Nov. 1, 2009 - Two More Lisa Samson Reviews
Now that I have found author Lisa Samson, I have been devouring her books. I just finished two more- The Moment I Saw You and The Living End.
The Moment I Saw You was different from the two Lisa Samson books I had read previously. It was not written in first person, and it was not as "deep" (for lack of a better word). It was more of a Christian romance novel, but it still explored some deeper issues. Natalie St.John is a business woman who has a hard time trusting any man because of the absence of her father in her life. As she leaves her big business job and begins running a small country inn, she learns the value of trust and love and forgiveness and finds out the truth about the father she's been missing all these years. She also finds love along the way.
The Living End was difficult for me to read in the beginning. The deep sadness of Pearly, the main character, is so striking. But, as I read, it became lighter, almost as if I were making Pearly's journey with her. Pearly is an older woman who loses her husband very suddenly. They never had children, and she is very antagonistic toward the Lord- unlike her husband who was a strong Christian. So, when Joe is gone, Pearly feels totally alone and sees no reason to go on. She determines to complete a "wish list" that Joe write before his death and then commit suicide. But, as she pursues this goal, she meets many people and learns that her life means more than she ever thought. I think one reason this book is so compelling is because it brings to light the struggle we all face to find meaning and purpose in life.
I'm off to read one more Lisa Samson book from the library.
To see all the books I've read this year, you can go here.
To see my current To Be Read list (which I've pretty much been ignoring), you can read here.
Oct. 21, 2009 - Book Review- Embrace Me by Lisa Samson
This is the second book I've read by Lisa Samson. I reviewed The Passion of Mary Margaret. I'm still not sure how I never found this author before! Her books are very compelling with very well-developed and believable characters who strive to "act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Embrace Me is a book of people who need forgiveness and need to forgive. They all come together one winter in a small seaside town and experience God's grace, mercy, and the blessings of forgiveness in a powerful way.
Lisa Samson has a powerful way of making her characters come alive and providing twists and turns that are reminiscent of real life. Her books make me want to be more "real" in my Christian walk.
To see other books I've read this year, read here.
To see my current To Be Read list (which I'm obviously not getting to as I read all these other books) read here.
Oct. 13, 2009 - Book Review- The Passion of Mary Margaret
The Passion of Mary Margaret was absolutely one of the best books I have read in a long time. I don't remember if I have read anything by Lisa Samson before, but I certainly will now!
The book is written in first person- not usually my favorite. But, it is written as a memoir. Mary Margaret is a nun- or religious, as she prefers to be called. She wants to follow God's leading and thinks she knows what it is. But, she finds out that our plans are not always God's plans. When she submits to God's leading, God uses her mightily in the life of a dear long-time friend.
This book was a sweet love story and a touching story of what it is to know God and to trust Him implicitly,
This was not on my TBR list, but you can check out the books on my list here.
You can also see the books I've read this year here.
Sep. 21, 2009 - Beach Reads
While we were at the beach last week, I had lots of time to read. It was wonderful! I've listed what I read at the beach and reviews of some of them.
Deep in the Heart of Trouble- Deanna Gist- a sweet romance. I enjoy Deanna Gist's books!
The Measure of a Lady- Deanna Gist
Waiting for Morning- Karen Kingsbury- As always, Karen Kingsbury deals with the triumphs and tragedies of life, always pointing readers toward God. This book was familiar. I think I may have read it before, but I enjoyed it anyway. The book dealt with forgiveness and trusting god through bad times as well as good.
Growing Creative Kids- Sharpe(NF)- I receieved this book through a homeschool book swap. I was eager to read it because I don't feel that I am a very creative person, but I was hoping to get some ideas to nurture creativity in my children. The book did give some good ideas for creative activities to do with children. But, I didn't like the focus on increasing self-esteem and on labeling children as "gifted", "talented", "creative", etc.
The Tenth Stone- Thoene- the most recent in the Thoene series of historical fiction dealing with the life of Christ. I always enjoy these books. They bring the Bible times alive to me, and help me to really see what it would have been like to live when Christ lived. After reading these books and The Chosen (which I finished recently) I think I'd like to study Torah!
Ticket to Tomorrow- Cox
Happily Ever After- Susan May Warren- another of my favorite sweet romance writers
The Lord of the Flies- Golding- This was a classic recommended in A Thomas Jefferson Education, and I had never been required to read it for a class. I knew the general idea of what the book was about, so I wan't really surprised. I'm glad I've read it, and I will probably have my kids read it and discuss it as they get older. I really felt like it was an accurate picture of the depravity of natural man without the hope of redemption. I don't think I would add it to the list of books I "like", but I do think it is a valuable read.
Well, there's my list. I conquered some of my TBR pile, but, of course, I added some new books also, What's a trip to the beach without some new books to read?
To see my current TBR list, read here.
To see what other books I've read this year, read here.
Sep. 5, 2009 - Book Review- I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
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I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
This was absolutely one of the weirdest books I've ever read. I obviously had no idea what it was about when I started. I really like Will Smith movies and had wanted to see him in this one. So when I saw the book on the bargain rack at Barnes and Noble, I bought it.
First of all [spoiler warning here:] it is about vampires! What! I thought it was supposed to be sci fi, like aliens had taken over the planet or something. But, vampire?!!!
Next, I'm still not really sure how it ended. After I decided to keep reading to find out what happened, I never really found out what happened. [Another spoiler:] He takes these pills to kill himself before he is tortured by the vampires and then... Nothing. The book changes to these short horror stories. It was like watching the old Twilight Zone shows. I kept reading because I thought surely it must tie back in somehow. But, nope.
This was one of those books that I finished and just thought, "What?!"
Definitely NOT a Good Read!
View all my reviews >>
To see the books I've read this year, read here.
To see my current To Be Read list, read here.
Sep. 1, 2009 - Book Review- The Chosen by Chaim Potok
A part of The Thomas Jefferson Education book that I read earlier this summer talked about the reading of classics. In studying the lists that they recommended, I realized that there were many of the classics I really haven't read myself. So, it has been my goal to read some of these.
The first one recommended was The Chosen by Chaim Potok. I can't believe I haven't seen or heard of this book before this. It was an excellent book! Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders are two Jewish boys growing up in Brooklyn- one the son of a Hassidic Rabbi and one the son of a Zionist. They become good friends in an unexpected way and journey through adolescence and into college together. They face the ending of World War 2, news of the concentration camps and Jewish persecutions, and the beginning of a Zionist state.
This book dealt with some deep themes- relationships between fathers and sons, cultural disputes among the Jewish people, discovering yourself and you own beliefs and reconciling that with what you've heard all your life. I learned some interesting things about Jewish culture and the history of the Jewish people that make me want to read more from a historical perspective.
I definitely would recommend this one!
To see my To Be Read list, read here.
To see my list of books I've read this year, read here.
Aug. 24, 2009 - Book Review- Parenting by the Book by John Rosemond
I have read a few of John Rosemond's parenting advice columns from the newspaper. Some I agree with, some I don't. So, I was interested when Jason and I were given the book to lead a parenting class at church. The class is supposed to start in September, so I got busy, and we finished the book this weekend. I was not impressed.
Although the title is Parenting by the Book (referring to the Bible), Rosemond seems to advise returning to the parenting styles of the 50s, not so much the parenting principles in the Bible. He really is more for traditional parenting than Biblical parenting, and they are not always one in the same.
He also resommends extremely harsh consequences- even for very young children. He specifically states that the punishment shoul NOT fit the offense but shoule be much harsher to discourage the beahvior from happening again. I do not think this is Biblical in any way, and I believe it can exasperate children.
Although he talks about the importance of character, it seems as if his methods are simply to bring about right behaviors, not to deal with heart issues in a child.
We felt so strongly about this, that we are no longer going to agree to lead a class with this book.
Aug. 20, 2009 - My Ever Growing To Be Read List
I have finished almost everything on my summer TBR list. I am still working through the Charlotte Mason volumes online. If you've checked my book list for 2009, you'll notice that I actually added a few books throughout the summer. And my TBR list continues to grow. Here it is categorized by genre: the books I hope to read before the end of the year:
Fiction:
Shepherd's Fall W.L. Dyson
Take One Karen Kingsbury
Take Two Karen Kingsbury
I am Legend Richard Matheson (Yes, it is the Will Smith movie.)
Black Ice Linda Hall
A Capitol Offense Gary E. Parker
Waiting for Morning Karen Kingsbury (I may have read this one, but it doesn't look familiar.)
The Alabaster Cross Richard Exley
Christian Living:
Life, Celebrate It Luci Swindoll
The Davinci Codebreaker James L. Garlow (I know Im way behind the times on this, but I've never watched or read The Davinci Code and really don't know much about it, so I'm curious.)
Tortured for Christ Richard Wurmbrand
Changes That Heal Dr. Henry Cloud
Love as a Way of Life Gary Chapman
The Top 100 Questions Richard Bewes
Words That Circled the World Richard Bewes
The Stone that Became a Mountain Richard Bewes
Parenting By The Book John Rosemond
Shepherding A Child's Heart- Tripp (We are leading a parenting group with this book.)
Classics:
The Chosen Chaim Potok
The Lord of the Flies William Golding (Yes, I've never read it. And it is recommended reading from Thomas Jefferson Education, so here goes.)
Nicholas Nickleby Charles Dickens
Nonfiction:
Look Me In the Eye John Robison
Cheap Talk With the Frugal Friends Zalewski and Ricks
The Anxiety Cure Dr. Archibald D. Hart
Growing Creative Kids Dr. Wesley Sharpe
School Education- Charlotte Mason
Ourselves- Charlotte Mason
Formation of Character- Charlotte Mason
Toward a Philosophy of Education- Charlotte Mason (I'm reading these volumes in modern English at Amblside Online.)
And some devotional/study guides:
The Blazing Center- Piper
The Passionate Marriage - Focus on the Family
Adventurous Prayer- Women of Faith
Victoriously Frazzled- Cindi Wood
And that's it. (Not counting the read alouds I'm doing with the kids.) It will definitely keep me busy through the fall!
Aug. 19, 2009 - Book Review- The Road to Paradise Island by Victoria Holt
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The Road to Paradise Island by Victoria Holt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I am a long time Victoria Holt fan- romantic suspense at it's best! I haven't read a Victoria Holt novel in quite a while. But I picked this one up at the library book sale and really enjoyed it. I suppose her books are rather formulaic and wouldn't exactly be "good literature." But, they are really good fluff! And, I love a good romantic suspense!
View all my reviews >>
To see what else I've read this year, you can check out my book list here.
Aug. 15, 2009 - Wow has time flown...again.
I now have 5 children and we have lived in Louisiana for 2.5 years. I have figured you can just 'right off' the 1st year of a new child's life- as it it'll be a blur. :) It's enjoyable to be sure, BUT it is also very busy. And tiring. I don' t know what it has been about child # 5, but this has been one hard year. Perhaps it's not the child fully (as adorable as she is!), but also life situations, nonetheless it has been a hectic year, shoot 2 years, really, because my pregnancy was no a picnic.
I don't have much to say at present, but I thought I'd say SOMEthing. :)
I am nursing poison ivy on my forearms ~sigh~ again. I was out cutting annoying viney 'stuff' under the oak tree in the front yard. Guess it wasn't just the viney stuff... turns out it was much more. As I got closer to the tree I was suddenly surrounded by flying stinging insects ~OUCH~ I had never been stung by an insect before. (Well, do mosquitos technically bite or sting? Mosquitos don't count for the purposes of this entry. I live in Louisiana and the mosquitos here are as thick as the air!) I think I disturbed a hornets nest as it appears to be in the ground. Four of them stung me. The vines sit...less then half finished, and I am now planning the hornets demise. It Doesn't really matter if they are hornets or not- they will be gone shortly.
I have been enjoying the gym. We have wanted to join one for some time, but finally did because the physical cost to each of our bodies was a worse option than not joining. Morbid obesity runs in my husbands family and he'd been struggling with keeping weight off as he's become more sedentary. I have also struggled, and having given birth to 5 children has not helped. I am outnumbered and have not been successful in exercising from home (as was my custom) in some time due to the numerous interruptions. To say it has been frustrating is an understatement. I can't describe how much my body and soul are enjoying the ability to exercise- uninterrupted and utilizing various weight machines, etc. I have also been able to get back into running which I am thoroughly enjoying. It has been a goal for a while, but life circumstances have kept me from it. I hope one day to run a marathon. It might be a while as I'm only up to 3 miles. :)
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