books books and more books

I've joined the Winter Reading Challenge sponsored by Seasonal Soundings. My list is posted here. It looks like I'll be busier than the three books that I originally chose because many generous and lovely people in my life sent me....ta dah! BOOKS for Christmas.

So I'm adding to my original reading challenge list (and home library - thank you all) with the following:

Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey I really admire Jane Goodall and have been wanting to read this book ever since I heard about it.

 

 

The Twelve Teas® of Friendship My mom got me this because she knows how much I love having tea parties. I've actually already read it and really enjoyed it. There are little menu suggestions and it's very nicely put together. Some of the ideas don't really appeal to me (such as decorating with shopping bags from high end stores for the "Shopping Bag" tea -- I'm not into shopping) or the back patter favors for the "Job Well Done" tea. But the suggestions for different themes, quiet, simple, elegant decorations, nice recipes and, of course, tea, are all good.

 
ReadyMade: How to Make [Almost] Everything: A Do-It-Yourself Primer Another gift from my Mom. All kinds of interesting other uses for things and crafty type projects. I'm going to enjoy leafing through this one and hopefully garnering ideas for good ways to re-use stuff that is currently not living up to it's current potential.

 

Helping Christians Live Their Faith the Jewish Way with A Little Kosher Seasoning This looks like an interesting book with some recipes in it. The author was raised as a Jew, married a clergyman and in the book tries to integrate her Jewish roots and Christian beliefs. I'm looking forward to reading it.

 

Leaving the Land: A Novel Highly recommended by a friend, I'm looking forward to this book as well.

 

 

Fatal Majesty: A Novel of Mary, Queen of Scots I like historical fiction, really liked Reay Tannahill's Food in History so we'll see how I like this one.

 

 

The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America Another historical book, this one taking place on our shores.

 

and last but definitely not least:

Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things I really like books like this, it's so fascinating to find out where and how stuff came to be. I'm sure this isn't a read cover-to-cover book but I will still have lots of fun perusing through it.

 

 

All in all it's a VERY ambitious list and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to read all of this before spring comes, but I shall do my valiant best.