Read-at-Home Mom Report: January 2019

This month, I made an effort to read more slowly, and to avoid reading books just to inflate my Goodreads count. As a result, I had more time to actually post reviews, and I'm pleased to say that I have already published a review of every book I read in January. I read 27 books in all, and I'm starting February with just a couple of books in progress. I may need to consider reducing my Goodreads goal (currently set at 400) if I continue to read at this more leisurely pace, but I like the way things went this month, so I won't have a problem doing that if it becomes necessary.

Books Read

The Reed of God
by Caryll Houselander
Format: Paperback
Genre: Religious/Catholic
Source: Inter-library loan
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


All that Remains
by Patricia Cornwell
Format: Audiobook (read by C.J. Critt)
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Source: Public library (RB Digital app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Lakeshore Christmas
by Susan Wiggs
Format: Paperback
Genre: Holiday; Romance
Source: Personal collection
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


Tart of Darkness
by Denise Swanson
Format: Audiobook (read by Melissa Moran)
Genre: Cozy mystery
Source: Public library (Hoopla app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


The Friendship War
by Andrew Clements
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: School story (middle grade)
Source: NetGalley
Review:  On the blog (⭐⭐⭐)


Hitting the Books
by Jenn McKinlay
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Cozy mystery
Source: Birthday gift from my mom
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


A Fool and His Honey
by Charlaine Harris
Format: Audiobook (read by Therese Plummer)
Genre: Cozy mystery
Source: Public library (RB Digital app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


Jip: His Story
by Katherine Paterson
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Historical fiction (middle grade)
Source: Personal collection
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Last Scene Alive
by Charlaine Harris
Format: Audiobook (read by Therese Plummer)
Genre: Cozy mystery
Source: Public library (RB Digital app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


Interior Castle
by St. Teresa of Avila
Format: Ebook/Librivox audiobook
Genre: Religious/Catholic
Source: Personal digital collection
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


The Library Book
by Susan Orlean
Format: Ebook
Genre: Nonfiction
Source: Public library (Cloud Library app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


The Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life
by Kendra Tierney
Format: Paperback
Genre: Religious/Catholic
Source: Christmas gift
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Cruel and Unusual
by Patricia Cornwell
Format: Paperback/Audiobook
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Source: Personal collection
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Book Girl
by Sarah Clarkson
Format: Paperback
Genre: Nonfiction/Christian
Source: Christmas gift from my sister
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


I Saw Three Ships
by Elizabeth Goudge, illustrated by Margot Tomes
Format: Digitized hardcover
Genre: Christmas
Source: Open Library
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


The Body Farm
by Patricia Cornwell
Format: Paperback/audiobook (read by C.J. Critt)
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Source: Personal collection
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


We Alcotts
by Aileen Fisher & Olive Rabe
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Nonfiction
Source: Personal Collection
Review: On the blog (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Haunting on Heliotrope Lane
by Carolyn Keene
Format: Audiobook (read by Jorjeana Marie)
Genre: Mystery
Source: Public library (Hoopla app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


The Gun Also Rises
by Sherry Harris
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: Cozy mystery
Source: NetGalley
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐)


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by J.K. Rowling
Format: Hardcover (U.K. Edition)
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Personal collection
Review: See my #YearOfHarryPotter posts (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Bones Are Forever
by Kathy Reichs
Format: Paperback/audiobook (read by Barbara Rosenblat)
Genre: Mystery
Source: Personal collection
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐)


Puddin'
by Julie Murphy
Format: Ebook
Genre: Realistic fiction (YA)
Source: Public library (Libby app)
Review: On Goodreads (⭐⭐⭐⭐)


Picture Books (with links to Goodreads reviews):

• Little Owl's Snow by Divya Srinivasan (⭐⭐⭐)
• The Three Beggar Kings by Rosalys Haskell Hall (⭐⭐⭐)
• The Bright and Shining Breadboard by Rosalys Haskell Hall (⭐⭐⭐⭐) 
• Hello. Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
• The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heyward, illustrated by Marjorie Flack  (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Blog Posts Published

• Sing a Song of Seasons (and Other Books to Welcome the New Year)
• My Most-Anticipated New Releases, January-June 2019
• New-to-Me Authors Discovered in 2018
• First Reads of the Year: A Reading Retrospective, 2010-2019
• Read-at-Home Kids Report: January 2019

Read-a-Thons Completed

This month, I participated in Bout of Books (January 7-13), for which I finished 5 books, and Winter's Respite, which ran the whole month, so all the books I read during the month counted.

Challenge Progress

I've made a lot of progress on my alphabet challenges, but that will slow down some as I start to read multiple books whose titles and authors start with letters I've already checked off. I don't expect to do this well with challenges every month! 

• Alphabet Soup: 13 of 26 read
• Alphabet Soup Author Edition: 11 of 26 read
• #CathLit: 3 of 19 read
• Cloak and Dagger: 9 of 55 read
• Craving for Cozies: 5 of 51 read 
• Library Love: 7 of 60 read
• Mount TBR: 10 of 36 read
• RMFAO Audiobooks: 8 of 25 read 
• Goodreads goal: 27 of 400 read  

I'll be linking up this post with Feed Your Fiction Addiction for the January 2019 Wrap-Up Round-Up and with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for this coming week's edition of It's Monday! What Are You Reading?