On My Bookshelf

I haven't been keeping up here on the blog with the books I have been reading, yet this year has been one of the better years of getting some books read. Currently, I've been reading C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. It is a "theological fantasy" about the Christian concepts of heaven and hell. I've enjoyed it thus far, but find that I cannot read many chapters at a time because there is so much to process and chew on.

A "for fun" book I just picked up at the library (I like to browse the stacks of new books and grab some that catch my eye), is Maria Goodin's first novel. It is a story about a young woman's journey to discover the truth about her past in midst of the fantastical stories (lies?) her mother tells. When her mother becomes ill, Meg returns to try to convince her mom to tell her who she really is. I found it fairly quick paced and kept my attention. Although I "figured out" where it was going, Goodin's writing was engaging and I wanted to continue reading the book. 

One passage caught my attention as a way I would want my daughters to think about "falling in love," a counter balance to so much of the "Disney version."

It's not like you said it would be. No bolt of lightning shoots across the sky, and no nightingales spontaneously burst into song. I do not find myself engulfed in a dreamy, magical cloud or swept away in a whirlwind of glittering stardust Instead, I suddenly feel real, as if all the splintered parts of myself have simultaneously come together. I am the child I once was and the adult I am today. I am all of my good ponts and each of my bad. I am brave but afraid, healed but damaged, strong but helpless. I am everything I have admitted and all that I have denied. The personI am right now in this moment is the product of everything I have ever been - the truth, the lies, and everything in between.

When his lips touch mine, I don't feel myself falling, weightlessly, like you promised.

Instead, for the first time ever, I feel myself become me.

The Kitchen of Half Truth, Maria Goodlin

 I found this so appropriate to my story (although written so much more eloquently than I can), especially this month... the month of our 9th wedding anniversary. Thank you, Daryl, for encouraging me to become me!

On my bookshelf

 I just finished reading Brene Brown's book The Gifts of Imperfection. Wow, what a breath of fresh air AND a huge challenge for me at the same time. I saw myself over and over again on the pages of her book. I'm still chewing on so much of what she has to say. I found myself asking all kinds of questions of myself and realizing the answers are so a part of the journey of becoming authentically ME!

Here are some of the quotes that struck me:

Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen. (p. 49)

Brene challenges her readers to:

• embrace the courage to be imperfect; to set boundaries to allow ourselves to be vulnerable
• exercise compassion; realizing that we are all made of strength AND we all struggle
• nurture connection and belonging AND to believe we are enough.

Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy and gratitute into our lives. (p. 50)

Sometimes choosing being real over being liked is all about playing it unsafe. (p. 52)

I started realizing how much I want to fit in with "the crowd" and wondering how much I've lost of myself in the process. I don't even know what I really like to do anymore.

During my reading of this book and viewing Brene Brown's TED talks (all of which I highly recommend), I came to the realization (one of many) that I spend so much time on the computer because it numbs my feelings of being alone and being afraid to reach out. My journey begins with deactivating my Facebook account and searching out face to face connection. I may update that journey now or perhaps you'll hear about it during one of our face to face conversations:-).

Books Read in 2012

My cousin, Krista, has been a great motivation for searching out and intentionally reading good books. She is a part of a book club and I'm a bit envious of her for that:-). It sounds wonderful. I enjoy gleaning from what she reads as well as finding other good books. Some of them I find through blogs I read... others I stumble upon and am captivated by the first pages, so I continue. While I do read fluff, this past year has been full of more quality, thought provoking stuff.

This past year I've read...

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
This was a powerful true story of survival in the midst of horrific obstacles... plane crashes and POW camps. Hillenbrand is an incredible storyteller.

The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
This is another true story of survival. I had to keep reminding myself that someone actually walked all the way from Siberia through the Gobi Desert over the Himalayan Mountains into British India. Would I have kept going (or even started) in the face of so many obstacles.

The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Sterns
This book was very thought-provoking. I will need to reread this one to let all of what the author said sink in again. Some of the quotes I wrote down while reading it...

"God's love was intended to be or demonstrated, not dictated. Our job is not to manipulate or induce others to agree with us or to leave their religion and embrace Christianity. Our charge is to both proclaim and embody the gospel so that others can see, hear, and feel God's love in tangible ways." (18)

"The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment." John Macarthur

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
I loved the first one, really enjoyed the second one, and thought the third one was ok. I actually enjoy fiction for youth, but haven't picked up much recently because of the current obsession with vampires. I'm so glad I picked up the first book... I can't remember why I did. Daryl even picked it up after me. We went to the movie for our first movie date in I don't know how long.

Prodigal God by Tim Keller
I picked up this book at the last CBD warehouse sale. Dr. Keller is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell and I had the privilege of organizing a conference at which he was a speaker and heard part of this is sermon form. It was good to read... a reminder that God is the one who lavishes love on us... prodigal at its best.

Others... I forgot to mention. No reflection on the quality of the books, (these were all excellent) I'm just not good about remembering what I read.

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba
The Boy No One Loved: A heartbreaking true story of abuse, abandonment and betrayal by Casey Watson
There is No Me without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children by Melissa Fay Greene
No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene

As I look over the list, I realize I've read a lot this year. I just need to record my thoughts and impressions when I finish, otherwise I forget.

As part of my "educational" goal for 2013, I would like to be intentional about reading quality books... books that make me think and challenge the way I live. Again, I have turned to my cousin for recommendations. I have started while at my in-laws house this past week. The following two books, while works of fiction, were uncomfortable yet powerful glimpses into two difficult times in history... pre-civil war south and WWII Germany. The summaries are Krista's.

THE KITCHEN HOUSE by Kathleen Grissom

First of all this is one of the most tragic books I've read, because there really isn't much redemption or hope until the very last page.  All that being said, it is a gripping piece of Colonial fiction, and another book that provides many points of discussion.  I really enjoyed the author's style and felt she made a bygone time period come alive without painting a glossy finish on everything the way Colonial life is typically portrayed.  (I don't mind sad stories, or shy away from that sort of thing if I can learn something valuable in the process.) Krista at Cornrows and Meadows

THOSE WHO SAVE US by Jenna Blum

A frank and deeply unsettling story of Anna, a German woman living in a village bordering a concentration camp, who becomes the mistress of a high-ranking SS officer during WWII in order to save herself and her young daughter Trudy, a child born out of wedlock by a Jewish doctor.  In my opinion, while the author did not shy away from detailing the physical abuse Anna suffers from the Ubersturmfuhrer, the manner and purpose in which she wrote was not titillating, but properly disturbing.  HOWEVER, this opinion will not be shared by all.  I think it all comes down to what your own life experiences have been, (whether anything conjures up memories), how sensitively you respond to issues like sexual abuse, and whether you shy away from dark subjects in general.  For me, it generated much thought--philosophical and spiritual contemplation--without violating my conscience.  Still, when mentioning this book I always fully disclose the above. Krista at Cornrows and Meadows

Here is the continuation of my list for 2013.

Daring Greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead by Brene Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough
A Thousand Resurrections by Maria Garriott
One Thousand Gifts by Ann vos Kamp
When Helping Hurts - How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself

Any suggestions? Anyone want to read along?

Christmas Books... part 2

I've been disappointed by the Christmas books I picked up at the library this year. Although it has been nice to read some new ones, I've not been too eager to add them to our collection. Tonight, we did read one that I liked and even choked up a bit as I read it.



A Shepherd's Gift by Mary Calhoun and illustrated by Raul Colon is a story about a poor shepherd boy who goes searching for his lost sheep. He finds it in the stable. It is a touching story about love and sacrifice. Definitely a book I would add to my collection and the girls enjoyed it too. (Well, the older ones, Elizabeth is having trouble sitting for a cozy story times:-). )

Countdown to Christmas with books

For the second year in a row, we are counting down the days of Advent using books. The girls and I wrapped up some of the books I gathered last year in Christmas fabric (I found 2 bags of it at our local second hand store and my mom gave me some). I also added to my collection using our local library. It is is great way to "test" out the books before deciding if I want to add them to our Christmas collection.

For the first day of advent, we read the book Wombat Divine by Mem Fox. I must admit I was a bit skeptical about this book and I almost didn't check it out of the library. I am so glad I did. It is a delightful book with creatures from "down under." This book tells the story of Wombat who can't wait to be old enough to be in the Nativity play. The time comes and he just isn't right for the different parts. Finally, with the encouragement of his friends, he finds the perfect part. He is just divine:-).
 
My kids have asked us to read this book several times since yesterday. I've been happy to oblige. I may have to add this book to our personal collection.

Our second book wasThe Christmas Bears by Chris Conover. Perhaps because our standards were set so high with our first book, this one just wasn't as good. It tells the story of a family of bears getting ready for Christmas. I believe the implication is that Papa Bear is "Santa Claus," but it doesn't quite come out and say that. OK, but the kids probably won't ask to read this again.

Christmas Books continued

Happy New Year! We have been to Georgia and back again (so much fun and lots of things to share, but that will happen... hopefully... in another post). During our trip we continued our countdown to Christmas with books and here are the rest of them.

An Ellis Island Christmas (by Maxinne Rhea Leighton, illustrated by Dennis Nolan)
I picked this book up at Ellis Island over 12 years ago, during a trip with my Richmond crew. I wanted to start collecting children's books as souvenirs of the places I went. (This was the only one I've gotten... oh, well). Anyway, it is a sweet story about a little girl and her family coming to America to connect with her father. Hannah got a little worried in the middle, but it turns out well.

Winter Wishes (Disney Princess: Step into Reading book)
This one was especially for my "all princess" girl. It is standard Disney, but fine as a early reader book.

The Mitten (Jan Brett)
I love Jan Brett's stories and this is one of my favorites. A little boy, Nicki, goes into the snowy woods with his new snow white mittens. He drops one and some animals use it as a cozy place to curl up in... all at the same time.

Christmas Peek-a-Boo (lift the flap book)
Another cute book for Elizabeth... actually Grace still enjoys lifting the flaps of the books.

The Christmas Star (soft sculptures by Christine Potter, story adapted by Moira Butterfield)
This is the Christmas story wonderfully illustrated by soft sculptures. I found the illustrations really creative and a fun way to tell the traditional story. I appreciate stories that have the wise men coming to a house with a toddler (more true to the original).

This is the Stable (Cynthia Cotten, illustrated by Delana Bettoli)
I love the illustrations in this one and appreciate the fact that they portray the people as from another culture (again... more true to the original story). This book is a building rhyme (I don't know the official term) where each part adds to the part before, repeating as you go, so that by the end you are telling the whole story.

The First Noel: A Holiday Pop-up book (illustrated by Pat Paris)
I don't know where I got this book, but it is a beautiful pop-up book. The kids really enjoyed seeing what would pop-up on each page.

Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale (Martin Waddell, Jason Cockcroft)
We just got this board book for Christmas from a friend. The illustrations are beautiful and it is a sweet retelling of the traditional story.

Pooh's Snowy Day

This is one of the classic pooh stories... so sweet.

On Christmas Day we read the bible story from the Big Picture Storybook Bible. I highly recommend this Bible for parents of young children. It is a great way to introduce them to the whole picture of God and His story.

Countdown to Christmas with Books

(Trying this again... I attempted to fix a formatting issue and lost the original post.)

This year we are celebrating Advent with books. I saw this idea on a blog last Christmas and decided we would do it ourselves. We had some Christmas books, but I found many more at a local used book store. This is a wonderful place, especially if you are like me and love children's books. In fact, it may be a little dangerous:-).

So here are the books we have unwrapped and read each evening on our countdown to Christmas.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

I found a beautiful copy of this story at our local library's book sale. I find the story kind of sad, but also think it is a great telling of the true story of Christmas.

Little Angel (Geraldine McCaughrean and Ian Beck)
This is a sweet story of a little angel who gets separated from the others when they come tell the shepherds about Jesus' birth. A little shepherd boy helps her get back to the others and is helped by her as well.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (Susan Wojciechowski, illustrated by P.J. Lynch)
This is one of those stories that always chokes me up... a hurt and bitter person reminded of the truth of Christmas. It was a little too old for Grace, but Hannah enjoyed the story.

One Winter's Day (M. Christina Butler, illustrated by Tina Macnaughton)
I LOVE this story. Someone from our church gave it to our girls last Christmas. It is a story about a little hedgehog who gives away his hat, scarf and mittens and ends up being blessed by those he blessed.

Danny and the Kings (Susan Cooper, illustrated by Jos. A. Smith)
We read this book tonight and once again I got a little teary eyed. It is a story of a boy who wants to get a Christmas tree for his brother and ends up being blessed by several truckers... a "Hallmark" story (not really, but you know what I mean).

I Spy Christmas (Photographs by Walter Wick, Riddles by Jean Marzollo)
I got this because my girls love their I Spy board book, but we found this extremely difficult to find the objects. I might take it on our trip and play our own game of I Spy with it.

The Christmas Story (Rona Davies and Tommaso d'Incalci)
The illustrations are great and it sticks pretty closely to the biblical story.

Silent Night (illustrated by Darcy May)
I like the illustrations in this book. It follows the words of the song. Hannah liked that we sang the song after we read it.

Laura's Christmas

This is a "lift-the-flap" book and an early introduction to the Little House books. Hannah and I have read the chapter books (up until The Long Winter), but she liked this book as well.

An Angel Came to Nazareth (pictures by Maggie Kneen)
This story is told from the perspective of 4 animals who needed to chose who they would take to Bethlehem. While 3 animals pick "important" people, the donkey picks a pregnant woman. It is a nice retelling, but not one of my favorite.

Baby Jesus board book

Even Elizabeth gets a Christmas story. This story is told in rhyme, but I wouldn't call it a "must have" book.

The First Christmas (Carol Heyer)
I LOVE the illustrations in this book. It is a good retelling of the Christmas story.

The Golden Christmas Tree (Jan Wahl, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard)
We enjoyed this story about the animals working together to decorate their Christmas tree. Hannah has asked to read this a couple times. I thought a good activity to do after reading this book would be to decorate a tree for the birds (like peanut butter and birdseed pinecones), but it didn't happen this year.

Angelina's Christmas (illustrations by Helen Craig, story by Katharine Holabird)
Hannah loves Angelina Ballerina and this was another sweet story in that series. Angelina blesses a neighbor in need of compassion.

God Gave Us Christmas (Lisa Tawn Bergren, art by David Hohn)
I really enjoyed God Gave Us You and bought it before Hannah was born. A friend gave us this book and it is a great story about Mama Polar Bear and her cub going out to find God through the ways He makes himself known in nature.

So that is where we are. We have 10 more books. The last book will be the reading of the Christmas Story from either The Jesus Storybook Bible or The Big Picture Story Bible on Christmas morning. The kids seem to have enjoyed opening a book each morning and I like reading new books.

I'll post the rest after Christmas!