What I'm Reading

I read this one a while ago and forgot to write about it. Well here it is... I loved it. I was definitely skeptical going into this read because honestly I didn't think Stephenie Meyer is that great of a storyteller, but this was not what I was expecting. The whole story line was so thoughtful and intriguing. It is based on a time where Earth has been overrun with aliens who take over human bodies. Most human souls disappear once the alien invades, but some fight back. The story follows a host body who inhabits both an alien and the original soul the body belongs to and the struggle that ensues. The book also highlights the life of a small group of humans who are among the few the aliens have not yet overtaken. There is a little bit of a love story going on as well, but not so much that my husband didn't also enjoy this read. Oh and they are turning this into a movie! You may have seen the teaser if you went to see Hunger Games in theaters.

What I'm Reading

The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer is the book to read if you are inexperienced and wanting to go the distance. The book is based on a class that the author's have taught at a university for years. It comes complete with a training schedule as well as health and mental tips to get you through the training and the actual race. Each chapter is meant to be read leading up to its coordinating week of training runs.

So far I think it's awesome and has been very inspirational. The training schedule which the authors suggest requires you to run four days a week. One of those days is an increasingly long day while the other days are relatively short. If you follow the program it will take you four full months to complete unless you currently cannot continuously jog for 30 minutes. If this is the case, the authors have included an additional 3 months of training to get you to this point which starts off by only requiring the ability to walk for 30 minutes at a moderate pace.

The book also includes a compilation of excerpts from the students who have been enrolled in the marathon class who range in age and athletic ability. One woman had back problems and on her first day of training could barely walk five minutes at a time. Every single student completed a marathon at the end of each of the semesters except one person who had medical problems during his race. It is so inspiring to hear from the students themselves what all this means to them and how much they were able to accomplish in a short time following this exact method. I especially love the stories of the extremely inexperienced students because that is the boat I am in and sometimes this task seems a bit daunting.

What we're reading

At our latest trip to the local library, my daughter picked out a few really great picture-board books. This sweet little book is You Are My Sunshine by Caroline Jayne Church.

 It is short and there aren't many words and the pictures are just darling.

 I think I'll have to add this to our personal library at some point. It is definitely a keeper.

What I'm Reading

Hubby and I have gotten into reading novels out loud to each other and we recently raced through the entire Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It was so good. The books follow the life of a teenage girl in an post-apocalyptic society who is thrown into the role as the rebel symbol against the oppressive ruling class. Parts will make you cry and parts will make you laugh. And then there are the parts that spurred long conversations about "could this really happen?"

I would recommend this book to everyone I know. Personally I even think it is appropriate for the younger crowd. Say ten year olds? But of course each parent should decide for themselves what is appropriate. I don't remember any crude language or obscene depictions although there are quite a few "heavy" parts where people get killed.

Really, the writing is beautiful and the world is intriguing and I would love to read these again.

What I'm Reading

After reading The Bridge of Peace, I was excited to receive another one of Cindy Woodsmall's books from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers.  After reading only one chapter, I was sorely surprised. The main character, a young Amish girl, is raped by a stranger on the side of the road. After realizing what I was reading I could not finish the rest of the novel. I know that some people enjoy reading realistic situations like this no matter how unsettling the text because it is reality and we can learn from it, but it is not the kind of thing I enjoy reading at the end of a long day when I just want to relax and put my mind at ease.

Although I did not read the remainder of the novel, I did however skim through to get the gist of the rest of the story. It seams this young girl goes through a lot of heartache and trouble as a result of her first traumatic experience. She is ostracized from her community and from those she cares most about over rumors and lies and misunderstandings. In the end, a few come to her aid, but things do not get resolved there. The Bridge of Peace is part of a trilogy so it does leave you wanting and I am sure if you enjoy this book, you would enjoy the following two.

This is not a novel I would recommend only because of the blatant imagery of rape which was too unsettling for my taste in novels. I do think that it is a well written novel following the woes of one young woman which many people could be enriched by. This just wasn't for me.

**I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

What I'm Reading

I know you're up in heaven, God,
and can hear my voice from there.
I'm just a little child.
Will you answer my short prayer?

This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano is such a beautiful little book. It follows a little child’s prayer from beginning to end and illustrates everything the child is feeling along the way. A child’s prayer is the sweetest thing and this book captures that special innocence. With its sing-song tone, I immediately was swept away with DeStefano’s words. I also love the illustrations. Each page is so pretty and filled with imagination. This is a book that I can see cherishing for many years to come as my daughter gets older.

My favorite part is that the book only tells one child’s prayer and doesn’t go any further.  It leaves the door open for the parent to step in with a discussion about their own personal beliefs about the importance of prayer and the power that can come with that. It would be the perfect opportunity to strengthen your child’s convictions on a regular basis.

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

What I'm Reading

Espresso for your Spirit

Hope and Humor for Pooped Out Parents

by Pam Vredevelt

I was leery of what a Christian self-help book could do for me. I have always had a bit of a negative connotation towards this type of literature and so I began reading this book already skeptical and believing it might help some people, but most likely do nothing for me. My attitude changed immediately. The first chapter had me in tears. The following chapters were much of the same: I cried, laughed, or was compelled to get on my knees and pray about something I had been neglecting.  A chapter at a time I was uplifted by Vredevelt’s words and hanging on to every sentence.

The book is meant to be read in a few minutes here and there by busy parents who only have about 5 minutes to themselves a day in order to rejuvenate and carry on. So the chapters are short and each one very meaningful. Some of the chapters are personal stories about the author and her family and other chapters are compiled of stories mostly of close friends of the authors. They are stories of trials and moments of inspiration. Each chapter ends with a short list of humorous anecdotes or quotes of hope.

After only reading a few chapters of Espresso for Your Spirit, I was already singing its praises and deciding everyone I know needed a copy. I loved the very personal experiences shared, the acknowledgment of God’s hand in all things, the simple truths learned that all parents need to understand, and the reminder that all parents struggle and that in no way defines how “good” of a parent we are. I cannot think of a negative thing to say about this book and am thankful it crossed my path.

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

What I'm Reading

God Gave Us Two

by Lisa Tawn Bergren

God Gave Us Two is a children’s book meant to help the first child in a family understand why his/her parents are having a second child. I like the idea of having books around to help my own first child handle the uncertainties that come with a new baby on the way, but I didn’t necessarily like how this book went about it. The main character brought up a lot of insecurities and worries which may come with having a new sibling join the family, but I feel it would be more productive to just focus on all the joys of a new baby rather than addressing all of the possible negative feelings. I also thought the wording was just plain awkward in many places. I did really enjoy the beautiful illustrations the book had to offer though.

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

What I'm Reading

The Bridge of Peace

It took me awhile to get into this story mainly because I was so confused at all the character names being thrown at me from the very beginning. Only later did I realize that The Bridge of Peace is the second in a series and that also there is a handy little character glossary in the back of the book. Once I was able to get into the story and get a grip on who each of the characters were, I really started to enjoy the plot. By the end of the novel I surprised myself with how much I actually was enjoying it and couldn't put it down until I had finished it completely.

The novel is not mainly about one Amish school teacher as I had previously thought given the description; it is about a whole community of Amish people and all of the complicated relationships that go into a tight-knit community such as this one. Because of this storyline, Woodsmall was able to delve into all of the interesting parts of human emotion: hope, despair, love, friendship, hatred, even psychopathy.

This was a great "feel good" novel. One that brought me up, down, and back up again. I can't wait to go back and read The Hope of Refuge and then to read the third in the series when it comes out this fall

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

What I'm Reading

1984 by George Orwell

It's one of those books I've been meaning to read forever because it's a classic and everyone refers to it all of the time and I've never read it. And when you tell people you've never read it they are shocked and tell you you must read it. so I am. finally. I also eventually want to read Animal Farm as well. It is suppose to be pretty good.

1984... for those of you like me who have never read it... is a fictional story about a government who is involved in every aspect of a person's life and follows a man who begins to rebel. It is actually pretty interesting and I would recommend it to anyone (Well, anyone over the age of fifteen maybe).