Leaving

I picked this one up at the library recently. I hadn't read any Karen Kingsbury in awhile.  I was browsing the shelves and this one jumped out {probably because it looked new, am I a book snob?}. I thought it would be fun to read about Bailey Flanigan since I had read about her family in the Firstborn and Sunset series by KK.

For some crazy  reason it took me the full three weeks to read this one. But once I really got into it and had to hurry and finish before the due date, I loved it. I'm so glad I pushed through!!

This is the story of Bailey all grown up and about to leave the family nest for the first time. It was a sweet book and although I missed another series that gave a little background on the intervening years I followed just fine.

I think I also liked it because it  because Bailey and Cody remind me of Aaron and I in the early years. Friends who ended up dating other people and following different paths  before finding lasting love. :)

Read: May 2013
Pages: 328

The Power of a Praying Parent

A sweet lady at church gave this book to me when I had Rachel. I have been reading it ever since. Y'all this book is awesome awesome awesome!!!  It gave me so many ideas about things to pray for for James and Rachel. I never thought about praying about their relationship. Now I totally am. I also pray for their faith and anything I feel led by God to pray about. I also love how she talked about having God reveal what is troubling your children when they are troubled.  After I finished this book, I read that the one thing we will regret the most after we die will be not praying enough. I'm determined to pray more...

Y'all this book is a keeper!  I suggest getting this book quick!

Read: November 2012-March 2013

Pages: 224

Sunset

I just realized that I finished this just before Rachel was born in November and never posted about it.  This was the last book in the Karen Kingsbury set that I have been reading for a bit over a year now.

This is the last of the Baxter books.  It follows John as he is getting ready to mary Elaine.  He is selling the family home.  This is a really nice wrap-up of the Baxter family.

If you enjoy series books, then I suggest you look up the Baxter family.

{Not a lot of reading is going on here for the adult crowd...  just lots of reading to infants and almost 4 year olds!  If I have some time when James goes back to school I plan on blogging about some of my old favorites.  :)}

Read:  early November 2012
Pages:  336

Surrender!

Y'all I loved this book. It was another one that I made myself savor; I read about a chapter a week so that I could really let what he was writing sink in. I hope that some of it did. I am a big sharer of books. But this one will not be leaving my grubby paws. I want to be able to read and reread it!

On to what it's all about. This was written by Fr  Larry Richards. He is a tell it to you like it is sorta guy. This book is all about trying to live God's will for your life. He discusses loving your neighbor and helps give some feedback on how to do this. {Doesn't it seem like there is always one person in your life who just gets under your skin. Boy did I need this. :).} Anyway he always gives "homework" to practice putting these new practices into your everyday life. I think that's a lot of the reason I loved it.   In the end he gets to how to listen for Gods will and doing it!

Y'all this was good!  I definitely recommend it!

Read: August/September 2012
Pages: 144

bittersweet

As soon as I finished 11/22/63, I picked up this book and it was really, really hard for me to put down.  When I read Shauna Niequist's other book, Cold Tangerines, I wanted to savor the book.  Because the last book I read took for.ever, I wanted to read this one as quickly as I could.  Each chapter was a short sweet little vignette so it made reading it quickly super easy.

Shauna's {do you like how I address her by first name, as if we are bff...} books are kinda like little memoirs.  Which are one of my favorite sorts of books {Krissy, you most likely won't enjoy her books  ;)}.

This particular book is about a difficult season in her life and what she has learned from it.  She says that a friend once told her that Christianity is a story of death and rebirth, over and over again.  At that time she had not had big heartbreak, so it didn't really resonate with her.  But after the events that happen in her life which she shares in this story, she wholeheartedly agrees.  As do I.

Maybe I really liked this because I have had some experiences very, very similar to hers.  Maybe it's because I too was in a dark season recently and I had to do what she did.  Learn that life is bittersweet.  Even in struggle, there are moments of sweetness.  That is what gets us through.

If you have ever been heartbroken for whatever reason, you may enjoy this book.  I feel like you need to have lived a little life to appreciate her stories.  A young one just starting out may not connect to it yet.

Read: September 2012
Pages:  256

Cold Tangerines

I felt like One Thousand Gifts was a book that really got me in a good state of mind.  So I had heard about this book on a few blogs and was interested in it.  So I ordered it from Amazon and it did not disappoint!

This is a book about finding God in the little parts of your daily life... in the good and the bad.  I felt like I was talking to a good friend when I was reading this book.  It's like Shauna Niequist has been inside me head.  I think that I loved this book so much because living in the present and finding God in the good as well as the bad, has been a theme for me this past year.

If you like the themes from One Thousand Gifts, but were not a fan of the prose, this may be just the book for you.  This book was like having a good chat with a girlfriend.  I even loved the font of the book...  totally random, but it just seemed to clean.

I recommend reading this one!  It is a fast read and just good.  I even have her second book which I cannot wait to read soon!

Read: July 2012
Pages:  235

Sarai

I was at the local library recently and this book caught my eye in the new releases section. I'll be honest mostly because my name is Sarah. ;).

 This is the story of Sarai and Abram and the promises that God made them. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I think a large part was because Sarai was relatable. She often didn't really trust that God was going to give her a child. How often do I doubt God. Embarrassing to say, but way to often.

 I recommend this book if you are interested in getting more "story" of the old testament.  It was a very easy and fun read.

Read: July 2012
Pages: 317

Someday

This is book four in the Sunrise series that I started last summer.  I took a break from these for a little while because as with many books in a series they are a bit repetitive and predictable.  I am happy to say that break made me really enjoy this one.

Book 4 is about Dayne and Katie each shooting movies across the world from each other as well as Luke Baxter's marriage problems.  In the end, everything turns out with a happy ending and I just really enjoyed the book.  :)

I am looking forward to reading the final book in the series in the near future.

Read:  July 2012
Pages:  250

The Secret of the Rosary

I bought this book forever ago when I needed a few more dollars spent to get my free shipping at Amazon.  It sat in my nightstand for a long, long time.  A lady at church mentioned this book and my interest was piqued.

So a few months (like March!) ago I started reading it at my weekly adoration time.  I loved it so much that I didn't want to finish it too fast!  I wanted to savor it.  That is unheard of for me.  This book was written a long time ago and I just loved what it said about the rosary.

I have always been interested in the rosary and just recently (the last 9 months) began to say it with regularity.  Wow is it a powerful prayer!  This book just really reaffirmed my love of the rosary.  It also gives some different ways to say it.  Which I know will be very helpful because I don't want to just say the words...  I want my prayer life and meditations to always grow.  I often use the Scriptural Rosary, which is also awesome, but I am excited to try these new meditation aids!

If you are Catholic or just interested in learning more about the rosary check this book out, you will not regret it!

Read: March-June 2012
Pages: 240

One Thousand Gifts

This was the June book for Book Club.  I have been really excited to read it.  A little over a year ago a friend (who rarely reads) read this and l.o.v.e.d it!  I had high hopes since the last two books I have tried have just not resonated with me.  Well this lived up to all I hoped for it!

This is a book about a farmer's wife who begins on a journey to thank God for 1,000 gifts in her life.  She thanked him for all sorts of miniscule things... (many of my book club friends didn't really care for this part).  While in my personal praises and thanksgivings I am not so detailed I really appreciate the book.  I could relate to her in so many ways:  trying to trust God, trying to find him in everyday life, being transformed by thanksgiving.

I thought it was easy to read and the chapters were nice and short.  It took maybe a week or two to read, just reading a few chapters each night.  {These are my favorites....  short chapters, can read a little each day...}

I recommend it {I may just read it again, believe it or not}.  :)

Read: early June 2012
Pages: 240

Summer

I like these Karen Kingsbury books in this series.  This is the second in the third Baxter family series.

In this book Dayne and Katy have just gotten married and film a movie together.  Dayne's father, John, begins to get closer to his lady friend.  Two of the sisters are pregnant one of which has a complication to her pregnancy.

These are fun, predictable reads.  They kind of remind me of Nicholas Sparks.  I think at the end of this series though I am possibly going to need a Karen Kingsbury reprieve.  :)

Read: March 2012
Pages: 368

Sunrise

I read the Karen Kingsbury Firstborn series this summer.  This the the first book in the next series about the Baxter family.

I read this one in about a week and really enjoyed it.  Very predictable and Christian, so that has to be what you are looking for.  ;)

In this story Katy and Dayne are planning their wedding and spending time together in their new hometown, Bloomington.  The family that Katy lives with are also a little more involved in the story than they were in the last series.

Nice easy read.

Read:  Februray 2012
Pages:  336

Unbound

This book was recommended by a lady at church a few months ago.  She described it as a book that would help you see sins that you return to again and again...  I guess I just didn't think that it was about deliverance {even though that is part of the title!}

As I read the first chapter I was a little freaked out.  I won't lie, but I decided to give this book a chance anyway.  It was okay, not life changing.  I did take away a few gems.  One is that the world is very scared of Satan.  This gives him power.  Either we don't want to think about him (or don't think he exists) or we give him too much power.  I have definitely fallen in both categories at various times.

Since I am Catholic and it was really talking about freedom from sin {mostly from deliverance}, I have thought that going to confession regularly would be good.  A lot of what he talked about was feeling freedom and God's love.  I know when I leave confession that is exactly how I feel.

Anyway it was an okay read.  I am not going to tell you to run out and get it though.

Read:  January 2012
Pages:  254

Love & Respect

A good friend gave me this book in January or February after a church retreat.  I read a little of it at first... then life got crazy...then I got on a fiction/book club only kick.  Finally after my latest round of books and being caught up for book club in December, I told myself there was no starting another fiction book until I finished this one.

Now don't let that fool you... this was an amazing book.  It is just hard for me to sit down and read any nonfiction book quickly.  I always have about 3 books going when I read nonfiction.  Even when I love it.  I am so glad that I finished this jewel though.  It just got better and better with each page I read.

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs has been in marriage counseling for years and give conferences based on this book.  The premise is simple.  Women need love, men want respect.  It all comes from Ephesians 5:33 "Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."  Wow, this simple little revelation blew me away.  It got me thinking a lot about previous relationships and the lack of respect I had...

The beginning of the book talks about The Crazy Cycle that many marriages are in, then the middle is about The Energizing Cycle, and finally the best part is The Rewarding Cycle.

 I have to tell you I loved the part about The Rewarding Cycle.  It was all about how even if your spouse doesn't give you what you need, give them what you should.  Know that God sees what you are doing and will reward you.  I think that really resonated with me because of where I am in my spiritual journey.  When we love and respect our spouse, really we are loving and respecting Jesus.  That really got me thinking beyond just my marriage to family and friend relationships.

I think for a long time I didn't read this because Aaron and I have a pretty darn good marriage.  But you can always improve and gentle reminders are always good.  Sometimes I have a bit too much pride.  I felt like if I read this, it must mean I have a "bad" marriage.  Don't let pride get in your way!  Y'all I really, really, really encourage you to read this book.  Even if you have a great marriage.

Read: mostly December 2011
Pages:  303

Heaven Is For Real

Y'all I did not even have time to put this in the currently reading column on the blog because I read this book so stinking fast!  I have been really looking forward to reading this book for the last few months {especially since I was not a huge fan of our last two book club books!}  And can you believe this is the December book...it's still November when I finished this!!!  That might just be a first!

This is the story of a four year old boy who during emergency surgery went to heaven.  The book is what he told his parents about his trip.  Y'all this really got me thinking about heaven!  {I am not a fan of thinking of afterlife...}  I loved what this sweet boy had to say about heaven and it makes me want to try even harder to be a better person so I can meet {and stay with} Jesus one day.

One of my favorite parts of the book is how although this little boy is Wesleyan, there are many things that he saw in heaven that fit my Catholic beliefs.  For example, the people he encountered in heaven had halos.

I would definitely recommend reading this one even if you are not ultra Christian.  It is a really feel good book...  I mean it's heaven and a four year old boy.  Does it get any better than either of those?

Read:  November 2011
Pages:  192

Ask Me No Questions

I got this book when I went to a Regnum Christi Night of Reflection at church.  It was written by a consecrated Regnum Christi lady.  I think that the target audience is really young adults.  But that's just fine with me because YA is some of my favorite reading!

This is a story about a single mother and her three very special children.  They are on the run, but it takes most of the book to figure out why.  The mother is doing her best to raise her children to be good Catholic children and it was just nice to read about how we should be living as opposed to how most of us do live.

I liked the book.  It got me thinking about the sanctity of human life {which seems to be on my mind a lot lately.}  I think that you would definitely need to be a strong believer to read this one.

Read:  November 2011
Pages:  265

A Heart Like His

This book is a month long meditation book.  There is a mediation for 30 days.  June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and it is encouraged that this book be used that month.

I did in fact begin this in June.  I liked the meditations and I like that I can use this book more than one time.  For some reason though this was not really my favorite religious book.  I think that I was just not quite ready yet.  I just felt like I was not anywhere near worthy to be like Jesus.

So my plan is to try the book again next June beginning June 1 and doing it EACH day.  This year I didn't get the book until a few days unto June and then didn't do it each day, so I finished in July.

So I wouldn't say run out and buy it like The Better Part (I have finished 2 of the gospels thanks to that gem!), but you may like it better than me...

Pages:  128
Read: June/July 2011

Time for God

This is another quick and easy read by Jacques Phillipe.  The last on that I read by him was good but I couldn't remember what happened.  This one however I totally remember.  Probably because this one is about praying and since that is what my church group will be studying this year, I am really interested in it.

This book basically says that there are many different ways to pray and meditate, but Phillipe just wants you to do it.  All that God cares about is us making time in our busy lives for him.  I loved that.  It really got me thinking that I do need to be better about committing to spending more time each day with God.  If we will just give him a little of our time he will bless us beyond measure and we will actually hear what he is telling us.

This is a good one.  I definitely know that I will go back to it and refresh my memory from time to time.  :)

Read:  May-August 2011
Pages:  120

Parenting with Grace

I finished this book a month or two ago and loved it.  I always hear Dr. Popcak on the Catholic radio station and love the little bits of advice he gives.  So it was a no brainer to get this book to help figure out the toddler days (aka, terrible twos...)  {As I write my son is refusing to nap, he has napped once in the last week!  2.5 is too early to give up a nap, surely!}

This book goes all the way until children are 18 {I think}.  Anyway I read the beginning and the section on toddlers.  It was really good stuff.  It was a lot like the Sears' and attachment parenting.  So if you are more of a BabyWise sort of parent, you most likely won't like this one.  I loved it though.  I reminded me to follow through with James.  For some reason that is so much easier said than done, though...

I think that I need a little refresher read!  Ha!  No one will be borrowing this book from me because it is a jewel!  I highly recommend it!

Read:  May-July 2011
Pages:  not sure because I only read what pertained to us at this time in life

Forever

This was the last book in the Firstborn series.  I really liked this one.  It really brought the series together.  I also liked seeing Katie and Dayne's relationship mature and go through tragedy.  Karen Kingsbury always had a letter at the end and I really loved those.  This one really showed me some things that I had not thought about.

I literally finished all 5 books of the series in about 2 weeks.  I was a maniac.  I think that my husband was glad to see me again after that...  he seemed to be a book widower then...  Now I am excited to read the next series, but am going to try to read a few other books on my list before then.  :)


Read: August 2011
Pages:  368