Booking It in 2010: March Update

Remember back at the beginning of the year - you know - January! Did you join the rest of the American culture and set a few resolutions or goals? It seemed like every blog I looked at the first few weeks of January had goals or resolutions posted.

I clearly remember deciding at the time I was not going to make resolutions. I was going to set goals - something I would work toward.


One of the goals I set was to be more deliberate in what I read on a regular basis. First, I determined I was going to Read the Bible in 90 Days. Reality has set into my lofty goals and I've realized I'm not going to finish reading the whole Bible in 90 days. However, I AM GOING TO FINISH THE WHOLE BIBLE! I am quite determined not to give up. I will not take the lazy way out. I will do the hard (for me) thing and read the whole Bible cover to cover. You can check on my ongoing progress in my sidebar or by clicking here.

Another goal was also to read a fiction book each month as well as several non-fiction books once I'm finished reading the Bible. I love climbing in bed and curling up with a good fiction book. Sometimes I only read a few pages, sometimes I read several chapters. Either way, I always fall asleep easier having taken my brain to another place and time for a few minutes.

The Lumby Series by Gail Fraser
Back in early February I finished reading The Promise of Lumby by Gail Fraser, but I never posted a review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series. I think I started reading it in 2008. I was looking for a good series of books, akin to the Mitford series by Jan Karon. I love to read book series because, once I get to know a character I like living with them for a while. I also much prefer series whose characters live morally - not necessarily a moral to the story. I'm not fond of books where the characters behave amorally on a consistent basis. The Promise of Lumby is the fourth installment of the series and I enjoyed it just as much as the first.

Lumby is a quaint little town set in the Northwest U.S. That in itself piqued my interest, as the farthest west I've ever been is Wyoming. It's also a town filled with an array of eclectic good-hearted, but sometimes confused characters. Each book in the series reveals a problem facing the town and its residents, introduces a newbie to the town, and sparks a romance between two characters. It's fun. It's relaxing. It's light romance. It is not Pride and Prejudice. If you're looking for a serious romance novel, this probably isn't your style.

However, if you're looking for a good series with good clean fun and funny characters who will let you escape into another place for a while, this is a great book and a great series to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am really looking forward to the next book in the series, due out in July 2010.

Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert
The next book I read in February was by Melissa Gilbert - you know "Half Pint" from the Little House on the Prairie TV series of the 1970s. I picked it up somewhat absent-mindedly at the library because the other books on my to-read list were all checked out at the time. This is an autobiographical book. She describes various events of her life from before she became "Laura Ingalls" through her current situation. It was an easy read and I finished it more quickly than I'd expected. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it.

If you were a huge Melissa Gilbert fan and you're dying to know what her life was like during and after the show, sure pick it up and read it. But don't expect it to be more than it is. Melissa Gilbert is not Laura Ingalls. Ms. Gilbert was raised with very different values than her TV character. And the choices she made throughout her life reflect those values.

Yada Yada Prayer Group Series by Neta Jackson
I'm currently reading Book 6 of 7 from this series. I'm always drawn into these books very quickly.  I've only had this one a few days and I'm already nearly half finished. I'll tell you my thoughts on the series next month.

So what are you reading these days? What do you look for when choosing a good fiction book?

Looking for more good reads? Visit Life as Mom as we're Booking it in 2010.