And, friends, there were SO MANY which were Oh-So-Good.
Ya'll, I HAVE GOTS to write about them!
*Have you read this series written for adolescent boys? Well, no kidding, I LOVED the Prince Warrior series! My oldest, Zeplin, and I read them together and we are eagerly awaiting the most recent book in the series. During nap time for his younger brothers, we would curl-up on the couch together and read about the adventures of Ahoratos and get so caught-up in this world. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! No joke- this is such a great read to have with your age-appropriate children!
* Loved, Loved, Loved: Love Warrior. This was the first book of Glennon's book I have read and I was SO IMPRESSED. I love her writing and her memoir is completely fascinating. ...plus, I think this is going to be turned into a movie ...produced by Oprah...let me just say, I am SO not surprised.
Carry On, Warrior is more short essays than it is memoir. I didn't love it like I did Love Warrior, but still good writing- witty and fun.
*The Lucky Few. This book was written so lovingly and I walked away from it encouraged. The story of Heather Avis' family and how they grew together will make you weep and smile and have all the feelings. Great read.
*Everybody Always- AHH! Bob Goff, I ADORE you!! Another winner- straight-up, great book! I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Love Does (one of my top 10 best-books ever!), and this was perfection in a second book. Wonderful!
*Kelly Corrigan, you write like a dream. I can devour your writings whole. I actually read two of your books this summer, Glitter and Glue (not shown) and the Middle Place. Each book is filled with stories and intertwined with past and present. You wave in and out, back and forth with such ease. I pretended your father was Bob Goff (see previous review) as I read and I fell head-over-heels for the way you loved him and he loved you!
*Girl Wash Your Face. So...this book has about a million reviews done on it- both for it and against it. The mom-group I am heading-up voted on this book for our first book of the year and we have just begun reading it as a group. Well...I went ahead and jumped the gun. I read it, I loved it, I left my first ever review on Amazon! (Picture below.) Truly, I was so impressed, not because every thing was perfect, but because everything was relatable.
OK, fully disclosure, I have not yet read She's Still There or the One and Only Ivan. I found each for dirt cheap at thrift stores -because people be crazy and don't know the gems they
I just finished, Staying Stylish and I confess, I have only REALLY LIKED one of Candace's books, Dancing Through Life. each of the others have been, eh. This is also, eh. I continue to read her work because I just think she is amazing. I feel like I glean from her writing. She's not writing gold, but she's writing interest. Does that make sense? If you want to read something of hers, chose D.T.L.
I am currently reading, You are Free; Be Who You Already Are, by Rebekah Lyons. THIS has been on my "read me!!" list since I first heard Rebekah being interviewed by my dearest, Annie F. Downs. You can hear that, here.
OK, Looking For Lovely. I heart you, Annie F. Downs. What a lovely book. I adore Annie's vulnerability. I don't think she glosses over things to make them pretty. She writes with honesty and openness. She is the greatest mentor (please be my mentor, Annie!). I imagine Annie to be an A+ real-life friend.
I have only read two books I wasn't overly-impressed with out of this bundle, Hoodwinked. I know, I know, don't stone me, I just didn't love it. Great premise, though. And, Life on Planet Mom, (not shown.) Again with the premise, but the writing was not at all my favorite.
Jesus Always is a devotional, which is why it showed-up twice and is still on my radar. Every morning I read this as part of my morning and enjoy gleaning Scripture and encouragement through it.
Emily P. Freeman (Simply Tuesday) is a lovely writer. I have read two of her books now and would like to read them all. She is artsy in her writing, much like Anne Voskamp (the Broken Way), who I also enjoy. Sometimes artsy makes for tricky reading. Enjoyable, but tricky.
The Broken Way was difficult for me. I enjoyed it, there are portions which are just TOO GOOD, it is that style of writing which gets me. Much like when I read One Thousand Gifts. I always feel like I have run a marathon.
The memoir the Only Road North kept me on the edge of my seat- in the best kind of way. This was exciting, well written, and eye-opening as well. I love the redemption, which is not this story, exactly, but what comes out of this story. I enjoyed this adventure. (plus, bonus, I think it is Nooma creature Rob Bell who visits him at the hospital. My FAVORITE NOOMA video- like, I watched it So.Many.Times is here. My friend Carlos *miss you* and I would watch this over and over when we were at the Los Angeles Dream Center. It was life-giving to us.)
How We Sleep At Night was a quick read- because it is, like, 100 pages. But I love Sara Cunningham's heart and how brave she is. I love that she loves Jesus and she loves her homosexual son and that she doesn't need to chose one- because I think that LOVE is entirely in line with Scripture. I am proud of her writing, because she wrestles over the pages with her own convictions, understandings, and failures. BONUS: there is artwork included which her son had made and as well as links to hear him singing- spoiler: he sounds hauntingly lovely (insert emo hearts here).
At Home in the World was a fascinating read. It is thoroughly interesting and the entire time I was encouraged to plan a family trip of my own and copy the Oxenreider's agenda completely. Well...almost. This book takes us on the 9-months of living abroad all.over.the.world with children, one book bag per person, and all the highlights of exposing oneself to culture outside of our norm.
Out of the Spin Cycle. My girl (fist bump my chest- twice), Jen Hatmaker. I'll confess here that I did not love this one. I think Jen would likely say, "I know, neither did I", but she would say that knowing that, at the time she wrote this, THIS was her best, and that is important. Jen's writings style is legendary- I think she was my first experience of whit and satire and I can park myself there for a loooong time. Two of her books, Interrupted and Seven are on my top 10 list.
Sarah Mae's Longing for Paris. This one was on my radar for a long time. I hunted it down because I just wanted to love it. I liked it. Much like my thoughts on Hoodwinked, it was redundant. Great premise. I would love to bump into Sarah at her cute little coffee shop. I will continue to read more of her work and cheer her on.
My current line-up includes Y.A.F. (mentioned above), Adamant, and All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook. I recently picked up Water for Elephants, so that is on my to-read list. I will back-up and read She's Still There and the One and Only Ivan.
Big Strong Man and I are doing a book and devotional with some friends called, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. And I found What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, the book and the devotional. That will be a gem to dive into. (And, OH! I am excited to read Finding I AM as well as, It's Not Supposed to Be This Way!)
OK. That's it. Which have you read and what are your opinions? Are there any here you have your eye on or did I mention any of your top-books of all time?
I have about 100+ more books on my radar, but I plan on finishing up these targeted reads before moving on.
-Love from the couch!!
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