2017 Reading List

The books I finished reading in 2017:

71) From Congress to the Brothel: A Journey of Hope, Healing, and Restoration
~ by Linda Smith
[The author represented Washington State in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1994 to 1999. While in Congress, she took a trip to India and observed the horror of human trafficking firsthand. This experience led her to establish Shared Hope International. (I pretty much said the same thing in #58 below! The author tells her own story in #71.)]

70) Swipe Right: The Life-and-Death Power of Sex and Romance
~ by Levi Lusko
[I recommend this book to any young person who is struggling with how to honor God in our over-sexualized culture. (I also recommend it to any young person who doesn't think they are struggling.) Although I didn't have a clue about some of the pop culture references the author made (ha ha!), I was able to take away some great truths/advice from this book, too.]

69) Faces Around the Manger: An Advent Devotional Journey
~ by Ray Pritchard
[This is a nice devotional for Christmas, running from December 1st - 25th. Each day features a Bible personality and their connection to the Christmas story. The ebook (which I read on my Kindle Fire) links to a music video at the end of each day's reading.]

68) Flags Out Front: A Contrarian's Daydream
~ by Douglas Wilson
[I read a brief review of this book in WORLD Magazine, decided I wanted to read it, and — wouldn't you know! — it is a Kindle Unlimited offering. I read the entire book today; it took less than three hours. I told Lew it is an editorial — disguised as a novel — on today's political and cultural climate. I really liked it and Lew is going to read it, too.]

67) Rush Revere and the First Patriots
~ by Rush Limbaugh
[Rush Revere and his time-traveling horse, Liberty, meet great Americans such as Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and Paul Revere in this 2nd book of the "Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans" series. They even participate in the Boston Tea Party. I learned a lot!]

66) We Have Lost the Coffee
~ by Paul Mathews
[Book #3. Some predictability in this one, but still fun. I read this mostly right before bedtime; it was a really good "no-mind" book to help me unwind!]

65) We Have Lost the Pelicans
~ by Paul Mathews
[Book # 2 in the series. "The name is Pond... Howie Pond." I laughed out loud more than once while reading this book. Lew observed my laughter and is going to read the first book. I will be interested to see whether he enjoys this type of humor. I do know that Lew will appreciate Howie's love for doughnuts!]

64) Made in the USA: The Sex Trafficking of America's Children
~ by Alisa Jordheim
[This is yet another informative book about a disturbing topic. I have now read a handful of books about trafficking, and I still have a few more books on my list. I have learned from each and every book, so I think I will keep on reading.]

63) The Girl Who Lived: A Thrilling Suspense Novel
~ by Christopher Greyson
[I've enjoyed the author's Jack Stratton series, so when I saw this novel on Kindle Unlimited I thought, "Why not?" So I borrowed it and read it. It lived up to the "thrilling suspense" description! I liked it.]

62) We Have Lost the President
~ by Paul Mathews
[It seems like every other day I see ads on my Kindle for the We Have Lost series. I finally succumbed and borrowed the first book via Kindle Unlimited. The setting is London, year 2044, with a new governmental structure in place. I didn't realize this book was going to be humorous, and I didn't expect to it enjoy it as much as I did. I definitely plan on reading the second book soon.]

61) Diary of a Wimpy Kid: a novel in cartoons
~ by Jeff Kinney
[This is the first installment of the very popular series. It was available through Kindle Unlimited, so I figured I should read it for the sake of cultural literacy. I'm pretty sure I may have laughed out loud a few times! I'm going to get Lew and my mother to read it.]

60) The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living
~ by Meik Wiking
[That word is pronounced HOO-GA. The author is the CEO of The Happiness Research Institute, Copenhagen. This was a fun little book, the reading of which has me drinking hot chocolate in greater quantities.]

59) Three Times Sold: A Story of Faith, Survival and Forgiveness
~ by Sioni Rodriguez with writer-editor Jane Fisher
[The writer-editor is in the class I am taking at my church, and she told us about this book (which was just released!). Forgiveness is definitely a central theme. I'll be passing this book along to fellow classmates.]

58) Renting Lacy: A Story of America's Prostituted Children
~ by Linda Smith with Cindy Coloma
[The author, Linda Smith, is a former U.S. Congresswoman who was inspired to establish Shared Hope International after visiting Mumbai, India. In Renting Lacy, she tells about child sex trafficking in the United States. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in fighting trafficking.]

57) Jack of Hearts
~ by Christopher Greyson
[Jack and Alice (a.k.a. Replacement) go to visit Jack's parents. Lady, their King Shepherd, makes the trip, too. They arrive just in time to investigate a series of robberies in the retirement community. This is currently the last book of this series, so I will miss my friends Jack and Replacement... until the next book is released, of course!]

56) Data Jack
~ by Christopher Greyson
[Replacement gets a gig helping to install a wireless system at the home of a wealthy man, but there is some criminal activity going on behind the scenes. Jack Stratton gets involved, of course! Another good read.]

55) The Slave Across the Street: The True Story of How an American Teen Survived the World of Human Trafficking
~ by Theresa L. Flores with PeggySue Wells
[This is another book that was mentioned by someone in my class (see #53 below). I read the Kindle version, which is currently in dire need of some editing. Despite that, I was able to understand all that was written. I can't say I enjoyed this book — the subject matter is too dark — and I even had nightmares last night after reading the first 2/3. But Theresa survived her ordeal and is now dedicated to the fight against human trafficking. Her website:  https://www.TraffickFree.com/  ]

54)  Jack and the Giant Killer
~ by Christopher Greyson
[Jack Stratton and Replacement are looking for the owner of Lady, a large dog. While searching for Lady's owner, they encounter a rather gruesome murder — which is when the real mystery begins. There are currently only two more books in this series, and I think I'll read them.]

53) Not For Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade — And How We Can Fight It
~ by David Batstone
[I am taking an eight-week class at my church to learn about human trafficking and how to combat it. Other attendees — who are more knowledgeable on this subject than I — mentioned this particular book. I learned so much from reading it, and my research on this topic is not going to stop.]

52) The God Portal
~ by Tim Ferguson
[I don't want to say too much about this novel, because I don't want to give away any of the plot! I enjoyed it so much that I got Lew to start reading it. He's not finished yet, but he likes it, too.]

51) Jacks Are Wild
~ by Christopher Greyson
[This novel featuring Jack Stratton and his sidekick, Replacement, included a few "steamy" amorous scenes. I didn't enjoy that aspect of the book, but I did like the mystery part. And because the "steamy" scenes weren't really vulgar, I think I'll try at least one more book in the series. At least I can borrow it through Kindle Unlimited!]

50) Emily of Deep Valley
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[This is the third and final book in the Deep Valley series. Now that I have completed reading the entire Betsy-Tacy and Deep Valley collections, I think I may sit down and have a good cry! I loved these books so much and I am sad to be finished... but, wait... I can always read them again! And I think I will. Hooray!]

49) Goodbye, Magnolia
~ by Krista Noorman
[This is the first book in The Cornerstone Series. I fully intended to read the entire trilogy, but I decided to stop after this one. I liked it okay, but I didn't enjoy it enough to keep going. I guess the Christian romance genre isn't my favorite!]

48) Winona's Pony Cart
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Another book in the Deep Valley series. Winona and her friends — including Betsy, Tacy, and Tib — are in the third grade in this cute story. Winona is turning eight years old and she's having a birthday party!]

47) Carney's House Party
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[This is one of the three books in the author's Deep Valley series. There were many of the same characters from the Betsy-Tacy books... including Betsy! After her sophomore year at Vassar, Carney has three friends visiting her home (all at the same time) for several weeks during the summer — a "house party." I enjoyed this book, of course!]

46) A Swiftly Tilting Planet
~ by Madeleine L'Engle
[This is a companion volume to the author's better-known book, A Wrinkle in Time. I enjoyed this lesser-known story just as much. I'm not usually one to pick up science fiction books, but I do like the time travel genre.]

45) The Pencil Sharpener
~ by D.S. Lucas
[This is a lovely short story written by my cousin Harry's wife! It's available for Kindle and other e-readers!]

44) Jack Knifed
~ by Christopher Greyson
[I really do enjoy the Jack Stratton character and his sidekick, Replacement. These books don't take too long to read, which I like because I have a hard time putting any mystery down! I actually figured out something before Jack did in this one; maybe I should become a detective!]

43) Betsy's Wedding
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[The 10th and final book in the Betsy-Tacy series. I was almost teary-eyed as I finished reading it. I loved this series so much; I will probably re-read. I love the fact that much of this series is based on the author's own life. She also wrote a three-book Deep Valley series that I believe features some of the same characters; I'm going to read those books, too!]

42) Luke's Passage: A Novel
~ by Max Davis
[Inspired by a true story, this is not what I would call a "cozy" book. The novel starts off tragically. Luke's anguish is deep. I read this book quickly because I needed to find out how Luke fared. I appreciated the book's Christian message.]

41) Murder Is Easy also known as Easy to Kill
~ by Agatha Christie
[This is one of my favorite Christie mystery reads so far, even though this book does not have Miss Marple nor Hercule Poirot. The only reason I didn't read it in one sitting is because of other obligations; I really didn't want to put it down.]

40) Betsy and the Great World
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Book #9 in the series. Betsy travels overseas. She sees lots of sights, meets some interesting people, and writes many letters home.]

39) Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims
~ by Rush Limbaugh
[This is the first book in the "Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans" series. Although it is written for kids, I think grown-ups can learn a lot from reading it, too. (I know I did!)  I bought this book to give to Eli and Adam. I plan on buying all the books in the series... and reading them before handing them off to the kids, of course!]

38) Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life
~ by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick
[My breakfast buddy, Carole, told me about this book. It is excellent. It is going on my "keeper" shelf.]

37) Girl Jacked
~ by Christopher Greyson
[The first book in the Detective Jack Stratton series. The story interested me, and it didn't take me too long to read. The series is available via Kindle Unlimited, so I think I'll keep going.]

36) Betsy and Joe
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Book #8. Betsy is a high school senior! She is excited about everything the year holds, but will she and Joe ever get together?]

35) Pearl Weaver's Epic Apology
~ by Rachel Keener
[The central theme of this novel: Stories. I stayed up late on a work night (again!) to try to finish this book. I ended up falling asleep, but I did finish reading it before going to work. A Christian message, but it isn't your typical Christian novel. (This is another book I borrowed via Kindle Unlimited. Lew has borrowed more than I have, but I am going to start taking greater advantage of our membership!)]

34) And Then She Was Gone
~ by Christopher Greyson
[I borrowed this book via Kindle Unlimited. Is it a prequel to the author's Detective Jack Stratton series. I really liked the story a lot, and I loved Jack's character. (He's only a teenager in this one.) The book was profanity-free, which I appreciated. I'm going to read another book in this series soon.] 

33) The Thirteen Problems also known as The Tuesday Club Murders
~ by Agatha Christie
[This is a delightful little book of 13 mini-mysteries that could stand alone as short stories. They do connect with each other, though, because dinner party attendees are taking turns telling the tales. Also a common thread: Miss Marple!]

32) Betsy Was a Junior
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Book #7 in the series. The title gives away the high school year this book covers! An assignment of note: make herbarium.]

31) Bibles and Ball Bats
~ by Chris Allen
[I stayed up until midnight on a work night to finish reading this novel. It is about teenage boys on a mission trip that decide to rescue an orphan girl who became a victim of human trafficking. Although the story of what the boys do is pretty far-fetched, the evil of human trafficking is all too real.]

30) Betsy in Spite of Herself
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Book #6. Only four more to go, and I'm kind of sad there are so few left! Betsy — or should I say Betsye — is a high school sophomore in this one.]

29) Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?
~ by Lisa Scottoline & Francesca Serritella
[This mother (Lisa) and her daughter take turns writing a Sunday column, Chick Wit, for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The columns are based on their real life experiences. This book is a collection of some of those columns. Actually, they have compiled several books of this nature, and I may need to read more of them. I was laughing so hard at one point that when I tried to explain it to Lew, I couldn't... I had tears running down my face! Mom Lisa also writes mystery novels; I just downloaded one to read.]

28) The Homeschool Experiment: A Novel
~ by Charity Hawkins
[I read about this book in WORLD Magazine. Emily homeschools her kids, so I thought she might enjoy this book. I had to read it first (of course!), and it was wonderful. Christian perspective, lots of good ideas/advice, and plenty of humor. I can hardly wait to pass this book on to Emily!]

27) Heaven to Betsy
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Book #5.... I love, love, love this series. Betsy and her friends are in the 9th grade in this book. I enjoyed reading about "The Crowd" and all of their adventures.]

26) Dog Company: A True Story of American Soldiers Abandoned by Their High Command
~ by Lynn Vincent and Captain Roger Hill
[I saw an excerpt in WORLD Magazine and bought the Kindle version right then. What happened to Captain Hill and his colleagues was disgraceful, and I'm astonished that something like this can take place in our military. This book was not a "light" read, but I'm glad I took the time. The story was very well told.]

25) Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Book #4 in the series.... The girls are now 12 years old, and the reading level has also "aged." I just learned the author wrote the entire series this way so that readers of the series can grow up right along with the characters. (Who knew?!) As I previously said about the third book, this one is my favorite so far. I just bought the rest of the series. I think that each one will be my favorite.]

24) A Hundred Summers
~ by Beatriz Williams
[My supervisor knows I like to read, so she loaned me this book after reading it herself. It had been a while since I'd read a steamy novel. I enjoyed certain aspects of the story, but I could have done without the steamy parts!]

23) Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Book #3 in the series... The girls are now 10 years old. Who will be voted "Queen" for the summer? This was my favorite of the books so far!]

22) Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross
~ by Colin S. Smith
[I read recently that the actor Stephen Baldwin is performing a one-man play based on this story. So I had to order the book. The book is not long and is easy to read. I recommend it!]

21) Betsy-Tacy and Tib
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Book #2 in the series.... Betsy, Tacy, and Tib are eight years old in this book. These three girls are very creative in how they entertain themselves. Cute, sweet, and wholesome. I have two more books to go in my Kindle four-in-one. I may buy more of the series.]

20) Radio Rescue
~ by Lynne Barasch
[I normally don't count children's picture books in my list, but this one deserves to be. I read about it in WORLD Magazine and found a used copy available on Amazon. The story is based on the author's own father, who as a child in the 1920's became a licensed ham radio operator. I really want to learn Morse code now! I think I will hand this book on to Eli and Adam.]

19) Betsy-Tacy
~ by Maud Hart Lovelace
[Every now and then I like to read classic children's books. I had never read any of the Betsy-Tacy series before this. I like the turn-of-the-century setting — and by that I mean the early 1900s, not 2000s! The Kindle version I have is actually a four-in-one, so I get to read three more books in this charming series.]

18) The Waiting: The True Story of a Lost Child, a Lifetime of Longing, and a Miracle for a Mother Who Never Gave Up
~ by Cathy LaGrow, with Cindy Coloma
[Wow. What a story. I love, love, LOVE this book. My recommendation: Move this one up to the very top of your "read next" list.]

17) The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska
~ by Eileen Curtright
[I got this novel for free on my Kindle. (It was a Kindle First selection.) I am somewhat reluctant to say that I sort of enjoyed the book. There were many things I did not like about it, but I was amused by its satirical nature. The characters were not moral giants; the dialogue contained a lot of cursing. I always think a book would be better without the cursing. But this was a silly story with silly characters; they didn't know any better. My recommendation: Skip this one.]

16) Ruby's Slippers
~ by Leanna Ellis
[This was an enjoyable novel with many Wizard of Oz parallels. The main character, Dottie, survives a tornado that destroys her Kansas farm. She and her dog, Otto, then have an adventure in California as Dottie tries to save her land. Sophia (the equivalent of the scarecrow character) is a God-loving woman who helps Dottie find her way. And, yes, there are characters representative of the tin man and the cowardly lion, too!]

15) Elizabeth Is Missing: A Novel
~ by Emma Healey
[The narrator, Maud, is an 82-year old woman with dementia — an interesting way to tell a story, but the author pulls it off. I really liked reading it.]

14) You Are Not Special... and Other Encouragements
~ by David McCullough, Jr.
[The author, a high school English teacher, delivered his school's commencement address in 2012. The popularity of his speech was the catalyst for this book. It was an enjoyable read, and I agree with much of what he said. But there were no indications that he believes in the possibility of eternal life with the Lord. That hope is missing from his otherwise encouraging message.]

13) The Mutual Admiration Society: A Novel
~ by Lesley Kagen
[This is a sweet little story told from the perspective of a precocious young girl named Tessie. She fancies herself a sleuth, and she drags along her little sister on her escapades. (Tessie's love for her sister is one of the sweetest things about the book.) But I want to ask the author WHY she felt the need for Tessie to take the Lord's name in vain so often; it made me cringe every time.]

12) Meet the Skeptic: A Field Guide to Faith Conversations
~ by Bill Foster
[The author identifies four types of skepticism: Spiritual, Moral, Scientific, Biblical and their corresponding worldviews: spirituality, relativism, naturalism, secularism. For each type, the author offers a probing question for the skeptic: "How good is good enough (to get you to heaven)?" "What is your standard for right and wrong?" "How much faith is required to believe that the natural world is all there is?" "If God gave us a book, how would we know it really came from Him?" .... Good stuff.]

11) Daddy-Long-Legs
~ by Jean Webster
[A friend told me about this classic, so I downloaded a free version of it to my Kindle. It doesn't take very long to read. Letters written by Jerusha "Judy" Abbott tell most of the story. I thought the ending was predictable, but I still enjoyed it. Quite charming.]

10) Sisters One, Two, Three
~ by Nancy Star
[Because there are three girls in my family, I picked this novel to read based on the title alone. It was a touching story about how a family deals with tragedy and the ramifications of keeping secrets from those we love.]

9) Counting By 7s
~ by Holly Goldberg Sloan
[Because of the title, I wish this book had been the 7th I read this year. This novel is a sweet story about a brilliant, awkward young girl who has to cope with losing her adoptive parents.]

8) Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated the Nation
~ by Dean Jobb
[The swindler was Leo Koretz. The city was Chicago in the 1920s. You don't have to be a history buff to be fascinated by this true story. I was impressed with the amount of research the author did in order to write this book.]

7) Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners
~ by Therese Oneill
[A friend loaned me this book. She said it was funny, and she was right!]

6) The Office Workout: 75 Exercises to do at Your Desk
~ by Kent Burden
[I thought this book would merely explain the 75 exercises. But it also contains lots of information, statistics, and anecdotes. The author's personal story is quite fascinating. The main thing I took away from this book is that we need to stand up more, so I try to stand up whenever I can. I think it helps!]

5) Real Choices: Listening to Women, Looking for Alternatives to Abortion
~ by Frederica Mathewes-Green
[I heard about this book when it was released over 20 years ago; I read an excerpt in Christianity Today magazine in 1995. The excerpt planted the seed for my future involvement with a crisis pregnancy center. I decided to read the whole book while preparing for my church presentation for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.]

4) The Fast Metabolism Diet: Eat More Food & Lose More Weight
~ by Haylie Pomroy
[My sister Kim told me about this book. Lew and I may start this 28-day program the day after the Super Bowl. I'm pretty sure the program works, but the big thing will be whether we choose to stick to it or not. If we do, it will warrant a future blog post!]

3) Anchored: Pressing On by Pressing Into the Savior
~ by Teresa Blondo
[The author uses the Old Testament history of the Israelites to tell the story of her own faith journey. I read the Kindle version, which could have used some better editing! But I liked the content of what I read. Good solid theology.]

2) Looking into You
~ by Chris Fabry
[I really like this author. Although this novel wasn't one of my favorites by him, the story still kept my interest. There is a prequel (of sorts) to this book called Every Waking Moment. I didn't know it existed until after I read this one! I'd like to read it, of course, but I'll wait until I can get a deal on the Kindle version.]

1) A Cold and Lonely Place: A Novel
~ by Sara J. Henry
[This is the sequel to Learning to Swim. I was about 20% through the book at the end of 2016; I read the rest of it on January 1st.... I guess you could say I really enjoyed it! I like the main character, Troy, and I hope the author writes more stories about her.]