Some time before the end of the year, probably after Christmas, I’ll post the books I read this year as well as my top ten or so. Meanwhile, I’ll post the wrap-ups to some of the reading challenges I’ve participated in.

It’s amazing, isn’t it, that we accumulate books we really want, but then they sit unread for months or years.

Adam at Roof Beam Reader hosted the TBR Pile Challenge to encourage us to get to those books on our shelves, Kindles, or TBR lists.  The goal was to read twelve books, and we could choose two alternates in case we decided not to finish one of our original picks. I’m happy to report that I was able to complete everything on my list. The titles link back to my reviews, and the date immediately following is the year of publication.

1. How to Understand and Apply the New Testament by Andrew David Naselli (2017)(Finished 5/31/19)
2. There’s a Reason They Call It GRANDparenting by Michele Howe (2017)(Finished 9/4/19)
3. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright. (2007)(Finished 3/27/19)
4. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. (1970)(Finished 8/6/19)
5. Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me by Karen Swallow Prior (2012)(Finished 4/23/19)
6. On Writing Well by William Zinsser. (1976)(Finished 12/4/19)
7. Katie’s Dream by Leisha Kelly. (2004)(Finished 2/9/19)
8. If I Run by Terri Blackstock (2016)(Finished 1/26/19)
9. Steal Away Home: Charles Spurgeon and Thomas Johnson, Unlikely Friends on the Passage to Freedom by Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey (2017)(Finished 3/8/19)
10. Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa (2016)(Finished 1/13/19)
11. How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn (1939, finished 3/20/19)
12. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1905)(Finished 2/14/19)

My alternates were Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohkle (2014, finished 3/17/19) and Close to Home by Deborah Raney (2016, finished 6/3/19).

I enjoyed all of these to some degree. I’ll probably benefit most from On Writing Well (at least I hope can remember to incorporate its instruction). How to Understand And Apply the New Testament and There’s a Reason They Call It GRANDparenting had lots of great advice. Booked had much food for thought. A Little Princess and The Wednesday Letters were sweet and charming. So was How Green Was My Valley except for a couple of scenes. Annabel Lee was riveting. 84, Charing Cross Road had been on my TBR list for years, so I was glad to finally see what it was all about.  Leisha Kelly’s series was a favorite. Steal Away Home brought a story to light I had been unaware of. Terri Blackstock’s books are always good, and her If I Run series provided great reading time. So did Deborah Raney’s Chicory Lane series. Cathy Gohkle is a new-to-me author but already a favorite.

I’m sad that Adam won’t be continuing this challenge next year. But I enjoyed the fun motivation to actually get to these books.