Hang on Friends…there’s a little Amazon gift-card give away at the end of this post!

Holy cow I’ve been putting off this post. I’m feeling a bit like a failure and I avoid things that make me feel like a failure! In 2008 I read 52 books! Which for me was … well, really good! But last year…shoot. I’m gonna level with you. I baked my way through 2009. I’m cushioned with 10lbs. (that’s all I’m admitting to anyhoo) of chubilicious extra tonnage to prove it. So  with all my baking…I didn’t read as many books as the year before. I hate to go backwards! Anyhoo, here’s the rundown:

I read 40 books. BUT 7 of those were cookbooks. YES, I read them cover to cover but cookbooks…really?

Okay, to make matters worse only 1 of those would be considered a “Classic”…

I took the easy way out last year. I had a lot of cooking and eating to do after all.

The Classic I read is my daughter Stephanie’s all time favorite book…people, I listened to this one on my iPod WHILE reading Stephanie’s copy complete with “teacher notes”. (She was a High School English teacher before Ellie came along) This book was NOT easy. Not fun. I am probably the only one who thinks this, Amazon reviews are stellar.

Till We Have Faces

I will however,  tell you one line from the book pierced right into my heart and has come back to me a hundred times since… “don’t you think a dream would feel shy if she were found walking around in the waking world?” I wrote about what that said to me in a post HERE.

Over all though, this book was a tough one. (For me at least)  But I’ve included it since it was my ONLY Classic!

Moving right along…

Then I read a bunch of fiction books…here are my favorites:

The House On Tradd Street

My oldest daughter Bethany and her wonderful hubby Darren’s  wedding was in Charleston South Carolina last year, and this book by Karen White was set in Charleston. It was  so steeped in Southern charm that I couldn’t get enough.  And as a bonus the “House on Tradd Street” was about a historic home being restored. And I love old houses. Fun book.

Off Season

This wonderful Anne Rivers Siddons story took place at a cottage on the coast of Maine…ahhhhh, delightful and a bit more substance than a simple beach read.

Firefly Lane

Seattle was the backdrop for Firefly Lane. I was drawn to this book for one reason. The cover. I enjoyed it. I can’t shout and jump up and down over it but I would recommend it. (I mean, Seattle…the book took me there. That alone was worth the read…)

Now, a bit more serious read…

Don’t Wast Your Life

Okay…so you know, if we’ve been hanging out together for very long, last year, ahemmmm, my year of being Tickled by Joy was more like  a “lean into the pain” kinda year. (Wrote about that HERE) This book was one of The Husband’s favorites…it took me a little longer to appreciate it, but I now join him in loving the message. This little blurb says it best:

“I’ll tell you what a tragedy is. I’ll show you how to waste your life. Consider this story for Feb. 1998 Reader’s Digest: A couple took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast 5 years ago when he was 59 & she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells…Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: Look, Lord. See my shells. That is a tragedy.” John Piper

Yep, that’s what the book’s about…making sure your life matters. (Timing is everything with this book, at certain times in my life it would have really made me mad)

Cookbooks…

Okay…now to the cookbooks I loved this year.  I’m not talking about The Pioneer Woman Cooks because you all know it’s the best cookbook EVER written! But that one aside, I love this pretty baking book…Two sisters wrote this and they’re darling. They gathered old recipes from everywhere and put the sweet ones in this cookbook.

Heirloom Baking

Drum roll please….my favorite book of 2009 was:

Shattered Dreams

Again, 2009 was a bit of a “transitional year” for our faith and this book helped us with lots of questions and doubts. It’s not for the faint of heart or the person who believes God’s main goal is to bless us with prosperity, happiness, good health and perfect lives…just sayin. Nothin wrong with that belief system if it’s working for you…go with it. But we’d hit a wall and God used this book to help break it down. I highly recommend it only if you’ve had a shattered dream, are in pain and have doubts and questions that won’t go away.

Now…I want to tell you what I’m SUPER excited about for 2010…one of the books in my “Top 10 Favorite Books of All Time” is , Blue Like Jazz. It was written by Donald Miller.

Well, Donald Miller has a new book…A Million Miles in a Thousand Years I just started it and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s about “story”, our story…this life we’re living. He’s brutally honest and I love his writing but mainly, so far he just has my mind in overdrive.

****UPDATE****Since I wrote this post I’m almost finished with the book and I’m going to tell you…I’m pretty sure I’ve already found my Favorite Book of 2010.  He is wrapping words around my experiences of the past several years. I can’t tell you how much I recommend this book. Truly.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

Now … let’s do a little giveaway!

How about a $25.00 gift card to:

Here’s all you do…leave a comment for a chance to win! Tell me about one of the books you read last year! I’m still making my 2010 reading list!

If you don’t already follow me…then: follow me! (Subscribe by RSS) and leave me a comment telling me you’re following for a second chance to win! (The follow buttons are in the upper right corner!)**If you DO already follow me leave me a comment letting me know for a second chance!**

Follow me on Twitter (Upper right corner) and leave a comment telling me. If you already follow on twitter, leave a comment telling me that too!(That’s a third chance!)

If you Tweet this “give away” leave me another comment for yet another chance!

Just leave a comment for each of the four things and you’ll have four chances!

I’ll pick the winner using Random.org after midnight on Sunday and announce on Monday Morning!

Tagged as: a million miles in a thousand years, Amazon give away, books, give away, reading, Shattered Dreams