The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom - This was a gift from my husband for Christmas last year. I knew nothing about it going into it and really enjoyed it. It is the story of an orphaned white girl who is raised by black slaves on a plantation. As she gets older, she begins to work in the big house and eventually enters in to white society. She lives between two worlds and sees the good and the bad in both.
Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close - I had this on my Pinterest board of books to read. A friend saw it and sent me her copy. I honestly don't remember much about this one. It is about three friends who are single and trying to make their way in world where "everyone is getting married". Chick lit. Not bad, not great.
Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living by Ruben P. Job - This is a fantastic little book. I am serious about the little part. The hardback is about $5, and can fit in my back pocket. John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist Church. This book is based on his rules: Do No Harm. Do Good. Stay in Love With God. Sounds pretty simple, but once you really look at the rules, you realize they aren't quite as easy as just being a good guy who sits on his couch and prays. I taught two Sunday School lessons (one for my adult class and one for our 12th grade class) and one program for United Methodist Women on this book. It would be a great gift for a graduate or anyone who needs a quick read that really packs a punch - in a positive way.
Unbinding Your Heart: 40 Days of Prayer & Faith Sharing by Martha Grace Reese - I read this as part of a church-wide Lent study. I am going to be 100% honest when I say that I did not want to read this book. I am not big into evangelism. It's just not my spiritual gift. It's not even in the top 10. I was worried this book was going to fuss at me about not going out and knocking on doors. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I did enjoy the prayer aspect of it. There are sections for weekly reflection on different prayers and styles of praying. I read this book while undergoing iron infusions for anemia, and it reminded me to pray for the others in that office. That was probably the biggest impact that it made on me. I still pray for all the patients, the doctors, the nurses, the receptionist and even the fish every time I sit in the waiting room of that oncology/hematology office.
Perfectly Invisible by Kristin Billerbeck - This is the second book in a series. Billerbeck is a Christian Chick Lit author. I have read most of her adult books, and I am now working through her teen books. Daisy is in her final days as a senior in high school and is trying to make some changes partly because of her fairly strict religious upbringing. She doesn't do anything too crazy, but does ruffle a few feathers. I think this is a fun, fluffy book that I will be okay with my daughters reading. Of course that would mean that the oldest would have to put down her adventure, action and fantasy books. Oh, and historical fiction where it seems like all the characters die. Maybe I should force her to read this happy, fluffy book to even things out a bit? (Don't worry, I don't really force books upon my children. If I did, the oldest would have read Harry Potter much, much earlier.)
My Sister the Father by Meri Whitaker - This book is one of the books on the UMW Reading Program list. One of our members had given a brief review of it at a meeting, and it sounded really interesting to me. It was interesting, but the writing style just wasn't my cup of tea. Whitaker is a minister assigned to a Native American reservation mission in Oklahoma. The book is a series of short essays about her work and the people she met along the way. Some of the essays are as short as only one or two paragraphs. Some are several pages long. It would be a good book to keep around and read in little bursts. I carried this book around with me for months before I finally forced myself to just finish it already.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty - I can't remember how I came across this book. It may have been suggested by a friend. It is a cute book about a woman (Alice) who wakes up on the floor of a gym and thinks she is still a newlywed expecting her first baby even though it's been ten years, and she is in the midst of a divorce. Alice spends the book putting the pieces together to figure out how she has gotten so far from where she was a decade ago. It's a fun read, but also caused me to think a bit about if ten-year-younger self would be happy with where I am now. I hope so.
Stay tuned for Part II. I know you are holding your breath in anticipation.
Stay tuned for Part II. I know you are holding your breath in anticipation.
No comments:
Post a Comment