I always appreciate an honest review of a book before I purchase it, so I thought I would say a few things about each book as I make my way through the stack--with each book serving different purposes, obviously. But before I even start with the stack above, I thought I would talk about a book I borrowed, rather than ordered--Loving the Little Years. I had actually been wanting to read it for a while because I can always use advice on how to navigate my way through these young children years, particularly from a biblical perspective.
The book is a really short and really easy read--which is maybe appropriate for it's audience ;) It was easy to digest in the midst of the craziness of day to day life. It's mostly a practical book. It felt a bit like I was sitting down for coffee with a good friend, who is maybe a few steps ahead of me in motherhood and she was asking, "have you tried this?" and then providing some really good tips for "doing motherhood" well. At first I was going to say that it is a book to borrow rather than buy, if you can, but the more I think about it, the more I think I might order it. It really is one to go back to on a bad day for a reminder of a better way to handle things. Let me give an example, Rachel Jankovic (the author) suggests choosing a word to eliminate from your vocabulary (in theory, obviously the word will come back up at some point). For her, the word was overwhelmed. She noticed that she was often using that word out loud and in her head, and she realized that as soon as she "let herself go there," it only made things worse. As I reflected on that a bit, I realized that my word is "stressed," and it's so true, as soon as that word pops into my head, it is all too easy to slip into a pity party. If I dismiss the word as soon as it pops up, it is much easier to just face the situation head on and get on with it. Does that make sense at all? Bottom line, I really did leave the book with very practical tips for finding more joy in this stage of motherhood. (She absolutely addresses the heart issue behind all of it, but for the most part, there is a lot of practical take away, which I really liked).
Now, I have moved onto Give Them Grace. I am only one chapter in, and already I am underlining left and right. It is so good, so I am sure I will have much to say about that one when it's over, and maybe along the way?
Like I mentioned, I still have some amazon money to spend, and I would love to splurge on some really fun fiction. To me, there is nothing better at the end of the day than getting lost in a fiction book. So, do you have any recommendations? Please!! I like lots of different things--The Hunger Games, The Mitford Series, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, Anne of Green Gables, other classics--but nothing too "schoolish,"--so please share some of your favorites. Thanks!!
And I'll close with some pictures of the kiddos just to mix it up
5 comments:
Hey girl! Keep the book. Several of my friends here have it, and I can always reference theirs :-) And, I started GTG as well...holy cow. A few of my friends and I are actually meeting to discuss it over the next few months. Underlining everything. Highlighting. Writing bullets on my chalkboard mirror. As she says...revolutionary.
Love your stack! So fun. No new reads to suggest...you can always stick w/ the classics, and usually can get those for great deals. I'm not reading much these days :-)
Hey! I also have the catechism book and love it! Now to be disciplined to teach my children :-)
Along those lines, I would suggest Truth and Grace memory book. It is a small book just like the first and it has memory verses according to age, hymns and catechism questions. It is super user friendly and I have enjoyed using it at the breakfast table.
I also have GTG and read a little and loved it, I must dive back into it!
I am about to start Bringing up Boys by James Dobson, I figured since I am about to have my 2nd boy that I better get some things under my belt. :-)
Looks like fun stuff you are reading. Have a great relaxing time in the evenings reading! :)
Have you read the Divergent books? One and two are out, Divergent and Insurgent, and I guess three comes next May. I LOVED THEM. I had a friend read them and she liked them, but she gently told me that she wasn't quite as obsessed as I was. I just really liked the characters. It's nothing new, and while it's well written, it's not exactly literature, but Tris and Four...sigh. I just couldn't get enough.
I'm also reading The Pillars of the Earth. It's GOOD, but I gotta warn you, it's a tiny bit difficult. At least for me. It's REALLY meaty, and very descriptive...but still. It's a GOOD story. Sort of epic.
You know how I love me some Stephen King...The Wind Through the Keyhole was REALLY good. Like, classic old school SK. You don't have to have read the other Dark Tower books, it stands alone. It was quick and easy. But on second thought...you might not like it. It's a specific kind of story. I read all the Dark Towers, obviously, so I'm pretty invested in those characters.
OH!! Perks of Being a Wallflower!! Duh. One of the best books I've read this year. I'm not a crier (I know, hard to believe) but I was SOBBING at the end of this. And I don't even know if I was in the depths of despair, or if I was just really really happy. But I loved it. And Hermione is going to be PERFECT in the movie.
Have you heard of this Gone Girl that everyone is talking about? I'm on the list at the library.
All right. I gotta get to bed. Cheerio!! Hmm. That doesn't sound right. How do they say bye across the pond? I'm sticking with cheerio.
There isn't much that can beat an Amazon gift card, is there? : )
I think you would really enjoy The Flight of Gemma Hardy. It's sort of a re-imagining of Jane Eyre, set in the 1950s or 60s. I really, really liked it! If you're in the mood for YA, I highly recommend anything Sarah Dessen. The Truth About Forever and What Happened to Goodbye are my favorites of her books.
I need to read more non-fiction, but I can always talk about fiction!
I would recommend Veronica Roth's _Divergent_ and _Insurgent_ (hate not being able to underline!!)
They are very similar to the _Hunger Games_ trilogy.
Also, I'm rereading Lois Lowry's _The Giver_ and I'm enjoying it more now than I did in middle school!
Also, another GREAT southern Christian fiction series is the Savannah series by Denise Hildreth. Actually, really anything by her is great, but the Savannah trilogy was the best! I laughed out loud, and yet there was also some moments of deep thought :)
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