What's On Your Nightstand? ~ August 2008

I'm participating in a new (for me) carnival put on by 5 Minutes for Books. Since I love to read and get new ideas for books, I can't wait to see what others are reading. Honestly, my book pile is much bigger than this and I don't need anything else to read, but these are "next in line" or ongoing.


1. The Cat Who Played Brahms by Lilian Jackson Braun...I'm enjoying The Cat Who....series that Lora suggested. I love cozy mysteries that don't give me nightmares and aren't too easy to figure out. I'm reading them in order, because that's just the way I do things, and this is the fifth book in the series. I was able to pick up a couple of hardcover remainders at Barnes & Noble for a steal, and then the first three in the series in a combined paperback.

2. A Deadly Judgment by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain...This is the sixth book in the Murder, She Wrote series. I read a couple, then move on to something else, then come back and read a couple more. Again, cozy mysteries that don't give me nightmares. I enjoy the show in reruns and like the books. A little bit like Nancy Drew for grown-ups. I was able to get most of these books off of ebay for a steal. And once again, I am reading them in order.

3. Mocha on the Mount, a coffee cup Bible study by Sandra Glahn...my Hubby gave me this for Mother's Day, and I'm ashamed to say I haven't started it yet although it looks really good. I've never been good with any devotional or study that requires me to write down my thoughts or feelings. I consider them private between me and God, and I concern myself that someone might read what I write. Now that I've put this on my list of reads for the next month, accountability will get the best of me and I will do it, because that's what a Type A personality will do.

4. The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace...I bought this from Vision Forum because it looks good and I can always use it. Enough said. I'll let you know.

5. Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson...This is the prequel to the O'Malley series, and since I have to read books in order, I need to read this first. My cousin recommended the O'Malley series to me, but since I usually lean toward mystery books, I haven't gotten around to these yet.

6. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie...I read my first Agatha Christie book this year, and I liked it. I think. It was different from any mystery book I've ever read. I can never figure out these books. I bought eight of these books at Barnes & Noble as publisher's remainders for a steal. They are all black and a different color and hardbound underneath the dust jacket. I like that. They look nice on a shelf. Because if you've read my blog before I sometimes pick a new book because of the cover.

7. Miss Julia Stands Her Ground by Ann B. Ross...Somewhere in looking on Amazon I saw a review of the Miss Julia books, which varied from good to bad, and then I saw one, which is not the first one, on the publisher's remainder table once again, and bought it. It did have a nice dust jacket until the kids destroyed it in the vehicle. So now it's just a hardcover book. But at least it's red. Miss Julia is Southern, and that's really all I know about her or the books, except they are supposed to be funny, and I thought I'd try one, even if it's not the first one.

8. I don't have a picture of this book on my nightstand since I just bought it:

The Shack by William P. Young... Lora recommended it, Heather has read it, and so has my cousin. It seems to be all the rage, but in a good way. I'm still honestly afraid to read it, but I'm going to do it.

The only books that should really be "living" on my nightstand are the fiction books, because they are the ones I read when I'm in bed. The non-fiction and my Bible I don't read in bed. I'm going to have to read fast, because we're getting ready to start school and then I'll be reading a lot of books with the kids, either simultaneously so I know what they're reading or read-alouds. And I'm also going to be getting a new devotional that Lora recommended, because it just sounds so good. But I'll share about it next month, because it's technically not on my nightstand yet.

So what's on your nightstand? Have any really good recommendations? Every fourth Tuesday go over to 5 Minutes for Books and see some nightstands. And some books. And link up your own while you're there.