Friday, January 4, 2013

New Book Club Titles

Last night we had our selection meeting for book club, and I must say that it is one of my favorite meetings.  I get to come home and add a boatload of titles to my "to read" list.    :-)

I know, I know...I'm alittle nutty.  But reading always has (and likely will be) my go-to hobby and what I do to both rejuvenate and unwind.

If you're interested in some new titles, maybe check one of these out.  I've only read the ones starred, and I'd highly recommend both.  I'm including a brief description to pique your interest.  Though I probably would have never picked up half of these titles, I love that through book club my reading horizons are being expanded.  And having a group of Christian women to discuss them with makes it even more enriching.
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MARCH: The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani
(Historical fiction, Italian immigrants)

APRIL: Peace Like A River by Leif Enger
(American midwest fiction, family searching for outlaw son)

MAY: An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales by Oliver Sacks
(Case Studies, Neurology, Psychology, ie: Temple Grandin)

JUNE: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
(Classic, young adult, adventure fiction)

JULY: What Is The What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng by Dave Eggers
(Lost Boys of Sudan)

AUGUST: My Antonia by Willa Cather
(Classic American literature, Nebraska pioneers)

SEPTEMBER: The Testament by John Grisham *
(Legal thriller, inheritance, Brazilian missionary)

OCTOBER: The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher F. Chabris and Daniel Simons
(Cognitive Psychology, Memory, Perception)

NOVEMBER: Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
(Memoir, Africa, Women, Islam)

DECEMBER: The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon
(Young adult fiction, mystery, autism, humor)

JANUARY (2014): Cleaning House: A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement by Kay Wills Wyma *
(Christian living, parenting, organization, humor)

FEBRUARY: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
(Historical fiction, American Civil War, Gettysburg)

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Christmas

This year was an especially memorable Christmas because Ryan and Sarah were able to fly east to be with us.  And since her family is less than an hour away they could go back and forth as schedules allowed for large and small gatherings. 

Here are some pictures from our time together.
The pillows my mom made for each of the grandkids (Liam was napping.)
We promptly declared it naptime...but alas it was short-lived.
My mom also made doll clothes for the girls.  She used material left over from my prom dress for this one!!!
We made Mom & Dad work for their gift--they both love Words With Friends, so it was fitting.  :-)  Can you guess their surprise?
Hangin' out.

Bein' silly.
The girls (plus a few of the boys) gave us a little concert and nativity reinactment.  Absolutely precious.

Our family picture session.  I'd say we got some good ones in the 5 shots we took.  That's about all this crowd will sit still for!!! 
 

And during Ryan and Sarah's visit to our home we shared lunch, played games and pulled out Natalia's new Ed Emberly Thumbprint drawing book and made cards.  Adam pretty much cleaned up in UNO as always.  And it was really nice that Pete had off work and could enjoy their visit too.  :-)