A New Feature!

I've added a new feature to the blog.  Check it out along the lefthand side...Scroll down past our picture, my bio, my followers and there it is:  BookEnd Review (2011).  I have been toying around with adding this for a while.  I wanted it to have it's own seperate page where I could write little reviews as I finish the books but that didn't work so well with blogger so I'm going to Plan B. 

The list I have written out is my goal for this year.  Yes, it is a lofty goal and I may not actually finish it, we'll see.  I do love to read and these are the books I have stacked up in the hopes of reading this year.  If I don't finish, there is always next year and I figure if you don't set high goals, you'll never push yourself.  Reading is one area I:  a) enjoy b) think is really, really important and c) want to push myself in and d) want to make time for.  I always want to be a reader and I never want to lose that in my life.  In addition to these books, Steve and I are attempting (that's the key to this sentance, attempting...we are behind to date) to read through the Bible in a year (via the chronological plan) but I don't have that listed.

Here is how this list is going to work:  As I finish books, I'll update it with a "finished by" date so you can follow my progress.  You will notice I included some books on the list that I already finished this year and they have been marked with the "finished by" date.  Please note, I am in the bad habit of reading multiple books at one time (there are just some days I "feel" like one type of book and other days I "feel" like another) so that is why some may finish within a few days of each other.  I don't like this habit and I try to not keep more than 2-3 books going at a time. 

I also hope to write a short post interacting with the material or giving my "bookend review."  This is a way for me to stretch myself further and interact with the materials I read which will (hopefully) help establish them more firmly in my own mind.  This is more for my benefit than anything else but it will also give you a glimpse into what I am reading and possibly inspire you to check them out (if they are good).  If you want to read one with me, let me know and we can start at the same time and interact further.  (Sidenote: Jeni and I are going to read Ministry of Motherhood one of these days....we still need to figure that out!).

You will notice there are a few books marked "**"  These are books I have read before and want to re-read this year.  They were just that good.  Mostly books that I want to remind myself of their message on a regular basis.

That said, I hope you enjoy this feature but it is probably more for me and a way to push myself, than it really is for you, my readers.  Feel free to skip over if it doesn't interest you and feel free to join the conversation if it does!