I feel like my blog is stuck in 2018 and I just can’t move forward until I’ve done all the appropriate recaps. Yes, some of this might be the influences of social media and what everyone else is doing, but mostly I just need to do this for myself. For all of 2018, I’ve done monthly recaps of our activities and a round-up of all the books I’ve read. I couldn’t just leave December hanging and not complete the yearly recaps! In December I read 6 books. I’m actually surprised by this, because I feel like I haven’t done as much reading since Ezra was born. I guess all those nights that I’m up nursing and reading 3 pages really add up!
Magical Journey // 3 stars
This book was an interesting memoir of a woman who finds herself an empty nester. She basically writes out the process of finding herself again. There was a lot of yoga and meditation, and she certainly didn’t have the same beliefs as me, but I really enjoyed reading this book. There is something so encouraging to me about hearing from those who are in a different stage of life, especially a stage of life that I will one day hit. She had a beautiful way of writing and sharing her feelings and I appreciated that.
Necessary Lies // 4 stars
I usually really enjoy historical fiction for it’s fascinating and compelling way of teaching me about history while still being interesting, but it also sometimes makes me feel very skeptical. How much liberty is the author really taking in this historical story? This book started out fantastic and really drew me in. Set in rural North Carolina, it is all about a social worker who caught between right and wrong, her job and her convictions. Racial tensions and state-mandated sterilizations fill this story, and we are given a glimpse into both sides of the story. I found that the book became more unrealistic as it went on, but I was so drawn into the story by then that I wanted to finish and see what happened.
On Fire // 5 stars
I almost took this book back to the library. I added it to my TBR list and when I saw it on the shelf I thought it was just another book about public speaking tips. It is not, and this is one of my favorite books of the entire year!!! John O’Leary was burned in a terrible accident as a child. In this book, he details his journey through the fire, the recovery and how it has affected him as an adult and a person. This book was INSPIRATIONAL and had so many good little pieces of advice that I have immediately started implementing into our lives. O’Leary writes about his extended hospital stay, and at one point he tells the story of his doctor introducing him to the most important people on his care team. Included in this group of “most important people” is the hospital janitor. Why? Because the janitor cleans and prevents germs and the spread of infection. When we were in the hospital with Ezra, I remembered this and remembered to thank the janitor and cleaners that came into our room. I had never thought of their job as just as important as the doctor and nurses, but it’s so true. This entire book was full of little life lessons just like that.
Raising a Princess // 4 Stars
I was a little bit skeptical before I started this book, but it had some EXCELLENT points! It was a bit “old-fashioned” in some of the recommendations, but I am a also a bit old fashioned so I liked it. It’s an excellent book for any Christian home that is raising daughters. Even though I didn’t agree with 100% of it, I did like most of it and gleaned a lot of good points!
The Amish Christmas Letters // 4 Stars
I grabbed this book from the library shelf right before we left for our road trip to Michigan. I needed something cute and Christmassey and this was perfect! It was a set of three stories that were somewhat related, but could be read completely separately. Each story was based on a different Amish woman and how their love life unfolded. Cheesy? Yes. Hallmark movie material? Absolutely. The perfect thing to read on a long wintery drive? YES.
The Turquoise Table // 3.5 Stars
This is a beautiful little book and I truly ENJOYED reading it. It is full of pictures and little stories and tips in addition to the actual writing from the author. The premise is that the author was tired of being a “back yard family” and wanted to make her community more of a “front yard people”. It’s so easy in our American culture to be disconnected from all of those around us. We tend to go to work, come home and if we do anything, it’s in our fenced in back yards. So Kristen found herself a picnic table, painted it turquoise and set it out in her front yard near the sidewalk. Over the course of the years, this picnic table brought about so many new relationships and friendships. I loved the premise of it, and I love how it challenged me to think about community more. It’s something that I really want to work on in my own life. However, I just struggled with the fact that this works great for Kristen’s life, but doesn’t necessarily work for everyone. My family doesn’t have a backyard, and we don’t have a fence. We are outside most of the time in the summer. We do know our neighbors, and we talk to them when they walk past, but I wouldn’t say we have a relationship with them. I think the thing that didn’t sit right with me about this book is that it seems like she presents a problem (lack of community/interaction) and then gives a solution (a fun table in the front yard). While this solution may work for some, it doesn’t work for all. I would love a sequel or some lists of OTHER solutions that also help with this legitimate problem. Maybe that’s not Kristen’s job to find those solutions. Maybe it’s my job to find the solution that works for my family and community. So, I guess my conclusion is that it made me think about the problem, it made me think how her solution probably wouldn’t work for me, and it made me think about what solution might work for me!
Did Not Finish: Talk Like Ted
I also picked up this book, but it just wasn’t for me in this current season. This book is all about the tips and tricks that popular TED speakers use to wow their audience. While I would love to one day be an inspirational speaker, it’s just not happening at this exact time in my life, so I put the book down for now.
I’m so excited to kick of 2019 with some great books! On deck:
Unashamed // Lecrae
The Great Alone // Kristen Hannah
You, Your Child and School