Books Read 2017

Books I've Read 2017

• DECEMBER
• 48. The Dreamer's Song (Nine Kingdom #11) - Lynn Kurland
• 47. Ever My Love (MacLeod #10) - Lynn Kurland
• 46. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (illustrated edition) - J.K. Rowling
• 45. A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6) - Diana Gabaldon
• NOVEMBER
• 44. Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3) - Jenny Han
• 43. Starflight (Starflight #1) - Melissa Landers
• OCTOBER
• 42. Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) - Laini Taylor
• 41. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) - Leigh Bardugo
• 40. Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) - Leigh Bardugo
• 39. The Forbidden Wish (The Forbidden Wish #1) - Jessica Khoury
• SEPTEMBER
• 38. Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist #1) - Renee Ahdieh
• 37. Stalking Jack the Ripper - Kerri Maniscalco
• 36. Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) - Sarah J. Maas
• 35. Magic Study (Study #2) - Maria V. Snyder (reread)
• AUGUST
• 34. Posion Study (Study #1) - Maria V. Snyder (reread)
• 33. Dawn Study (Study #6) - Maria V. Snyder
• 32. Night Study (Study #5) - Maria V. Snyder (reread)
• 31. Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) - Sarah J. Maas (reread)
• 30. Geekerella - Ashley Poston
• 29. Lucky in Love - Kasie West
• 28. Generation One (Lorien Legacies Reborn #1) - Pittacus Lore
• JULY
• 27. Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga #2) - Kiersten White
• 26. Beyond - Catina Haverlock & Angela Larkin
• 25. Shadowcaster (Shattered Realms #2) - Cinda Williams Chima
• 24. The Warlord of Mars (Barsoom #3) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
• 23. The Gods of Mars (Barsoom #2) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
• JUNE
• 22. Empress of a Thousand Skies - Rhoda Belleza
• 21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• MAY
• 20. A Princess of Mars (Barsoom #1) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
• 19. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• 18. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• APRIL
• 17. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• 16. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• 15. The Last of August (Charlotte Holmes #2) - Brittany Cavallaro
• MARCH
• 14. A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) - Brittany Cavallaro
• 13. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• 12. The Last Command (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #3) - Timothy Zahn
• 11. Dark Force Rising (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #2) - Timothy Zahn
• FEBRUARY
• 10. Heir to the Empire (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #1) - Timothy Zahn
• 9. Windwitch (The Witchlands #2) - Susan Dennard
• 8. Settle for More - Megyn Kelly
• 7. Ever the Hunted (Clash of Kingdoms #1) - Erin Summerill
• 6. By Your Side - Kasie West
• 5. Oubound Flight - Timothy Zahn
• JANUARY
• 4. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two - John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling
• 3. The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5) - Diana Gabaldon
• 2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K.Rowling (reread)
• 1. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty

5. Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn

Last year I made a deal with my husband.

He felt I read too much (is that even possible?!?!?) and I felt his opinion was a little on the crazy side.

To help him feel better about the amount of books I read, I promised him that this year I would read his entire collection of Star Wars books (those and military books are the only ones he'll read, so I figured that would appease him).

He agreed to this deal and so here we are today.

Outbound Flight is about you guessed it, a flight that goes out of bounds - the bound of the Republic, that is.

Here's what Goodreads has to say about it:

The Clone Wars have yet to erupt when Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth petitions the Senate for support of a singularly ambitious undertaking. Six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights, and fifty thousand men, women, and children will embark–aboard a gargantuan vessel, equipped for years of travel–on a mission to contact intelligent life and colonize undiscovered worlds beyond the known galaxy. The government bureaucracy threatens to scuttle the expedition before it can even start–until Master C’baoth foils a murderous conspiracy plot, winning him the political capital he needs to set in motion the dream of Outbound Flight.

Or so it would seem. For unknown to the famed Jedi Master, the successful launch of the mission is secretly being orchestrated by an unlikely ally: the evil Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who has his own reasons for wanting Outbound Flight to move forward . . . and, ultimately, to fail.

Yet Darth Sidious is not the mission’s most dangerous challenge. Once underway, the starship crosses paths at the edge of Unknown Space with the forces of the alien Chiss Ascendancy and the brilliant mastermind best known as “Thrawn.” Even Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, aboard Outbound Flight with his young Padawan student, Anakin Skywalker, cannot help avert disaster. Thus what begins as a peaceful Jedi mission is violently transformed into an all-out war for survival against staggering odds–and the most diabolical of adversaries.

Timothy Zahn’s unique mix of espionage, political gamesmanship, and deadly interstellar combat breathes electrifying life into a Star Wars legend.

My husband is a HUGE Star Wars fan and in the 13 plus years we have been married, he has turned me into quite the fan, as well.

It was an interesting read.  The Star Wars world is huge, and there are so many facets to the Jedi and the Force that it has spawned numerous book series.  According to my husband, Thrawn is quite a notorious character in the Star Wars world, and after reading this I am a little disappointed and at the same time intrigued by his character.

The ending was not at all what I was expecting and I found myself actually interested in reading the Thrawn Triliogy to find out what happens to the Chiss mastermind.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Fun Kids Books

This past year I have really made an effort to find some fun, new books to read to my boys.

They were getting tired of the same old books I've had since my daughters were little, and of course their tastes are different.

These are some of my favorites that we've discovered over the past year.

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

This book was a hoot!  It's a really cute story about dragons that love tacos (obviously) and what can happen when you give them the wrong kind of salsa on their tacos.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

This book is my boys' absolute favorite!  It's a fun tale about a boy named Duncan's school crayons, and the specific requests they have for him concerning their use.  Our special favorite is peach crayon's letter!

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt

This is the sequel to The Day the Crayons Quit.  This story revolves around the crayons in Duncan's home.  It's similar to the first book, but has some fun little "twists" in it. ;)

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

This book is pretty self-explanatory.  There are zero pictures in this book.  However, there are a bunch of funny words that the reader (aka parent) has to say.  This book had my little boys laughing big belly laughs!

Books Read 2016

DECEMBER

78. Saving Grace - Julie Garwood (reread)

77. The Sun Is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon

76. Ransom - Julie Garwood (reread)

75. Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) - Sara Raasch

74. Like a River Glorious (The Gold Seer Trilogy #2) - Rae Carson

NOVEMBER

73. The Secret - Julie Garwood (reread)

72. Something Beautiful (Beautiful #2.6) - Jamie McGuire

71. Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) - Sara Raasch

OCTOBER

70. Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly #1) - Susan Dennard

69. And I Darken (The Conquerer's Saga #1) - Kiersten White

68. Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) - Sara Raasch

67. The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) - Sarah J. Maas

66. The White Spell (Nine Kingdoms #10) - Lynn Kurland

65. A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) - Sabaa Tahir

SEPTEMBER

64. The Last Star (The 5th Wave #3) - Rick Yancey

63. The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) - Rick Yancey

62. The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) - Rick Yancey

61. Beautiful Burn (Maddox Brothers #4) - Jamie McGuire

60. Beautiful Sacrifice (Maddox Brothers #3) - Jamie McGuire

59. Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) - Sarah J. Maas

58. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) - Sarah J. Maas (reread)

57. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) - Sarah J. Maas (reread)

AUGUST

56. Beautiful Redemption (Maddox Brothers #2) - Jamie McGuire

55. P.S. I Like You - Kasie West

54. Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers #1) - Jamie McGuire

53. A Beautiful Wedding (Beautiful #2.5) - Jamie McGuire

52. Walking Disaster (Beautiful #2) - Jamie McGuire

51. Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) - Jamie McGuire

50. The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) - Rick Riordan

49. Flamecaster (Shattered Realms #1) - Cinda William Chima

JULY

48. Edge of Reason (Bridget Jones #2) - Helen Fielding

47. Bridget Jones's Diary (Bridget Jones #1) - Helen Fielding

46. These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901, Arizona Territories (SarahAgnes Prine #1) - Nancy E. Turner (reread)

45. Stars in Your Eyes (de Piaget #14) - Lynn Kurland

44. Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) - Susan Dennard

43. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy (Smythe-Smith Quartet #4) - Julia Quinn

42. United as One (Lorien Legacies #7) - Pittacus Lore

41. The Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6) - Pittacus Lore (reread)

40. The Revenge of Seven (Lorien Legacies #5) - Pittacus Lore (reread)

JUNE

39. The Fall of Five (Lorien Legacies #4) - Pittacus Lore (reread)

38. I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) - Pittacus Lore (reread)

37. Calamity (Reckoners #3) - Brandon Sanderson

36. A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy - Alexandra Bracken

35. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) - Pierce Brown

MAY

34. Sweet Temptation (Sweet Trilogy #4) - Wendy Higgins

33. Firefight (Reckoners #2) - Brandon Sanderson

32. Steelheart (Reckoners #1) - Brandon Sanderson

31. Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #1) - Julia Quinn

30. Dreamer's Pool - Juliet Marillier

29. Sweet Reckoning (Sweet Trilogy #3) - Wendy Higgins

APRIL

28. One Year After - William R. Forstchen

27. A Thousand Nights - E.K. Johnston

26. The Girl From Everywhere - Heidi Heilig

25. Goddess of the Sea (Goddess Summoning #1) - P.C. Cast

24. Sweet Peril (Sweet Trilogy #2) - Wendy Higgins

23. Sweet Evil (Sweet Trilogy #1) - Wendy Higgins

22. Split Second (Pivot Point #2) - Kasie West

21. Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) - Kasie West

MARCH

20. On The Fence - Kasie West (re-read)

19. Night Study (Soulfinders #2) - Maria V. Snyder

18. Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) - Maria V. Snyder (re-read)

17. Fast Track - Julie Garwood

16. The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicles #2) - Patrick Rothfuss

FEBRUARY

15. The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicles #1) - Patrick Rothfuss

14. Mechanica - Betsy Cornwell

13. The Fill-In Boyfriend - Kasie West

12. After You (Me Before You #2) - Jojo Moyes

JANUARY

11. Suddenly One Summer - Julie James

10. What You Left Behind - Jessica Verdi

9. Magnolia - Kristi Cook

8. End of Days (Penryn & the End of Days #3) - Susan Ee

7. World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) - Susan Ee

6. Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) - Susan Ee

5. Walk on Earth (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1) - Rae Carson

4. Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

3. An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) - Sabaa Tahir

2. From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse #8) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

1. An Uncertain Choice - Jody Hedlund

Books Read 2015

Books I've read 2015

DECEMBER

94. Twelfth Night - William Shakespeare

93. Sentinel (Covenant #5) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

92. Apollyon (Covenant #4) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

91. All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #7) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

90. Night - Elie Wiesel

89. Cookie Girl Christmas - Christene Houston

88. Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine

87. Deity (Covenant #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

86. Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon

85. Pure (Covenant #2) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

84. The Heir (The Selection #4) - Kiera Cass

NOVEMBER

83. Winter (Lunar Chronicles #4) - Marissa Meyer

82. Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) - Marissa Meyer (re-read)

81. Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) - Marissa Meyer (re-read)

80. Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) - Marissa Meyer (re-read)

79. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Seth Grahame-Smith

78. Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #6) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

OCTOBER

77. Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse #5) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

76. Half-Blood (Covenant #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

75. The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) - Rick Riordan

74. Tiger Lily - Jodi Lynn Anderson

73. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) - Michele Hodkin

72. Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1) - Melissa de la Cruz

71. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

SEPTEMBER

70. P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before#2) - Jenny Han

69. Rook - Sharon Cameron

68. To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1) - Jenny Han

67. Persuasion - Jane Austen

66. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) - Sarah J. Maas

65. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) - Sarah J. Maas (re-read)

64. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) - Sarah J. Maas (re-read)

63. Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) Sarah J. Maas (re-read)

62. The Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6) - Pittacus Lore

AUGUST

61. A Noble Groom (Michigan Brides #2) - Jody Hedlund

60. American Pastoral - Phillip Roth

59. Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse #4) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

58. Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #3) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

57. The Revenge of Seven (Lorien Legacies #5) - Pittacus Lore (re-read)

56. The Fall of Five (Lorien Legacies #4) Pittacus Lore (re-read)

JULY

55. The Rise of Nine (Lorien Legacies #3) - Pittacus Lore (re-read)

54. The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) - Pittacus Lore (re-read)

53. I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) - Pittacus Lore (re-read)

52. The Distance Between Us - Kasie West

51. Paper Towns - John Green

50. Living Dead in Dallas - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

49. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

48. Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

JUNE

47. Charlaine Harris' Grave Sight Part 1 (Grave Sight Graphic Novel) - Charlaine Harris

46. On The Fence - Kasie West

45. The Martian - Andy Weir

44. The Landower Legacy - Victoria Holt

43. Dreaming in Black & White - Laura Jensen Walker

42. Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3) - Robin LaFevers

41. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

40. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain

MAY

39. The Sunflower - Richard Paul Evans

38. Lion Heart (Scarlet #3) - A.C. Gaughen

37. Lady Thief (Scarlet #2) - A.C. Gaughen (re-read)

36. Scarlet (Scarlet #1) - A.C. Gaughen (re-read)

35. South of Superior - Ellen Airgood

34. Die Trying (Jack Reacher #2) - Lee Child

33. A House in the Sky - Amanda Lindhout

32. I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star - Judy Greer

APRIL

31. Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) - Danielle Paige

30. Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) - Maria V. Snyder

29. Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy #2) - Pierce Brown

28. Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1) - Lee Child

27. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - Laura Hillenbrands

26. Spy Glass (Glass #3) - Maria V. Snyder

25. Sea Glass (Glass #2) - Maria V. Snyder

24. Storm Glass (Glass #1) - Maria V. Snyder

MARCH

23. The Rose Garden - Susanna Kearsley

22. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) - Cassandra Clare

21. How to Betray a Dragon's Hero (HTTYD #11) - Cressida Cowell

20. Shadow Scale (Seraphina #2) - Rachel Hartman

19. Seraphina (Seraphina #1) - Rachel Hartman (re-read)

18. Plus One - Elizabeth Fama

17. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride - Cary Elwes

16. The Princess Bride - William Goldman

FEBRUARY

15. Fire Study (Study #3) - Maria V. Snyder (re-read)

14. Magic Study (Study #2) - Maria V. Snyder (re-read)

13. Poison Study (Study #1) - Maria V. Snyder (re-read)

12. Atlantia - Ally Condie

11. Prophecy - Ellen Oh

10. Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #0.1) - Marissa Meyer

9. Ever After High: Once Upon A Time: A Story Collection - Shannon Hale

8. Nights In Rodanthe - Nicholas Sparks

JANUARY

7. Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) - Beth Revis

6. Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5) - Rick Riordan

5. The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

4. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

3. Dreamer's Daughter (Nine Kingdoms #9) - Lynn Kurland

2. River of Dreams (Nine Kingdoms #8) - Lynn Kurland (re-read)

1. Dreamspinner (Nine Kingdoms #7) - Lynn Kurland (re-read)

Lorien Legacies

I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot say that enough!

 

I just finished re-reading the first five books (book six comes out September 1) and have decided I like the fifth book more than I did the first time I read it.

 

I seriously SERIOUSLY urge all of you who have not read this series to grab these books and read them!  NOW!

35. South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

I had the hardest time finding an author with the same initials as myself... There were a select few and the books/poems/whatever the heck they wrote just did not sound interesting AT ALL!

I pleaded with my sisters to help me find an author with my initials so that I could fulfill that requirement for the reading challenge - they came through!

Introducing - Ellen Airgood.

Apparently she is also from my home state so that was a fun little side detail.

Here's the run down:


When Madeline Stone walks away from Chicago and moves five hundred miles north to the coast of Lake Superior, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, she isn't prepared for how much her life will change.

Charged with caring for an aging family friend, Madeline finds herself in the middle of beautiful nowhere with Gladys and Arbutus, two octogenarian sisters-one sharp and stubborn, the other sweeter than sunshine. As Madeline begins to experience the ways of the small, tight-knit town, she is drawn into the lives and dramas of its residents. It's a place where times are tough and debts run deep, but friendship, community, and compassion run deeper. As the story hurtles along-featuring a lost child, a dashed love, a car accident, a wedding, a fire, and a romantic reunion-Gladys, Arbutus, and the rest of the town teach Madeline more about life, love, and goodwill than she's learned in a lifetime.

A heartwarming novel, South of Superior explores the deep reward in caring for others, and shows how one who is poor in pocket can be rich in so many other ways, and how little it often takes to make someone happy.


The story takes place in a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I love small towns and was drawn into the quaint little town of McAllaster, which is situated on the shore of Lake Superior.

It did take me a while to really get into the book (I really had to power through Madeline's decision to move to McAllaster and her first few months in town), but once I got halfway through the story I had a hard time putting it down.  I loved most of the characters and I kind of wanted to be adopted by their town.

I was rooting for Madeline and all her fellow townfolk and was pleasantly pleased with how the story went.

Rating: 3/5

- a book written by an author with your same initials