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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Top 10 Books on TBR List


Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, what are the Top 10 Books on Your TBR List? 

It's the perfect time of year for a cup of tea with honey or a cup of hot chocolate, some soft socks, a kitty and a book. There are so many books on my TBR List but these seem great for winter...

1.) In the Land of White Death: An Epic Story of Survival in the Siberian Arctic by Valerian Albanov

-- I have always been interested in people like Jon Krakauer who has scaled Everest and Cheryl Strayed who tackled the Pacific Coast Trail and I know it's kind of weird but reading about surviving these types of situations is inspirational for me to get my butt to the gym. 

2.) Katherine by Anya Seton

-- Knights, British royal family and a spicy love affair in the 14th century. Done.

3.) Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George

-- Mary Magdalene's story written in her voice. Sounds like a must-read piece of historical fiction.

4.) The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

-- Dysfunctional, nomadic family that still loves each other? For the holidays, it sounds a little like my family.

5.) The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

-- Civil War battles in Pennsylvania. A reminder of when America was split in two.

6.) Touching the Void: The Trus Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival by Joe Simpson

-- Survival in the Andes and an amazing tale of courage.

7.) The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

-- It might seem like a summer read but the first few pages that I read (I only got through the first few pages back on my summer vacation) made this seem like a cozy read.

8.) The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

-- Set in Alaska, this seems like a ridiculous story. This couple who are childless build a snowchild and it comes to life. Eh, I'm willing to give it a try.

9.) Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three by Mara Leveritt

-- Curl up with a true story of one of the largest miscarriages of justice in our country. Meh, I just really want to read it.

10.) Red Winter by Dan Smith

-- 1920 Russia, war, a journey of one man while I sit on the couch warm and cozy.

Now, there aren't any Christmas books on here but those of course will be perused as well. Also, my favorite book to read when it's cold outside is Wuthering Heights. Happy Winter!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Coming Back Soon

It's been a hell of a year. Work blew up big time and we lost a couple of people so it was a really really really busy time working 12-hour days plus weekends here and there. I haven't had as much time to read as I would like so therefore the blog suffered. Now that we are hiring some more people, I should be able to make time to read, blog, write, cross-stitch and get back to the dreaded gym. Work wasn't the only issue as there have been health and family issues on my husband's side of the family; our beloved cat, Mallory, had to have two surgeries this year because she had been swallowing hair ties; had unnecessary drama back in August which took time to deal with; and just the usual day-in and day-out stuff. 

Also suffering, and probably the worst thing of all, is my attendance at my book club with the fabulous people who are dear friends. They put up with me missing book club for six months but I finally returned for a movie event to see Catching Fire and our White Elephant holiday party which was a blast. I thank Kate @ Midnight Book Girl and Kimberly @ On The Wings of Books for having patience with me this year and for not banning me from book club. :)

I have so many books I want to get to. I'll see if I can name at least some of them...

Books To Get To
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
- Still Alice by Lisa Genova
- White Oleander by Janet Fitch
- Devil's Knot by Mara Leveritt
- Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding (mid-read)
- 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
- Red Rain by R.L. Stine
- Trinity by Leon Uris
- Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
- In the Land of White Death: An Epic Story of Survival in the Siberian Arctic by Valerian Albanov
AND MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY more!!!!

Oh and my GoodReads challenge got screwed too. Here's to reaching my goal in 2014.

2013 Reading Challenge
You have read 8 books toward your goal of 60 books.
 
At your current pace, you're 48 books (80%) behind schedule.