2022 Book It Reading Challenge: Introduction

Artwork by Shannon Maddox, aka "Auntie."

The Flip and Sip Reading Challenge has come to a close.  It was a very productive reading year.  I finished 60 books, exceeding my goal of 50.  I only had one "Ain't nobody got time for that" volume this time around.

This year, I'm going to slow down my reading goals (thus the irony of calling it a "book it" challenge, since the phrase usually indicates speed).  There were several books over the years that I feel that I didn't get the most out of.  They included journaling or participation in certain activities to get the most out of the volume.  I want to take the time to go back and read and participate.  So, my 2022 goal for the year is 12 books (one book a month).  I'm sure I'll read more than that, but it takes the pressure off me to produce quantity over quality.

NOTE:  In early April, I upped my goal to 20 after I passed the 12 mark.  In late May, I upped it to 40 after passing 20.  After I passed that goal, I just let her eat!

If you'd like to follow my reading progress, see my Goodreads page.

Like my other reading challenges, this one doesn't have any specific instructions or types of required books.  However, some books may be part of various categories.  Examples include:

• Kiddie Lit -children's books.
  
• Recommended Reads - books recommended by what I hope are trustworthy sources.
• Glorious rereads - books I enjoyed so much that I'm reading them again.
• Everybody's Reading It - books that everybody and their grandma read that I'm just now getting to.
• Nobody Admits to Reading It - books that others have said to stay away from (whether they've read them or not).
• Impulse Reads - Books I bought, borrowed, or checked out of the library for no other reason than "hey, this looks interesting."
• "Potty" Books - No, it's not what you think.  I noticed that I was spending my extended visits in the potty scrolling on my phone and/or playing a game (at least it was Words With Friends, so I was feeding my brain somewhat).  Don't act shocked; I know some of y'all do it too.  Before the days of cell phones, I used to keep books and magazines in my bathroom for those times.  This year, I'm running and experiment.  I want to see how many books I can read during those times.  I see enough screens during the day, so I'm reading paper books.
  

My rating systems is as follows:

✮✮✮✮ = Outstanding
✮✮✮ = Pretty good
✮✮ = Could have been better / could have been worse.
✮ = Not so great
Zero stars = Ain't nobody got time for that = DNF (did not/would not/could not finish)

Whether you read one book or 100 this year, I would enjoy some company.  Drop in a comment once and a while to let me know how it's going. Yes, I know I say this every year...I mean it every year.

So, what are your reading goals for 2022?
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Books Read and Reviewed:

Completed books will be marked as a link to the review or Goodreads comments.

Book 01
Book 02 - A glorious reread
Book 03 - A glorious reread
Book 04 - A glorious reread
Book 05

Read, but not Reviewed:

1. Christian Apologetics by Douglas Groothuis
2. Our Daily Biscuit by Todd Starns and Michelle Cox 
3. Knowing God's Will by R. C. Sproul
4. Come Before Winter and Share My Hope by Charles R. Swindoll
5. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco
6. Show Up for Your Life by Chrystal Evans Hurst
7. The Art of Writing and the Gifts of Writers by C. S. Lewis
8. Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
9. Discipling by Mark Dever
10. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero
11. How to Write a Lot by Paul Sylvia
12. Discipled by Jesus by Robert Gelinas
13. Hearing God by Dallas Willard
14. The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron
    
15. Living Above the Level of Mediocrity by Charles R. Swindoll
16. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F--k by Mark Manson
17. The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith (a glorious reread)
18. Chasing Vines by Beth Moore (a recommended read)
19. Resolving Everyday Conflict by Ken Sande
20. Strengthening Your Grip by Charles R. Swindoll
21. How Can I Cultivate Private Prayer by Joel Beeke
22. Jesus:  The Open Door by Kenneth Hagin Sr.
23. Conflict Free Living by Joyce Meyer
24. The Peacemaker by Ken Sande
25. It's Not Too Late by Tony Evans
26. Art and Faith:  A Theology of Making by Makoto Fujimur
27. Soul Keeping by John Ortberg 
28. The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal
29. How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age by Dale Carnegie.
30. Improving Your Serve by Charles R. Swindoll
31. Dropping Your Guard by Charles R. Swindoll
32. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
33. The Tale of Mrs. Tuttlemouse by Beatrix Potter
34. The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Beatrix Potter
35. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
36. The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle by Beatrix Potter
37. Christ the Healer by F. F. Bosworth
38. Worship by A. W. Tozer
39. Discipleship by A. W. Tozer
40. The Great Omission by Dallas Willard
41. How to Find Your Wealthy Place by Dr. Leroy Thompson
42. Deep Work by Cal Newport
43. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottieb
44. The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
    
45. Growing Deep in the Christian Life by Charles Swindoll 
46. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version
47. Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson
48. Prayer by A. W. Tozer 
49. Eternal Living:  Reflections on Dallas Willar'ds Teaching on Faith and Formation by Gary W. Moon
    
50. The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer 
51. Going Higher with God in Prayer by A. W. Tozer
52. Knowing God by J. I. Packer 
53.  Concise Theology by J. I. Packer
54. Watch Your Mouth by Tony Evans
55. Psalms:  The Prayer Book of the Bible by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
56. The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll
57. On Christian Doctrine by St. Augustine
58. Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon
    
59. The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott 
60. The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson 
61. Sanctuary of the Soul by Richard J. Foster
    

Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!:

Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist

Don't Eat the Yellow Snow: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

It's National Popcorn Day-my favorite! Are you a fan? Sweet or salty? A good or great movie you've seen recently (at home or in a theater, either one)? 

I'm a fan of popcorn.  I like it either sweet or salty.  I really can't enjoy most of the sweet varieties of microwave popcorn anymore since nearly all of them have Sucralose in them (my body does not do well with fake sugar).  The last really good movie I saw was The Hundred Foot Journey.  My friend Emily recommended it and I rented it from Amazon.  It's the story of an family from India trying to make their way in the gourmet restaurant business and all the ups and downs of the journey.

What's something you didn't realize was going to take so much of your time as an adult? 

The internet.  I had no experience with the internet in my early adulthood.  As the years went on, I went from downloading e-mails over dial-up (yes, dial-up), to doing research for work, all the way to having a cell phone with more storage space and memory than my first three computers combined.  I am happy for the connections that social media and the internet have provided, but now it seems that I have to fight the temptation to let it replace true face-to-face relationships.  I don't like that.

Your favorite yellow something? 

Sunflowers, bananas, daffodils, day lilies, and black eyed Susan flowers. 

Took this shot in Belmar

Why do you write? 

Like playing music or creating arts and crafts, writing is very cathartic for me.  In some aspects such as my blogs, it is a means of sharing my mind and heart with others.  In other aspects such as my personal journal--for lack of a better way to put it--it gets things out of my head and heart that need to be said, but not necessarily shared with anyone. 

Share a favorite memory associated with snow.

From Chautauqua Park in Boulder, CO

In more than four years of living in Colorado, I've dealt with more snow than in 45 years of living in
Alabama.  I don't necessarily have a favorite memory associated with snow. Snow and ice are still a big point of anxiety for me, especially it I need to drive anywhere.  I enjoy the beauty of it as it flocks the trees and spreads a soft blanket on the grass, but I don't get out in it unless absolutely necessary. I don't have anyone with which to build a snowman, make snow angels, tube, or have a snowball fight.  Those are the fun things about snow.

Insert your own random thought here:

In case you missed it:  

*My last Hodgepodge post, "New Year, New...Something" is here.
*My latest Five Minute Friday post "Behold," is here.
*My last 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of All Earth is Waiting, is here.
*My latest Simple Woman's Daybook "A Buggy Full of Lemons," is here.
*My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing III," is here.

New Year, New...Something: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

Share one happy moment/memory from the holiday season. 

In my last Hodgepodge, I mentioned that I was looking forward to a white Christmas--just not a white Christmas Eve.  Mercifully, we didn't get our first big snow until December 31.  This stay allowed me to fully celebrate the holidays.  I had the joy of attending Colorado Community Church's Christmas Eve service, as well as worship with my friends at Table Mountain Baptist in Arvada.  I also had great dinners with friends on Christmas day and the day after.  I spent New Year's Eve refreshing Google to check on the Alabama vs. Cincinnati game.  Yes, the TuneIn app blocked the semifinal game AGAIN.  They do this every time Alabama goes to the playoffs or the championship.  Oh, yeah, Miss Joyce said happy moments.

Let's be reasonable with our expectations going into this new year, k? What is one thing you'd like to accomplish/improve/complete/do in 2022? 

Reasonable expectations don't mean throwing in the towel and giving up or expecting less.  The further we get from "the thing," the more I expect out of life.

Anyway...

Among other things, I'd like to improve the consistency of my blogs.  The past three years have been the most inconsistent since I started blogging in 2012.  In all fairness, in the past three years, I've had school, then a new side hustle as an Adjunct Professor.  I don't have any desire to stay chained to my computer every waking hour.  However, I know that with blogs absence does not make the heart grow fonder.  Absence makes y'all forget I'm here.  I'm taking a writing workshop at work, so maybe I'll learn some pointers on more consistent writing.  I don't want to write simply for quantity; I want to actually say something in my posts.

Every January 1st (since 1976) Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness (go here to read more about how the words are chosen). Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2022-wait, what?-no worries-at the end of the day-that being said-asking for a friend-circle back-deep dive-a new normal-you're on mute-supply chain. Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? 

I ask this every time this question comes up:  Who died and made Lake Superior University the gatekeeper of language?  Hey, don't let the word "Superior" in your name go to your head.  Some of these are legitimate words or phrases.  For example, the supply chain is a real thing (it's screwed up right now, but it's real).  "You're on mute" is a legitimate phrase for Zoom meetings (how else is someone going to know that they're talking while on mute).  If folks would pay more attention to what they're doing, it wouldn't need to be said so much.  Some of the other phrases are tired corporate catchphrases--circle back, deep dive, that being said, etc.).  I wouldn't mind either seeing them go, or at least be used much less.  Words or phases that should absolutely go?  How about the phrase "no cap," calling anyone pejorative terms for male and female genitals, commenting "first" on any social media post or YouTube video (what are you, twelve?), and  "I can't even" (You can't even what?  Complete sentences, please?).

Best thing you ate in the month of December? 

Cranberry relish from the grocery store.  I'm a big fan of jellied cranberry sauce in the can and want to learn to make homemade cranberry relish.  However, I had Christmas dinner with friends and they had relish from the deli at King Soopers (our version of Kroger).  It was the best I'd ever tasted. I don't know if it's available all year long, but I'm going to find out.

January 5th is National Bird Day. Are you a bird lover? What's your favorite bird to see in the wild? Choose a phrase from the list that follows and tell us how it relates to your life currently...eat like a bird, bird's eye view, early bird, bird-brained, free as a bird, a little bird told me, or kill two birds with one stone.

I like all kinds of birds.  My favorites to see back home were the cardinals. They and the bluejays fought every summer over the seeds of sunflowers I grew in my backyard.   Here, the prettiest bird I've seen so far is the black billed magpie.  I saw one out in the parking lot at my old office and tried to snap a picture of it.  Why do birds sit still until you try to snap a photo of them?  Oh, well.  I plan to try my hand at painting one sometime this year.

I'd say early bird is the best word that describes my life right now.  My years of getting up before God does when I worked at the YMCA have made me a permanent early bird--just not THAT early.

Insert your own random thought here:

Welcome to 2022, y'all!

In case you missed it:  

*My last Hodgepodge post, "Just a Little Trim," is here.
*My latest Five Minute Friday post "Behold," is here.
*My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of All Earth is Waiting, is here.
*My latest Simple Woman's Daybook "A Buggy Full of Lemons," is here.
*My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing III," is here.