Linda Book Lady’s April 2024 Reading Report & Diary

Hello everyone – what a beautiful springtime! The weeds are green enough to look like a lawn, and blackberry vines are putting out new leaves. I see plenty of opportunities for yard work and all I really want to do (for the most part) is read and create art. I believe there’s room enough in my life for everything that really needs to be done.

Oh, how happy I am that I’ve finally got a table installed in my “day room” at the back of the house. I moved into this two bedroom house just before last Christmas and decided to be unconventional by using the smaller bedroom as my bedroom, while using the larger bedroom with the ensuite as my “day room” for arts, crafts and sewing.

I thought I’d be getting a grant for furniture but too bad for me, the grant money ran out right before I requested it, so new furniture isn’t available right now. My attempt to buy a used dining table locally failed. I’m instead refinishing a small dining table for my living room area and I had nothing for my “day room” until this last week. I decided to order two saw horses and set a spare door across them for my art making table. The door had been left outside after the house was constructed and it needed cleaning and painting. I got that done on March 30 and now have a new place to create my paintings!

I also had to be creative to have a comfortable place to read books. My desk chair is comfortable enough, but at times one wants to get into something cozier with blankets and padding, things like that. I couldn’t buy a recliner right now so I cleaned one of my outdoor Adirondack chairs and put pillows on it and a blanket over it and it is very comfortable indeed. I use a clothing bin with a pillow on it for an ottoman.

This was not the kind of furniture I wanted but I admit I’m very happy to be creative with my furniture options right now. So long as I’m comfortable reading a book, who really cares if the chair isn’t a real recliner? And for an art table what could be better than a discarded door?

Word of the Month

Word

Bible Verse of the Month

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” – (John 17:17)

100 Day Project

I made it happen for 22 days on the 100 Day Project, and then I derailed. I don’t remember why, but apparently something got in the way. I resumed on March 30. Although my 100 days won’t be consecutive I’ll attempt to continue on until I have filled fifty 8×10″ canvases with acrylic ink paintings. I’m giving two days to each painting. Typically this means sketching something onto the canvas the first day then painting it the second day.

This month’s illustration is another one of those 2-day paintings. This happened right before I decided to study portrait painting so I could make the paintings look more like the person I was trying to paint. Still, I love this painting from a photograph of a girl hugging a wooden bear statue at the Black Bear Diner.

I’m keeping an ongoing record of my progress on another blog. #100dayproject

This month’s reading diary is at the bottom of this page, after the book list.

My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/lindajm

My reading list codes:
★ – I’m reading it.
✓ – I finished reading it. Yay!
⇗ – Still reading at the end of the month.
⇓ – I did not like it or finish it.
∅ – Stalled – I started but didn’t finish.

Book Challenges I’m Involved In For 2024

As usual, I started the year thinking I would never get involved, but it hasn’t turned out that way. Here is a list of my current challenges.

1. The Visual Theology Reading Challenge – This year is my third attempt at this challenge. I aced it the first year and didn’t try very hard the second year. There are 104 prompts and I really don’t think I’ll do them all but it doesn’t hurt to try to do a lot of them.
2. The A to Z Challenge – read books with words in the title that start with A to Z. (I’ve already read “The Quiet Zone.”)
3. The USA Roadtrip 2024 – read a book set in each of the US states plus DC.
4. TBR Takedown – I’ve listed 20 books I own that I’d like to read this year. Each month a number will be chosen to tell me which of the books to start next. So far the chosen books are Moms in Prayer (January) and The Miracle Answer Book (February). I’m still reading both of them.
5. Around the World in 1001 Books – Ongoing attempt to read 1001 books from a specific reading list. I can’t list every book I’ve read from a certain country or state because most of them aren’t on the list called Boxall’s 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. This is a multi-year project, very open-ended.
6. Buddy Reads – I’m doing a buddy read of Les Miserables on Goodreads and am planning to participate in a three-way buddy read of the Letters of Van Gogh in May.
Adding in April
7. Around the World in 1001 Books – this challenge could take years. It relates to the Boxall list of books. I’ve already read 81 of them.
8. April Solar-Bration – this is a special challenge for just this one month. The challenge is to read books set in places that will experience the totality of a solar eclipse on Mon, Apr 8, 2024. I signed up for four books set in Texas, Arkansas, New York and Maine. (details below)
9. TBR Spring Cleaning – this challenge lasts from April 1 through June 30. Hmmm. From April Fool’s Day through the anniversary of my first wedding (c.1973) aka. the anniversary of the date I moved from HC to ID in 2013. ::sigh:: ::memories:: Anyhow, no better time to read some books that have been sitting on my shelf (unread) too long already. I signed up for ten. (optimistic)
10. People April – this is a Booktube readathon. Memoirs and biographies, etc.

Finished Reading This Month

★ Biography: The Woman They Could Not Silence, by Kate Moore

A woman was sent to an insane asylum in 1860 because her husband wanted to get rid of her after 6 kids and 21 years of marriage. Turns out, this was not uncommon and there were many others in the asylum committed for similar reasons.

Finished 4/23/24. This book was so awesome. Highly recommended. Review

✓ Stage Play: Hedda Gabler, by Henrik Ibsen

A stage play – I’m reading it for Gabe-April.

This play is a bit distressing! Review

✓ Amish Fiction: Until Then, by Cindy Woodsmall/Erin Woodsmall

Recommended by a Booktube friend.

Loved it. Finished 4/19/24. Review

✓ Memoir: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou

An Arkansas book for the USA Road Trip Reading Adventure.

Finished on April 15. What a great memoir! I’m so glad I read this. Review

✓ Memoir: I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death, by Maggie O’Farrell

I’m reading this for “People April” on Booktube. This is a group read.

Excellent book – I got through this quickly. Recommended. Review

✓ Nonfiction: Poverty, By America, by Matthew Desmond

A social science book to read, for a challenge. Can’t even remember which challenge. Maybe I joined too many this year.

This book caused an emotional reaction in me. I agreed with most of it but of course I couldn’t agree with everything. See my review for more information.

✓ Classic Fiction: Washington Square, by Henry James

Is it sick to love a book cover? I’m reading this for my New York book on the USA Road Trip Reading Adventure, and for the April Solar-Bration Challenge.

The is a quaint story of life in times gone by. A young woman living with her father falls in love with someone the father doesn’t like. The father uses his wealth to try to tear the young couple apart. Review

What I’m Reading Now

★ Juvenile Fiction: Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson

A Texas book for the USA Road Trip Reading Adventure.

Hold-Overs From Last Month

★ Nonfiction: Paul: A Biography, by N.T. Wright

I’m reading this for the “No Place Like Rome” readathon. Great history book. I’m very much enjoying it.

★ Christian Nonfiction: The Miracles Answer Book, by Lee Strobel

This is a short book of questions and answers. He wrote much more in a longer book on the topic of miracles.

★ Christian Art: Finding Divine Inspiration: Working With the Holy Spirit in Your Creativity, by J.Scott McElroy

I started reading this before the forest fire of 2020. My copy survived the fire. (My home didn’t.) After three years of travel trailer living I’m in a house again and I’m reading this book again. I’m feeling very lucky (and cared for by God) and am getting a lot out of reading this book again.

★ Christian Nonfiction: The Art of Prophesying, by William Perkins

This is a Puritan book about the calling of the ministry.

★ Classic Fiction: Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo

This novel is huge – 1456 pages in the paperback edition. I figure if I read 121 to 122 pages monthly during 2024 I’ll have it finished by the end of the year. Wish me luck. My intention is to read the Kindle version along with the audiobook version. Immersion reading, they call it.

★ Christian Nonfiction: Developing a Vision for Ministry, by Aubrey Malphurs

I’m reading this to learn more about developing ministry ideas and opportunities for women in my local community. I’m not talking about becoming a “minister.” I’m a believer in 1 Timothy 2:12. My aim is to have a ministry that helps others in some specific and tangible way.

★ Christian: Moms in Prayer, by Fern Nichols

One of the best books about prayer that I’ve read so far.

★ Christian: Discovering the Joy of Jesus: A Guide to Philippians, by Stonecroft Ministries

This is another consumable Bible study book. I started it in 2021 with a local women’s Bible study group and I’m finishing it now.

★ Christian Nonfiction: Mere Christianity, by CS Lewis

Reading slowly with a friend who is making videos about the chapters.

★ Christian Nonfiction: Make or Break Your Church in 365 Days: A Daily Guide to Leading Effective Change, by Paul D. Borden

I found this with my books after the new house was built and decided to read it. I have no idea when or from where I got it. It seems to be a time management book for pastors.

Books I DNF’ed This Month

DNF = Did Not Finish

Nothing has been DNF’ed yet.

My April 2024 Reading Diary

April 1 – I am rich beyond belief and want to share cash with everyone I meet. APRIL FOOL’S DAY. Truth: Money can be a terrible stumbling block, but it is hard to live without it.

“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” — Soren Kierkegaard

Seriously.

April 2 – I’ve focused on reading Paul, A Biography because I’m in a buddy read situation. Also I finished my audiobook, Washington Square and started a new one, Poverty, by America. I also started a new fiction book, Old Yeller. Everything else has pretty much gone by the wayside for now. Rain is coming. That will keep me inside, but tomorrow I also have to do some food shopping. I have my new studio space set up in my day room and so I’ll focus on art and reading this week. I also have a table to refinish and curtain rods to install.

April 4 – I was fascinated by Poverty, by America and listened to the audiobook in only two days. Couldn’t stop listening. Poverty and I are old friends, you could say. My next audiobook is I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death.

April 6 – I published my March wrap-up video today.

April 8 – Happy Eclipse Day! I finished reading I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death, by Maggie O’Farrell.

Booktube – I published a TBR video.

April 15 – I finished reading Maya Angelou’s first memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings… and what a great title! Wonderful book.

April 20 – I’m getting tired too often! Started new vitamin therapy. Yesterday I finished Until Then, a Christian time-travel novel, and started a biography: The Woman They Could Not Silence, about a woman committed to an asylum in 1850 because her husband decided to get rid of her that way. Also today I finished reading a stage play by Henrik Ibsen: Hedda Gabler.

April 25 – I finished reading The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore. What an amazing book! I recommend it.

Usually by this time in the month I have lost my forward-motion in regards to my book pages, but I’m trying to keep it up until the end this month.