June Books...

I feel like I've been reading up a storm this month! I had a few days without James so that certainly helped, but I've also been reading at bedtime instead of watching tv! I have LOTS of books to get to on my summer reading list, so I've needed to work hard!

1. and 2. Hardy Boys - Hunting for Hidden Gold and The Shore Road Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon

I did a little more sleuthing with the Hardys this month. I don't enjoy this series as much as Nancy Drew, but I cannot WAIT until James is old enough for me to read them to him. Hunting for Hidden Gold was a little different from the typical mystery in that they were away from home on a case, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

3. Life Lessons with Max Lucado: the Book of Genesis

This has been my quiet time for at least two months. I do NOT do a quiet time every day. I really, really need to work on that. One of my goals for my 101 in 1001, though, has been to read through the Old Testament. I get so bogged down in it so I thought a Bible Study might push me through it. I've read Genesis several times but I always learn something new! This was a great study and I might try another of his. Next I'm working on Teach Me Your Ways: Genesis/Exodus/Leviticus/Numbers/Deuteronomy with Kay Arthur.

4. The Potty Boot Camp: Basic Training for Toddlers by Suzanne Riffel

I LOVED this book. It was a super-quick read and she combines several methods of potty training into one book. She's not a pediatrician, she's just giving her method of parenting. We've already started working with James on pottying. He goes poop on the pottying almost every day. He does have accidents often still, though. However, to have begun this BEFORE 18 months was pretty good. I keep reading that little boys have a harder time controlling their bladders so we've not worried about tee-tee-ing on the potty yet. If we're able to catch him (for instance, standing in the tub - gross, I know, but Eddie's method of bathing is actually showering him - there's little to no water in the tub anyway so he just washes it down - and he's NOT the only toddler to tee-tee in the tub!) we talk about what he's doing. He's catching on but we're not going to start the "bootcamp" part until August (at the earliest). (See Book 7 for update.)

5. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Ahhh...this was a good finish, I thought. I'd heard some people were less than impressed by the final book in the trilogy, but I really liked it. If you need a good summer-read and you're not turned off by sci-fi type books, this series is a good one! It's different, but it's good!

6. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

This was good but it took me a sweet forever to finish it. It was slooooow until about page 200 (of 700) and then I couldn't put it down. Talk about a page turner! The premis is that this lawyer (Mick) gets a new client who is being charged with assault and attempted rape. He thinks that the client (Louis) is innocent. (This is a shocker - he's used to representing men and women who are definitely guilty.) He has his investigator start digging around and things begin to twist and turn and come unraveled. I didn't expect this to be a thriller, but it definitely was. SO, so good if you like this kind of book. I cannot WAIT to see the movie now.

7. Potty Training Boys the Easy Way: Helping Your Son Learn Quickly - Even if He's a Late Starter by Caroline Fertleman

I like this one and it's attitude toward training SO MUCH MORE than the other one I wrote about. This approach seems to fit James and his personality and his schedule so much better. I've realized after reading this one that he is NOT ready for potty training for tee-tee-ing yet. His little bladder is just not there. However, he is SUPER ready as far as everything else goes. I thought I might start training in August but I may push it back a little. If you have a boy I highly recommend this book.

Whew! Can you tell I've been a reading MACHINE lately? Ha! My poor house shows it!

Up next:
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (Book Club pick)
Finish the camera book I've been reading for.e.ver.
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #2)
Hardy Boys 7 & 8 :)
Teach Me Your Ways: Genesis/Exodus/Leviticus/Numbers/Deuteronomy by Kay Arthur (I won't be finished with this by the end of July but it's the daily Bible Study I'm working through right now.)
31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way by Sarah Mae (Adding this to my daily Bible Study, too. It is basically a book about the Biblical principals behind housekeeping. Ha! I know that sounds strange, but so far I'm loving it!)

What are you reading?