Here is my 2008 book list.  I favored Nicholas Sparks, Anne Tyler and the Left Behind series.  I’ve already started the 2009 list.  We’ll see how I do this year with three kids.

Kingsolver – The Poisonwood Bible – 1/08

Giordano – I Love You Like a Tomato – 1/08 (Apparently first in a series of three.)

Binchy – London Transports – 1/08

Tyler – Patchwork Planet – 2/08

Tyler – Back When We Were Grownups – 2/08

Pezzelli – Every Sunday – 2/08

Kay – Half Price Living – 2/08

Fowler – The Jane Austen Book Club – 3/08

Tyler – Breathing Lessons – 3/08

Rice – The Edge of Winter – 3/08

Hegi – Floating in My Mother’s Palm – 3/08

Hoffman – The Ice Queen – 3/08

Lockwood – Dixieland Sushi – 3/08 (SO funny!)

Oates – We Were the Mulvanneys – 4/08

Mason – In Country – 4/08

Kingsbury – A Time to Dance – 5/08 ( I loved this… Christian Lit is growing on me!)

Harris – Five Quarters of the Orange – 5/08

The Color Purple – 5/08

Dessen – This Lullaby – 5/08

Rubio – Icy Sparks – 6/08

Keyes – Sushi for Beginners – 6/08

Green – Babyville – 6/08

Binchy – This Year It Will Be Different – 6/08

Morrison – The Bluest Eye – 07/08

Frank – Sullivan’s Island -07/08

Patchett – Bel Canto – 08/08

Empire Falls – 08/08

Allison – Bastard Out of Carolina – 8/08

Wiggs – Snowfall at Willow Lake – 8/08

Karon – Mitford Series #5

Arnold – Pieces of my Sister’s Life – 9/08

Tyler – Ladder of Years – 9/08

Sparks – The Rescue – 9/08

Sleeping Arrangements – Started reading, but quit halfway through. Didn’t like it at all.

Sparks – The Guardian – 9/08

Sparks – Nights in Rodanthe – 09/08

Sparks – The Wedding – 09/08

Sparks – True Believer-09/08

LaHaye/Jenkins – Left Behind Series (1-9) – 10/08

Rice – What Matters Most – 10/08

Binchy – Firefly Summer – 11/08

HA… not many books in Nov/Dec… we got digital TV!

I’m seriously starting on this project now… my Great Aunt sent me tons of pictures and I began scanning them last night. 

When I originally was going to start this, I had scanned in some of the photos, but there was a problem and they weren’t right for the size I needed for the book.  Now I have a better software program, and after doing a few test scans, I have the method down pat.  Unfortunately, each scan takes over 3 minutes to do, and that doesn’t include any touch up time!

I have a deadline to scan them in by the end of January (so I can return them to my patient aunt), and from there, I can retouch, type in the actual story, and format the book. 

Very exciting!

My husband just published his first book through Blurb about his adventures working at Disneyland.  You can preview the book and if you’re so inclined, it is available for purchase.  Through 9/30/08, shipping is free (up to $10) with this code: shipforfree

Funny Things Happen When You Work For A Mouse

Today’s Loot: $16.50

• 45 Children’s Video Cassettes $5
• 10 Hardback Hans Christian Anderson books & 10 Left Behind books $3
• Wig, Tutu, Butterfly Wings (New) $3
• Dora Scooter $3
• …and the find of the day:  Double Stroller $2.50

Not bad, eh?

Remember this post?  Well, I got through Grandma’s life story and boy, is she a hoot.  I’ve decided to type it up myself and make a book through Blurb.  I have asked my Great-Aunt and Great-Uncle to send me any photos they had growing up with GGR.  I have received some already and scanned them in, but still want more for my book.  There were some great shots like this one:

I am about halfway through this book and it is SO good!  I loved the movie and would love to see the play too.   (My mom saw it last summer on Broadway!)

Has anyone else read this? What did you think?

Well, the funeral is over.  It was a very nice service and I got to see many loved ones.  Back to normal life, I guess!  Here is my current to do list:

1. Reschedule dental appointments.  Yuck.
2. Get this house back into shape.  After first being sick, then spending time scanning photos and making boards for the funeral, I really need to catch up!
3. Call my friend and wish her a happy birthday.  I almost forgot with all of the drama going on!
4. Post some more Stampin’ Up! rubber stamp sets on Ebay.  I am really cutting down my collection.  It’s so overwhelming when you have too many supplies, and limited time to make something!  I already got rid of 50 sets last summer, and I have about 30 more that are ready to go.
5. Start on the scrapbook for my friend’s wedding present.
6. Call Subway and report their bathroom door.  We stopped by to take Katie to the bathroom last night, and when I opened the door it slammed on her head and she has a giant goose egg on her temple!
7. Finish my book… I’ve been reading it forever!
8. Actually use my Grocery Game list.  I signed up and right after my grandpa passed away, and I have yet to go through my coupons and print a list to shop with.
9. Go to a new restaurant and use my buy 1 get 1 free meal… I just got my new Entertainment Guide and there are so many restaurants around here I didn’t know about!
10. Scrub the cradle crap off baby’s head.  I’ve done this a few times with baby oil and a tooth brush, but it keeps coming back.

So there you go.  Nothing too exciting, but life goes on as usual.

For all of you poor people like me money-savers out there, The 2008 Entertainment Book is on sale for only $15.00 (and FREE shipping!).  I’ve bought these in the past and they have 50% off savings at several local restaurants, fast food chains, movie theaters, theme parks, etc.  $15 is a steal at this point… for some it is the cost of one dinner!   This is a great way to take the family out for cheap or to try a new restaurant.

I just read this book and it made me laugh!  The main character (a Jenn like me!) was born in 1974 (like me!) and throughout the book has flashbacks to her 4th-8th grade days in the 80’s.  I am not the best book reviewer, but I will say that if you were born during that time, you will laugh at this book to her references to plastic shoes, The Karate Kid, roller-skating birthday parties, friendship bracelets, etc.

Not to mention Jen grew up in Arkansas and was the daughter of Bubba (white guy) and Vivien (Japanese) – hence the title.  Loved it!

Dixieland Sushi by Cara Lockwood.  Picked it up at the Salvation Army for $1.  Go me.

We went garage sale-ing and Salvation Army-ing today.  No good book finds at the garage sales for mommy (though Katie made out like a bandit), but I did collect 11 new books at $1.00 apiece a the SA.  YAY! More reading material for me.