What's on my side table? (hint: Books. and clutter.)

I ended up getting quite a few books for Christmas, which has jump started a fresh interest in reading. Does anyone else go through peaks and valleys when it comes to reading? It always seems like I read voraciously for a few weeks and then less excitedly until finally I'm trudging along and each page seems to take an eternity to flip. A few months later, I'll pick something back up and begin cycle again. It's been a while since I've been actively interested in reading. And a while = I can't remember the last book I read. Snuggle Puppy, Pat the Bunny, and Dr. Seuss obviously don't count.

Between Christmas, a Beth Moore free-for-all on Amazon, a few books that I've had laying dormant on my iPad (which was also laying dormant under my bed for what seems like a millennia), and some other books that I've acquired, I've got a lot of reading ahead of me. I've currently got them all piled up on my side table waiting to be cracked open... right next to Isaac's monitor, a glass vase/bottle thing, an empty picture frame, a picture frame with Isaac, and some dusty fake "flowers." The real clutter is on the lower shelves, which I've conveniently left outside the picture.

Here's what you'll currently find on my side table:
To Be Read:

1. Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth
4. Insurgent (same author)
5. Allegiant (same author) (and a Pampers reward sticker that has yet to be added to our growing account)
6. A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman
7. A Billion Reasons Why by Kristen Billerbeck

On the iPad (to be read also)

1. Believing God by Beth Moore
2. Jesus: the One and Only by Beth Moore
3. When Godly People do Ungodly Things by Beth Moore
4. Praying God's Word by Beth Moore
5. The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler
6. What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp
7. Crazy People by Jennifer Crusie
8. Feathers From My Nest by Beth Moore (currently reading)

Finished!!!

1. Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson.  Dr. Dobson is a very loud voice in the parenting world, between all of his mega-successful books and Focus on the Family. I'd heard that this book is a "must read" for all moms of boys, and considering I know nothing about raising boys, I also considered it a "must read." In the end, I was a little disappointed. It started out strong, with lots of science behind the male brain and the role that testosterone plays on behavior and development. I enjoyed the chapters detailing the role that each parent plays in a boy's development, what mom and dad have to offer and what can happen when a parent is absent. Then the train kinda derails a little bit. Things start to get repetitive. And worst case scenarios start popping up everywhere. And instead of offering practical take-home advice about being a parent to a boy, Dr. Dobson continues to stress the need for 2 involved parents (again and again and again.... or else your child will be in prison for life), talks about how the education system fails boys, talks about how the media emasculates boys, and leaves the reader (or left me at least) feeling like there's no hope for boys these days. It became hard to finish. Final Grade: B-
2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. In my dreams, Mindy Kaling is one of my BFFs. Kinda like Katy Perry. We'd all meet up for frozen yogurt and be awesome together. I didn't keep up with Kaling on The Office, but The Mindy Project is one of my favorites. I'd heard her book was hilarious, so I asked for it when Christmas rolled around. It's a super quick read, but it wasn't nearly as laugh out loud funny as I was hoping. In all, it's pretty much just an autobiography, which is just a leeeeeettle conceited (as are all autobiographies. Come on, people.) It reads very much how you would expect her to talk if she was sitting on the end of your bed recounting stories from her childhood and college. There is some coarse language thrown in here and there. All in all, it's cute, not all that clever and not nearly as funny as Kaling can be. Final Grade: B-

I'll update again as I knock out more books. I'm really looking forward to... well most all of them. I don't know how much longer I can keep my hands off of the Divergent trilogy, so they're next once I'm finished with my current book. Also, in the process of writing this, Isaac took over the keyboard for a few moments, leaving a wake of destruction in his path, including my fancy little signature. I don't know how he did it or how to bring it back, so lets all just pretend it's still down there, ok? Lastly (i promise this is the end), just ignore all of my inappropriate handlings of Proper names of books and TV shows. I don't remember if they're supposed to be in quotes or italicized. Forgive me, grammar lovers of the world.