also draw with a pencil first, and then trace over it with the glue.

Sprinkle salt generously over the glue. Get it all covered! Shake off excess salt.

Get your watercolors wet and lightly paint onto the salt. Don't drag too much. The watercolors should start running if they are wet enough.

Let the project dry completely. That's it! We are by no means professionals, as you can see by the pictures, but we have fun!

101 in 1001

I have done this twice before and I think it's time to do it again! I love these lists and I can't wait to accomplish some of these things!!

Recipes and crafts

1. Make 10 new recipes

2. Use my bread machine at least 3 times

3. Try 5 local restaurants that are new to us

4. Make candied apples

5. Make a floral lantern

6. Make pretty envelopes

7. Create glamour glassware

8. Make a candy cane decorative stand

9. Make candles in teacups

10. Make snowball soap surprises

11. Make creme brulee

Travel

12. Go to one Macon Bacon game

13. Go to one Macon Mayhem game

14. Go to Savannah Children’s Museum

15. Visit Atlanta Botanical Gardens

16. Ride the Santa Express at Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

17. Visit Tallulah Gorge (whole family)

18. Visit Gibbs Gardens

19. Take the kids to the Hogg Mine

20. Visit Helen, GA. (whole family)

21. Go to Callaway Gardens (whole family)

22. Go to a monster truck rally

23. Go to Fernbank Museum of National History

24. Visit a planetarium

25. Go with the family to the Biltmore House

26. Take the kids on the SouthStar Trolley in Augusta

27. Go to Wild Animal Safari (whole family)

28. Go to Noah’s Ark (whole family)

29. Visit Pebble Hill Plantation

30. Go to Andersonville

31. Visit the Biblical History Center (whole family)

32. Do the CFA tour in Atlanta (whole family)

33. Visit the World of Coke (whole family)

34. Visit Babyland

35. Visit The Breman Museum (whole family)

36. See one show at the Center of Puppetry Arts

37. Go to Tellus (whole family)

38. Go to Jimmy Carter’s Sunday school class

39. Visit the Tubman Museum

40. Go to 5 fun events that aren’t local

41. Hike the Ocmulgee trail again

42. Hike the Amerson River trails again

43. Go tubing with the kids

44. Visit Radium Springs Garden (whole family)

45. Visit Providence Canyon (whole family)

46. Go to the Georgia Southern museum (whole family)

47. Visit the CDC museum

48. Go to the Habitat for Humanity Global Village & Discovery Center

49. Visit the Vidalia Onion museum

50. Go out of state for our girls trip

Health-related

51. Run a 5K.

52. Complete Lee Labrada’s full plan at least once.

53. Get my hearing checked

54. Do 10 pullups in a row.

55. Do 30 pushups in a row.

56. *Personal health goal*

57. Walk/run/bike 100 miles

Giving back

58. Pay for the person behind me in a drive thru

59. Adopt a child for Christmas every Christmas

60. Extend a loan on Kiva.org

61. Help with Party with a Purpose at least two times

62. Volunteer with Meals on Wheels at least 3 times

63. Work at a food bank at least once

64. Give a minimum of $100 to Stephanie and Daniel

65. Do 20 acts of random kindness with the kids

66. Give a minimum of $100 to Christian and Hannah

Financial

67. Make $100 a month on Mturk at least 12 times (1/12)

68. Save $1,000 in a separate account from our savings account

69. Pay off the Discover card.

70. *Personal financial goal*

71. *Personal financial goal*

72. Have 5 months minimum with no eating out

73. Do at least one no-spend month (for “wants”)

74. Make $200 on Mercari or eBay

Just do it

75. Create an emergency car kit

76. Read 50 books per year.

77. Catalog every book in the house

78. Finish all the pork in our freezer

79. Leave Stephen 10 random love notes throughout the 1001 days.

80. Leave Brianna 10 random love notes throughout the 1001 days.

81. Leave Hunter 10 random love notes throughout the 1001 days.

82. Finish my chronological Bible plan

83. Get a passport

84. Get recertified for CPR

85. Vote in Georgia

86. Get a Georgia drivers license

87. Organize pantry and buy organizing tools (make the pantry look nice)

88. Spend one weekend unplugged

89. Complete the #100happydays challenge

90. Find an escape room that Bri can do 

91. Do 25 of the things on my Pinterest boards

1. https://thetalbertreport.blogspot.com/2019/10/firework-salt-painting.html

92. Have family pictures taken

93. Clean the photos off my phone

94. Mail at least 10 snail mail letters

Business-related

95. Level-related goal for R+F

96. Customer-related goal for R+F

97. Business partner-related goal for R+F

98. Go to convention at least once

99. Financial goal for R+F

100. Learn how to really utilize my Instagram profile

101. Complete 70 things on this list by July 11, 2022.

100 Books of 2018

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 last year.

This year, my main goal of the year was to get out and meet more people. I'd say I accomplished that goal - unfortunately, I also read way less because we were gone more than ever! I am keeping my blog title "100 Books of 2018" even though that's false, because I want to be able to find this post next year! So, here is my reading list from 2018, a mere 54 books. Looks like I have some catching up to do! Good news - I have officially completed reading every fiction book I have ever owned. I kept, I think, about 6 fiction books on my shelf. So if I recommend a fiction book to you, just know that it's really, really good.

Here you go:

• "The Lincoln Lawyer" by Michael Connelly (54)
• "Collateral Damage" by Stuart Woods (53)
• "Christ All Sufficient" by Brian Hedges (52)
• "The Resurrection Fact" edited by John Bombaro and Adam Francisco (51)
• "Insatiable Appetites" by Stuart Woods (50)
• "Deadly Proof" by Rachel Dylan (49)
• "Intercessory Prayer" by Dutch Sheets (48)
• "Parenting Isn't for Cowards" by James Dobson (47)
• "Lucia, Lucia" by Adriana Trigiani (46)
• "Megashift" by James Rutz (45)
• "Reckless Devotion" by Heidi and Rolland Baker (44)
• "Longing for More" by Timothy Willard (43)
• "Orange is the New Black" by Piper Kerman (42)
• "The Life You've Always Wanted" by John Ortberg (41)
• "Blind Betrayal" by Nancy Mehl (40)
• "The Healthy Living Handbook" by Laura Harris Smith (39)
• "The House on Foster Hill" by Jaime Jo Wright (38)
• "In the Grip of Grace" by Max Lucado (37)
• "Life-Changing Miracles" by James Stuart Bell (36)
• "Jesus and the Beanstalk" by Lori Stanley Roeleveld (35)
• "Season of the Machete" by James Patterson (34)
• "Identity Thief" by Robby Dawkins (33)
• "It Takes So Little to be Above Average" by Florence Littauer (32)
• "Singing the Scriptures" by Julie Meyer (31)
• "Run Before the Wind" by Stuart Woods (30)
• "Real-Life Romance" by Rhonda Stoppe (29)
• "Do Greater Things" by Robby Dawkins (28)
• "Graciousness: Tempering Truth With Love" by John Crotts (27)
• 'Growing Kids With Character" by Hettie Brittz (26)
• "Grace Revealed" by Fred Sievert (25)
• "Flee the Darkness" by Grant Jeffrey (24)
• "The Grace Awakening" by Charles Swindoll (23)
• "God Came Near" by Max Lucado (22)
• "Financial Peace" by Dave Ramsey (21)
• "Flee the Darkness" by Grant Jeffrey (20)
• "936 Pennies: Discovering the Joy of Intentional Parenting" by Eryn Lynum (19)
• "From This Day Forward" by Lauraine Snelling (18)
• "Landmines in the Path of the Believer" by Charles Stanley (17)
• "Bible Studies on Mark" by William Boekestein (16)
• "Influence" by Robert Cialdini (15)
• "Gifted Mind" by Jeff Kinley (14)
• "How Starbucks Saved My Life" by Michael Gates Gill (13)
• "Hearts Entwined" by Various Authors (12)
• "Counseling Under the Cross" by Bob Kellemen (11)
• "Becoming a Disciple Making Church" by Neil T. Anderson (10)
• "The Melody of the Soul" by Liz Tolsma (9)
• "Seeds of Hope" by Barbara Cameron (8)
• "Ekklesia" by Ed Silvoso (7)
• "The Million-Dollar One-Person Business" by Elaine Pofeldt (6)
• "Sacred Rest" by Saundra Dalton-Smith (5)
• "The Roanoke Girls" by Amy Engel (4)
• "The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life" by Jeremy Pierre (3)
• "The Bait of Satan" by John Bevere (2)
• "D.C. Dead" by Stuart Woods (1)

Books that I gushed about: The Resurrection Fact by John Bombardo, 936 Pennies by Eryn Lynum, Ekklesia by Ed Silvoso, Sacred Rest by Saundra Dalton-Smith, The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

Chapter books I read with the kids: 

• "Indian Ghost Mystery" by Bonnie Highsmith Taylor (7)
• "A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Wide Window" by Lemony Snicket (6)
• "A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room" by Lemony Snicket (5)
• "A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket (4)
• "Ms. Sue Has No Clue!" by Dan Gutman (3)
• "Esio Trot" by Roald Dahl (2)
• "Owls in the Family" by Farley Mowat (1)

Any good reads of YOURS this year? I'd love to have the titles and authors of some of your favorite reads so I can look into them!