Tag: Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

Item: Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives
Rating: 5
Author: Amanda Marie

2015 in Review (& End of Year and Statistics Surveys)

Posted December 31, 2015 in Life, Reading / 10 Comments

Big Things That Happened in 2015

I mentioned the school talent show in which the teachers sang Yellow Submarine.
I worked at a Catholic summer camp for the summer and had a blast. I wrote about it and shared some pictures.
I survived over a week of blinding smoke due to forest fires. It was insane. I talked about that here.
I had my very first ever Blogversary which was exciting.

Analysis of Books I Read in 2015

This was the very first year that I ever kept track of the books that I read. My stats have amazed me.

I read 141 books.
Almost all of the books I read this year were 4 or 5 stars. I must be pretty good at choosing books I know I’ll enjoy.
Over two-thirds of the books I read this year were from the library or books I own.
Over half of the books I read this year were hard copied (Paperback or Hardcover) while over a quarter were ebooks. Audiobooks made up the rest.
About a quarter of the books I read this year were debuts.

I made some pretty nifty looking pie charts in Excel (you can just pretend they are totally awesome).

Tagged as Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, Birthday Month Reading Challenge, Catholic Book, Color Coded Challenge, Fairytale Retelling Challenge, Finishing the Series Challenge, Mythology Reading Challenge, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, Read 2015, Rereading Challenge, What's In a Name Reading Challenge, You Read How Many Books Challenge

{Review} Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives – The Story of Christmas

Posted December 24, 2015 in Reading, Review / 0 Comments

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives by Pope Benedict XVI
Series: Jesus of Nazareth
Publisher: Image (2012)
Hardcover (127 pages)
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2015 Alphabet Soup, 2015 What's In A Name?, Read 2015

Synopsis

New York Times Bestseller! The momentous third and final volume in the Pope’s international bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series, detailing how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.
In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus.” Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life and message is a story for today, one that speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy.

Find the book: Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository

Tagged as 5 star, Advent, Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, Catholic, Catholic Book, Christmas, Jesus, Mary, Pope Benedict XVI, Read 2015, Saints, What's In a Name Reading Challenge, You Read How Many Books Challenge

November 2015 in Review

Posted November 30, 2015 in Reading / 8 Comments

Is November really over! It seems like this month has gone by so very fast for me. It is crazy!

Things that Happened in November

So much has happened it is hard to get it all in words. One of the students at my school suffered a stroke and is hospitalized for now. A counselor at the district high school died from an unexpected heart attack. My grandmother has been hospitalized yet again. It really hasn’t been a great month.
My religious education class (4th grade) was enrolled in the Association of the Miraculous Medal. They are all so excited to have miraculous medals.

Books I Read in November

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

Tagged as Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, Catholic, Catholic Book, Color Coded Challenge, Fairy Tales, Fairytale Retelling Challenge, Finishing the Series Challenge, Jesus, Mary, Monthly Wrap-Up, Mythology Reading Challenge, Pope Benedict XVI, Religious Education, School, Sister, What's In a Name Reading Challenge, You Read How Many Books Challenge

May 2015 in Review

Posted May 31, 2015 in Faith, Reading / 4 Comments

Things that Happened in May

The last full week of school has been completed! Really, this is a party worthy event.
We celebrated the Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday. That is three great Sundays in a row.
You can tell that summer is fast approaching. The sun beats me up at 5am and it is still bright when I try to fall asleep after 9pm. It is crazy to think that just a few months ago (like December) it was dark when I was walking to work at 7:30am and dark when I was walking home at 4:30pm.
The school talent show was this past Tuesday. The teachers decided to do our own thing this year. We all got a variety of instruments and played Yellow Submarine. I will give you just one word for it: HILARIOUS!

Books I Read in May

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Tagged as Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, Birthday Month Reading Challenge, Catholic, Catholic Book, Color Coded Challenge, Finishing the Series Challenge, Monthly Wrap-Up, Mythology Reading Challenge, Polish, Read 2015, Rereading Challenge, School, What's In a Name Reading Challenge, You Read How Many Books Challenge

Review: Island of the Blue Dolphins – A Story of Survival

Posted May 18, 2015 in Reading, Review / 2 Comments

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Series: Island of the Blue Dolphins #1
Publisher: Laurel Leaf (1960)
Paperback (208 pages)
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2015 Alphabet Soup, 2015 Birthday Month, 2015 Color Coded, 2015 Re-Reading, Read 2015

Synopsis

In the Pacific there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it, blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea elephants and sea birds abound. Once, Indians also lived on the island. And when they left and sailed to the east, one young girl was left behind.
This is the story of Karana, the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Year after year, she watched one season pass into another and waited for a ship to take her away. But while she waited, she kept herself alive by building a shelter, making weapons, finding food, and fighting her enemies, the wild dogs. It is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.

Find the book: Goodreads

Tagged as Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, Birthday Month Reading Challenge, Color Coded Challenge, Read 2015, Rereading Challenge, You Read How Many Books Challenge