So far this year....

I have had plans to get going on various projects, but something comes up to stop me or things take longer than expected. Not much has been started. I did get started on organizing and purging, but only because I'm getting new bookcases for the bedroom tomorrow to replace the old rickety shelves.

I undecorated from Christmas but just discovered 4 angels still on a shelf.

I had plans to eat better but then Mum's Christmas parcel with Christmas treats came, so it's Christmas again! Although my main meals are mostly healthy (I did get fast food for lunch with a friend today).

I remind myself that it's only January 9th and not everything has to be figured out already. It's okay to take time to figure out what plan will work best for this year (or at least this month).

And....I started a new devotional (None Else: 31 Meditations on God's Character and Attributes by Joel Beeke and Brian Cosby) that I'm quite enjoying.

I spent time with a friend today, partly cleaning out the Sunday School rooms and partly just hanging out and catching up and enjoying each other's company (with a bonus visit from another friend who ended up at the same fast food joint as us).

I've been reading and resting and recovering from a very crazy November and December and a miserable virus or something (my throat is still not quite up to par again) which is also important.

I'm starting some tutoring again next week with a family I love.

So, really, it's been a good year so far. 

Baptisms

Yesterday was a baptism Sunday. There were 5 ladies being baptized, with five more people getting baptized next week. I like hearing the testimonies and how God has worked in each person's life. Sometimes the stories sound similar (especially when there are a lot of younglings who grew up in the church) and sometimes they are so different. The common factor is God's grace in calling each person to Himself in salvation.

One thing I particularly like about baptisms at GraceLife is the introduction. Before anyone gets baptized, the elder takes the time to explain what baptism is and why the people are choosing to get baptized. It isn't a magical process and they aren't super Christians (he uses different words of course!). Baptism is an act of obedience to Christ for all believers, a declaration of a person's commitment to Christ, and a time to testify about what God has done and to give Him the glory.

One More 2024 Book Post

Sometimes I like to try different reading challenges. I have found that I don't like them too long or too structured; I would rather have more flexibility in my reading. I tried a history challenge, but determined that I would spend too much time trying to find books that fit each category (and there were a lot of categories) and gave it up. The bingo type ones are better because I can make my books fit the categories, but they still have categories that don't interest me (I don't want to read horror). 

Last year I found The Book Girls' Guide and their various yearlong reading challenges. I decided to try the decades challenge, which is basically read a book from a different decade each month. Not only do I get to read historical fiction, memoirs, and nonfiction about history (all things I love), it's one book a month so it's not too demanding. Also, the Book Girls have done a ton of work to gather book recommendations for each month and have included genre, a summary, and their thoughts on the books. They have a variety of genres so there's something for everyone. It was fun to find new books and authors. I have a pile of books still waiting on my "for later" list in the public library.

Last year I didn't sign up to "officially" do the challenge; this year I am signed up to do two challenges (we'll see how that goes). I am doing Book Voyage: Read Around the World and their new one: Book Lover's Challenge (books about books, reading, libraries, and bookstores are generally favourites). All the challenges can be found here. 

Last year's books (many of which I have mentioned in the previous two posts):

1880s or 1890s: The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee, about being Chinese in America in the late 1800s

1900s or 1910s: Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee, about the San Francisco Earthquake

1920s: One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson

1930s: Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts

1940s: I was tutoring a child in WW2 at the time, so the list just says "All the WW2 books"! There were several nonfiction (including picture books) and a few fiction books. I didn't write them all down.

1950s: Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

1960s: Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

1970s: Argo by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio (granted, this takes place mainly in 1979 and 1980, with the actual rescue in early 1980, but I'm counting it because it starts in the 1970s)

1980s: As You Wish by Cary Elwes, about the making of The Princess Bride

1990s: The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klostermann, about the culture and such of the 90s; not my favourite book

2000s and 2010s: The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede, stories about the people of Gander and their guests when the flights were diverted after 9/11

Books that Spain Multiple Decades: The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson, moving between the 1900s and 1910s for one part of the story and the 1990s for the other part.

2024 in Books: Fiction

In looking over my lists for the past year, I discovered that I read a lot more fiction than nonfiction, something I hope to change next year. Some of it is because fiction is great for reading on the bus and during my busy months I spend a lot of time on the bus. Some of it is that fiction is usually just easier and quicker to read. Still, I'd like more in-depth reading this year.

That said, here is my list of favourite fiction books read in 2024:

The Fate of Arcrea and The Isle of Arcrea by Nicole Sagar. I read the first book in the trilogy in 2023 and finished it up in January.

Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide. This one is youth fiction about the expulsion of Indians from Uganda under Idi Amin. I learned a lot of history that I had never learned before (along with the story was a timeline of the actual events, and of course I did some research as well).

The Percys and Aunt Jane's Hero by Elizabeth Prentiss.

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards. I wanted to see if Julie Andrews could write or was published because she was famous. She can write.

Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. There was only one bit of "No, that doesn't mesh with Anne of Green Gables."

The Staff and the Sword series by Patrick Carr. I got the first book for Christmas and borrowed the other two from my friend's son. Also, I just remembered that we have the first 2 in the church library and I need to buy the third one.

The Last Devil to Die and We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. The first is part of his Thursday Murder Club series; the second is a new series (I hope).

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. The book starts when Aminata Diallo is a child and is kidnapped from her home in Africa and sold into slavery. It tells of her life in slavery; how she found freedom; her involvement in the Revolutionary War; her time in Canada and eventual return to Africa. It is a brilliant piece of historical fiction. 

Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts. Letts describes her book as "a fictional story based closely on the truth". It is the story of L. Frank Baum's wife, Maud. It tells of her childhood, her life with Frank, and her interactions with Judy Garland during the making of the movie The Wizard of Oz. While it is fiction, it is very well researched fiction.

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan. I've written about this preciously (I really, really liked it). While is is fiction and the main story is pure fiction, the parts about C.S. Lewis are at least based on fact.

War in the Wasteland by Douglas Bond. More historical fiction, again about C.S. Lewis and his time in World War One.

9 books in the Elm Creek Quilts series by Jennifer Chiaverini. For the most part, these are fairly simple reads (and great bus and bedtime books). They are sometimes historical fiction about the people who once lived in and around the Elm Creek area, and sometimes contemporary fiction about the people working at and attending the quilt camps. Also, there are a lot of quilts.

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson. Technically I finished this on in 2025, but since it was around 2:00 this morning and I hadn't gone to sleep yet, I'm counting it as the last book of 2024.

I read many more books, of course, but those were my favourites. I haven't started with this year's book yet, but I have a stack of library books, a new one from Christmas, many that I own and haven't read, and more coming (thank you, givers of gift cards). The only challenge is what to read first!

2024 in Books: Nonfiction

I read a variety of nonfiction books this year, some with more enthusiasm than others. I read some for work, some for ministry, and some for fun. Here are some of my favourites, in the order I read them:

Exactly as You Are: The Life and Faith of Mr. Rogers by Shea Tuttle. I'm not sure how I got onto a Mr. Rogers theme this year, but I read more than one about him (although not the one I own...I really need to read more of my books and fewer library books!). This one was my favourite; I learned a lot about his background and his thoughts as he made his famous television show.

One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson. I always enjoys Bill Bryson's writing and this was no exception. While talking about the major events of that summer, he dove into history and culture surrounding airplanes (Lindbergh's famous trans-Atlantic flight), baseball (Babe Ruth), politics (Coolidge), and so much more.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. I did a review of this earlier in the year; I just want to say again that anyone who can take a story where the ending is known and still make me wonder if everything will work out is brilliant.

Ghosts in the Fog by Samantha Seiple. This year I learned that Japan invaded the Aleutian Islands in Alaska during World War II. 

Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. This was good and I loved the history, but I honestly thought Killing Lincoln (which I read a few years ago) was better. 

Shame Interrupted by Ed Welch. This was such a good book to read and so painful at times. I highly recommend it; just keep reading the "why does he know so much about me" part so you can get to the "God is so good" part!

In My Father's House; Corrie Ten Boom's Prison Letters; and Father Ten Boom, God's Man by Corrie Ten Boom. How did I not know that she had written so many books? The first two were audio books (and I would dearly love to read the hard copies, especially Prison Letters because it has some illustrations she added to her letters). I learned more about her childhood, her time in prison, and her father's life.

Argo by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio. Not only is this the story of the rescue of six Americans from Iran, it also talks about the CIA's methods and rescues of various people. Antonio Mendez was a spy who specialized in support of clandestine and covert CIA operations and was one of the leads on the Argo rescue. I enjoyed it so much that I also read Moscow Rules by Antonio and Jonna Mendez and Matt Baglio and have a couple more of his books waiting for me. 

A Girl From Yamhill by Beverly Cleary. This is her memoir, from early childhood to finishing high school. Any fan of her books will enjoy not only hearing about her life but also finding bits that inspired scenes in her stories.

Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. I now know more about horseracing in the 30s and the rough life of jockeys than I ever expected to know.

There were also some good books that I reread this year, either because it had been a long time or for ministry and Bible study reasons. Among them were:

The Measure of Success by Carolyn McCulley with Nora Shank

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

The World-Tilting Gospel by Dan Burns

The Biblical Counseling Guide for Women by John and Janie Street

A Year of Picture Books

It is almost the end of the year, so it's time to post my best books of 2024. I'm starting with picture books because they make up around 40% of books read this year. I read them to my Wednesday morning kids, and this year we got through 65 books. My goal has been to read different books each week and I managed to not repeat any books thanks to my collection, a couple friends lending books, and the Best of Caldecott list combined with the public library. My goal for next year is to continue to find new books to read.

It's very difficult to tell you the best of the 65 because there were many, many good books, but I'll give you some the the kids seemed to really enjoy. The books are a mix of old and new and the audience ranged from 5-8 years old.

One series favourite was the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books with their many variants by Laura Numenoff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. Whatever you are giving to the animals (a pancake or a party for the pig; a donut for the dog; a muffin for the moose; a cupcake for the cat, etc.), the kids love them.

Robert Munsch is always a favourite (with Michael Martchenko illustrating); we read Jonathan Cleaned Up; The Paperbag Princess; and Angela's Airplane.

One particularly silly book that we read was this year was Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis. The entire book is written in this invented "insect language" and has wonderful (although simple) illustrations that also tell the story. The kids absolutely loved it! They could follow the story well enough with the pictures and found the nonsense words hilarious. 

Other books that we really enjoyed:

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman

A Frog Thing by Eric Drachman, illustrated by James Muscavello

Friday Night at Hodge's Cafe by Tim Egan

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McClosky

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Mell Fell by Corey R. Tabor (also by the same author: Snail Crossing and Simon and the Better Bone)

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

Kitten's First Full Moon by Keven Henkes

Pigeon Pie, Oh My! by Debbie Singleton, illustrated by Kristyna Litten

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmeiri

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Williams

November

My mum and I have considered forgetting that this November happened. It was a rough month. Dad went into the hospital on November 4th with some concerning symptoms. After tests and other tests, he had surgery later that week. The following week, before they let him go home, they did an angiogram to see if there were any issues with his heart. They discovered clogged arteries and the need for bypass surgery.

Because their local hospital couldn't do the surgery, Dad had to be flown to Toronto (Mum went with him). Thanks to the generosity of my church and some of the members, I was able to fly out to see him and to help Mum through this time. Hotels were hard to find and very expensive (there was a popular singer in town both weekends). I called upon my friends and church family and we were able to get a place in the dorm of a seminary close to the hospital. 

Surgery was November 19th and everything went well. I spent the day updating the family and making sure Mum was okay and finding us food. In fact, that was pretty much my job for the week. By the end of my week in Toronto, I knew our section of the hospital fairly well, could find several coffee shops in the area, and had found two grocery stores so we didn't need to eat at the hospital food court all the time. I also found a dollar store and a drug store so I could run some errands for both parents.

I went home on November 25th. Mum and Dad were flown back home on November 27th, where Dad went back to the local hospital for follow up and such. He was discharged on November 29th. Of the entire month, there were 4 days when Dad was not in the hospital.

Once I was home, I crashed and slept a lot for the rest of the week (with some responsibilities in there and some catching up). I went into December feeling two weeks behind and needing to make up work meetings and a history class. I also haven't started decorating for Christmas.

It was a rough month, but I found that there were so many things to be thankful for:

1. That Dad had gone into the hospital with other symptoms and they discovered the heart problems; otherwise, it may have been discovered in a much worse way.
2. That my parents live in Ontario which meant that the surgery was done at Toronto General, the third best hospital in the world.
3. For excellent medical staff before, during, and after surgery.
4. For the friends who helped me look for, and were able to find, accommodations for Mum and me that weren't expensive.
5. For the people who ensured that I could fly down and be with my family (not only did the church help, but people from the church offered to help).
6. For the people who helped with other travel expenses so I could take care of Mum in Toronto without it breaking either of our budgets.
7. For so many people, even friends of friends and their churches, who prayed for us.
8. That my parents were sent home air ambulance rather than commercial, which was talked about.
9. For my job, both the flexibility and the higher ups who told me to take all the time I needed and we would work things out if I couldn't get my meeting finished in time (and "in time" was two weeks after they were supposed to be done).
10. That Dad is home and doing well.

With all that to be thankful for, perhaps I won't try to forget November after all.