Favorite Bookish Posts in July.

I always post a list of links I loved each month on my personal blog, and thought it would be fun to do bookish posts on this blog. Here are some posts I loved in the month of July:

:: Staples for Baby's First Library.

:: Confessions of a Jane Austen addict.

:: How to read more.

:: More for Baby's First Library -- 5 great board books that are not Goodnight Moon. 

:: Failing at a book buying ban... it's a losing battle.

Holiday Challenge Wrap-up Post

I finished the Holiday Reading Challenge, hosted by All About {n}, just in time for Christmas. My goal was to read three books, and I actually ended up reading four!

I read In the Dark Streets Shineth by David McCullough because I hear about it on the Christmas music station on the way to school one morning. I enjoyed it, although it was much shorter than I was expecting, and I wished that there was a bit more information in the story.

Next, I read Skipping Christmas by John Grisham because my family's cruise was canceled and I thought I would be able to relate to this book. Er... didn't love it. But that's ok, at least now I've crossed that off the list of potential Christmas books to read.

Next, I read Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. This was the "extra" book that I added to the list after reading a great review by The Zen Leaf. After reading an excerpt, I knew I had to get this book. It was my after finals reward, and I loved it.

Finally, I read The Mansion by Henry van Dyke. I loved this story and I loved the moral message. I am planning on reading it next Christmas out loud with my husband.

All in all, this was a great challenge for me. I have been wanting to read more Christmas themed books around the holiday, and I already have a list for next year's Christmas season.