Spring Reading Thing 2011 ~ Wrap-up

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My original Spring Reading Thing list seems rather tiny looking back at it, but I typically end up adding new books as they are available for review and this year I had the added benefit of freebies that I’ve found for my Kindle. I’ve been reading much more at night before bed and it’s really helped my sleeping habits too ~ go figure!

Katrina asked a few questions in her round-up post for the Spring Reading Thing and there were two that I really wanted to answer.

1. What was your favorite book that you read this spring? Why

My favorite book this spring was Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White. I have always loved books about the life of Queen Esther and this was a different twist on the story, but absolutely amazing. The depth of the characters and story line were remarkable and I was really sad to have the story end.

2. Least favorite? Why?

On the flip side, I read another story based on the life of Esther, A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf, and after reading it I actually refused to review it because I was so irritated by the complete rewriting of the story that the author took. While I understand taking liberties to write fiction, I am firmly against changing FACTS to make a story more ‘appealing’, especially when it comes to Bible stories {but maybe that’s just me}.

3. Did you discover a new author or genre this spring?

Historical fiction has always been a favorite of mine and I’m honestly getting picky about what books gain a spot on my bookshelves. I purchased a few books for my Kindle by Roseanna White because they were priced in a great range ~ $3.00. I’d never read anything by her, but thanks to a blog post from Kaye Dacus, I downloaded Jewel of Persia to my Kindle. As soon as I was finished with that one, I quickly downloaded A Stray Drop of Blood. Even though I have them on my Kindle, I will be purchasing them in paperback format also because I loved them that much….and really want her to write many more books to keep my busy.

Here’s the list of the books that I’ve completed during the Spring Reading Thing ~ a grand total of 25 books, which really surprises me. I believe that is greatly in part to my Kindle, since 14 of them were read on it {I marked all Kindle books with an asterisk}. All of the books not on my original Spring Reading Thing list are listed in the {added} section.

Still Reading…

~ Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God by Mary Demuth

~ {added} Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

~ {added} One Thousand Gifts by Anne Voskamp

Completed Fiction and Non-Fiction

~ The Lightkeeper’s Ball by Colleen Coble

~ Serendipity by Cathy Marie Hake

~ Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs

~ The Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus

~ The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher

~ The Search by Suzanne Woods Fisher

~ An Unlikely Suitor by Nancy Moser

~ Seasons of a Mother’s Heart by Sally Clarkson

{all below were added to my list and completed}

~ The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

~ Paid in Blood by Mel Odum *

~ Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White *

~ A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White *

~ Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot *

~ A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemyeter *

~ A Vote of Confidence by Robin Lee Hatcher *

~ A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf *

~ The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

~ A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley *

~ Hidden Affections by Delia Parr

~ Beyond All Measure by Dorothy Love *

~ Somewhere to Belong by Judith Miller *

~ Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang *

~ Blood Ransom by Lisa Harris *

~ Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond *

~ 31 Days to Clean by Sara Mae *

Spring Reading Thing 2011 is hosted annually by Katrina at Callapidder Days and runs from March 20th til June 20th. Be sure to visit her wrap-up post and see what others read and discovered during the past three months!