Something about Fall and lighting a fire makes me want to curl up under a blanket with a book. Of course, the reality is that most of my 'reading' these days is listening to audiobooks while I try to get the house back in order over naptime....regardless, I thought it would be fun to list some of the books we've been reading this month and last.
Candy
Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis -
the story of a young girl from Tennessee who moves to Uganda for what was supposed to be only a short time. She is now 23 and the mother to 13 beautiful Ugandan little girls and runs a non-profit that provides food and schooling for hundreds of others. Mostly a compilation of her blog posts over the past few years. Amazing. Challenging. Such a neat story of what God can do through those who are willing. Reading her story brought perspective to my chaos and moved something in my heart about our responsibility as believers to care for orphans. Too much moved in my heart to state in a paragraph, so just read it for yourself. I have several teenage girls in mind that I will be giving this to as a Christmas gift. :)
Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna Niequist
I am not sure how to recommend this book, as every single chapter has made me cry. Mostly tears of remembering, empathizing with her story b/c it sounds so similar to ours in so many ways. Not every detail. We have walked different journeys but so many of the chapters, whether heavy or light-hearted, make me wish that I had written them myself because I feel like she knows me and is telling my story with different names and different specifics. From her chapter on hating running and her friend that made her change her mind (oh Kelly you must read that one) to her chapter about her dear friends who walked those early roads of motherhood with her that will always be dear to her heart no matter the miles that separate them (oh too many to count) even to her description of her little boy turning 3 that reminds me so much of our sweet almost 3 year old. I cannot tell you how many times Conor has walked into the room to find me with my headphones in my ears sobbing hard. I recommend it. I do. especially to my friends in their 20s and 30s that feel like 'transition' is the word that best characterizes their life lately. You will cry, but it will be a good, cleansing cry that you come out the other side of with hope and thankfulness for every part of your journey.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett I know I'm late reading this one. But I wanted to read it before I saw the movie because I'm stubborn like that. It's wonderful and eye-opening and I couldn't put it down. The story was so rich and the character development so good that I really am not sure I will watch the movie because I know it won't measure up.
Self Talk, Soul Talk: I haven't started this one yet but it's next on my list, sitting on my bedside table as we speak. Because my grandmother recommended it and I appreciate her wisdom and think if she said it's worth reading. It's worth reading.
Conor:
Quitter by Jon Acuff. Ok we both read this one. I read it primarily because I think Jon Acuff is funny. And his book made me laugh. Who reads a business book because they need a laugh? Conor and I apparently. It's good solid common-sense advice and it's funny. :)
A few Church Ministry/Leadership books
Activate: An entirely New Approach to Small Groups
Crucial conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High
Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives - written by a doctor, the author unpacks one of the reasons he thinks we Americans are such a mess - b/c we don't have enough margin in our lives. Conor found the first half of the book fascinating and kept reading excerpts out loud to me. Apparently the second half wasn't as good.
And many more. I really can't keep up with him. Ever since he got his ipad with the reverse contrast type so that it's easy on his eyes it's like he can't read enough. Making up for all those lost years when reading was harder work.
Oh and he's been reading those obnoxious eragon books. That I can't stand and refuse to link to. The next one comes out this month. Ugh.
Darby
Little House in the Big Woods - a classic we're reading aloud to her :) she finds it boring at times but we're pressing on. Excited to introduce her to a girl character that is not a princess.
Fancy Nancy series
Gigi: God's Princess
Jesus Storybook Bible
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - she and daddy read this together. So sweet.
Kyler
Spot Bakes a Cake - almost every day. It's his favorite and to be honest Spot reminds me a little of Kyler. Is that weird?
Baby Einstein Alphabet book (mostly because of the "baby dragon" puppet on the front, he quickly loses interest when he realizes it's not actually about the baby dragon)
Anything Dr Seuss
Carson
Anything with fuzzy animals he can touch. He's JUST NOW at 16 months beginning to let us read to him. The kid does not like to sit still and it's probably my fault that his speech is delayed because he's only been to library story time once in his entire toddler life. He will probably still be reading the fuzzy books in Kindergarten and climbing on the bookshelves and eating paint. All because I didn't read to him enough. Seriously though I think he's messing with us. One day he'll say a complete sentence and then not a word for a week. Maybe we're hearing things or maybe since his sister will often speak for him he just doesn't see the need. Mostly I think he's just too busy working on his running and jumping and climbing out windows and turning on the TV & DVD player himself to be bothered. But this post is about books and he likes fuzzy animal ones and these little miniature books shaped like blocks that his great-grandmother bought one of his siblings. :) He loves those. And has about destroyed them from carrying them around everywhere he goes.
So-what are you reading? Anything we should add to our lists?
