Books Read in 2017

Another year is over and many more books have been read!  This year I read quite a few chapter books with Harrison so I decided to create a separate list of those.  I included that list and the list of books Samuel read this year at the end.  I read 74 books on my own, read 27 chapter books with Harrison, and Samuel read 6 books this year.  I have many books I didn't get to this year that I want to read in 2018 plus a lot of new books being released in 2018 that I am excited for.  My list of books I want to read is never going to get any shorter!

As always, I don't necessarily recommend all the books on the list.   

I put an asterisk next to my favorite books that I read for the first time this year and also included a couple sentences about why I really enjoyed each book.

Books Read in 2017:

January     

-Drops of Gold by Sarah M Eden

-A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink (read parts of it and skimmed others) (for book club)

*-Behold the Man by Gerald Lund (Historical fiction based on true stories is my favorite genre because I love being able to understand what the time felt like through a very personal view while still learning facts.  This trilogy really helped me understood the context of Christ's life and teachings and how it might have felt to be an early follower.)

-As You Are by Sarah M Eden

February  

-The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes (reread to prepare for a YW activity)

-The Storm Descends by Gerald Lund

*-The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas (audiobook) (This was a really long book- the audiobook was 4 times as long as the average audiobook I listen to!  But it was such a complex, dynamic story that I don't think would be fully captured in an abridged version.  I was very interested in the clever and complex story.)

-The House that Cleans Itself by Mindy Starns Clark (for book club)

-The Shadow Falls by Gerald Lund

-By Your Side by Kasie West

-The Vicar's Daughter by Josi Kilpack

March  

-The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright (audiobook) (ended up being a book club pick in November)

-The Lady of the Lakes: The True Love Story of Sir Walter Scott by Josi Kilpack

-On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder (audiobook)

-The Fall of Lord Drayson by Rachael Anderson

-When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (audiobook) (for book club)

-A Place for Miss Snow by Jennifer Moore

*-Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller  (I read books for many different reasons and this one was just plain for entertainment.  Harrison comes by his love of pirates rightly- I've always found pirate stories pretty fascinating!  This was a fun swashbuckling story!)

April 

-Green Rider by Kristen Britain (audiobook)

-The Quincy Miracle edited by Susan Easton Black

-A Fine Gentleman by Sarah M Eden (audiobook)

-To Win a Lady's Heart by Sian Ann Bessey (audiobook)

-The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines (audiobook) (for book club)

May  

-Maud by Melanie J Fishbane

-Willowkeep by Julie Daines (audiobook)

-The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon (audiobook)

-Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (reread) (audiobook)

-Stories from the Life of Porter Rockwell by John W Rockwell and Jerry Borrowman (read with Samuel)

-The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye (audiobook)

-By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder (audiobook)

June   

-Star Wars: Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston (audiobook listened to with Samuel)

-Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (audiobook)

-The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (audiobook)

-Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (audiobook)

-In the Hands of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce (audiobook)

-A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman (audiobook)

July   

-Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery

-The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce (audiobook)

-Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (audiobook)

*-These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder (audiobook)  (It was really fun to finish this series this year and this book just seemed like the culmination of the story.  Almanzo is a great character (and real life person) and I loved seeing his story and Laura's finally join together.)

-The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder  (audiobook)

-Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (audiobook)

*-Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (audiobook)  (This book tells the story of a World War II maritime tragedy I had never heard of and although it is a heart breaking story, the author does a great job of not making it overly gruesome and finding meaning and hope throughout the experience.  I liked the different point of views the story was told in and how they converged)

-Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce (audiobook)

-The Princess Bride by William Goldman

August  

-Lucky in Love by Kasie West

-Camino Island by John Grisham (audiobook) (read a good portion of it and then skimmed the rest since I didn't care for it)

-Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (audiobook)

September  

-Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton (audiobook)

-Secret of the India Orchid by Nancy Campbell Allen

-The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (reread) (for book club)

-Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (audiobook)

-21 Days Closer to Christ by Emily Belle Freeman (reread)

*-All That Makes Life Bright: The Life and Love of Harriet Beecher Stowe by Josi Kilpack (audiobook) (The marriage therapist student in me was really interested in this story and seeing how this historical figure had to work through differences and trials to make her marriage work and get to the place where she could write such a famous and influential book.)

October  

-Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo (audiobook)

-The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (reread) (audiobook)

-The Proud Shall Stumble by Gerald Lund

November  

-Where the Light Falls by Allison Pataki and Owen Pataki (audiobook)

-Caraval by Stephanie Garber (audiobook)

-The Noel Diary by Richard Paul Evans (audiobook)

-From Cairo, With Love by Nancy Campbell Allen

*-Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan (audiobook) (It was very interesting to read a World War II book from the perspective of Italy and this one was very closely based on a true story.  It was a very emotional story and at times disturbing, but there were a lot of inspiring aspects as well.)

December  

-The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans (reread for book club)

-Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (audiobook)

-Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (listened to most of the audiobook with Samuel earlier in the year- which was a reread for him- and then finished it on my own at the end of the year)

-Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery (audiobook)

-A Country Christmas anthology by Josi Kilpack, Carla Kelly, and Jennifer Moore

-The Forgotten Carols by Michael McLean

-The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (ended up skimming some of it because the old language style was hard to read)

-Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Gordon B Hinckley

-The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (audiobook)

*-Wonder by R.J. Palacio (I've been meaning to read this one forever and finally did.  A powerful and emotional story that made me think about what depth of kindness I show to other people and how I want my kids to treat others.  Definitely one I'll reread with my kids when they're old enough.)

-Summer Holiday: Timeless Victorian Anthology by Nancy Campbell Allen, Sarah Eden, and Annette Lyon

-Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill (audiobook)

Chapter Books Read With Harrison:

I marked the ones that Harrison said were his favorites with (*H) and the ones that were my favorites with (*S).

-Princess Cora and the Crocodile by Laura Amy Schlitz

-Sidekicks by Dan Santat (a graphic novel)

-Scurvy Dogs by Kevin Frank

-The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (reread for me, first time for Harrison)  

-Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osbourne

(*H)-The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osbourne

(*H)-Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osbourne

(*H) (*S)-Hey Jack!  The Crazy Cousins by Sally Rippin (this is the first of a series of short chapter books and we went through the rest of the 12 book series throughout the year.  They are shorter than the rest of the chapter books so I didn't include all of them on the list)

(*H)(*S)-Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osbourne

-Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osbourne

-Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (reread for me, first time for Harrison)

-Afternoon on the Amazon by Mary Pope Osbourne

(*S)-The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Williams

(*H)(*S)-The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate by Shannon Hale

-All Paws on Deck by Jessica Young

(*S)-The Kingdom of Wrenly: The Lost Stone by Jordan Quinn

(*H)-Kung Pow Chicken: Let's Get Cracking! by Cindi Marko

-The Scarlet Dragon by Jordan Quinn

(*H)-Kung Pow Chicken: Bok! Bok! Boom! by Cindi Marko

(*H)-Kung Pow Chicken: The Birdy Snatchers by Cindi Marko

(*H)-Kung Pow Chicken: Heroes on the Side by Cindi Marko

-Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package by Kate DiCamillo

-Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog by Peter Meisel

-The Adventures of Caveboy by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

-Wallace and Grace Take the Case by Heather Alexander

(*H)-Caveboy is Bored! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

-Wallace and Grace and the Cupcake Caper by Heather Alexander

Books Samuel Read in 2017:

-Stories from the Life of Porter Rockwell by John W Rockwell and Jerry Borrowman (read together)

-Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story by Patrick O'Donnell

-Star Wars: Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston (audiobook listened to together)

-Practicing Excellence: A Physican's Manual to Exceptional Health Care by Stephen C Beeson

-The Quincy Miracle edited by Susan Easton Black

-Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (reread) (listened to audiobook together)