good reads continue

Last year, I decided to keep track of what books I read for the entire year.  This was for no real reason other than to see what types of books I typically read.  I included only novels/"book" books.  I read a number of guides, cookbooks, travel things, etc over the year, but did not include them in my count.  Overall, I made out at 32.  I had no idea what number to expect to read, but I think this is a pretty level number.

I've decided to try the same thing for 2012.  I'm already at 3 (in the second week!), mainly because I really liked these books and read them rather fast.

1-Lessons From the Mountain: What I Learned From Eric Walton - Mary McDonough

2- Start Something That Matters - Blake Mycoskie

3- Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor- Jana Riess

I'll be listing them as I read them under the "book" tab.

Berenstain Bears

I'm not going to lie.  I almost bought these from this etsy store.

Then I remembered, I'm 25.  

But, I did just pick up my childhood collection of 30+ Berenstain Bear books from my parents' house this past weekend.  

I had no idea until today that new additions to the beloved series are still being published!  It seems that Mama and Papa had a 3rd child somewhere down the line.  

How I love the Berenstain Bears!  

remember that book...?

I'm the manager of a bookstore/cafe during the day and often get asked the following questions: 1) Can you recommend a good book for me to read?, 2) What are you reading now?, 3)Do you read a lot?, and 4)Do you sell lottery tickets here? (The last one gets asked more than you'd believe.)

Anyhow, by the nature of my job, I come in contact with more books than anyone could ever read or even remember seeing. I read fairly regularly and usually have a book or two (or three) I'm in the middle of. I am not, however, good at remembering all the books I have read. So I decided to make a list of the books I have read (so far) in 2011. Of course, I didn't officially start keeping track until March, so I may have already forgotten a book or two.

This isn't for really any purpose other than just my personal knowledge of what I've read this year. I don't have any book goals or a certain number of books that I'm aiming for, I just wanted to see what types of books I usually read.

I'd say by looking at the list below, if you know me, these titles seem like things I'd read. If you have any interest in seeing my progress, I've included a "Book" tab at the top of the blog. I'll continue to update books I read on that page. Also, I'll include some of my favorite craft and cooking books I've come across lately.
So....

Books I've Read in 2011 (as of July 27th):

1- The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride- Daniel James Brown
2- The Coast of Maine – Louise Rich Dickinson
3- The Orchard: A Memoir – Adele Crockett Robertson
4- From Off Island – Dionis Coffin Riggs
5- How Did You Get This Number – Sloane Crosley
6- The Blueberry Years: A Memoir of Farm and Family – Jim Minick
7- The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love – Kristin Kimball
8- Mary: A Flesh and Blood Biography of the Virgin Mary – Lesley Hazleton
9- Hay Fever: How Chasing a Dream on a Vermont Farm Changed My Life – Angela Miller
10- Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide – Brett McCracken
11- Spencer’s Mountain – Earl Hamner (reread)
12- Olive Kitteridge – Elizabeth Strout
13- Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World –Suzanna Woods Fisher
14- Growing A Farmer –Kurt Timmermeister
15- The Salt House – Cynthia Huntington
16- Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World – Mark Frauenfelder
17- Mirror Mirror- Gregory Maguire
18- We Took To the Woods – Louise Rich Dickinson
19- That Summer on Catalpa Street – Louise Pliss
20- Adventures With Hal – Gladys Baker Bond
21- Lemon Jelly Cake- Madeline Babcock Smith