Books Read in 2012

Overall I’m pleased with my reading in 2012. I read some great books, and read a lot in some of my favorite areas (memoirs especially).

As I reviewed my list of books, I was struck by some of the lighter, genre fiction that I read. I’d say that I read too much of that, except that I know that virtually all of it was done via ebooks and in pockets of time that don’t lend themselves to deeper reading. So almost all of that reading was done during times that I would otherwise have read nothing at all, which doesn’t feel quite as bad as it would otherwise. I’ve also figured out a more efficient way to find books I can read on my kindle so I’m hoping in 2013 I’ll have higher quality ereads as well.

My list of board and picture books isn’t complete. I wasn’t always great about recording the books we borrowed from the library, and hope to improve on that this year. I like keeping track of them so I remember what we’ve already borrowed, and so that when I’m trying to remember “what was the name of that book we read that my kids loved so much?” I have a better chance to figure it out.

An asterisk (*) by a title means it’s one I especially enjoyed or recommend.

Quick Links to Books by Categories:

Christianity / Theology | Memoirs / Biographies | Parenting | Education | Personal Development | Money & Time Management| Blogging / Social Media / Writing | Cookbooks & Food | History | Other Nonfiction | Fiction | Children’s / Young Adult Fiction | Board & Picture Books | Children’s / Young Adult Nonfiction

Christianity / Theology

• Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey *
• Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow
• The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller *
• Unstuck: Your Life. God’s Design. Real Change. by Arnie Cole and Michael Ross
• A Modern Girl’s Guide to Bible Study: A Refreshingly Unique Look at God’s Word by Jen Hatmaker *
• Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope by Trevin Wax *
• Dawson Trotman: In His Own Words by The Navigators
• A Place of Quiet Rest: Finding Intimacy with God Through a Daily Devotional Life by Nancy Leigh DeMoss *
• 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders
• The Literary Study Bible: English Standard Version *

Memoirs / Biographies

• A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story by Donald Miller *
• The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul by Dave Bruno
• Girl Soldier: A Story of Hope for Northern Uganda’s Children by Faith McDonnell and Grace Akallo
• Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness by Candace Cameron Bure and Darlene Schacht
• Flirting with Faith: My Spiritual Journey from Atheism to a Faith-Filled Life by Joan Ball *
• Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life by Sandra Beasley
• Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life by Eugene O’Kelly *
• Interrupted: An Adventure in Relearning the Essentials of Faith by Jen Hatmaker *
• Return to Rome: Confessions of an Evangelical Catholic by Francis J. Beckwith
• 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker *
• The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with Elizabeth & John Sherrill *
• Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A.J. Jacobs
• Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson
• A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
• Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth *
• MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche
• Never Suck A Dead Man’s Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI by Dana Kollmann
• How to Eat a Small Country: A Family’s Pursuit of Happiness, One Meal at a Time by Amy Finley
• Maman’s Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen by Donia Bijan *
• Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen by Alyssa Shelasky

Parenting

• Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic *
• Nanny to the Rescue!: Straight Talk and Super Tips for Parenting in the Early Years by Michelle LaRowe
• Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka *
• Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross
• Together: Growing Appetites for God by Carrie Ward *
• The Everything Guide to Potty Training: A practical guide to finding the best approach for you and your child by Kim Bookout and Karen Williams
• The No-Cry Potty Training Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Child Say Good-Bye to Diapers by Elizabeth Pantley *
• Potty Training Boys the Easy Way: Helping Your Son Learn Quickly–Even If He’s a Late Starter by Caroline Fertleman and Simone Cave
• Telling God’s Story: A Parents’ Guide to Teaching the Bible by Peter Enns *
• Baby Sign Language Basics: Early Communication for Hearing Babies and Toddlers by Monta Z. Bryant
• The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution: Gentle Ways to Encourage Your Child to Eat – and Eat Healthy by Elizabeth Pantley
• French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters by Karen Le Billon *
• Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson

Education

• The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise *
• The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer *
• Read for the Heart: Whole Books for WholeHearted Families by Sarah Clarkson *

Personal Development

• Write It Down, Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It by Henriette Klauser
• Simple Secrets to a Happy Life by Luci Swindoll
• The Magic of Thinking Bigby David J. Schwartz
• The Grief Recovery Handbook: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses including Health, Career, and Faith by John W. James *
• Enough: Finding More by Living with Less by Will Davis
• Memorize the Faith! (and Most Anything Else): Using the Methods of the Great Catholic Medieval Memory Masters by Kevin Vost

Money & Time Management

• All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending by Laura Vanderkam *
• 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam *
• What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: A Short Guide to Making Over Your Mornings–and Life by Laura Vanderkam *
• Work Shift: How to Create a Better Blend of Work, Life, and Family by Anne Bogel *
• Stop Acting Rich: …And Start Living Like A Real Millionaire by Thomas Stanley
• What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend: A Short Guide to Making the Most of Your Days Off by Laura Vanderkam *

Blogging/Social Media/Writing

• The Writer’s Manifesto by Jeff Goins
• Every Writer’s Dream by Jeff Goins
• ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income by Darren Rowse
• Bloggers Boot Camp: Learning How to Build, Write, and Run a Successful Blog by John Biggs
• Food Blogging For Dummies by Kelly Senyei *
• Twitter for Good: Change the World One Tweet at a Time by Claire Diaz-Ortiz
• WordPress Web Design For Dummies by Lisa Sabin-Wilson
• 31 Days of Twitter Tips: Grow Your Online Influence, 12 Minutes at a Time by Becky Robinson *

Cookbooks / Food

• The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Classic Stories by Barbara Walker
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier by Ree Drummond
• Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson
• Katie Brown’s Weekends: Making the Most of Your Two Treasured Days by Katie Brown
• The Wine Club: A Month-by-Month Guide to Learning About Wine with Friends by Maureen Christian Petrosky *
• In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite: 150 Recipes and Stories About the Food You Love by Melissa Clark *
• Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes by Joy Wilson *
• Ruhlman’s Twenty: 20 Techniques 100 Recipes A Cook’s Manifesto by Michael Ruhlman *
• Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable and Seasonal Kitchen by Amy Pennington
• Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can’t Wait to Make by Melissa Clark
• The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks by Kathleen Flinn *
• Savory Sweet Life: 100 Simply Delicious Recipes for Every Family Occasion by Alice Currah *
• Dinner: A Love Story: It all begins at the family table by Jenny Rosenstrach *
• Culinary Boot Camp: Five Days of Basic Training at The Culinary Institute of America by Martha Rose Shulman
• Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook by Jessica Fisher *

History

• The Oregon Trail Diary of Twin Sisters Cecilia Adams and Parthenia Blank in 1852: The Unabridged Diary by Cecelia Adams, Parthenia Blank, and Bert Webb
• The Doctor’s Secret Journal by Daniel Morison
• Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand *
• Lost Gold of the Dark Ages: War, Treasure, and the Mystery of the Saxons by Caroline Alexander

Other Nonfiction

• Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain *
• Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose by Kristen (The Frugal Girl)
• Nature / Walking by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau
• Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney *
• Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your Home Some Love by Sherry and John Petersik *
• The Husband Project: 21 Days of Loving Your Man–on Purpose and with a Plan by Kathi Lipp

Fiction

• Sprig of Thyme by Jenna Dawlish
• While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin *
• Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
• State Fair by Earlene Fowler
• Dead Wrong by J.A. Jance
• Blackout by Connie Willis *
• All Clear by Connie Willis *
• The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen
• Death’s Half Acre by Margaret Maron
• Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder *
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (Book 1) by Alexander McCall Smith *
• Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
• Unending Devotion by Jody Hedlund *
• Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
• Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
• Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris
• An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris
• Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
• Spider Web by Earlene Fowler
• A Dark and Stormy Night by Jeanne M. Dams
• Fire and Ice: A Beaumont and Brady Novel by J.A. Jance
• The Forgotten Garden: A Novel by Kate Morton *
• Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson *
• Dead Past by Beverly Connor
• The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
• Sebastian by Anne Bishop
• Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn

Children’s / Young Adult Fiction

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle *
• Amazing Cows: Udder Absurdity for Children by Sandra Boynton
• Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool *
• May B. by Caroline Starr Rose *
• A Wind in the Door by Madeline L’Engle
• The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt *
• Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman *
• Close to Famous by Joan Bauer *
• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine *
• Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer *
• The Blue Door by Christa Kinde
• Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt *
• Graceling by Kristen Cashore
• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
• The Dragon’s Tooth: Ashtown Burials #1 by N. D. Wilson
• Hawksmaid: The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian by Kathryn Lasky
• Like Moonlight at Low Tide: Sometimes the Current Is the Only Thing that Saves You by Nicole Quigley
• See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

Board / Picture Books

• Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure by Doreen Cronin
• How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen
• Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney *
• Listen, Listen by Phillis Gershator *
• Machines at Work by Byron Barton *
• Bob: And 6 More Christmas Stories by Sandra Boynton
• Little Bunny and the Magic Christmas Tree by David Martin *
• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
• One Starry Night by Lauren Thompson
• Today I Will Fly! by Mo Willems
• Grandma Drove the Snowplow by Katie Clark
• Wolf! Wolf! By John Rocco *
• Joy to the World: Tomie’s Christmas Stories by Tomie dePaola *
• Chalkby Bill Thomson
• Paddling of Ducks, A: Animals in Groups from A to Z by Marjorie Parker *
• Chicken Big by Keith Graves *
• Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges
• Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton *
• Let’s Dance, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton *

Children’s / Young Adult Nonfiction

• Perfectly Unique: Praising God from Head to Foot by Annie Downs *
• Food, Faith & Fun: A Faithgirlz! Cookbook
• Faithgirlz! Whatever: Livin’ the True, Noble and Totally Excellent Life by Allia Zobel Nolan *

Didn’t Finish

• Building Her House: Commonsensical Wisdom for Christian Women by Nancy Wilson
• Hidden Children of the Holocaust: Belgian Nuns and their Daring Rescue of Young Jews from the Nazis by Suzanne Vromen
• Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

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