Summer Reading Challenge update!

I have been busy, busy reading. I read a lot while I was on vacation and since the, too :)

In the past month I've read
Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark
Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
The 5th Horseman by James Patterson
Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
The Midnight Club by James Patterson
Jack & Jill by James Patterson

I'm reading Cat & Mouse, again, by James Patterson ::snort:: And I'll read The 6th Target, I believe it's called, after this. I am stuck on these Patterson series right now ::snort::

So while I've not read all the books on my LIST, I have added on MANY books! I think I've read 26+ books since the challenge began.

Terrific Tuesday

We've had a laid back kind of day. Yesterday was very busy. Monday is weekly chore day, laundry day, get all the work done because we're relaxed and motivated from the weekend day :) Yesterday was also Jordan's first day of work at his new job! I cannot believe how fast they grow up! I'm so proud of him. It was bitter-sweet. Rather like his first day of kindergarten (He went to private K at the church before hs'ing ever since).

Today we woke up to rain. We were going to the lake to mow and fix, but the rain stopped those plans. Basically we've done nothing :) I folded some laundry and the kids did daily chores and put laundry away.

Allen and I ran to WalMart for some bird seed and a clock for his room. We had leftovers for lunch and then I took a nap :)

I ran Jordan to work.

The terrific part is Doug gets to come home tonight :) His first delivery tomorrow is the next town over. So I'll pick him up tonight and take him back tomorrow. I love this sweet surprise of him being home in the middle of the week :)

Tomorrow and Thursday will be spent getting ready for vacation. We're going to the lake for a week and are so looking forward to it!

I finished reading a couple books this week. The Edge of Winter by Luanne Rice and Along Came a Spider by James Patterson. I enjoyed both books. I am reading The Seven Pillars of Health right now.

More reading......

OK, I am going a little ready crazy. I get a little OCD when I find a new series I like. I am REALLY enjoying the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. It is HILLARIOU! Grandma Mazur just cracks me up!! The are funny and light reading (I can crank one out in a day and still do my housework :) But there are some colorful characters, some swearing (some books more than others) and some inuendo. So I can't let Jordan read them because of that. Doug is listening to them in the truck though. He just finished his first one.

So since my last summer reading challenge post I've read: (now remember...OCD when reading a series....it's only been since last Wed. that I posted lol)

Seven Up: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read
Hard Eight: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read
To The Nines: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read
Ten Big Ones: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read
Eleven on Top: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read
Twelve Sharp: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

I have requested #13 from the library. It is the latest one so I am waiting in line :)

I'm now reading Bye-Bye Black Sheep, the last Mommy track mystery book. I am really enjoying this book. I think it may be my favorite one in the series.

Then I plan to finish the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson. I have 2 left to go in that one.

I may read some Luanne Rice to get out of the suspense/mystery mode. We'll see.

I'm going to start in on the Alex Cross series, also by James Patterson. I may throw in a couple Nelson DeMille.

I really need to read something other than fluff I think!

So, now you see why I've not been blogging. I've been reading a LOT! But we've been hanging at the lake some and at the beach. So I can't be home puttering around. The kids are off doing their thing and I am reading, voraciously LOL.

More books read :)

I finished Hot Six by Janet Evanovich and have also read Seven Up and Hard Eight. I am finding this series HILLARIOUS!! There is a little much s*x in it and some swearing. I would prefer that isn't there. It was be a funny series for my oldest to read. Doug is now listening to them on CD in the truck. He's on the first book. I'm reading the 8th one now.

I've also read The Craddle Robbers by Ayelet Waldman. I really enjoyed this one the best of the series. The authors lack of importance of mothering is not so strong in this book. It was a very quick read. Juliet is helping a prison inmate find her baby. She was incarcerated while pregnant and a social worker stole her baby. There were a lot of warm fuzzy moments in it with Juliet and her own 4 month old baby. One more book in the series and I'll be finished with it.

I returned some of the books on my list to the library unread. They were due back. I'm not sure if I'll read them since I am adding on so many other books. I have the next one in the Mommy Track series waiting for me and the next 4 in the Janet Evanovich series. There is one other one that just came out and I hope to read that, too. I am also hoping to finish the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson and start the Alex Cross series. I have a couple Luanne Rice books still. She is a nice read when I'm not in the mood for mystery or suspense.

Books I've Read

I've been busy reading. I'm not going to give reviews, I don't think, but I've read:

2nd Chance and 3rd Degree by James Patterson
Four to Score and High Five by Janet Evanovich
Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

I think that is it! I am really enjoying the James Patterson and Janet Evanovich series. I'm going to finish out the JP one in July. I've got the next 3 JE ones from the library and am currently reading #6! They are hillarious!

I love this series! Hannah lives in Lake Eden, Minnesota. Hannah seems to stumble across dead bodies on a regular basis, much to her mother's dismay.

This latest book finds Hannah judging baked goods at the Tri-County Fair. Her entire family is involved in the fair and the murder takes place there, also. It cracks me up how Hannah can single-handedly (or with her sisters' help) crack the case.

This latest book also has Moishe (Hannah's cat) not feeling well. And then there is the never-ending dilema of who Hannah should marry, Mike or Norman! I am rooting for Norman :) I think they are dragging this out through too many books. She needs to make a decision already.

This is a fun, light series with recipes! There are a few in this book that I'd like to try. Cappuccino Royales are the first I'd like to try and the Walnut-Date Chews look really yummy also.

Summer Reading Challenge

My friend De'Etta, over at Choosing Joy, has instigated a summer reading challenge. It looks like a lot of fun, so I decided I'd join in. If you are interested, please click the link (choosing joy) to read all the rules. It is going to be fun! And there are prizes :)

In the summer, I read a LOT of fluff, so don't mind that. I adore reading and always find time to read. My real challenge will be to keep my daily Bible reading and devotions consistent. So that is the top of my list!

Here is the list of things I have out from the library right now, plus a few others that I want to read over the summer. I may or may not read all of these. Some of them are new authors. If I am into something that I just don't like, I'll quit it lol. I've also heard of 3 new authors I may check out. But really, I need to finish up the new series I started.

Personal Reading

Daily time in the Word
Intimate Issues ~ Linda Dillow & Lorraine Pintus
Every Woman's Desire ~ Of the Every Man's Battle books

Family Read Aloud

God Smuggler Reading Now

Christian Life

Heartfelt Discipline ~ Clay Clarkson
Invitation to Journey

Fiction ~ very fluffy, easy and mindless!

The next Tamar Myers book, but I'm not sure where I am in the series
Torchlight ~ Lisa Tawn Bergren (Christian fiction) Returned unread
Love and other impossible pursuits ~ Ayelet Waldman (to see if I like her other books) Couldn't get into it...rather depressing...but I do like her Mommy Mystery Series. Didn't Finish!
Between Friends ~ Debbie Macomber Returned...realized I had already read it!
Land of my heart ~ Traci Peterson (Christian fiction) Returned unread
Beach girls ~ Luanne Rice (a new favorite author) Returned...coulnd't get into it
Blue Moon ~ Luanne Rice Returned unread
The Gold Coast ~ Nelson DeMille Returned unread
Every Storm ~ Lori Wick (Because I've never read her and wonder if I like her...Christian fiction) Returned unread
A Fall from Grace ~ Robert Barnard (new author, never read) Returned...didn't like this new author
Key Lime Pie Murder: A Hannah Swensen myster ~ Joanne Fluke (her latest!) ~ Read
Murder Plays House: A Mommy-track myster (series I hope to finish this summer/fall) ~ Ayelet Waldman Read
"B" is for Burglar: A Kinsey Millhone mystery (liked the first one, we'll see) ~ Sue Grafton
Kiss the Girls: an Alex Cross novel (Hope to finish this series too!) ~ James Patterson (Dad got me hooked on James Patterson and Nelson DeMille!) Read
2nd Chance ~ James Patterson (another series I hope to finish by end of fall) Read
3rd Degree ~ James Patterson Read
Four to Score: a Stephanie Plum novel (very fun!) ~ Janet Evanovich Read
High Five: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

Add Ons:

Hot Six: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

Seven Up: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

Hard Eight: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

To The Nines: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

Ten Big Ones: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

Eleven on Top: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

Twelve Sharp: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

The Craddle Robbers: a Mommy track mystery ~ Ayelet Waldman Read

Bye-Bye Black Sheep: a Mommy track mystery ~ Ayelet Waldman Read

Back on Blossom Street ~ Debbie Macomber Read

The Edge of Winter ~ Luanne Rice Read

Along Came a Spider ~ James Patterson Read

Seven Pillars of Health ~ Dr. Conrad I think? Read

Lean Mean Thirteen: a Stephanie Plum novel ~ Janet Evanovich Read

Jack & Jill: An Alex Cross mystery ~ James Patterson Read

The Midnight Club ~ James Patterson Read

The 5th Horseman~A Women's Mystery Club Murder ~ James Patterson Read
Pretend You Don't See Her ~ Mary Higgins Clark Read
See, I told you summer is very fluffy! So....come join the fun, check out all the rules at De'Etta's blog, and happy reading :)