75 books

This picture shows 44 of the books that I read this year.

Here is how I would classify some of the books of 2007. I haven't included all of them, but you can also see that some of the books made more than one list.

Books Good for Anyone

• The End of the Spear by Steve Saint
• Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
• Bible
• It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh
• Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper

Best Nonfiction

• The End of the Spear by Steve Saint
• Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren F. Winner
• Revelations of a Single Woman by Connally Gilliam
• It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh

Good Books for a Book Club

• A Song I Knew By Heart by Bret Lott
• The Last Juror by John Grisham
• All in One Place by Carolyne Aarsen
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
• Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
• The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth

Books that I would read again

• Ghost Writer by Rene Gutteridge
• Ever After by Karen Kingsbury
• A Mile After Sunday by Jo Kadlecek
• It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh
• All in One Place by Carolyne Aarsen
• Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
• Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren F. Winner
• Snitch by Rene Gutteridge
• Bible
• Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper
• The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth
• Revelations of a Single Woman by Connally Gilliam

Books that I would not recommend

• Saving Alice by David Lewis
• Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
• Cassidy by Lori Wick
• Adelaide Piper by Beth Webb Hart
• One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

Happy New Year!

Robinson Crusoe

I finally finished reading Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. It took me about a month...it is not short (over 400 solid pages) and it was the unabridged version. I decided to read the book because my dad was talking about it. He read an abridged version of it and thought it was a good story. As I read it I did figure out why he liked it. Anyway, about halfway through I almost gave up and seriously considered giving up reading because it felt a lot like a homework assignment. I am glad that I read the book, though if you aren't an avid reader, I would not recommend it. Now I am going to find something easier to read that doesn't feel like work.
I am surprised at how much more there was to the story than Robinson being on the island. He had more adventures in the Africa, South America and Asia.
Has anyone else read the book?

handmade gifts

Some years for Christmas (and other occasions) I have made handmade gifts for people instead of buying them. While I couldn't sleep last night, I wrote down all the handmade things that I could think of that I have either given or gotten as a gift. They include...

• address labels
• apron
• baby blanket
• bath mat
  
• bath salts
• bed skirt
• canned salsa
  
• cards
• Christmas cookies
• cinnamon rolls
• cookie mix
• dill pickles
  
• dress for a little girl
• fleece hats
• hot cocoa mix
• ornaments
• pen/pencil holder
• pillowcases
• pot holders
• purse
• quilt
• rag rug
• tote bag
  
• t-shirt decorated with pictures

I love getting handmade things. A few of the best ones have come from my sisters. One year Amanda made me over 100 handmade cards, and Kevin made address labels on the computer to go with them. Anita has made me a rag rug (one of the first ones she ever made) and a crocheted bath mat that matches my shower curtain.
Gifts that I have liked giving (though not always making) are pillowcases, little dresses, quilts, and cards.
What are some neat handmade gifts that you have gotten from others or that you have made to give away?