Menu Plan Monday 1/12

Monday- Breakfast for Dinner
Tuesday- Olive Oil Pasta with garlic bread
Wednesday- Lasagna
Thursday- Chicken nuggets and homemade French fries
Friday- Whole Roasted Chicken with stuffing and corn or Enchilada Smash Casserole
Saturday- Cheese Ravioli with peasant bread/Chinese Food
Sunday- Turkey and Rice Soup and leftovers/??

Everything is up in the air with crazy construction starting on the house and family in town for my son's birthday party.  My son's birthday is Thursday so I am planning his favorite meal which is most anything with homemade fries plus I am going to spend most of the day at the other house with the electrician so I know that I won't have a ton of time to make things (beyond the cupcakes he has requested to take to school).  On Saturday, I am planning on feeding all of my family members before my son's birthday party and then getting take out after because I know that we will be wiped out and already cleaning up a mess from the kids.

I have planned a meal plan for the week but I am not sure if I am going to see it happen or how many people I am going to be feeding.  This is giving me a little stress but I am hoping to just add more side dishes and other items to the meal if more people show up.  I have found that I am way more stressed with no meal plan and end up giving in to eating out or getting take out.  My body is done with all this eating out and I want to have some healthy home cooked food even if I am cooking for 11 which might be the number if everyone is here at the same time.  I hope that you have a great week and enjoy your meals!!

Books I Read In 2014

I can't believe that we are already at the end of the year and I went back to look at the books that I read for the year that were originally on my list.  I was amazed on how many books that I thought that I would get to and didn't.  I certainly did add a bunch of new ones to the list that were unexpected.

I didn't read the series by James Patterson which was one of my goals at the beginning of the year to expand my reading but I have erased those off my goals.  I also haven't read any of the Anita Shreve books so I erased them too.  I certainly did expand the type of reading by doing some of the review books which was my other goal.  I read a bunch of books for review this year through both of my publishing sites including Blogging for Books and Litfuse Publishing.

I got a lot of use out of the library but still didn't get to lots of the series that I was looking to read.  I know that I read more last year then this year but I set high goals.  I also read none of the books that I had on the shelf at home.  I opted for picking up new ones at the library every time.  I know that it is crazy but it seems to work for me because there is a deadline of when the book needs to be read and returned so it keeps me on track.  What works for you??

Any books left on the list are going to be at the beginning of the books for next year.  I have slowed down the number of books that I have signed up for in the new year because I know that I am going to be busy doing the construction on the new house.  I am looking forward to getting the work done but I am sure that I am going to have plenty of time to read while I am sitting down waiting for different things to happen.  When do you get your reading done??

Beverly Lewis

The Redemption of Sarah Cain- February

Seasons of Grace
The Secret- October
The Missing- October
The Telling- October

Abram's Daughters Series

The Covenant- July

The Betrayal- July

The Sacrifice- July

The Prodigal- July

The Revelation- July

Cindy Woodsmall

Seasons of Tomorrow  May

When the Heart Cries-August
When the Morning Comes- August
When the Soul Mends- August

Janet Evanovich

One for the Money- January

Two For the Dough- January

Three to Get Deadly- January

Four to Score- February

High Five- February

Hot Six- February

Seven Up- February

Hard Eight- February

To the Nines- March

Ten Big Ones- March

Eleven on Top- April

Twelve Sharp- April

Lean Mean Thirteen- April

Fearless Fourteen- May

Finger Lickin' Fifteen- May

Sizzling Sixteen- May
Smokin' Seventeen- May
Explosive Eighteen- June
Notorious Nineteen- June
Take Down Twenty- June
Top Secret Twenty One- June

Plum Lucky (own)- June
Plum Lovin'- June
Plum Spooky- June
Visions of Sugar Plums- June

Wicked Appetite- June
Wicked Business- August

James Patterson

Standalone Books
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas- January
Sunday at Tiffany's (own)- January

Robyn Carr

The Wedding Party- June
Blue Skies- January
Never Too Late- January
A Summer in Sonoma- January
The Chance- July
Four Friends- July
The Promise- October

Other Books from the Library
The Mystery of Meerkat Hill by Alexander McCall Smith- February
The Giver by Lois Lowry- February
Wild by Cheryl Strayed- February

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby- March

Balanced by Tricia Goyer- March

Child's Play by Leslie Hamilton- March

A Stillness of Chimes by Meg Moseley- March

The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler- April

Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson- April

Critical Condition by Richard L. Mabry M.D.- April

Modern Pioneering by Georgia Pelligrini- May

A Season of Change by Lynette Sowell- May

A Mother's Secret by Amy Clipston- May

Gifted Kids Survival Guide by Judy Galbraith- June

The Revealing by Suzanne Woods Fisher- June

Parenting and Teaching the Gifted by Rosemary Callard-Szulgit- June

Still Life with Chickens: Starting Over in a House by the Sea by Catherine Goldhammer- July

When I Fall In Love by Susan May Warren- July
An Amish Kitchen by Beth Wiseman, Kelly Long, and Amy Clipston- July

Storm Front by Richard Castle- August
Treat Yourself by Jennifer Steinhauer- August

A Grand Design by Amber Stockton- August
Kindergarten: It Isn't What It Used to Be by Susan Golant and Mitch Golant- August
Take A Chance On Me by Susan May Warren- August

It Had to Be You by Susan May Warren- September

Sweet: Our Best Cupcakes, Cookies, Candy and More by Editors of Food Network Magazine- September
The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom- September

All's Fair In Love and Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant- September

Blue Ribbon Baking from a Redneck Kitchen by Francine Bryson- September

Joyful by Shelley Shepard Gray- September

Hidden in the Stars by Robin Caroll- September

Deadly Heat by Richard Castle- September

Wild Storm by Richard Castle- September

Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould- October

When the Treetops Glisten by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman and Sarah Sundin- October

Raging Heat by Richard Castle- November

Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey- November

Pound Foolish by Neta and Dave Jackson- November

The Secret Journal of Ichabod Crane by Alex Irvine- November

Furry Logic by Jane Seabrook- November

The Brothers Keepers by NLB Horton- November

Swept Away by Laura V. Hilton and Cindy Loven- December
Love Without End by Robin Lee Hatcher- December
The Homecoming by Robyn Carr- December

Killing the Blues by Michael Brandman- December

Fool Me Twice by Michael Brandman- December

Damned If You Do by Michael Brandman- December

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith- December

Divergent by Veronica Roth- December

Insurgent by Veronica Roth- December

Total Books Read in 2014 (and 2013 and 2012)

I know that most people don't keep track of the number of books that they read but it is pretty interesting because you can see which months are super busy and you don't get a lot of reading in and which are spent reading a lot.  I have been tracking my reading for three years now because I have been blogging about it.  It is pretty helpful to be able to know all the books that you read and which ones you still have to read in the series or with the author.  I have used my list on more then one occasion to figure out what new books I need to read by the authors that I love. 


This year was down with the amount of reading that I did from last year but I still feel like I did pretty well.  I set my goal in 2012 for 50 books and I well exceeded it.  The next year made me set the goal higher which I still greatly exceeded.  This year, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I think that I did read less than I had in the past but I got to read so many fun books and did so many other things that I my future goal is to try to 100 books every year.  It helps to keep my mind active and gives me some escape to get to read about other peoples lives. 

Total Books Read
for 2014

January     8

February    9
March       6
April          6
May          8
June          13
July          10
August       9
September  9
October     6
November   6
December    9
 

Total Books Read in 2014      99

Total Books Read

for 2013

January       12

February     11

March         19

April            18

May             11

June             13

July               6

August         12

September     15 

October         9 

November      7 

December      6

Total Books Read in 2013    139

Total Books Read

for 2012

January      5

February    6

March        9

April           8

May           4

June          10

July           10

August        8

September  3

October      5

November  4

December  6

Total Books Read in 2012       78




Are you going to set a goal for the new year to read more books or a set number of books??  I think that I have set my goal for the coming year to read 100 books.  Here is hoping that I stay on track to get it done!!  I would love to hear your goals too so that I can work on mine!!  Do you set it on a certain number of quality books a month or instructive books a month or just read to enjoy??

December Reading Review

I started the month still trying to figure out how to finish the book that I was reading that I wasn't interested in but I had trouble just letting it go without completing it.  I know that it is a problem that I have because I just feel like it has to get better.  I finally did finish it and it didn't get better.  I did get resolution but it was the worst ending of any book that I had read in ages.  I guess it was the worst end to the worst book so I was excited to read myself to the good end of the year.  There are tons of books still on my list and I got all of the books from my hold list at the library to try to finish strong.

If you want to see what I read this month, feel free to click on the title below and it will take you to the original summary and review.  I hope that you enjoy some of these and add them to your list to read.  It is time to get together the list of all of the books you want to read in the new year to start your new year off right.

Swept Away

by Laura V. Hilton and Cindy Loven

 

Love Without End

by Robin Lee Hatcher

The Homecoming

by Robyn Carr

Killing the Blues

by Michael Brandman

Fool Me Twice

by Michael Brandman

Damned If You Do

by Michael Brandman

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe
by Alexander McCall Smith

Divergent

by Veronica Roth

Insurgent

by Veronica Roth

Books Read for 2014

January     8

February    9
March       6
April          6
May          8
June          13
July          10
August       9
September  9
October     6
November   6
December   9

Total Books  99

Insurgent Book Review and Divergent Movie Review

Insurgent (Divergent) by Veronica Roth was the next book in the series which I picked up right after the first.  I was very excited to get the second book and a little sad that I didn't have the third one already from the library as soon as I was done.  It is a great series (even if it was with young adult books) because it is great for young and old alike.

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.  Make sure you check out this book to find out what happens!!

I started this after finishing the first and still couldn't put it down.  This was as fast a read as Hunger Games or Harry Potter where everything else including sleeping takes a back seat.  I was super sad when I got to the end and didn't have the third book already.  I reserved it at the library shortly after finishing and I was 7th on the list so it just came into the library a few weeks later.  That is the benefit of having a huge county library system because there are so many copies of the book.  Sad thing is that they were all checked out but luckily it didn't take long to get the next one.

In order to hold me over, I watched the movie of the first book that just came to DVD.  I enjoyed the movie but I was hoping for some more.  I often have that problem when I read the book first because the book gives you the opportunity to have more information about all of the characters.  I loved the casting and once I settled into the idea that I just had to imply things in that were in the book that didn't make it into the movie, I was pretty okay with the movie.  At least it helped me while I was waiting for the third book to come in!!

What did you think of the movie?  How about the book?  Did you read the book first or the watch the movie?  Do you think that matters because it always seems to make me question the movie if I read the book first!!!

Menu Plan Monday (or Wednesday) 1/5

Monday- Chicken Nugget Wraps and homemade fries
Tuesday- Cinnamon Sugar Waffles
Wednesday- Leftovers
Thursday- Bisquick Chicken with chicken rice
Friday- Salsa Sloppy Joes on homemade rolls with mac and cheese
Saturday- Leftovers/???
Sunday- Leftovers/???

Well, this week came up on my fast.  I was super busy last week and I didn't realize that I didn't post the menu plan for the week but don't worry, I did have one.  We had a busy week last week with working on the new house.  This week was a fast start because my son went back to school and there was more contractors to meet with to try to hire someone to do the work at the house.  Then, we got snow and school was delayed.  Everything was up in the air and crazy!  So this is partly what we had at the beginning of the week and what is planned for the rest of the week.

I am working through everything in the freezer and doing a good job of it.  I have done a great job at it but now we have company coming for the next few weeks again and that always throws things up in the air so I am trying to nail down what we are doing so that I can finish up the meal plan for the week.  We will know when we know how many people we are feeding :)  Hope you are having a good week!!!

Divergent Book Review

I had a list of books that I was reserving forever at the library but put on hold.  I was still getting new books and not reading the ones on the list so I let them all come off the reserve list so that I could finish them in the current year and start the new year off clean.  I let all the books come in and I started reading.  This was really far into the pile because it is almost 500 pages!!  Divergent (Divergent Series) by Veronica Roth was the huge book that I picked up after finishing some other shorter books.

One choice can transform you. Life in this book is divided into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice Prior must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions to be more true to herself. Her choice will shock her community and herself. But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she's determined to keep hidden, because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous. Through Beatrice's growing up as a 16 year old girl in this world with different factions, you learn a lot about her character and the values of others around you.


I really enjoyed the book and it was a fast read especially given the length.  I couldn't believe how much this was like the Giver and Hunger Games.  It talks about the people changing their behavior because the government is set up to make a "better" life.  They are looking to control the behavior of the people in order to make sure that they don't have war.  With all of the attempt to change the people and make them fit into the set factions, they discover that there are other people who are divergent and don't fit the molds for the factions.  It was really interesting and quick to get into all of the characters and the story.  I can't believe how hard it was too put down once I started!!  I hope that that you check out this book at your local library or bookstore.  It is a great book which I know you will enjoy.  Make sure you get the next book in the series before you start the first one because you will want to pick it up as soon as you are done with the first book.