I made a goal this year to read 100 different books.
I am so excited to announce that I have made and exceeded that goal!
Many on my list are children's books (hey, I have kids!), and some are definitely adult. Most I would highly recommend and a couple I would most definitely NOT (Summer Sisters). I tried to get a good variety in my reading this year and not get stuck in a pattern (though series, such as Enola Holmes, are so much fun!). My list includes a lot of fiction with some non-fiction mixed in. Some were on the library recommended shelves or app (Walking in Tall Weeds) or had interesting covers (The Tripods) or titles (Fortunately the Milk). Some I read to the kids as read-alouds (The Green Ember), but most I read on my own. Several I started reading and thought, "This is weird... Should I keep going?" (Snared trilogy) But most of those ended up being some of my favorites, so don't get stuck on the first few pages or chapters of a new book! I have to admit, a handful were also prereading before handing to my kids for school (such as Lies Young Women Believe).
I know you're wondering how I made time to read so many books. And the answer is, I have no idea! LOL I always read during breakfast and lunch and of course read-aloud time with the kids. But this year I sometimes read during the kids' Quiet Time (this is their Bible, prayer, and reading time). I also read in the afternoons and evenings, sometimes before bed, and any other little snippets I could grab (like standing in the kitchen waiting for something to boil). It was challenging to fit it in, but by the end of the year, it is second nature to pull out a book instead of my phone or sitting in front of the computer or TV. I am well pleased with that outcome of my experiment!
Would I recommend such a lofty goal to others? For one year, yes, I definitely would! It was so much fun and a great challenge! But I do feel very behind this year because I concentrated on reading instead of on other things. On the other hand, I also believe this stretched me to not overplan or constantly replan. It forced me to arrange my time to accommodate different priorities. For that lesson, I am truly thankful! My kids had a pretty consistent year of school without me constantly trying to make it "better." Hence I think I have also learned the secret to "However Imperfectly," the title of a book by Andrew Pudewa of Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). My kids' education doesn't have to be perfect, or even perfectly consistent. It just has to be.
Another happy consequence of this venture? Because they see Mom reading so much, I notice some of the kids reading a little bit more, too. Now that is something that truly makes my heart sing!
So without further ado, here are the 101 books I enjoyed in 2022:
- Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth & Dannah Gresh
- Summer of the Wolves by Polly Carlson-Voiles
- Socks by Beverly Cleary
- Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
- Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary
- Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary
- Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
- Gory Deaths by Jonathan Schkade
- Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
- The True Story of Noah's Ark by Tom Dooley
- Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary
- Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
- Fifteen by Beverly Cleary
- Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary
- The Luckiest Girl by Beverly Cleary
- On the Wings of a Whisper by Lynnette Bonner
- A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott
- Nothing Short of Wondrous by Regina Scott
- Emily's Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary
- A View Most Glorious by Regina Scott
- Henry and the Clubhouse by Beverly Cleary
- Jean and Johnny by Beverly Cleary
- Leave It to Beaver by Beverly Cleary
- Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
- Lost in Darkness by Michelle Griep
- The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
- Mitch and Amy by Beverly Cleary
- The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne
- Sister of the Bride by Beverly Cleary
- Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
- Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary
- Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
- Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
- Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary
- Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
- Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
- Blubber by Jude Blume
- Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
- Fade to Us by Julia Day
- E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core by William Joyce
- Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary
- Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
- The Tripods: The White Mountains by John Christopher
- How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg
- Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary
- Strider by Beverly Cleary
- The Wolf Keepers by Elise Broach
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman
- Tumtum and Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall by Emily Bearn
- Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary
- The Tripods: The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher
- Tumtum and Nutmeg: The Rose Cottage Adventures by Emily Bearn
- The Tripods: The Pool of Fire by John Christopher
- The Tripods: When the Tripods Came by John Christopher
- The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. & E. B. White
- ADHD & Us by Anita Robertson
- Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer
- Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
- Enola Holmes and the Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
- Enola Holmes and the Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer
- Enola Holmes and the Case of the Bizarre Bouquets by Nancy Springer
- Enola Holmes and the Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan by Nancy Springer
- Enola Holmes and the Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer
- Enola Holmes and the Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye by Nancy Springer
- The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
- Redwall by Brian Jacques
- Mattimeo by Brian Jacques
- Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie
- Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nance Springer
- Walking in Tall Weeds by Robin W. Pearson
- Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her Monster by Jonathan Auxier
- Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners by Cindy West
- Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman
- Mossflower by Brian Jacques
- The Bride of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep
- Bed-knob and Broomstick by Mary Norton
- The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World by Stephen J. Nichols
- A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
- Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliott
- Saving Normal by Allen Frances, M.D.
- The Homeschool Experiment by Charity Hawkins
- Wonder by R. J. Palacio
- The Boxcar Children Creatures of Legend: The Secret of Bigfoot Valley by Gertrude Chandler Warner
- Auggie and Me: 3 Wonder Stories by R. J. Palacio
- A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
- The Green Ember by S. D. Smith
- The Black Star of Kingston by S. D. Smith
- Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson
- Brother's Keeper by Julie Lee
- Snared: Escape to the Above by Adam Jay Epstein
- The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
- Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King
- Snared: Lair of the Beast by Adam Jay Epstein
- Snared: Voyage on the Eversteel Sea by Adam Jay Epstein
- The Other Side of the Wall by Amy Ephron
- Abel's Island by William Steig
- Knight's Castle by Edward Eager
- The Castle in the Mist by Amy Ephron
- Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy by Melissa de la Cruz
- Never After: The Stolen Slippers by Melissa de la Cruz