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| Artwork by Shannon Maddox aka "Auntie" |
Welcome to the 2026 "Baby Got Stacks" reading challenge!
Before we get started, let's do a little review. Last year's challenge was a stunning success. My goal was 100 books; I read 119! This year I'm mixing things up a bit. My total goal on my Goodreads challenge is 125 books. Part of that goal (chronicled here) is to read 100 children's books. I'm using the Scholastic 100 Greatest Books for Kids list as a guide along with reading other children's books that pique my interest. I've not read most of the books on the Scholastic list, so this should be fun.
For those new to my blog, I divide my reads into several categories. Sample categories for this year's reads include:
- Glorious rereads - books I enjoyed so much that I'm reading them again.
- Recommended Reads - books recommended by what I hope are trustworthy sources.
- Cross References - books referenced in other books I read. Not exactly a recommended read, but similar.
- Everybody's Reading It - books that everybody and their grandma read that I'm just now getting to.
- Impulse Reads - Books I bought, borrowed, or checked out of the library for no other reason than "hey, this looks interesting."
- Kiddie Lit - Children's books. This year, they get their own list.
My rating systems is as follows:
✮✮✮✮ = Outstanding
✮✮✮ = Pretty good
✮✮ = Could have been better / could have been worse.
✮ = Not so great. What the heck did I just read? I'm finishing this one purely out of spite.
Zero stars = Ain't nobody got time for that = DNF (did not/would not/could not finish)
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Books Read and Reviewed:
Completed books will be marked as a link to the review or Goodreads comments. *indicates a volume from my personal collection.
Book 01
Book 02
Book 03
Book 04
Book 05
Read but Not Reviewed: *indicates a volume from my personal collection.
Regular reads:
- The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton ✮✮ (Category: Cross Reference)
- The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron* ✮✮✮✮ (Category: Glorious reread)
- Enjoying Jesus by Tim Chester ✮✮✮✮
- The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawerence* (Category: Reread and Cross Reference)
- How Can I Practice Christian Meditation? by Joel Beeke* ✮✮✮✮ (Category: Glorious reread)
- Struggles in the Spiritual Life by Timothy Gallagher ✮✮✮1/2
- Phantastes by George MacDonald ✮✮
- Sanctuary of the Soul by Richard J. Foster ✮✮✮✮ (Category: Glorious reread)
- The Little Flowers of Saint Francis by Brother Ugolino Boniscambi ✮✮ (Category: Cross reference)
- Spurgeon: A Life by Alex Diprima ✮✮✮✮
- A Call to Prayer by J. C. Ryle ✮1/2
- Prayer by Timothy Keller ✮✮✮✮
- Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China by Janet & Geoff Benge ✮✮✮✮
- Prayer and Praying Men by E. M. Bounds ✮✮✮1/2
- Before Amen by Max Lucado ✮✮✮✮
- Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman ✮✮✮✮
- Bait of Satan by John Bevere ✮✮✮
- Spurgeon and the Poor by Alex Duprima ✮✮
- God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis (Category: Glorious reread) ✮✮✮
- How to Memorize Scripture for Life by Andrew M. Davis ✮
- Forward by Ronnie Floyd ✮
- The Risen King by Charles Spurgeon ✮✮✮✮
- The Nicene Creed by Kevin DeYoung ✮✮✮✮
Category: Kiddie Lit
- The Cookcamp by Gary Paulsen ✮✮✮1/2
- Alida's Song by Gary Paulsen ✮✮✮1/2
- Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮✮
- Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮✮
- Caleb's Story by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮1/2
- More Perfect than the Moon by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮
- Grandfather's Dance by Patricia MacLachlan ✮✮✮1/2
- Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮✮✮
- Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮✮✮
- Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮✮✮
- Madeline and the Gypsies by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮1/2
- Madeline in London by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮✮✮
- Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans ✮✮1/2
- Matthew Henry by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke ✮✮✮
- John Bunyan by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke ✮✮✮
- The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder ✮✮✮✮ (A glorious reread)
- Jonathan Edwards by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke ✮✮✮
- Anne Bradstreet by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke ✮✮✮
- John Owen by Glenda Mathes & Joel R. Beeke ✮✮✮
- Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! by Dr. Seuss ✮✮✮1/2
- The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- The Pigeon Has to Go to School by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- The Duckling Gets a Cookie by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
- Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems ✮✮✮✮
First Line Friday Entries for the Year:
*indicates a completed volume. They may have a separate review or a "last words" section.
#44
#45
Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!:
- The Supernatural Power of Prayer and Fasting by Ronnie Floyd (audiobook): I read about 1/3 of the volume, but couldn't finish it.
- The material was quite repetitive but never got to the point. The thesis is that there are supposedly 12 ways God will change the life of a Christian who regularly worships through prayer and fasting. However, the author never got around to them.
- Floyd was very ambiguous about his own experience. That's not helpful.
- The author narrated his own book. For many authors, that's not a problem. I have found, however, that some people who are great writers and speakers do not do well with reading out loud. Unfortunately, the author of this volume is one of them. Also, part of the book sounds like he recorded the audio while fighting allergies or a terrible cold. This is a case of where a professional narrator was needed.
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