This list includes those I read aloud, pre-read for the kids, read because my daughter wanted me to, as well as those I read for my own edification and enjoyment. It does not include books where I only read a portion of the book, including my Bible reading. I also neglected to record the audiobooks I listened to with the kids, so that is not included. I don't really listen to audiobooks on my own - the opportunities to do so are so limited I mainly stick with talks from Lighthouse Catholic Media.
Statistics:
66 books total
32 are ebooks
19 were read aloud
19 are in the public domain
2 NaNoWriMo novels (and I'm currently reading one more)
Because I can't seem to decide on a favorite, I'm going to give the top two in a few categories.
Read-aloud: Tough one -I'm going to go with Tree Wagon and The City of the Golden House. We read a lot of really good books together in 2012!
Favorite Fiction: Heir of Redclyffe and Barchester Towers
Favorite Non-Fiction: The Fire Within and The Creative Habit
Least Favorite book: Dear America, Diary of Emma Simpson (This was the first book I've read of this series and I wasn't impressed at all. What a waste of paper. The other book I read from this series was a bit better, but still... there's so many better books out there!) and since I'm naming two in each category, I'll include Organized Simplicity as well. I slogged through the book, mostly just to finish it. I think it is written for someone who is in a different place than I am, and maybe if I was in that place I would have liked it more. As it was, it felt dull, repetitive, and not particularly applicable in many places. I am glad I didn't pay anything for it...
The List:
Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life (finished 1/28/12) ebook
The Three Musketeers (fin 3/25) ebook, public domain
Among the Night People (f 4/20) ebook, public domain, read aloud
George Washington's Socks (finished 1/15/12) read aloud
The Bronze Bow (started 2011, finished 2/22) read aloud
Downright Dency (started 2011, finished 1/10/12) read aloud
Kat Finds A Friend (read 1/2/12) ebook, read aloud
Enemy Brothers (finished 1/4/12) read aloud
When Children Love to Learn (started 2011, finished 1/4/12) ebook
The Creative Habit (f 4/14) ebook
The Borrowers Afloat (1/16/12 - 2/8/12) read aloud
Troll Valley (1/28/12) ebook
The Borrowers Avenged (f 4/28) read aloud
Tremendous Trifles (fin 3/1) ebook, public domain
Saint John Bosco (f 6/6) read aloud
Stories of Great Musicians (finished 2/22) ebook
The Man Who Never Died (f 3/2) read aloud
Sacajawea (f 3/7)
The Captain's Dog (f 3/5) read aloud
Undaunted Courage (f 4/10)
The City of the Golden House (f 4/3) read aloud
Grammar-Land (f 3/16) ebook, public domain
Organized Simplicity (12/12) ebook
Haystack Full of Needles (f 3/25)
The Emerald Story Book (f 5/26) ebook, public domain
The Fire Within (f 11/25) ebook
The Wonder Book of Chemistry (f 6/09) ebook, public domain
White Isle (6/7) read aloud
Tree Wagon (6/2) read aloud
Mother Cary's Chickens (f 4/26) ebook, public domain
The Heir of Redclyffe (f 5/21) ebook, public domain
Little People Who Became Great (f 5/6) ebook, public domain
Twelfth Night (f 5/14) ebook, public domain
Brother Astronomer (6/6)
Joy in the Ordinary (f 5/23) ebook
Toward a Philosophy of Education (f 5/25 -started in 2011) ebook, public domain
Cautionary Tales for Children (f 6/10) ebook, public domain
Stories of the Saints by Candlelight (6/13) ebook, public domain
The Story Girl (7/12) ebook, public domain
Judith Lankester (f 7/1 and 12/12) ebook, read aloud
Counting on Grace (6/28)
Mystery of the Periodic Table (7/3) ebook
The Betrothed (8/24) ebook, public domain
Dear America Diary of Emma Simpson (Civil War) (7/8)
Dear America Diary of Libby West (Transcontinental Railroad) (7/10)
The Cottage at Bantry Bay (7/15)
Francie on the Run (7/18)
Rifles for Watie (7/31)
Pegeen (7/25)
Montessori Today (8/15)
Nine Tailors (8/10)
Montessori in the Classroom (8/25)
Clouds of Witness (9/8)
Tales of Telmaj (9/15) ebook
Tales of Telmaj (9/15) ebook
Saint Helena and the True Cross (10/3) read aloud
We Were There at the Opening of the Erie Canal (10/1) read aloud
Unnatural Death (10/3)
The Life of a Spider (10/7) ebook, public domain
Young Brahms (11/13) read aloud
The Warden (11/24) ebook, public domain
The Queen Bee and Other Nature Stories (11/27) ebook, public domain, read aloud
If You Can Get It (9/10) NaNoWriMo novel that was posted online as it was written
Shadows Falling (11/28) NaNoWriMo novel that was posted online as it was written
Barchester Towers (12/8) ebook, public domain
Augustine Came to Kent (12/4) read aloud
Having Decided to Stay (12/22) ebook
Yay, more lists! What did you think of Barchester, btw? Are you going to read the rest of them?
ReplyDeleteI liked The Warden, the first of the series and then I liked Barchester Towers even more. I found myself laughing aloud at spots, savoring Trollope's turn of phrase at many places, and just generally enjoying myself. The characters are wonderful, such a nice mix virtue and quirks. I also like the author's way of addressing the reader - he does it so well, and it makes for a very companionable novel. I do plan to read the rest of The Chronicles of Barsetshire, but I like to space out books in series or by the same author if I really enjoy them so I can savor them even more. I'll probably start the next one sometime towards the end of January.
DeleteI know what you mean about spacing authors out! I'm still working my way through Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series because I can only read two or three at a time and then I'm burned out, even though I like them.
DeleteI like the same things about Trollope that you do, but I also love how he tells the *whole* story, and not just the super-dramatic parts. I feel like he gives me such a good idea of the regular rhythm of the characters' lives that I can really appreciate the life-changing moments when they occur, if that makes sense.
Hi, Amber! Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteI saw a question of yours online about the Baldwin Project, and the advisability of paying $99 to join up and gain the benefit of their resources. I have tried answering on the 4Real site but it hasn't let me in yet, and I have other things to do - but I just wanted you to know that you can probably get many of the Baldwin Projects' materials online for free. For instance, the story of "The Seen Little Sisters Who Live on the Round Ball That Floats in the Air" (1861) is available as a free download from the Gutenberg Project: http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?pageno=1&fk_files=1485633
Best of luck in the new year!
Excuse my typos! "Seven" little sisters, and "Project's"- !
DeleteThanks for your comment, Marty! I appreciate you taking the time to come over here from the 4Real boards. With regards to the Baldwin Project, I'm not so much concerned about having access to the materials through their new service, but rather I'm wondering how useful their scheduling tools are and how well put together their modules for the various subjects are. Good planning time always seems to be hard for me to find, so anything that might make that drastically easier is something I like to consider!
DeleteThanks again for your comment!