Spring Reading Thing 2010 Wrap Up

Well this spring has just flown by and with it is the the wrap up for the Spring Reading Thing challenge. Thanks to Katrina for hosting this each year. It's nice to have a bit of a focus with my reading.

So how did I do? Did I finish all my books? If not, why? Did I stick to my original goals or change as I went along? Well my original list is here. I am very happy to report that I have finished my original list with the exception of one and a half. And of course, both of those being of the non-fiction variety. "Experiencing the Resurrection" is my half. I am well into it but just couldn't get it done on time. Hopefully, I'll finish it in the next couple of weeks. With my track record of not finishing non-fictions I'd say that a finish of 3 1/2 non-fictions off this list was pretty darn good. Included in that is a book I finished off leftover from the Fall Into Reading challenge: "Unexplainable - Pursuing a Life Only God Can Make Possible". Now that is a record for me in the non-fiction department! Yay me! The devotional book "Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock" I just could not get into so I set it aside for another time.

As far as fiction went I finished off my whole list of 7 novels plus added two more for a total of 9 fiction. I don't think I've ever done this well on a previous challenge. I don't know what was different this time. I think I just hit on some really great reads that kept my interest and kept me faithful to my original list and in the reading groove for the whole way. You can read any or all my thoughts on the books here. The Spring Reading Thing reviews start with #10 and go through to #22.

What was your favorite book you read this spring? Least favorite? Why? There was quite a few on my list that I really, really liked but I have to say my absolute favorite was "The Silent Gift" by Michael Landon Jr. It was just such a great read pulling every emotion out of me through the course of the book. It made me ask continuously throughout it "What would I do if in that postion?" and I had a hard time putting it down. All signs of a great read for me. My least favorite? A bit harder to pick as I didn't absolutely hate anything I read but a few were definitely not as enjoyable and gripping as some of the others. I think maybe "Here Burns My Candle", "The Wednesday Letters" and "Indivisible" were amongst my least favorites. Not that they were bad reads they just didn't hit me or engage me or weren't my style the same way some of the others were.

Did you discover a new author or genre this spring? Did you love them or not? My favorite read this spring was also a new author to me, Michael Landon, Jr. and I definitely loved it and it was in one of my favorite genres. I also discovered Sandra Dallas and she is definitely become one of my favorite authors. In all honesty I did come across her just before the reading challenge so therefore one of her books was on my original list and I quickly added her latest as soon as it came out.

Did you learn something new during the SRT? About reading? Yourself? A topic? I did learn I am capable of finishing a non-fiction. I guess it just has to be the right kind. As long as there is a progression of learning and not just the author saying the same thing twenty different ways it holds my interest a lot better I've discovered.

My favorite thing about the challenge? Just reading. And as usual, I loved reading everyone else's lists. I get alot of titles from going through other's lists.

I'd say it was a pretty successful challenge this spring. And the reading groove is still going! With the dog days of summer coming one of my favorite things is just sitting on a blanket, iced coffee or tea in hand and reading. Hopefully, the groove will continue!